tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52021021192157397342024-03-12T00:52:39.875-04:00RUNDE'S ROOM~ LIVE LOVE LAUGH LEARN IN UPPER ELEMENTARY `Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-65025699950448272292023-08-24T19:32:00.008-04:002023-08-25T22:45:58.842-04:00Character Affirmation Posters: Purposeful Reading Decor for Your Upper Elementary Classroom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="861" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzcwGAqnYHM3kYMBj6LaAF9NOULKl0GVksHqo4vBwNVN3c4AtkaUNJUs1K95s4SEgp57zmH7NwDwiwD1RSOurL86XkT1aaOwlU_RHv_t_EXafJPawzMleE5huoC3UYWKEVWwvtS_bq9vbnqDuMwtBXGtaULS0J6Mk3i7GPtf9XJxhxchhGEHIjjRDLlM/w278-h400/characterposterpin1.png" width="278" /></a></div></div>As I've said in previous posts, I love decorating a classroom, but those decorations need to have a purpose. I leave a lot of empty space on my bulletin boards at the beginning of the school year so the students can fill the walls with their learning. So, when I do take up that precious wall space, the decor has to have purpose for my upper elementary classroom.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>These Character Affirmation Posters are perfect! Bridging literature and character growth, these positive affirmations for my students are linked to some of their favorite main characters in popular novels for upper elementary and middle school classrooms. Not only will these posters hopefully inspire my students to check some of these books out on the shelves, but they are also a great model when analyzing characters and writing reader responses because they describe the character with a trait and give supporting evidence from the novel. I know I'm going to refer to these all the time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1otVra9G1gSyM9SWxHCdDspyhgrQJ5PrcwZzGkNJv3h7BkA8VSVD6m4dyBLImdmsT1zr8FTQfNKzkJmVf7Ao5dKzpYtHHslwvgKRZfxu4EVueCc7_GQeBQnaerhM2iJuTe5zeRo0hm_7BKDc_nDqqOpTzvagGPDjpSsNHODE-1QXliz5QLufiJP-VUg/w278-h400/characterposterpin3.png" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="861" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFNrnzU8PstQivso35J09hVMFseoIXCmlrWYGjspPmbtWr47Mqk1zxy4T3AppNly91CiwP9offyZbZlUSBbyMGnGnolOexSBsxQHizl_AtjfGTofvGF9QNNr0APjRmda7VWQO22fGFGcM4m5AIQ5Ji12u6dTzc0RN3hCoP5W1uN9KI6C5B0DI8U1GihA/w234-h400/characterposterpin4.png" width="234" /></a></div>There are 20 posters included in this resource. As a bonus, there are also 8 blank templates students can use to create their own character affirmation posters for their independent reading, or empower a classmate with a positive affirmation poster celebrating their strengths. Whether it's celebrating a classmate's kindness or portraying their personal growth journey, these templates encourage creativity and collaboration within the classroom.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNwZ9sBNp6I_8-oPKLt7p0teKFFZztEiHC6Sb_DCrldrPlFUkf1OacXnKwmnxt1_B_-Tq3b7R0tdjtCyW1HQYZvpjv21bHfRfq4oteB1u46hyrA4z0XJYQ_JYQyISTXl4lVP42tI_kyIPVlfdDpuZZol5rdQdIEdg-ZJ3HIpUJtHRXFdXLthTGBBu7jc/s1200/characterposterpin7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="969" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNwZ9sBNp6I_8-oPKLt7p0teKFFZztEiHC6Sb_DCrldrPlFUkf1OacXnKwmnxt1_B_-Tq3b7R0tdjtCyW1HQYZvpjv21bHfRfq4oteB1u46hyrA4z0XJYQ_JYQyISTXl4lVP42tI_kyIPVlfdDpuZZol5rdQdIEdg-ZJ3HIpUJtHRXFdXLthTGBBu7jc/s320/characterposterpin7.png" width="258" /></a></div><br /><p>Designed on 8.5 x 11 paper, these posters can also easily be enlarged to 11 x 17 on a photocopier - I need both sizes for my bulletin board.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1125" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajbih3HJp_XY0Vbq4p6l0m3MviKa660Ve5RCcMd8-9LQO0_kTZ0MGXL8QEmpEgEFwALD2IOq7nHvl4FYdbPCni6vXpvN5m6QQ5qaDqeA7lll4VKB_wM9gW7TP_Fg-3os3voHVQdpdiha9IOEhfHV9eQ1jjKDVzv7cwi0XB2XFsmn-JsBFi-yjaa6m974/w400-h301/characterposterpin5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> **Key Features:**</span></div><p>- 20 Character Affirmation Posters: Fuel character growth through evidence-based positive affirmations.</p><p>- Literary Connections: Connect students' favorite characters with real-life values and traits.</p><p>- Evidence from Text: Strengthen character understanding with quotes directly from the novels.</p><p>- Classroom Enhancement: Elevate your learning environment with purposeful decor.</p><p>- 8 Customizable Templates: Foster creativity and collaboration among students.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="861" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFtTfOgX10ebiwO_E8ZnklFWhiSysyWvT4xVbG2AhpeXV3f-gz4oSyRqSR03l89iQws2PCyNq3foi1BFv8EI0gMojOoMko80SDw07spEGq1E4i8BHprvvXgRf0WuBUSU1fNJpJbRjjUrGd4GjQUol4S2b0tK6HghjHsjPfaMZ3vxFQmJmEVNLAnD_FpA/w279-h400/characterposterpin2.png" width="279" /></a></div><br />You can take a peek at these Character Affirmation Posters in my TpT store by clicking <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10064336" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or on any of the pictures.<div><br /></div><div>I also have a bright and bold version of these beautiful posters. Click on the picture below to see them. And ... each of the previews on TpT contain one full poster and one full template poster if you wanted to try this activity with your class.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Affirmation-Posters-Purposeful-Bright-Decor-for-Back-to-School-10073580" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_5fsxuElSx4vgjQNq_byvSMOLW4Rf1jI8cFgSuWuJmQViPFapRz-oKA6qaAZgK_YncnR8Fek-fzqvCKmIu32KyhjMgc3z5QGneO04KZYgY5GsAWPmU8PWd1wPm72d649KuN-7fneDnf62Vo9gb5AAZKKPV2cgu_rU-DQdbH9lrNjDguM47WDz3WdJqU/s320/character%20affirmation%20poster%20bright%20cover.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-85466587888184357652023-08-15T19:29:00.000-04:002023-08-24T19:54:52.872-04:00Giant Friendship Bracelet D.I.Y.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K3_yKe8rOK7lTujxrSiZ01bY6TmN7Hd5oZB-JI-kD-JrtJIZkIJ-e0g5YbfZVPNxVqFAn9xbadkn65ZmyJYXMn_5uNi3DGMKEBxWyvxdSPPdEj1v1I8utPzE-X1-3jtrhbriFj10HyPm7lvo2_Py2xOklfOvK6WV_Syd6_kV_7Oe5qI5eEOUWmFMSlI/s1434/friendshipbraceletpin1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="846" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K3_yKe8rOK7lTujxrSiZ01bY6TmN7Hd5oZB-JI-kD-JrtJIZkIJ-e0g5YbfZVPNxVqFAn9xbadkn65ZmyJYXMn_5uNi3DGMKEBxWyvxdSPPdEj1v1I8utPzE-X1-3jtrhbriFj10HyPm7lvo2_Py2xOklfOvK6WV_Syd6_kV_7Oe5qI5eEOUWmFMSlI/w236-h400/friendshipbraceletpin1.png" width="236" /></a></div>With three teenage daughters, the summer of Taylor Swift hasn't escaped our house. And that's perfectly O.K. with me. We didn't score tickets, or even an access code (large sigh), but we've been living vicariously through friends' posts. So when I saw the cutest friendship bracelet bulletin board by <b><a href="https://www.agirlandagluegun.com/4-fun-bulletin-board-ideas-for-schools/" target="_blank">A Girl and A Glue Gun</a>, </b>I started to get a great idea.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>These Taylor-inspired friendship bracelets, with Taylor's lyrics, are the most adorable addition to my classroom, and looking at them just makes me happy.</p><p><br /></p><p>I bought large wooden beads, wooden toy car wheels (about one and half inch diameter), and 2" wood discs. I ordered all the wooden pieces from Amazon, but many large craft stores may stock them as well. I also bought acrylic paint to match my theme, black letter stickers (1"), and some twine.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWyiSNcy0Ngy7VBpe1dmIBKn2D6yHcdj8nymMdXJsjTVfdI6y_Y7ZYp699PGT5r1B60ux4GfDb1yKkDXVFuzXwyk3QQZDksdY_VE7i6lRnv45Ie5kYD5QJTMwp27SrdLB6X7MUcBtz31KILjncAZxob5yFppoyDkO5EnfJMyap0ZbajsK9zOVxZbiLZU/s2670/friendshipbraceletpin3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2670" data-original-width="2475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWyiSNcy0Ngy7VBpe1dmIBKn2D6yHcdj8nymMdXJsjTVfdI6y_Y7ZYp699PGT5r1B60ux4GfDb1yKkDXVFuzXwyk3QQZDksdY_VE7i6lRnv45Ie5kYD5QJTMwp27SrdLB6X7MUcBtz31KILjncAZxob5yFppoyDkO5EnfJMyap0ZbajsK9zOVxZbiLZU/w371-h400/friendshipbraceletpin3.png" width="371" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Plan out your patterns before you paint so you make sure you have enough of each colour (just trust me on that one). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMCJ83QNXy8zwS2d70oL79WolUCSYyPoQiOhBp9mS4ymm2r_zvAteuSOmeKIYqIQUlrK08HakTyShfK1V-QS5PSZ2TvsXG3fspvHPdtbyj2bsEWRSbojYz_jYOwRNk0qExjKJFHV5mF4rgPhMChEZexjdTKAOWXW8n0Ds-Q5hTKTs96qHpIqblafh9I0/s2660/friendshipbraceletpin4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2660" data-original-width="2475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMCJ83QNXy8zwS2d70oL79WolUCSYyPoQiOhBp9mS4ymm2r_zvAteuSOmeKIYqIQUlrK08HakTyShfK1V-QS5PSZ2TvsXG3fspvHPdtbyj2bsEWRSbojYz_jYOwRNk0qExjKJFHV5mF4rgPhMChEZexjdTKAOWXW8n0Ds-Q5hTKTs96qHpIqblafh9I0/w373-h400/friendshipbraceletpin4.png" width="373" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used twine to string the beads, and I used a glue gun to attach the wooden discs to the twine. I actually sandwiched the twine between 2 discs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuEYEu8t8I9LGiLLr6P4jaVnPZ58QMIOAv-e19VHFxtT_kU2lAxUdYMrMNw-DKwhtBPB3pOSuKuBmZOHb2xwp3uSz9VdGXgPThtOziTOELaO8cKZcOP-lUUX1dZqAocw0OAJhgnTAgs0hDJr-_0ZX4ZgzoFkKh5ubZgZCxnyaoQiWaHnmgZ4Z_9WlyUM/s2339/friendshipbraceletpin5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="2339" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuEYEu8t8I9LGiLLr6P4jaVnPZ58QMIOAv-e19VHFxtT_kU2lAxUdYMrMNw-DKwhtBPB3pOSuKuBmZOHb2xwp3uSz9VdGXgPThtOziTOELaO8cKZcOP-lUUX1dZqAocw0OAJhgnTAgs0hDJr-_0ZX4ZgzoFkKh5ubZgZCxnyaoQiWaHnmgZ4Z_9WlyUM/w400-h176/friendshipbraceletpin5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, my new classroom is quite old and showing every single minute. Any space that isn't covered by bulletin board is fairly worn, and there's only one very small window. I wanted to cover some of the ugly and bring in some outdoors, so I added a small green wall to my room - the boxwood panels. The box that I got from Amazon had enough to do two of these small spaces in my room, so I'm very happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMipZi8o-0mAj8pl8YDluuciGVMwZC-nbDah_9YH7Gy7OHr-DbuKBeDKqrPeXNLURlHISVVEkiTRsc7qx17pGtVqdRmVRBDBGqD8di2SJQmyz82hx1d7TTB4rw5bj67GqMkjZZH2RmQAoy-gvQqxgeio39SHZPZCPWAWpJ8fBW8qbt9bvPhZSQ4M6FhM/s2460/friendshipbracelet10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="2460" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMipZi8o-0mAj8pl8YDluuciGVMwZC-nbDah_9YH7Gy7OHr-DbuKBeDKqrPeXNLURlHISVVEkiTRsc7qx17pGtVqdRmVRBDBGqD8di2SJQmyz82hx1d7TTB4rw5bj67GqMkjZZH2RmQAoy-gvQqxgeio39SHZPZCPWAWpJ8fBW8qbt9bvPhZSQ4M6FhM/w400-h241/friendshipbracelet10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LXmu3UQnPIiNZIST6ToLBUs2J10x5pR5CaX21RJAir1RtK75Wc5bpn5Ck-EfloPT0EvpVLIEXRfK8HCFU-VX1f-3z30iPsUv8fA43Ua-_KKBbBBe2W3_HMvbkejRXlKDeoM2cyLhgvNAXWlMOd1ZuaoBETGkE0Op6EyYHxrrpQv1blDwfVW10z4r1ec/s3068/friendshipbraceletpin8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3068" data-original-width="2359" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LXmu3UQnPIiNZIST6ToLBUs2J10x5pR5CaX21RJAir1RtK75Wc5bpn5Ck-EfloPT0EvpVLIEXRfK8HCFU-VX1f-3z30iPsUv8fA43Ua-_KKBbBBe2W3_HMvbkejRXlKDeoM2cyLhgvNAXWlMOd1ZuaoBETGkE0Op6EyYHxrrpQv1blDwfVW10z4r1ec/w308-h400/friendshipbraceletpin8.png" width="308" /></a></div>This wall is on the way out the door, so the students will see this message as one of the last things as they leave each day. Exactly the message I want them to have. I added some fairy lights, and clipped some positive affirmation cards to the clothespins. I will add in some pictures later, once I get to meet my new kiddos. The best part about it was that one of my daughters worked on the whole thing with me - it may have been because of Taylor, but I'll take it.</div><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-6410754687641789982023-08-10T15:55:00.007-04:002023-08-10T15:55:40.065-04:00Creating a Calm and Content Rich Classroom - Decorating My New Space<p>The countdown is on. After 22 years at the school I started at, I'm moving to a new school this year. Like any good introvert, the prospect of change is a scary one for me, so I'm excited that my new school isn't so new to me. In fact, I'm heading to my own kids' elementary school ... and MY old elementary school. I do enjoy a whole full circle thing. ;) </p><p><br /></p><p>While packing up my old classroom, I decided to change my classroom theme and colours. I thought this would help me purge more, but the stacks of boxes in my basement report that was a lie. Oh well.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you're redecorating your classroom, or just starting out in upper elementary, I have a few back to school classroom decor tips for you, and I will be back to share more as my class comes together to match the calm and organized classroom vision in my head.</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOl0Ep--V_bPmtkorOI1mRCUOyOC_VlH7NfAO7s0WYMs9dVoPAWw8JB6-CJLA3diVE_dnd73TI9wKKepk1LY1Qs5LoC1rH6-1o5NsUMkMBOHR_7hYqwpoizwYdLN65VAqRU_3dUdoFOucBY2J6D5WcEnLoUT6B0j5sJo3WwIRPb8rSDz6dcseBEM0LbM/s1180/decorpin5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="844" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOl0Ep--V_bPmtkorOI1mRCUOyOC_VlH7NfAO7s0WYMs9dVoPAWw8JB6-CJLA3diVE_dnd73TI9wKKepk1LY1Qs5LoC1rH6-1o5NsUMkMBOHR_7hYqwpoizwYdLN65VAqRU_3dUdoFOucBY2J6D5WcEnLoUT6B0j5sJo3WwIRPb8rSDz6dcseBEM0LbM/w286-h400/decorpin5.png" width="286" /></a></b></div><b>1. Set the Tone with a Calm Atmosphere</b><p></p><p>Creating a soothing classroom environment is crucial for students to feel comfortable and engaged. Consider using a soft, neutral colour palette for your walls or bulletin boards, that way you can make the important academic pieces POP on your board, rather than compete with bright colours everywhere. Cozy rugs or pillows, soft lighting like fairy lights or table lamps, and different textures and fabrics work together to create a sensory calming space that encourages relaxation and focus.</p><p>In my new room, all the walls and bulletin boards were painted the exact same bland beige tan colour. Like, the whole room. I was going for neutral, but that's a bit much. I also know my classroom may change in a year or two so I didn't want to take on repainting. Instead I chose a calming neutral colour theme that matches the walls, and chose to not paper the bulletin boards. Not buying bulletin board paper leaves me a little extra to get some fun touches for the room that I can't wait to show off a little later when they're done.</p><p>I'm using a combination of "Everyone is Welcome" and "Home Sweet Classroom" pieces from Teacher Created Resources to create this calming classroom atmosphere, and adding in some extra special pieces to spark learning and joy. In an upper elementary classroom, I don't worry as much about an overall decor theme as much as I try to pull together a pleasing colour scheme with matching decor pieces when possible.</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBs23_9Tvs2r9LcBNcmGqktwM1T5V0YQUqOzcutQLsGOGxwgmwC1cc3byL-9O7C6w5EqAf01Q5lhtC9xLfC6ngPcfh4_gBIHamaHIH8RXTdc0Z1caNAkYqx5-GPf_DIN3czmTCh3By-HsmJVxrJCH6K160AudAEkXgg7xYy2jXX5PnSxIGefA4JY25GI/s1108/decorpin3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="826" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBs23_9Tvs2r9LcBNcmGqktwM1T5V0YQUqOzcutQLsGOGxwgmwC1cc3byL-9O7C6w5EqAf01Q5lhtC9xLfC6ngPcfh4_gBIHamaHIH8RXTdc0Z1caNAkYqx5-GPf_DIN3czmTCh3By-HsmJVxrJCH6K160AudAEkXgg7xYy2jXX5PnSxIGefA4JY25GI/w299-h400/decorpin3.png" width="299" /></a></b></div><b>2. Thoughtful Wall Displays</b><p></p><p>THIS is where the magic happens. Decorating these wall spaces, like bulletin boards, is very important. You know your students and their needs better than anyone, so make sure the information on boards is important, relevant, and engaging. Plan bulletin board displays around their actual work spaces so it is a content-rich classroom environment they can pull from when working.</p><p>This is the start of my math wall. Yes, that's a big chalkboard (it's actually twice that length). Apparently 50 year old classrooms still have these. haha. I used a roll of whiteboard wall sticker to make 6 "thinking boards" for the wall, and this is where groups of 2 - 3 will work on problem-solving while other students work with me, independently, or in small groups. These groups are always rotated. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factors-and-Multiples-Number-Posters-Neutral-Theme-9941595" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="846" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFvKTOQQvgYeo0v-B86mGLnZTyxXh1rV6quMdWwVfkkHDxaCAx0RF8jB8iBO7pBEQxSmpDf33qGOuFnz4vIxUz0-nUVBxPaLZYkqv6abDYWG9kleO65xAkcnHV4CH0mgOMYes8f2p1PgsEpB0biht19qRP6YKGFX0Sdeve_3DZB9qMT7YVAuKTeRusQA/w275-h400/decorpin2.png" width="275" /></a></div>I want to provide students with useful tools while working at the boards, so the first thing I created for my math wall are these <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factors-and-Multiples-Number-Posters-Neutral-Theme-9941595" target="_blank">Factor and Multiple Number Posters</a></b>. I've seen the great skip-counting number posters on classroom walls on instagram, but I knew I wanted something where students could see BOTH factors and multiples, so I made some. My students really need this visual reference in the classroom. I will be adding our math response goals next.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bulletin-Board-Border-Commonly-Confused-Words-Neutral-Theme-9981047" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="823" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSEe9_Pbf9TzXweMXw6mgYTLOyrJYknIq5DdAtr_YG9u2JDpQxTX56_B4rnFfO0Y9gNyUwelBW_QfcpOWaVFoUwx9_nUew0zhw8fiMUeAzf7-xkWFas0xgOcC7yZtqRhKqE2-XdI3U5oTuQ-eBffqwHM2MFX2QPa6OUdBQIZPWFQDiWkgIuoTspmJOMk/w248-h400/decorpin4.png" width="248" /></a></div>My language wall is huge and will need to be divided into smaller sections for morphology, writing. and reading. I'm actually quite excited about all the space I have. Since cursive writing is coming back into the curriculum, a new alphabet was put up first. And then I started on the borders (keeping the same neutral calming theme through all the borders). As I was finishing up the borders, I got the idea to turn my grammar dots into a fantastic bulletin board border, and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. This <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bulletin-Board-Border-Commonly-Confused-Words-Neutral-Theme-9981047" target="_blank">Grammar Dot Bulletin Board Border</a></b> includes 45 common grammar errors - ones that I definitely want my students to be aware of as they're writing. My students used my old grammar dots all the time in the classroom, but the sizes and colours wouldn't work for me this year, so this new resource is perfect. I can't wait to get back into my classroom and hang it up!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak4TN3LztnP5pdR045MvXH9qFWkPElQ0-JBNat07LpsN-cu9kXebl6YU5-bCf_KHkuib_982-EraCxjt0kxXaesbZJXWcMIfwOrDwBPlvBfRFlYc92SdoEZ5_3T2-5l-2U8XNm45ZRL_xQ3GNxBKdnm6ixm01ng7ExcCJNLzFi8gnxw8zOUDssDnrR6g/s676/decorpin7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="676" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak4TN3LztnP5pdR045MvXH9qFWkPElQ0-JBNat07LpsN-cu9kXebl6YU5-bCf_KHkuib_982-EraCxjt0kxXaesbZJXWcMIfwOrDwBPlvBfRFlYc92SdoEZ5_3T2-5l-2U8XNm45ZRL_xQ3GNxBKdnm6ixm01ng7ExcCJNLzFi8gnxw8zOUDssDnrR6g/w400-h118/decorpin7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHRbWfecNdlpvPwt2fST5playIvIsz87JR-iECQZnFSW99m2K-jrEo3U6tYTnRmpLBL2fiyy-Al2rBhFjbRIe3R-6rcDRdmbcKPZYD3cnfovrUL-T4laQi8G5oRRMv6m5zsMYk_X2Jm6QPj4FLEiim5JgDJgnVol1n9pEW9UCQCxJpMUDrLuux_ekqvw/s1037/decorpin1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="847" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHRbWfecNdlpvPwt2fST5playIvIsz87JR-iECQZnFSW99m2K-jrEo3U6tYTnRmpLBL2fiyy-Al2rBhFjbRIe3R-6rcDRdmbcKPZYD3cnfovrUL-T4laQi8G5oRRMv6m5zsMYk_X2Jm6QPj4FLEiim5JgDJgnVol1n9pEW9UCQCxJpMUDrLuux_ekqvw/w326-h400/decorpin1.png" width="326" /></a></div><p>And lastly for today, my agenda wall. This space is SO important in my classroom - we refer to it all the time, so I wanted it to have the same matching colour theme. Again, more blackboards, so I ordered magnetic borders this time. I don't like the way paper borders hold up on blackboards that get cleaned all the time (even when laminated). This 'motherboard' has everything - our daily agenda, homework, reminders, new vocabulary, learning goals, and catch-up space. I even started to include our "You Try / I Try" spelling technique on the board last year - just another way to keep them looking at the board. You will notice I don't have the times beside the subject labels on the agenda board. Totally intentional. I have found that when the times are listed, that's all the students pay attention to. The last 10 minutes of the class are spent watching the clock rather than in lesson consolidation, and that's not an awesome thing. And I frequently run over time in some lessons, and borrow time from other lessons, and that's perfectly ok. But the students would struggle with this if I had the subject times on the board. So, a few years ago I kept the agenda schedule, but ditched the times, and it's perfect. Students look at it first thing every day, even if it is just to check if we have gym that day. ;) My <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Subject-Labels-Neutral-Sticker-Theme-Back-to-School-Classroom-Decor-9906948" target="_blank">Agenda Board Subject Labels</a></b> resource contains over 40 different labels and subjects, so you're sure to be covered. Better yet, assign it as a student job and have them post the agenda cards each day. I leave all the extra cards in a magnetic cup holder beside the schedule.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>That's it for now, but I'll keep sharing tips and ideas as I get my new space set up. Happy Back to School!</p><p><br /></p><p>You can take a peek at some of my newest resources by clicking on the pictures below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factors-and-Multiples-Number-Posters-Neutral-Theme-9941595" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6JV6RyQ9hDaTt0Bjs5R4KDlzHR49HAA43NTZizoPjP1fs-97U5sE0-kB624rQHpKtn6z0qyf9qBtk3aVG7jZqc0yZC9D6OiP35uxcJ3xFC8UMfqAU8F-MAeSoRLTg1K_N8XT5q9XwmgJ8KUi7BbS_vfX00XPCS5S1SAdJTDB8BZBNjLm4yO_KgnWNoM/w200-h200/factors%20and%20multiples%20posters%20neutral%20cover.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Subject-Labels-Neutral-Sticker-Theme-Back-to-School-Classroom-Decor-9906948" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtm1FDwp1tYthX2nrz4oG6VD1MB4hNoXdzretFL1uSSthqMoJaPzmi7WffvwJZrwB9RP6eTEr0N6WA99L8o7xZf-OyMRfR8nK1wJnHd1CnimQT7UqrGyYqrV4eNCgf2G98lbk6CHJ8Cgtn3C57p-QkMcpD9DnpxB-VIl751FPzZkMh2dCpvvNFzzgfAI/w200-h200/subject%20label%20neutral%20cover.png" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bulletin-Board-Border-Commonly-Confused-Words-Neutral-Theme-9981047" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YIqmaabDXuJHsRQByXrFuq6TJRJVaLNBHydxe7frD88khMMhDJlg64vhXxUV2bKgKR9-U2Q-qU5VXNRT0s5mcWAPMHuz0JvYB33006f_7trFAPxB-XazfUw6GailhLOee-y84yTXDkBgcSRD3RS4tTX4zuhZvHdkceaxo8zyWFx3SnEULegPZ9hrd3k/w200-h200/grammar%20dot%20border%20cover.png" width="200" /></a><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-28450526199758732832023-07-03T13:50:00.000-04:002023-07-03T13:50:37.529-04:00Elevate Learning with Drama Circles: The Ultimate Novel Study Culminating Activity<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabs" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="756" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu3RR4JEHlK2OpyXdl0Eb0AyfhU4VMvj_H-ldOKl57zRCSDdsfaTF12OGhJ4llx1iRgHTcPMi6ciryFxBqm0EgdGtqk3xww5RVL8-JMVGDgqgi9toNEBE-YrHT9Sv161QpAxOoBhWJKID08dPCTeSSAyaqnhDE_t2afQcf5FXSDzgJSCeEce5zY7m92c/w266-h400/Drama%20Circle%20Blog%20Pin2.png" width="266" /></a></div><br />Are you tired of the routine book reports and presentations for novel studies? Do you dream of adding an engaging, interactive, and imaginative twist to your novel read aloud? Well, if you haven't heard of them before, welcome to the world of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/128215Drama-Circles-_________________________-205237/Order:Most-Recent" target="_blank"><b>Drama Circles</b></a>, an incredible tool that can take your novel study culminating activity to new heights.</span></div></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Breaking down Drama Circles</b></p><p>I started to make drama circles over 20 years ago for my classroom. Over the years, my drama circles have evolved from random fun topics that got my students building confidence in drama activities, to a more engaging and kinesthetic activity, offering students a new way to delve into their favorite books or learn more subject-based content.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Why Drama Circles?</b></p><p>Now, you might be wondering, why <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/128215Drama-Circles-_________________________-205237/Order:Most-Recent" target="_blank">Drama Circles</a></b>? How do they provide more value than a traditional book report or worksheet?</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzAGpq2Boigrq7PS5vs5N5scALHOLrqvA0oz439kpAsVNQLsUZajOqSlyyNroYZfpAB5bWjTPD5zkBSRXQKL6japGhna_4pODuVPgC5VHaN8z1Lox2Sq6m9hkpopboHdSrAJ_uTNngpdK04TJDobz29flCuOEI_ie2Qm2h7cBrF6BPmn0f9Jd2LP_zkA/s320/20170801_150542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzAGpq2Boigrq7PS5vs5N5scALHOLrqvA0oz439kpAsVNQLsUZajOqSlyyNroYZfpAB5bWjTPD5zkBSRXQKL6japGhna_4pODuVPgC5VHaN8z1Lox2Sq6m9hkpopboHdSrAJ_uTNngpdK04TJDobz29flCuOEI_ie2Qm2h7cBrF6BPmn0f9Jd2LP_zkA/s1600/20170801_150542.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><u><span style="color: #800180;"><b>1. Active Participation</b></span></u><p></p><p>Firstly, Drama Circles encourage active participation, acting as a great student engagement strategy. Each student plays an integral part, making them feel responsible for their contribution and promoting active learning. They must follow along (encouraging active listening skills), then follow the instructions on their card to perform once it is their turn.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>2. Develops Social-Emotional Skills</b></span></u></p><p>Drama Circles are wonderful for building social-emotional skills. They foster empathy as students step into the shoes of different characters, experiencing their struggles, joys, and dilemmas. This is particularly impactful with books like "Wonder," which delve into themes of acceptance and kindness.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><span style="color: red;"><b>3. Enhances Comprehension</b></span></u></p><p>By acting out scenes from the novel, students deepen their understanding and comprehension of the plot. Becoming the characters, explaining their motivations, and acting out the conflicts, makes novels like "The City of Ember" or "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" more vivid and engaging.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>4. Creativity and Imagination</b></span></u></p><p>Unleashing their creativity, students reimagine scenes from novels, add dialogue, and even craft new scenarios. This is a powerful exercise that fires up their imagination, making the learning process fun and exciting.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>5. Boosts Confidence </b></span></u></p><p>Standing up in front of the class, performing and expressing oneself helps students improve their communication skills, boosts their self-confidence, and reduces stage fright. And this is a great thing to remind them of when they are nervous about an upcoming oral presentation - look what you've already done in the classroom!</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabs" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSaOBhzvw4t6ByBb4ICg9FoP9R4vGKEFyPcUsR0RSy3aEGAKN3IEmEIbvZhvlgG8UPlo-PBMsDa1_M2I0Z1d7JIGqcXDdU4sJyS9X0y_z_dDZFMW3uHTcHPmw8ywiCS4i07UAEctwi4uWW7fi9J67Os18ZXFzFDzGk1vn08iT4OtB2L6KzW1ZCcjj8eo/s320/Drama%20Circle%20Blog%20Pin3.png" width="213" /></a><b></b></div><b><br />Implementing Drama Circles in Your Classroom</b><p></p><p>You can kick-start Drama Circles in your classroom by trying one out at the end of your novel study. They are easy and no-prep - just print, cut out the cards, and go! Assemble your students in a large, standing circle (you can do this in the classroom by moving around some desks). Hand out the cards, in random order, to all students in the class. Depending on your numbers, some students may have more than one card. (This is where your 'teacher wizardry' comes in - match the amount of dramatic activity and difficulty of lines to the student's ability as you hand out the cards. As the lines are bolded on the cards, this is very easy to do quickly). After you hand out the cards, allow a few minutes for students to read over and plan their moves - they may also want to check with a peer beside them if they have any questions about the words or the meanings. And then, that's it. Have the person with the first card step into the middle of the circle and start the drama. Students do not read out the card numbers, and they only read out the bolded lines on the card. The actions are not in bold, they are simply to be performed. Students must listen and follow along so they know when their part is, however, if a student misses their line, the cards are numbered so you can easily pick up where you left off.</p><p><br /></p><p>Take a step back and allow the children to steer the action. You'll be amazed at how they interpret the text, bring it to life, and, in the process, deepen their understanding of the novel. And you'll be even more amazed as some of your shyest students come of their shells.</p><p><br /></p><p>If this is their first drama circle, students sometimes start a little shy. However, it is amazing to watch how quickly the students catch on and how popular the drama circles become with a little practice as the format for every drama circle is the same. One teacher friend said, "My students loved these!! They would beg to do them. It was so wonderful to see kids come out of their shells to act out parts. My 5th graders could be a tough crowd at times but they ALL laughed and had fun together during these. Some of my favorite moments from the school year!"</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRimUVTfbgtCFV2PusWZDdc7ZkHJ0c30-AtFSNRQonQypYo-pxASEsqmcwvrMnnCcWntx9F1973AMw0HG5cDhkbhrUl9-B0oP3PmZ72LDlOXSbukFxK3O3IZFF8lYDnQbl9YYzmYCi6VD53dXuxGCfu_RztrK8EwIvb9LF9dBjrrRtXfLQJ_Lalh6gds/s919/drama%20insta.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="866" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRimUVTfbgtCFV2PusWZDdc7ZkHJ0c30-AtFSNRQonQypYo-pxASEsqmcwvrMnnCcWntx9F1973AMw0HG5cDhkbhrUl9-B0oP3PmZ72LDlOXSbukFxK3O3IZFF8lYDnQbl9YYzmYCi6VD53dXuxGCfu_RztrK8EwIvb9LF9dBjrrRtXfLQJ_Lalh6gds/w189-h200/drama%20insta.png" width="189" /></a></b></div><b>Wrap-up </b><p></p><p>Why show a movie at the end of your novel study when you can get your students out of their seats, improving their comprehension and presentation skills, and maybe even grab a drama mark or too (yes, a rubric is included) with a drama circle? Trust me. They'll like them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Take a peek at my new (with more being added all the time) line of Drama Circle Novel Culminating Activities by clicking <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabs" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or on some of the titles below:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabs" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGWSFxDwGWTEqJ3vA5Z7KEF1h_mCLWZCQCtuioUuj9jbFXZDudUX4934nnevY6xRh5aGAQH206mBzTkxt16fRAV6d3CZk623jYF_nNe_btNhmES6a2mnu_TWS8dLLrKMit31bvWtE4Kkpsh75iOhnSt0V48SYYjFpwNyETT33fQaBq6A9voD2aOeU7Pg/w200-h200/city%20of%20ember%20drama%20circle%20cover.png" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Because-of-Mr-Terupt-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Culminating-Activity-9757512" target="_blank"><b>Because of Mr. Terupt<br /></b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fish-in-a-Tree-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-2194480" target="_blank"><b>Fish in a Tree</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Harry-Potter-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-9720471" target="_blank"><b>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holes-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-9631989" target="_blank"><b>Holes</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-City-of-Ember-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-9646265" target="_blank"><b>The City of Ember</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-One-and-Only-Ivan-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-9619468" target="_blank"><b>The One and Only Ivan</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Wild-Robot-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-9652904" target="_blank"><b>The Wild Robot</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wonder-Novel-Study-Drama-Circle-Activity-3305119" target="_blank"><b>Wonder</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-8359302275343075272021-10-17T17:22:00.009-04:002021-10-17T18:02:57.033-04:005 Activities for October in the Upper Grade Classrooms<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFrN7RWQB1XRWJSlDLSrkujQoaerERdfS3JPuqsQDy8qk2guotQnsVxMxhrtg2guBkcl4xCHuKLyqBKLfZGzt7ZTP5oQmD9rWH8EQ88nGoGjVOTWd95vUv354w0J4rt29fbq_KjUxZU0/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Activities for October in Upper Grade Classrooms" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFrN7RWQB1XRWJSlDLSrkujQoaerERdfS3JPuqsQDy8qk2guotQnsVxMxhrtg2guBkcl4xCHuKLyqBKLfZGzt7ZTP5oQmD9rWH8EQ88nGoGjVOTWd95vUv354w0J4rt29fbq_KjUxZU0/w303-h400/image.png" title="Activities for October in Upper Grade Classrooms" width="303" /></a></div><br />I love everything about the Fall. It's the perfect combination of weather, beauty, and all things cozy. It's also one of my favourite months in the classroom. We're starting to get our routines down pat, beginning of the year assessments are complete (or almost ... haha), and our classroom community vibes are pretty strong. We can start to handle some more engaging and hands-on activities ... and in my opinion, there is no better month to do it. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Writing-Falling-into-Poetry-2148883" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Falling into Poetry Writing and Figurative Language Activities" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEt8x37LJtdYEYcyvSYzUuIMGjzHrOo1e1vqInHXq-7MXPYf2g49JIy_KQDOqoxg1JTRBEbH3_b_o3zRCqY2yKiLZOR6zBBBmKm-_cjYIper2klLJZZX_TwB1d4hx72Mj1q311_tSUtk/w300-h400/fall+leaf.jpg" title="Falling into Poetry Writing and Figurative Language Activities" width="300" /></a></div>1. Fall Poetry Books</b> - <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Writing-Falling-into-Poetry-2148883" target="_blank">Falling into Poetry</a></b> is easy with this resource that's perfect for the beginning of the year when the leaves start to change. Students get an introduction to many different forms of poetry, as well as figurative language. There are examples of each type of poetry and figurative language device, as well as space for students to complete their own examples. Completed pages turn into a beautiful poetry mini book. Each poetry form also has a leaf outline so students can copy their best poems onto the leaf and colour for display. There is a branch included for each student to make their own little poet-tree, or individual leaves could be added to a bulletin board, kraft paper tree in the classroom, or REAL branches for a gorgeous autumn display. <p></p><p>I have also integrated this into an art activity, where students paint a Fall background on a page, then choose 2 -4 completed poem leaves to glue down onto the background for a beautiful writing and art piece. Click either picture to take a closer peek at this resource in my store.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Writing-Falling-into-Poetry-2148883" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="593" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ND8MRghIPqX2YKRvVMfx9bo9DxhPufkGaH6TXuU1-iKZ0SM5cN0Y7HFpnNvpm_c6eFiCwuaYnIX6dcAULBTplE9-nik-rqF4gTbwpx-YtyNUfMEMmvPXEkCpkUFpOiaowbMrCWY4fSI/w320-h319/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E42ZZ0h_RDlcZgz-3JKKB2lWkLd9GKD6gIhTH1-uZZo_zFQhD5zgIcDxAPSMOarz5m_cLjF-CLcRHEK6MvcWaTxHSfv0m9m2nrWYaaxoYvZHgQy46UxPC_XnZ06WDCYqMXcdW4e1cMQ/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="599" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E42ZZ0h_RDlcZgz-3JKKB2lWkLd9GKD6gIhTH1-uZZo_zFQhD5zgIcDxAPSMOarz5m_cLjF-CLcRHEK6MvcWaTxHSfv0m9m2nrWYaaxoYvZHgQy46UxPC_XnZ06WDCYqMXcdW4e1cMQ/w320-h317/image.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>2. Clay Sculpted Leaf Art</b> - Every year I look forward to decorating my classroom with gorgeous Fall Leaf Art. For these beautiful Fall Leaf bowls, we used air dry clay. I had students pick a real leaf from the school ground (a fallen leaf, of course) - one they felt they could trace. Students were each given some air dry clay to flatten out to about 1/4 of an inch thickness (and just slightly larger than the leaf they chose). Note - be sure to have them work with the clay on some type of paper, it's no mess that way. Students then used a pencil to trace around their leaves on the wet clay, and then used a plastic butter knife to "cut out" their leaves and draw on the veining (copying their real leaf). When done, we put them vein side down, over some crumpled up paper to sort of form the leaves into a slight bowl shape. It takes about 3 - 4 days to fully dry. Once dry, paint (we used acrylic paint) the leaves in gorgeous Fall colours. Experiment a bit with this. Using a toothbrush to splatter some of the paint on top makes very realistic spotting on the leaf - and practice mixing and blending with colours. We sealed our leaves with a spray varnish when complete, but you don't need to do this step.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi092LBLmRl4csayUmarRRsjg_bEkPgLST7rHroAzv7XUcwcj6xLo75JqNcG0t_jAAHsNiWnUuEZ_5K-1e6HfIjg6x9kSL5Jx1bM-NeSUODIAGgbGiIrOYsOO5WqTVcEkID8OlrKUII8O4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="601" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi092LBLmRl4csayUmarRRsjg_bEkPgLST7rHroAzv7XUcwcj6xLo75JqNcG0t_jAAHsNiWnUuEZ_5K-1e6HfIjg6x9kSL5Jx1bM-NeSUODIAGgbGiIrOYsOO5WqTVcEkID8OlrKUII8O4/w400-h276/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Fall-Leaves-1463179" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Leaf Art Lesson" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1514" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2qrUpv6tTY3GGFhNF-CEjXhiI54fJmi-C1ca_gd4NU_hU-dQZqoIgRrOyg_jvKnhykQEDnnk_X_qnj_SJQyLSbsPxRJ-CFHmmRnbonsP6YDhQ6sCH5syBX_qmXcG-gFK4CeUmIssXRc/w295-h400/2014-09-23+10.18.46.jpg" title="Fall Leaf Art Lesson" width="295" /></a></div><br />3. More Leaf Art - </b>This <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Fall-Leaves-1463179" target="_blank">Fall Leaf Art Lesson</a></b> is perfect to study line, shape, form, and colour with the elements of design. Students will trace 2 - 4 leaves on their page, then fill the rest of the page with concentric circles (if you're brave you can have students use a compass, or use the page I included with the circles already drawn). Choose 3 or more warm colours for the leaves, and colour each section made (by the circles) in a pattern. When the leaves are coloured, choose 3 or more cool colours for the background, again alternating colours in a pattern. The leaves look like they're falling against a beautifully windy sky backdrop, or falling into a pool of water.</div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/October-Literacy-Bundle-3D-Craftivities-912628" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="October Literacy 3D Activities" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiL-rTfFbTI4BDElyfu-GkKm1AKNuHMz57hsrfD7mzUUXnYFU8UcRGSTN8SwrAsNh3uw5rz4pVsQ4wLe-ZP593vqekv5ihmUUZ1mnGw6xmp-fizVLfYynjhy80_7nZzqc8M-ecsnhJpvM/w248-h400/image.png" title="October Literacy 3D Activities" width="248" /></a></b></div><b><br />4. ALL the Craftivities</b> - While I do love to sneak in my 3D craftivities at different points in the year, I have to admit, all the Fall ones top my list. These activities make the perfect station activity, or independent work activity so you can meet with small groups or get some assessment done while students are hard at work. Each one takes approximately one week. I usually have students finish 2 questions (2 panels) from Monday - Wednesday. On Thursday they colour all the panels, and then Friday is assembly day. I have craftivity packages for both literacy and math. The <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/October-Literacy-Bundle-3D-Craftivities-912628" target="_blank">October Literacy 3D Craftivities Bundle</a></b> has two different book report resources covering story elements and reading comprehension (the pumpkins and the ghost), as well as a fun one for synonyms and over-used words. The <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Math-Review-3D-Activity-Bundle-2142015" target="_blank">Fall Math Review 3D Activity Bundle</a></b> has a candy corn place value review, as well as a pumpkin pie shaped activity with word problems (about pumpkin pies, of course). Click on either title or picture to the right to see these resources in my TpT store.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Math-Review-3D-Activity-Bundle-2142015" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Math Review 3D Activity Bundle" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="419" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo4a-RmvQV_6tArtU6ERclEtOS18hHBcnsKUHyO-JSlq2aggfAQfQPm7Gcgnye4jh3xrhNGbY075Cic4luYcmEwk8raHiLAUDO8uPDyI0p1EcTwzBC7NMzurhFJM5MzKoE6YDUiNYGeQ/w255-h400/image.png" title="Fall Math Review 3D Activity Bundle" width="255" /></a></div><b><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p>5. Fall Drama Circle</b> - You can't have all that Fall beauty without a little drama. ;) A drama circle, that is. This is a new drama circle with a Fall theme - make a circle, hand out the cards, and have some fun. If the weather is nice, this one is even better outside! All drama circles now contain colour and black and white copies, and a observation rubric for assessment of drama skills. Click <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Drama-Circle-Activity-7200850" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or on the picture below to take a peek.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Drama-Circle-Activity-7200850" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Drama Circle" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="794" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbUCYWFrXItZQUFHKcJmlAbRG74nIxRVpG4CX4Wchttd_j0AfbvAIMP7dutKGa_4-Bq6n-7LlFOT1enCLvS48w0hX-24vwsY3xPVdJyimPbzz6MnmWoCWIaNc7qL6zaPxx5dBoKpQjmk/w282-h400/fall+drama+circle+pin.png" title="Fall Drama Circle" width="282" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-Corn-Decimals-Place-Value-Printable-7348797" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Activity Bundle for Upper Grade Classrooms" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRgOLZ1n-N254PgZjU-IWt8dJf8BbOn8xLJzAk2MvDcR2Su9PFwNyiiukFDRT0d1wC6DvPmO_zZYTYPI20_U1Wuqhx_iStsTlLDKEy-w9WuZiO8YcKCTxoUr3Ti0iryrMpPCU0juFqTo/w320-h320/fall+bundle+cover.png" title="Fall Activity Bundle for Upper Grade Classrooms" width="320" /></a></div><br />You can find all of these Fall-themed resources in one bundle that can take you through the month of October in your classroom. You can out my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-Corn-Decimals-Place-Value-Printable-7348797" target="_blank">Fall Activity Bundle HERE</a></b>, or by clicking the picture on the right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-Corn-Decimals-Place-Value-Printable-7348797" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Candy Corn Decimals Printable" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="544" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTKumhVQVbOYydgyaEzkmhNXdJWmJlVOyHnTTLjKKH4cGRVJetR8ixEJXS5lWNuJnnCbXmJRar9ZayjFYg8RgfhTy1R22O-LTWnXAVnjYt5rRPb32X0Psc0ya23b5-vtaIx8P65NHy6U/w300-h400/image.png" title="Candy Corn Decimals Printable" width="300" /></a></div>And lastly, if you made it all the way to the bottom, reward yourself with this little <span style="color: #351c75;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-Corn-Decimals-Place-Value-Printable-7348797" target="_blank">Candy Corn Decimals Place Value Printable</a></b></span>. Just click on the picture to the right to grab a copy for yourself. Happy Fall, Y'All!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-30789476982437681752021-10-08T15:02:00.002-04:002021-10-08T15:02:19.315-04:00Skip Counting Your Way Through Art<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiYutZBG5rzwKo-QXevCuSdXivr8aRRT-HIwkoX7IL_pqi1EQB-ehhn6oWDQtkBzrwHjd3bJyCaMwZ6-pYz88iya7k-UYG5w6u-_RVcTx-98uxV5KRs47HcYiKEzhqDqMwgAeq3CaICU/s1068/skip+count+blog3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1068" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiYutZBG5rzwKo-QXevCuSdXivr8aRRT-HIwkoX7IL_pqi1EQB-ehhn6oWDQtkBzrwHjd3bJyCaMwZ6-pYz88iya7k-UYG5w6u-_RVcTx-98uxV5KRs47HcYiKEzhqDqMwgAeq3CaICU/w400-h328/skip+count+blog3.png" title="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" width="400" /></a></div>These <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Skip-Counting-Spirals-7212026" target="_blank">Skip-Counting Spiderwebs</a></b> are one of my best Halloween tricks (tips?) to keep your students focused and busy on Halloween day. Seriously. Let's face it - the excitement in the room makes it hard to settle, so it's not the time to start a brand new concept. A few years ago I started to do this activity in the morning on Halloween, and we get in a great skip-counting practice and create an awesome art project with lines, shape, and repetition. It's calming and mindful, and will take around an hour to complete. Put on some low spooky music in the background, and your students will be engaged, working, QUIET, and learning. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Skip-Counting-Spirals-7212026" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="891" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mZ3huhq2nib2mqUTbaE9FpAQjzq6x3p7vTPqHVyLMyc1pZd0AP5KtOluRFjVQ2Ep5XnwSZojQb5qSkl2w4tt_Cjk0Dl7sT4rKdvqp32Z91_wR15N5VBuaEPbrMHj2LAps9AsGw2uMjM/w305-h400/skip+count+blog2.png" title="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" width="305" /></a></div><br />Integrating math and art isn't scary on Halloween. To start these spirographs, you need a circle divided into an even number of numbers (make a dot and write the number) around the ouside (1-18, 1-24, 1 - 30, etc.) The higher your number of dots, the more intricate the pattern.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>You have to use a ruler for this activity - if the lines aren't straight, it won't look right. Also, I would usually get students to work first in pencil in art activities, but not on this one. They will be drawing so many lines, they will have no desire to trace back over every line when they are done. We use extra fine tip sharpie markers, but any extra fine pen tip will work.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Skip-Counting-Spirals-7212026" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q38659pjmWEl3-Z6NXJqXXapr7nOp-OzQPtEioxCa6BkSByS7kHCvx0XtLi0747cjuEj4nrbzyLOy0M2OU_9eR1x5TEkK2PfsL59-7C_8LbDg_ZLPRtCM9_rKXKARluGEvdhP00LJ9c/w320-h240/Slide16.PNG" title="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Starting at 1, skip count by 1 (dot to dot style), around the whole circle. When you get back to the top (dot 30), start over, but this time skip count by 2s (join every second dot to dot). Continue in this pattern, skip counting all the way around the circle (until you get back to the starting dot for every time around the circle). </p>You can skip count all the way up to the twelves times table, or even further for a challenge. Cut out around the circle (cutting off the numbers) when complete and glue your spiderweb down on some contrasting paper.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmkzLdQlo6vdO0YX_Z8kbF38upmdUNx-TIRneKf8mE9S31VMTdKaaB_NUh-3zFPNtxd0QdsiLklmPtry-qrX967s4x6Z8vNrP0B6hPXNSxpu2yuazy3OIhtZhlPuvGWMyQGNAVR65ItM/s990/skip+counting+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="990" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmkzLdQlo6vdO0YX_Z8kbF38upmdUNx-TIRneKf8mE9S31VMTdKaaB_NUh-3zFPNtxd0QdsiLklmPtry-qrX967s4x6Z8vNrP0B6hPXNSxpu2yuazy3OIhtZhlPuvGWMyQGNAVR65ItM/w400-h204/skip+counting+blog.png" title="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" width="400" /></a></div><br />To add a little extra Halloween flair to our spiderwebs, you can buy some spiders at the dollar store, or make them with pipe cleaners and googly eyes, and glue the legs down so that they are crawling across the webs. These make an awesome Halloween display of learning!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Skip-Counting-Spirals-7212026" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="771" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBq1Ztjb4o3ZXIpgMtbJW6ZoI5IjZNTDJ6YxlH3oxgHe88NtgIX9_jqfIflOaF624wo2PQ99M1hEqxjNMllq0VGeaNFFVelXAuGKKaeyzpkNfvKnQWah_MoJnYS19pt2bx52LoRbtiKtA/w264-h400/skip+counting+spiral+pin.png" title="Runde's Room Skip Counting Spiderwebs for Halloween" width="264" /></a></div><br />This art project isn't limited to Halloween though - brighten up your webs by using a different color for each skip count around the circle for a bright and beautiful spirograph! Or start with an oval instead of a circle and create a gorgeous Easter Egg!!! (I'm going to try this one next!) Students can even color inside the little shapes made within the spirograph.<br /><p>Click on any of the pictures in this post to take a peek at this <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Skip-Counting-Spirals-7212026" target="_blank">Skip-Counting Halloween art lesson</a></b> in my TpT Store.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-50547359622160295632021-10-05T15:33:00.001-04:002021-10-05T15:40:02.100-04:00Collaborative Resources as Important Discussion Starters<p>With disrupted school years a few years in a row now, I noticed a few important conversations we needed to have much earlier than previous years. These conversations have focused on being kind, showing our positive character, social media use, and using mindfulness. Each of these resources or ideas gets your students reflecting on their opinions, feelings, or self-awareness of different attributes and once completed, are the perfect starting points for initiating whole group discussions. Because students have already reflected on, tried, or talked about the activity, their discussions have been much richer and deeper ... and rewarding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofKaYymsMpi71V5B3TEMKSv8V_70OafzdZPfnJcube-TahwwziQDX_rw56OL0-lSvP1h3TrYloKtdgB_6J6NhQ7Wl_H4MGbTyJCENnkneOwUW-pHtZnW2qajClTcd_R6IUf38bxLlJ7k/s800/collab+resource+blog.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room" border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="800" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofKaYymsMpi71V5B3TEMKSv8V_70OafzdZPfnJcube-TahwwziQDX_rw56OL0-lSvP1h3TrYloKtdgB_6J6NhQ7Wl_H4MGbTyJCENnkneOwUW-pHtZnW2qajClTcd_R6IUf38bxLlJ7k/w400-h263/collab+resource+blog.png" title="Collaborative Reflections to Start Important Discussions in the Classroom" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Social-Media-Activity-Collaborative-Responses-7310320" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1169" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJB4mUSVf0p_92zogOOeIvMov8ebibfOlZk3gSRckYqSinunrkyg8C5mBntKP7m5eWBWVUfcmkKKGXXLltvFYpobsniYQJsULF8Vm9VJgHqVDgeKyjcDcenpXP6iN9Dg2auklhLbxVQ8o/w229-h400/social+media+pin1.png" width="229" /></a></div>My students have spent too much time online - for school AND social media. I've been trying to reduce or balance the amount of technology my students are using in the classroom at the moment - instead choosing to complete more activities together, through discussions or with good old paper and pencil. They are also talking about social media WAY more than they used to before. What they saw, or did, or posted, or watched, or liked ... or whatever. This <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Social-Media-Activity-Collaborative-Responses-7310320" target="_blank">Stick-It-Together Collaborative Activity for Social Media</a></b> will help me start those important social media and internet safety lessons with students ... and will get them sharing their opinions and feelings in small groups, and in writing. There are over 30 different social media reflection questions (on pros and cons of social media and different apps). Each student will answer the question on a sticky note independently at first, then groups of 4 students will "stick" their answers together to build their best possible collaborative answer. When groups are done, allow them some time to share their answers with the whole class - the perfect way to start an important conversation and let students share or defend their opinions.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Social-Media-Activity-Collaborative-Responses-7310320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="957" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenUgMVa9kDaGto0qMhXjgbexhHEGsSlgb-opdr-uRATU_3gqP75yzq1qS7tV1S5_9YqsQFc2pYYc1Nssu0KY1Ny2UNI23YI_ia4VbjUuBx0ZKX1SUyD6rF9zppDNjP0d6BbMOmdCrBr8/w400-h318/social+media+pin2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Education-Stick-It-Together-Collaborative-Responses-7188574" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC2QKFp8-uyPAACzej93rDCTATcJGNlbJLE0ub_ca2p705e7TymEmbteZ8bNuVPYafYrRcayGr4lv2tJvZGQWR62ZjRvf26LdLu8rLA5-WSs47eoGJuNn9kiYiGCBe7Rr4naznVFvOEo/w230-h400/stick+it+character+pin1.png" width="230" /></a></div><br />Some days, thankfully not too many, I also have wondered if my students have completely forgotten ALL their positive character traits, and what makes them the fabulous students they are. We have gone back to discussing exactly what the positive character traits look like, and how they can show how they are demonstrating them. This <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Education-Stick-It-Together-Collaborative-Responses-7188574" target="_blank">Building Character Stick-It-Together Resource</a></b> is another way you can have your students working collaboratively to reinforce their good character skills, and brainstorm ways to demonstrate these skills around the classroom and school.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Education-Stick-It-Together-Collaborative-Responses-7188574" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="944" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWZvJ9k7CL1kA1HFSZqvvOepgCjXk4nocXqlkYahM6qUq2qsYFz3lHdJcl4M6nK-B3OeFK2kWYd7D7-kTNulNoF_4XYO12kWYac5z3IN-YANTyUoMqSYXxaB2jJIkndc3Zr2bwjpQgAA/w400-h308/building+character+pin2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9Ythv6MYoV8VrNSVJm6XeEOWp6WstkqcpcJ7x1gOxiudaI4dUGdl86qjIivADUbR2HXjvxy8TI2hD1PAurYF45nb8IokhNd8bjI_CXdNU7dj52hJZcT7DI2FM3ASiIlZu7Zrj6VBu2I/s2048/244474022_867243157492360_6123075938936619444_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9Ythv6MYoV8VrNSVJm6XeEOWp6WstkqcpcJ7x1gOxiudaI4dUGdl86qjIivADUbR2HXjvxy8TI2hD1PAurYF45nb8IokhNd8bjI_CXdNU7dj52hJZcT7DI2FM3ASiIlZu7Zrj6VBu2I/w320-h320/244474022_867243157492360_6123075938936619444_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />As we have been discussing how important is to BE KIND ALWAYS, I also introduced some kindness rewards into the class. I purchased some vinyl laptop stickers on Amazon, and added them into my pocket chart for some "Kind Sticks" rewards. We have a daily kindness challenge posted on the board every morning, and when students complete the challenge, they initial the board. Right before our last recess, I ask students to share what kind act they did, and how it made them feel. Sometimes I post individual challenges like, "Do a favour for 3 classmates today", and sometimes it will be a whole class challenge, "Do something well as a class to earn a compliment from a different staff member (not me)". They are loving these stickers, and are using them to cover their notebooks, folders, binders, and water bottles.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWAGaHc35h857MhQ1Qv5leALw7PdKLdo0HOxqw9Vz_vscZy62EQi62GDtAthY4-1X-WYM3-f-9xMsHvaEZYGU_V53G4biU_7fUDKT_B3F6patCHpQkqwbDe_3HXKoqDOQOol3z-vRYcA/s1170/243031384_1696148054109790_3164301454490136740_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWAGaHc35h857MhQ1Qv5leALw7PdKLdo0HOxqw9Vz_vscZy62EQi62GDtAthY4-1X-WYM3-f-9xMsHvaEZYGU_V53G4biU_7fUDKT_B3F6patCHpQkqwbDe_3HXKoqDOQOol3z-vRYcA/s320/243031384_1696148054109790_3164301454490136740_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cursive-Handwriting-Mindfulness-Activities-7184992" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="813" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk7w_GdAhyphenhyphenu9kbq1DSqG2D_bWNXN6HxMpiut90dv6t4XpZhmiVLJZq9GZYc91JQJ0MEchx11bMJbHqoogCe158nbpNHf5b31r4hlrUszJOmMVg6KjWvJTDx1eBeEzsUQNVcmG_5bxhJE/w230-h400/mindful+pin.png" width="230" /></a></div><br />And lastly, I'm not sure if it's just my class, but the ENERGY these kids returned to school with is amazing. I am exhausted! They seem like they can just keep going and going and going. Our energy is usually quite high after we come in for recess or after lunch, and it's taking a bit to settle after transitions. I knew I wanted to start some mindfulness activities in the classroom, so I created a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cursive-Handwriting-Mindfulness-Activities-7184992" target="_blank">Cursive (and Printing) Writing Practice Mindfulness Activity</a></b> (because multi-tasking is my life ... even during mindful moments). The resource also contains all the same sheets for regular printing practice as well). These pages will give your students explanations for mindfulness as well as many short mindfulness tips and activities they can try in the classroom and outside of it. With so many of our students needing a little extra mental health self-care, using mindfulness is a wonderful way to reduce anxiety, stress, and learn to self-regulate better.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cursive-Handwriting-Mindfulness-Activities-7184992" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="943" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j9t5emP1-srR6YP6immLvGlAUcMO5ehh9NDdPDXOD5_Wn2WmXc3PvZB_iM88ZPmlrPWVOKdY7ED1Sdal5O3lDKq7neWJqAUg6sJn4DNMxZY_HUYdOOU8P6R-AXyW7hwsDB7TStDbA4g/w400-h336/mindfulpin2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-5730503947313633732021-10-03T15:04:00.004-04:002021-10-03T15:04:58.183-04:00Truth and Reconciliation Week in the Classroom<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihpk_nI92w14SKQmX0Cf08dcc3fXycFRA7_qzblSPZ4yGmAfoLAU6YF5Pz_OrlXO7kHmQlhJ5mgwVfcrV5Lcm2QKzUtZ3Aq6t6GEr96NtiRFzlpqdGQ6fIARnshmlMxvmrQZOsQGtxMA/s943/orange+shirt+day+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihpk_nI92w14SKQmX0Cf08dcc3fXycFRA7_qzblSPZ4yGmAfoLAU6YF5Pz_OrlXO7kHmQlhJ5mgwVfcrV5Lcm2QKzUtZ3Aq6t6GEr96NtiRFzlpqdGQ6fIARnshmlMxvmrQZOsQGtxMA/s320/orange+shirt+day+blog.png" width="259" /></a></div>This week was Truth and Reconciliation Week in Canada. Although officially recognized over one week, these are conversations and teachings that should happen throughout the school year, not just one week, or one day. Reconciliation is about building relationships and respect, and that just cannot be reduced to a week.<p></p><p>I wanted to share some of the activities, readings, and discussions I had with my Grade 5/6 class this year, mainly inspired by this resource, <b><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEqNXQmGgw/FC29-GmHkqXyMKBcpkgz9A/view?utm_content=DAEqNXQmGgw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishpresent#1" target="_blank">Every Child Matters.</a></b> After reading the book <u>Trudy's Rock Story</u>, and discussing how Trudy uses rocks to relieve her anger and release her feelings, we decided that making our own Resilience Rocks could help us process some of our feelings about Canada's history, mainly anger and confusion, and by placing them back on the Earth, we could release some of the feelings and remember to act.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUQMI39nwRfxcx06t5BLvp4NK9Y_6K5r5Efliy1zbflA37y11ncPEPDeiBpVfFeEfmbds92LJwmGVadDJUggI1qRnEfsEXKJyeR-_dO5v-JwUhPyzEPafzvJWpSri2OALezYpOZAPtTI/s1039/orange+shirt+blog1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUQMI39nwRfxcx06t5BLvp4NK9Y_6K5r5Efliy1zbflA37y11ncPEPDeiBpVfFeEfmbds92LJwmGVadDJUggI1qRnEfsEXKJyeR-_dO5v-JwUhPyzEPafzvJWpSri2OALezYpOZAPtTI/s320/orange+shirt+blog1.png" width="246" /></a></div><br />Tuesday we started painting our rocks orange while I read the story, <u>I am Not a Number</u>. (We used acrylic paint - I would suggest spray paint - we had to do many many coats of acrylic paint, and them still seal them). We also watch a video from residential school survivor, Lillian Elias, and then used orange sticky notes to send her a message.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk45_rycfqNzgnf6gXXdhvF7WcYcbmOL4_-kLm1f-fZCs6BEX2GMDdPoQSx_ZpP9vJ9Lg2t-c6BtBjwODAXQElqvGEKIUu408tQKxlfteDDk05QKimHUK_PGrrxUHP0xhYRI34Ldb_Lk/s871/orange+shirt+blog2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk45_rycfqNzgnf6gXXdhvF7WcYcbmOL4_-kLm1f-fZCs6BEX2GMDdPoQSx_ZpP9vJ9Lg2t-c6BtBjwODAXQElqvGEKIUu408tQKxlfteDDk05QKimHUK_PGrrxUHP0xhYRI34Ldb_Lk/s320/orange+shirt+blog2.png" width="294" /></a></div><br />Wednesday we sealed the rocks with an outdoor mod podge. We did this BEFORE they wrote on them, otherwise the sharpie marker would pull the paint off when we wrote. We read the story, <u>When I was Eight</u>, and wrote some more reflections on sticky notes.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezPqJvfJc_H0ASweemaA7wkti7rpcoyYE6NWA0f-X6_MudlMJ-ml12k7mjBOnDIfojFPVkpKQV8oVSl0gMZCH8ND16w9SU5kIlCVdDvEuudY2TCyL9sYldVdoryJ07ssVcJ4cAgdmBcA/s1218/orange+shirt+blog3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezPqJvfJc_H0ASweemaA7wkti7rpcoyYE6NWA0f-X6_MudlMJ-ml12k7mjBOnDIfojFPVkpKQV8oVSl0gMZCH8ND16w9SU5kIlCVdDvEuudY2TCyL9sYldVdoryJ07ssVcJ4cAgdmBcA/s320/orange+shirt+blog3.png" width="210" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv3nFEkNro1jrPETX-I2jETFJVq1XfL-ZOchko7gUvDgvOO1SeOH8snKSAoCK16eK7GQOdvYakG1vQFDl2PtfwpV1FLddt1jm87aZGGPqnxoYmfzdmjBCPSFs6wedo4OIWIF6Xn-vZD0/s1080/orange+shirt+blog4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv3nFEkNro1jrPETX-I2jETFJVq1XfL-ZOchko7gUvDgvOO1SeOH8snKSAoCK16eK7GQOdvYakG1vQFDl2PtfwpV1FLddt1jm87aZGGPqnxoYmfzdmjBCPSFs6wedo4OIWIF6Xn-vZD0/s320/orange+shirt+blog4.png" width="237" /></a></div><br />Thursday was Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day. For art in the morning, we looked at beautiful examples of Indigenous Art and Artists - current and past. We worked on Canada Goose Drawings, inspired by Benjamin Chee Chee. We chose the Canada Goose because we liked how they inspired flight - and they may have to move or leave for a bit, but they always come back, stronger. I let the students use their laptops to look at different images while they drew their own. These turned out stunningly. Even mine - and I usually struggle with a stick figure.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNPwNugLSOxFIGhBdF-zJSChmfWUsEh1hj3XGnBeLUYopGCyga52lwyKBMOlfhYrrdowd2VguNPlBctGnnRv3A8clY8NMfLkdAd6C-Irknp21PlSgOEEil_cpjaWmVJr_LL2XLFW12sU/s1035/orange+shirt+blog5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNPwNugLSOxFIGhBdF-zJSChmfWUsEh1hj3XGnBeLUYopGCyga52lwyKBMOlfhYrrdowd2VguNPlBctGnnRv3A8clY8NMfLkdAd6C-Irknp21PlSgOEEil_cpjaWmVJr_LL2XLFW12sU/s320/orange+shirt+blog5.png" width="249" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL3FoHNwRYzYRAyZoMvKoIbbviqzfAUSguvg-1Alt8iAPT1MfCNiSg14T07WK-UtUeQO0pPYPvM8v-SLrMkkIxju1PVS6RVlJQTt4_rXyVh05hf_WfD87ibbzI289MedSvbSo8ayffGo/s821/orange+shirt+blog6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="804" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL3FoHNwRYzYRAyZoMvKoIbbviqzfAUSguvg-1Alt8iAPT1MfCNiSg14T07WK-UtUeQO0pPYPvM8v-SLrMkkIxju1PVS6RVlJQTt4_rXyVh05hf_WfD87ibbzI289MedSvbSo8ayffGo/s320/orange+shirt+blog6.png" width="313" /></a></div><br />We had been talking about what message we wanted to share on Orange Shirt Day on our Resilience Rocks, and had brainstormed a long list over the week. Some students wanted to apologize, others wanted to send a word of support or strength, and some just wanted to share their beliefs that every child really does matter. We knew we would placing the rocks around our school yard and school community and we wanted to choose something that would inspire continuing to spread this message - that every child matters and why we need to understand why.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIyioSvU5nFgk_9VKC4KLoa2wnEeivrM5pTGhc246uwfhGi-Ql2vukH_l3N_ErK_xENLys4sLuaQOYoWL0w4vx4FwIvq9dRKYBRl3pwUHbtpdNvrX_MGSaunyjqOa_QUiwHk1HuRMD9Q/s821/orange+shirt+blog7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="804" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIyioSvU5nFgk_9VKC4KLoa2wnEeivrM5pTGhc246uwfhGi-Ql2vukH_l3N_ErK_xENLys4sLuaQOYoWL0w4vx4FwIvq9dRKYBRl3pwUHbtpdNvrX_MGSaunyjqOa_QUiwHk1HuRMD9Q/s320/orange+shirt+blog7.png" width="313" /></a></div><br />In the afternoon we took a 2.15 km walk (for the 215 children found in Kamloops) and placed our Resilience Rocks around the school community. As we walked in our orange shirts, we were careful to spread them out around our route so we could share our messages with our small community. I told my students that if they were able, it would be nice to bring their grown-ups to where they placed their rocks earlier, and tell them about our learning and their reflections from the week.<p></p><p>Our last day was spent working on the writing reflection, "If I was given a $1000 budget to plan an Orange Shirt Day event at my school, this is what I would do."</p><p><br /></p><p>Again, this was our week of Truth and Reconciliation activities in the classroom, but our conversations won't end at the end of the week. This acknowledgement and promise to learn the truth will continue throughout our whole year of curriculum.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you are looking to add more indigenous-themed books and authors to your classroom, <b><a href="https://bookcentre.ca/blog-post/book-list-national-indigenous-history-month-reading-list" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> is a good place to get started.</p><p><br /></p><p>How were some ways you observed Truth and Reconciliation week at your school?</p><p><br /></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-90828141385418700582021-09-26T20:52:00.000-04:002021-09-26T20:52:05.180-04:00New School Year and Dusting Off the Blog<p> Hello. Remember me? I've been wanting to get back into blogging for a while now, but I guess it doesn't magically happen unless I actually write a post.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMHaCqZcsrTWdtzlEZrf1RL7ZVoGiIU40sjw8wC0KcA0YK6BDERzyTy8AQ_qV_IeXN1H1ZqX23P7NE_qgTniOqxTmPOanWUGgcBlxUmgq9GJJnDP1aWCWmxImTU-r4BqAPmB17GL98_c/s981/classblog1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="981" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMHaCqZcsrTWdtzlEZrf1RL7ZVoGiIU40sjw8wC0KcA0YK6BDERzyTy8AQ_qV_IeXN1H1ZqX23P7NE_qgTniOqxTmPOanWUGgcBlxUmgq9GJJnDP1aWCWmxImTU-r4BqAPmB17GL98_c/w400-h299/classblog1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />So, if I'm dusting off this blog, I should start at the beginning of the year with my back to school room tour. <p></p><p>I started my 21st year of teaching in a straight 6 with 19 students ... a dream too good to be true ... and it was. Two weeks later, I was reorganized into a 5/6 split with 25 students. </p><p>I am still at the same wonderful school, but my classroom was newly constructed last year. A bright, beautiful new space, but it still has all the nooks and crannies and slanted walls that make it just the perfect amount of quirky and fun.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiXN0ozXZk0_PjHMMm2xS-XIoqd2dCevvcD_NSx8p2NSu1SiWD7YFrHdJOrABvH-CeqE9v47EvDo5mL612yLfbCFOMZp5uCGHZLidSTIzTriSOjRsNSX_hATYzvlDdbT7iFtNWVBy444/s1440/241556485_847785955897998_3644778228311183136_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiXN0ozXZk0_PjHMMm2xS-XIoqd2dCevvcD_NSx8p2NSu1SiWD7YFrHdJOrABvH-CeqE9v47EvDo5mL612yLfbCFOMZp5uCGHZLidSTIzTriSOjRsNSX_hATYzvlDdbT7iFtNWVBy444/s320/241556485_847785955897998_3644778228311183136_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last year I started a cactus theme in my classroom because, truth be told, I was a little prickly about returning face to face in the middle of the pandemic. I kept the cacti this year, and added in a few more plant pieces ... and plan on continuing to add throughout the year. As you walk into my classroom, I have a few reminders and favourite quotes to start to set the tone. All the plant stickers in the classroom are vinyl wall stickers I found on Amazon.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUsCRmSK9UHzk15qwRwZB_1bho4l07oGmhh1phrM-WAMke3JslA7AdHuMJ8TAgpRk4MhV9IuU19S4hilr4idW8akuabA2BMuWaKdnAPImdRm_wXtar0cQJHLyDPHC7p5laJ0jueWzQbM/s1440/241471254_899766664003295_1893636092391818759_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUsCRmSK9UHzk15qwRwZB_1bho4l07oGmhh1phrM-WAMke3JslA7AdHuMJ8TAgpRk4MhV9IuU19S4hilr4idW8akuabA2BMuWaKdnAPImdRm_wXtar0cQJHLyDPHC7p5laJ0jueWzQbM/s320/241471254_899766664003295_1893636092391818759_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Our Wonder Calendar, a class photo from when the students were in JK/SK, and a real spider plant. The hanging file folder now has Monday - Friday files, and that is where I place our extra handouts from the week for absent students.<div><br /></div><div>On the wall are little sticky hexagon corkboards. Perfect for quick notes, posting exit slips, or photos. These were on Amazon, as well.<br /><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDw3G-tjoxbalFnFDGsvanqrSauY-af64ENWxYDHipp4dmp0Bxjqs6ahv0nEG-WH4KOjQyqEIjj2ce3WbedWwvgNUF3OxFrP41RharnHlTrn-ongnSG23PnWesNnPhCrUii1oc6sHaK4/s1440/241380277_1472284396473071_1966539118412539638_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDw3G-tjoxbalFnFDGsvanqrSauY-af64ENWxYDHipp4dmp0Bxjqs6ahv0nEG-WH4KOjQyqEIjj2ce3WbedWwvgNUF3OxFrP41RharnHlTrn-ongnSG23PnWesNnPhCrUii1oc6sHaK4/s320/241380277_1472284396473071_1966539118412539638_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This side of my room has our World Map (again, a vinyl wall sticker from Amazon), my math bulletin board, and my science and math cubbies. The labelled coloured drawers under the World Map contain all our community supplies in the classroom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjjqT68las4QG4hS5qhcgcvPTvfpKoFE-A9dcv5zYOmgGZKyc_T0MkZ72vmk5fhg4AfD-FXxBnMoA-t2gtVcmqAmMYMIm2lepocPUuckqx4DKuTAUBfzMZ8EqE1pPdNOkR8TFhyphenhyphenA9zM4/s1440/241191095_575777223773305_11005600039534675_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjjqT68las4QG4hS5qhcgcvPTvfpKoFE-A9dcv5zYOmgGZKyc_T0MkZ72vmk5fhg4AfD-FXxBnMoA-t2gtVcmqAmMYMIm2lepocPUuckqx4DKuTAUBfzMZ8EqE1pPdNOkR8TFhyphenhyphenA9zM4/s320/241191095_575777223773305_11005600039534675_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This is my beautiful reading shelf. I keep some of my favourite small sets on novels on here, and my go-to picture book mentor texts, and a bit more inspiration because this book shelf just makes me happy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The little cacti that line the window are artificial (but the other plants are real). My students decorated the pots and will get to bring them home at the end of the year. (I also have a crush on Einstein).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-yhxaBEgmftKppsQIP_XH1eszhUxhF_lBwGGtwZWUBa7F3zirw6LKOLzKd6EOk1EVwZ8J7YdfbGzczeDlf6usI219Hdo3SF3olSKaAtI2ZezM03Dq4TysbcKAqB-tNbUwG1rOAcfFnE/s1440/241334439_1080776536062623_7445306493016123374_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-yhxaBEgmftKppsQIP_XH1eszhUxhF_lBwGGtwZWUBa7F3zirw6LKOLzKd6EOk1EVwZ8J7YdfbGzczeDlf6usI219Hdo3SF3olSKaAtI2ZezM03Dq4TysbcKAqB-tNbUwG1rOAcfFnE/s320/241334439_1080776536062623_7445306493016123374_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This is the front of my classroom. Three big whiteboards. The left one is used mainly for inclass work and notes. The middle one is for the projector. And the right one is used for our daily agenda, homework, and any other important daily notes and reminders. <p></p><p>Underneath all the whiteboards is my classroom library. I personally don't love the shelves on the floor like this because the students have to do a weird sit/shuffle thing to peruse the titles, but it works. My books are mainly set up by genre (one genre per shelf), with a couple full shelves dedicated to one author.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBK4kKcd3MJLu241eCnkrVJZV9zf0PvVh8e3LqFH4keRMzI3mgh-5QwaOdSNfxDExfknNutD7yKrxkMiA31AxPpao1AW44Hj5djrgp5IAKg8JnEIUvtudI-CnLlINCxjeE5hdwqyxjYE/s1440/241149520_341443481056449_6426356844396964869_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBK4kKcd3MJLu241eCnkrVJZV9zf0PvVh8e3LqFH4keRMzI3mgh-5QwaOdSNfxDExfknNutD7yKrxkMiA31AxPpao1AW44Hj5djrgp5IAKg8JnEIUvtudI-CnLlINCxjeE5hdwqyxjYE/s320/241149520_341443481056449_6426356844396964869_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This wall is our interactive writing and art portfolio. Each student has their own spot, and all of their published writing and completed art pieces line this wall. Each time a student finishes a new piece, it is pinned on top of the older pieces, creating a portfolio students can go through to see their growth. At the end of the year, I bind all these pieces into a little book for them to take home. (This pic was from when I only had 19 students, there are now 25 proud spots on the board.) Below that space are more bookshelves for more of my classroom library. (And I think I'm going to need even more room).<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iG0_Oz1l_wVapvpffcV1OzJlgZi_tZHncijpHLkksJHha9RqtKTDJ3niA34kgcza2nyh1uecD_5FzHv-0p-TNDIuB1GjuCvbMjRXDbx5lficfE6u8gNvLaDX6ICQCUMgD-sQihfwBTk/s1103/242729470_621028669333375_8710093858144831110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1103" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iG0_Oz1l_wVapvpffcV1OzJlgZi_tZHncijpHLkksJHha9RqtKTDJ3niA34kgcza2nyh1uecD_5FzHv-0p-TNDIuB1GjuCvbMjRXDbx5lficfE6u8gNvLaDX6ICQCUMgD-sQihfwBTk/s320/242729470_621028669333375_8710093858144831110_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />And lastly, at the very back of my classroom is the cutest little writing desk. Our chromebooks sit back there, so this is the perfect quiet space for my students to use voice to text tech, or work on something quietly for a bit. We have some more community supplies back there, as well. The "wallpaper" on the wall is yet another vinyl wall sticker, and I purchased some matching stools.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczbWQqilXjEh6feCiH1xSuwOQmFy_PUnkJG8LXZ1Ujq3u7qJX0tKv1419ZWHWuxXYx6_kmhOmzs1n1EEgct4gRlo9FF9Qz_8ZrSPfYRUUUkEpf8OdsCPKybiUltMMS9c9tSSNPN0Yc2A/s1170/243054951_3114445855453011_3764738608371145874_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczbWQqilXjEh6feCiH1xSuwOQmFy_PUnkJG8LXZ1Ujq3u7qJX0tKv1419ZWHWuxXYx6_kmhOmzs1n1EEgct4gRlo9FF9Qz_8ZrSPfYRUUUkEpf8OdsCPKybiUltMMS9c9tSSNPN0Yc2A/s320/243054951_3114445855453011_3764738608371145874_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />For the finishing touch, on the first day of school, we made my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-3D-Cactus-Activity-3966483" target="_blank">Back to School Cactus Craftivity.</a></b> These line the top of my high bulletin board at the front of the room and will stay here all year - because I love them, and the bulletin board is too high to change frequently. haha.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I love my little home away from home - it's bright, has neutral colours, plants to clean the air, and is just a happy place to be. Building an environment my students feel comfortable and at-home in is my first step every year to start to build our caring classroom community.</p><p>Below you can find some of the resources I used in my classroom set-up that are available in my TpT store. Click on any of them to take a closer look:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-3D-Cactus-Activity-3966483" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARh-BFl1Z7iiSbiAGEp6GRaMz_6_4xf7El-ZaR9CvGPx-GBiU8oGrP4SJBR1lIErM7qL4DwEiGExNLSy7s9BLdpi2X33_N31-VIIJKixzDop91rz-7eJnNPlPjA5YHYobCqQMksoYk4U/s320/cactus+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CUBES-Strategy-Posters-3379949" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTjVeZyUNODNlmqKGKlZPNSh4hwvK_eXXaBZxn086LyPzWbAoGfCP4Z2KwJcpnwP42u42BdghB1CjcljiBA9FNMtyxyZAEIK3nq-N1HoHBzkDqxJaTVUdMRlU8pOgpj33GPly7dnxqgU/s320/cubes+poster+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Strategy-Posters-3389346" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLDPE-d3K7-0sRe240LfTe74DirAyY-XUXQGdLhWE7KwVGyLmi5WgDIsZ_6_-h0oSo3HjO1BAcpo8vyzIdsDD9im0e6kvPrmejlGubUJMpC4KH8CSvmMVgvbZOY5BW8xHqVRGxf1GQd4/s320/problem+strategy+poster+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-73951992229156950312020-08-17T18:42:00.001-04:002020-08-23T11:28:22.704-04:00Interactive Math Mat Warm-Ups for Upper Grades<div class="separator"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Mats-467170" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Interactive Math Mats for Upper Grades" border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1056" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5OxWajGEQbONMm3yzT9Dy4XdtIlV6ysidIXQmnhmirQY02VqbP4zI73JHk7VOqR3Lx9su_AG4hizA_D4njgtB1sE70puCPBUZ8N_uwDoQGGHRL4x4nBODS-mrDZr9zywnWGB0MW1C3g/w640-h387/mat+3+blog.png" title="Interactive Math Mats for Upper Grades" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started using math mats as a quick warm-up activity last year for metric conversions. It was a HUGE hit for all of us in the class. The amount of visualizing and processing that happened in a short amount of time was amazing, and my students loved the interactive nature of it. I loved that it gave me a quick comprehension check, and I could easily take note of which students needed a little extra reinforcement, and which concepts could benefit from more teaching.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGlzlDeoqPO3O-byjMEbsVrj2tIGNrQuIU_3-OsvtFwo5TwktEXFc-LafjpKEQe7IL9R4sbOj1ZizipE_q-6xGDBzUNGZm2qbVoRnVT13KLoXVOjC6wfLKUnvY_FAP_0FldeZvCuOEU0/s679/mat+1+blog.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Interactive Math Mat Warm-Ups" border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="679" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGlzlDeoqPO3O-byjMEbsVrj2tIGNrQuIU_3-OsvtFwo5TwktEXFc-LafjpKEQe7IL9R4sbOj1ZizipE_q-6xGDBzUNGZm2qbVoRnVT13KLoXVOjC6wfLKUnvY_FAP_0FldeZvCuOEU0/w328-h328/mat+1+blog.png" title="Interactive Math Mat Warm-Ups" width="328" /></a></div>I shared this math warm-up idea on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jenrunde/" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a> in March last year. I made up a "Which is Greater" and "Which is Less" page and then wrote down a variety of measurements on little flashcards I cut up. I also gave each student a little card with A on one side and B on the other. For a quick warm-up (or review at the end of the lesson), I projected the math mat under my document camera. I had all the measurement cards shuffled together in a pile. Randomly flip two cards, saying, "Which is Greater - A or B?" Give a little wait time and then have students hold up their cards at the same time with the correct letter facing out so you can see (if they hold up their cards in front of their chest and not in the air, it helps to not "sway" other answers in the class). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We used this warm-up at the beginning of every class during our measurement unit with great success ... and then ... COVID. lol. So ... when I started to plan for this year (returning face to face in September ... have a wee bit of nervous energy to burn), I knew I wanted to create a set of math mats for place value, as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Mats-467170" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Interactive Math Mat Warm-Up Activities" border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1050" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hEzhEqQFKjESgo8ZorNsf7Bcs-MbBrqMgR-FT9Bi_DD7LFuB6TNLyfmjZWyeT_Y5_tapql8DrlFj93wJ7tmsilrBz_P3X58XLxS4aYAUPEiF_4x7Vr7OcIlREsCMqtHIGZ_PwJOKGNg/w512-h390/mat+2+blog.png" title="Interactive Math Mat Warm-Up Activities" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These new Interactive <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Mats-467170" target="_blank">Math Mat Resources</a></b> can be used as math warm-ups or reviews, with a small group in a guided math lesson, or as a math station. In these resources, I have included 6 different math mats to compare and order quantities, A/B and True/False answer cards for the students, and a huge quantity of number cards already prepped for you. Just print and cut. (I store these cards in a plastic baggie and use a binder clip to clip the bag to the math mats, which I laminate). I have also included entrance and exit slips for all of the concepts covered in the resources so you can track students' progress at the beginning at end of the unit or mini-unit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These math mat resources also come in a digital/printable combo version, if you're returning virtually this fall. The digital resource contains a variety of math mats and interactive number cards so students can drag the cards over to complete the inequality statements.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Mats-467170" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Digital Math Mat Activities" border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="934" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVdI1j5u6Gsh8KRLLGHDxyFISD8C4cGA_P6o2IFf7LNKVgE4xFySqZnaqzcqV6Pc4SgKu-1EJcfhvD7ZroeBCoClC9RxPVdxm54IDwM-dPEoyOoDRDb4_YkfRs2FIpVlr46Q72WU1rzo/w512-h345/mat+4+blog.png" title="Digital Math Mats for Upper Grades" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can take a peek at my newest <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Mats-467170" target="_blank">Math Mat Resources HERE</a></b>, or click on the pictures of the individual resources below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5920145" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Place Value Interactive Math Mats" border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="985" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1QDXrNbjHZNnSkzjY7L2fTiVT5jyD5gxCLxxQL95Mw6huLH7j1GmR1FDIQ5B7IO7v3TT4C88wOlrxCfTPE51kKCsIpQQMxsITzjqm6n1hbPYCqQdtHKHEgMUWdxCrlyCiwSBgQOlqmE/w280-h328/pv+mat+pin2.png" title="Place Value Interactive Math Mats for Upper Grades" width="280" /></a></div>The <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5920145">Place Value Math Mat Resource</a></b> contains a set of number cards for decimals and whole numbers (from the thousandths to the millions). Both sets contain a variety of numbers in standard, written, and expanded form. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Conversion-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5923306" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Metric Conversion Interactive Math Mats" border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="902" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmYdqemd7-4Rx-CAyzz91z3kw7ZV7OB5jo9iM6w3v22UxSVfjBr-tctOApFy5DmzgPU_TdfBVeS3_2_wl9E8TLMhB5iBjAg9y1MFVGXITZvuJM4GNFQJVWa1Iq_QBfe9spWdOCx4oM5E/w282-h328/metric+mat+pin2.png" title="Interactive Warm-Ups for Metric Conversions" width="282" /></a></div>The <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Conversion-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5923306" target="_blank">Metric Units Math Mat Resource</a></b> contains three sets of quantity cards - for length, capacity and mass. Metric prefixes include: mm, cm, dm, m, km, mg, g, kg, mL, L, and kL. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fraction-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5946831" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="987" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mzyAHHVcXWOCBz04gwWkMfdZgrXF1xs_lklgW1p0sH-eH-Tv7ZHenbnE0v1D1gxJxSGaYJDxXjXdzk41x3iN9v9JCbFJi6aTB4lrg1igPoKi9e4wn5ftqN1dr1QEFaRclucMrPtuIjQ/w282-h328/frac+mat+pin2.png" width="282" /></a></div>The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fraction-Math-Mats-for-Upper-Grades-5946831" target="_blank"><b>Fraction Math Mat Resource </b></a>contains mats for two different fraction skills: Comparing Fractions and Operations with Fractions. Fraction cards are in picture, number, and word form.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-78389638341161875622020-01-25T20:10:00.000-05:002020-01-25T20:10:14.849-05:00SNOW Many Angles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndtcjPcREde0X_EE58k5z4ll23ldxUlPt767AnDySNp08ku2yQNrVu01ELcV8uXMlwl8DJLCrWX_7z3G19kbBMof_CH93h3aAOvlZ6vmcagH-bb-1yB5hfyt0i2HhQagWTwZPZ705BnM/s1600/snowflake+angle+pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="781" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndtcjPcREde0X_EE58k5z4ll23ldxUlPt767AnDySNp08ku2yQNrVu01ELcV8uXMlwl8DJLCrWX_7z3G19kbBMof_CH93h3aAOvlZ6vmcagH-bb-1yB5hfyt0i2HhQagWTwZPZ705BnM/s640/snowflake+angle+pin.png" width="441" /></a></div>
Have some hands-on fun teaching angles with this snowflake activity. While making this super cute snowflake, students will create and measure intersecting lines, acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles, and angle bisectors.<br />
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For this activity, students will need 9 popsicle sticks and glue. (We used white glue for this activity, but glue guns would be great, as well). <br />
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<li>First, students glue together 3 popsicle sticks to make six 60 degree angles. </li>
<li>They then break the 6 remaining popsicle sticks in half. (We snapped them in half, then used scissors to clean up the edges. Exacto knives would work, as well). </li>
<li>Glue two halves together to make a 90 degree angle, and repeat until 6 right angles have been made.</li>
<li>Glue each right angle to the end of one of the intersecting lines, so that it bisects the right angle.</li>
<li>Paint and glitter are optional ... but what's a snowflake without a little sparkle? ;) </li>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Angle-Snowflake-Activity-5195547" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="681" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqu9atuEnupJ1vvcLfNQIdS6NJMcAlkkGG72ywF87aH0__6itgg-j5Gi8rR7kT6LGHO0FH_E1Er9vgt06fAZvofeHyNsXcooSN_tJc8lI710NvcbBALrjbwykPUxuPgI-7h94ZK_2zUk/s320/snowflake+angle1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Angle-Snowflake-Activity-5195547" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU2CCsi6OU-r6BD4pEs-6YNLOAGMJ6JFP4_jrkI95sZ5yyOCPQtAik5B73IUZa0R-odnjJH26VcdMsdoA08IWYMNPleIuvkuV6epAzpY_0N6Dfvtl3VHuJnKmTx6jm8NY_VFerdBHreY/s320/snowflake+angle+cover.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can grab a freebie of these instructions for your students, including an assessment checklist that students can use for self-assessment, or quickly conference with each student to complete the checklist together for a formal assessment. Get a copy of my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Angle-Snowflake-Activity-5195547" target="_blank">SNOW Many Angles</a></b> activity by clicking <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Angle-Snowflake-Activity-5195547" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or on the pictures. SNOW many angles ... snow much learning!</div>
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Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-28752094057866111082019-11-30T17:52:00.001-05:002019-11-30T17:52:25.579-05:00New Christmas Drama Circle ActivitiesThe month of December always brings out the excitement in my students, and for me, one of the best ways to take advantage of that excitement and energy is to pull out the drama circles and let them perform! <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Drama-Circles-40756" target="_blank">Drama circles</a> aren't just for drama though, they are also perfect for engaging in morning meetings, oral reading activities, reading with fluency and expression, following instructions, listening, cooperative learning, and risk taking ... all bundled into a fun activity that always has my students asking to do the activity again. With December just around the corner, I have created two brand new Christmas Drama Circle activities - <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Twas-The-Night-Before-Christmas-5051018" target="_blank">'Twas The Night Before Christmas</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Santas-Workshop-5050565" target="_blank">Santa's Workshop</a></b> - that will be so much fun in the upper elementary classroom!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Drama-Circles-40756/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabs" target="_blank"><img alt="Christmas Drama Activities for Upper Elementary " border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1044" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VVcWCRzuxBFmehUq54IQUrgRVgTVgS_5nOMk_EUanttvlggQBaKtbFSyJrWgT3oE1ZcPDIdRmbYTN9hUEW0bVp51rZDV1kqEqSaJCtSypvTiEzAXW3wf0hxYQWx9_xwr4xqNhXaf1Kw/s640/christmas+drama+bundle+blog+png.png" title="Runde's Room - Christmas Drama Circle Activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR6o5xboSJm0qAwT3HCOVb1ebZWOmcoqpeWZLJ7YlvET9AC2fKT1QtjNp4ECnL1GwLEkkevcJvEUJELpOH-qPEokfTOFIGDE7nWHPoPw6v1aX6dn0VN8jTclKVv7KOeaHTvUaLGIH128/s1600/Slide2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR6o5xboSJm0qAwT3HCOVb1ebZWOmcoqpeWZLJ7YlvET9AC2fKT1QtjNp4ECnL1GwLEkkevcJvEUJELpOH-qPEokfTOFIGDE7nWHPoPw6v1aX6dn0VN8jTclKVv7KOeaHTvUaLGIH128/s320/Slide2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Drama Circles are similar to the "I Have / Who Has" game. Each drama circle contains 40 cards that follow in a sequence, with each card having a different instruction to act out or say aloud. Students assemble in a circle to perform their scenarios. Cards are passed out randomly, and students can have more than one card (so all cards are used). As each student finishes acting out his or her card, the student with the next card in the sequence starts acting out his or her card. The game continues until the last card is acted out. <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Twas-The-Night-Before-Christmas-5051018" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ThXkrF4w7Aur-iXTlj_q1BHTmZMwLCWKM5QZkbMBRdX_b5XgSHl_7gvdAcaWOmXCTNgift5j8eWrXPNBGVa7fwVMTLPBz2EcyTTvttiohECa3HRlUUH3S9plTbD1iTVLO1rXvbIX4UE/s320/Slide2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
One of my new drama circles, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Twas-The-Night-Before-Christmas-5051018" target="_blank">'Twas the Night Before Christmas</a>, could also be used for a Christmas play or Christmas concert idea. The format of this drama activity is slightly different - cards alternate between a "narrator card" and an "audience card". The classic poem is read by the narrators, with the audience (students with audience cards) interrupting and interacting after every few lines. Narrators could be standing together, with a seated audience scattered around them.<br />
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My newest drama circles also contain black and white versions of the drama circle for an ink-saving option, as well as an assessment tracking page to observe and grade your students' performances.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Bundle-Christmas-5065870" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Christmas Drama Activities for Upper Elementary" border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="866" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wIf9u6Jh3qTu5Fkh2SSeBy-NpF07jCYBwmBlszKTdwgmk4dMc4q8i9pdhUPWbYP9NDIxUG1ZMr0gft_JipGeWeHhd3-FJfWmE6JaKmsGzvmfed1_hCtIfZVnrvnpLKU5vibg2kNJhmY/s640/christmas+drama+bundle+pin.png" title="Runde's Room - Christmas Drama Circle Activities" width="395" /></a></div>
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You can take a peek at these Christmas activities individually, or check them out in a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-Bundle-Christmas-5065870" target="_blank">Christmas and Winter-themed Drama Circle bundle</a></b> featuring 6 different drama circles perfect for the month of December and beyond. This bundle contains:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Christmas Drama Circle</li>
<li>Twas the Night Before Christmas Drama Circle</li>
<li>Snow Day Drama Circle</li>
<li>A Christmas Carol Drama Circle</li>
<li>Santa's Workshop Drama Circle</li>
<li>Winter Drama Circle</li>
</ul>
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If you're new to drama circles and would like to give them a try for the first time, please give my FREE <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-A-Fairy-Tale-278391" target="_blank">Fairy Tale Drama Circle</a> a try. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Drama-Circle-A-Fairy-Tale-278391" target="_blank">Download it HERE.</a> Enjoy!<br />
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Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-64060745816651637902019-08-09T19:35:00.001-04:002019-08-09T19:35:33.167-04:00Numberless Word ProblemsI started using Numberless Word Problems in my math classes late last year, and immediately, I was hooked. I loved how it made my students look at work problems in a different way - they really had to think about what the problem was asking ... and develop a plan to solve it - without being distracted by the actual numbers in the problem, or just taking the numbers in the problem and adding or multiplying them together. The conversations that were happening between my students were fascinating - they were far more willing to take risks with their partners or small groups because the numbers were eliminated at first - students weren't worried about their math skills, or getting the "answer" wrong. Engagement was definitely high and students were eager to share what strategies they used to "solve" the numberless problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0ZKJpmB0ai8uxHJXbu27KxVrlCtTFNae9c1oX4epM5Nqw-RbvNxbkV7dinV-Uc-SHjDc_yer9kmmCN-3yw8nBBX6UGPXAgJ_LO-R9Bm9sZo5Xp47ypONEmCWqVyCn0XaBZ9NnSg8ynk/s1600/numberless5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="856" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0ZKJpmB0ai8uxHJXbu27KxVrlCtTFNae9c1oX4epM5Nqw-RbvNxbkV7dinV-Uc-SHjDc_yer9kmmCN-3yw8nBBX6UGPXAgJ_LO-R9Bm9sZo5Xp47ypONEmCWqVyCn0XaBZ9NnSg8ynk/s400/numberless5.png" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZyZEIoqliByLmZhoA1KTJ-FzY6AiBRKO2qVXaJ3hK5Q7ICWcZvM5CrqpgibmoB_2mQG_bHQ_WrGIhveQPMEaqPXxeM19JhXPY2pBtnfBe2tmooZEjzKvblrRB7MbErHGdGutkFqsTkE/s1600/numblog1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="847" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZyZEIoqliByLmZhoA1KTJ-FzY6AiBRKO2qVXaJ3hK5Q7ICWcZvM5CrqpgibmoB_2mQG_bHQ_WrGIhveQPMEaqPXxeM19JhXPY2pBtnfBe2tmooZEjzKvblrRB7MbErHGdGutkFqsTkE/s400/numblog1.png" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="296" /></a></div>
Numberless word problems are an excellent way to get your students thinking about WHAT the word problem is actually asking them to do and developing strategies for solving the problem. Using these kinds of word problems provides the essential scaffolding that helps students develop a stronger understanding of how the numbers work together and how to make a plan to solve the problem.<br />
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I would use these problems as a mini-ish lesson (takes a little longer than the 10 minute lesson) when beginning a particular concept (operations, measurement, fractions, etc.), when teaching a problem-solving strategy (using smaller numbers, simpler problem, identifying the operation, etc.), or when practicing algorithms or strategies for multiplication and division. These are great for differentiation when practicing these strategies because students are working with "their own" numbers for the first problems; encourage students to use numbers that are reasonable, but that they are comfortable working with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1ChdwKiNR_2dadvuelGDBL3ZZ7DNhGbuHx7Ol7D9uzP0v_f7CXupQVihdZPFVFgybznoXuwHYl_es8nwWaDG-JIZLFhjnpPG0kvtc_ouBztpG5a9f7V6MqJvPktJjwVmRDeXyzKGExQ/s1600/Slide30.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1ChdwKiNR_2dadvuelGDBL3ZZ7DNhGbuHx7Ol7D9uzP0v_f7CXupQVihdZPFVFgybznoXuwHYl_es8nwWaDG-JIZLFhjnpPG0kvtc_ouBztpG5a9f7V6MqJvPktJjwVmRDeXyzKGExQ/s320/Slide30.PNG" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="320" /></a></div>
I would do these activities as a whole class - projecting the problems so everyone could see. I would display the first slide - a chosen problem with all numbers removed like the example on the right. You can make up a problem or use any word problem you have that fits your learning goal for numberless word problems (grab a textbook or worksheet) - just remove the numbers - and make sure you separate the problems (don't have all 3 on one page - students shouldn't see the third problem until the very end). <br />
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After I displayed the slide I would them let my students talk (or use whiteboards or their journals) with their elbow buddy or small group, asking: <br />
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<ul>
<li>"What do you know about the problem?" (here I would look for answers like numbers are increasing per day)</li>
<li>"What do you need to know?" (what are the points? is there a pattern? how many points on Thursday?)</li>
<li>"What is a possible solution?" (here I ask the students to try to come up with an equation related to the learning goal (in this case - adding and subtracting large numbers) using their own set of reasonable numbers - they may come up with something like 100 + 200 + 300 + _____ + 500 = 1500, or 250 + 300 = 500, or something completely different.) At this point I ask students to share some of their equations with the class and we discuss if the answer makes sense and if it is reasonable. This is a great time to check for misconceptions, too - make sure students understand the importance of the word increasing ... and that we are looking for a specific answer for a specific day.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipNoTc2FZZVb8zxM9y6AmSCj9zMXrLQJ9gXnBGG-PQGhkigv31ONGFLSeCCgRa_Pvc0ZF8Qv1QG-fqDXRCgINulR-3yWpYQZsMtbVqUpyyO-as4TrPDe9CKAVLu56tsmuEFYHBGDkcFg/s1600/Slide31.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipNoTc2FZZVb8zxM9y6AmSCj9zMXrLQJ9gXnBGG-PQGhkigv31ONGFLSeCCgRa_Pvc0ZF8Qv1QG-fqDXRCgINulR-3yWpYQZsMtbVqUpyyO-as4TrPDe9CKAVLu56tsmuEFYHBGDkcFg/s320/Slide31.PNG" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="320" /></a></div>
I would then show the second problem - same problem, same question, with some information added to it. This time students discuss:</div>
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<ul>
<li>"What changed in the problem?" "Does this change your equation?" How?" </li>
<li>By asking them again, "What do you need to know?" they narrow down what information is still missing and realize that the actual question they need to solve did not change, but HOW they go about solving the problem may change - they may need to change their equation (here I would look for students realizing this was a multi-step problem - that they would probably have to add points together and subtract from the total to find Thursday - reminding students of the learning goal while they work through these questions often helps them with choosing the correct steps).</li>
<li>Students work with their partners to change their original equation (either by substituting in the new information for their number and re-evaluating, or by using a new equation altogether. Again, students are asked to share how their thinking evolved or what made them change their thinking.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccJmdBuswD0gKvi0TGKRBY7Bg_fnzAyqSCvufJSztsTelRK3FOEDyr2GbddXApKbs4-BTCG12gIyATL5gWYR6cz1bkvvmhBYCePaEOn4f92nV_G5oFUgvKIJaZ3K3uQcAR4M0GQNuiBw/s1600/Slide32.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccJmdBuswD0gKvi0TGKRBY7Bg_fnzAyqSCvufJSztsTelRK3FOEDyr2GbddXApKbs4-BTCG12gIyATL5gWYR6cz1bkvvmhBYCePaEOn4f92nV_G5oFUgvKIJaZ3K3uQcAR4M0GQNuiBw/s320/Slide32.PNG" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="320" /></a></div>
The third problem I show has all the information they need to solve the problem. But instead of having students work with their partner or small group, I have them work independently for the first few minutes ... then I usually allow them to partner up - making sure they "prove" their solution to each other. That independent part is important to help them become risk-takers and attempt difficult things and use their problem-solving strategies and make a plan to start ... and all those great things we want them to do when working independently. I choose one or two pairs or groups to share their work at the end and model how they solved the problem. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYHPNplrOXDmLQkgbxh4Hl5KYa3OkzQAmNHSjNCmPWNI0Ir_E_YH9CA_GfAXLbwR8D2Q5DKfZPHeuxaKdfF1gMf4KpelDxEvewDo-YFMyt3GJU4tHVf_8XZYFu_7FfPPd4XwiwYlHpUc/s1600/numblog2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="981" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYHPNplrOXDmLQkgbxh4Hl5KYa3OkzQAmNHSjNCmPWNI0Ir_E_YH9CA_GfAXLbwR8D2Q5DKfZPHeuxaKdfF1gMf4KpelDxEvewDo-YFMyt3GJU4tHVf_8XZYFu_7FfPPd4XwiwYlHpUc/s400/numblog2.png" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_96p1MUgnh17YKM0_1o3zWrVwxUViEii0wdH0SRTeyrzk79-1dhAK4uZ6lBP5w0pwrgIrpOl218NDwClRq4Y1sla4RuY8x-3HVUsHWC5DWjIqeReksTIpyLRoddftBWG3DdRqaVFOos/s1600/numblog3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Numberless Word Problems" border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1029" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_96p1MUgnh17YKM0_1o3zWrVwxUViEii0wdH0SRTeyrzk79-1dhAK4uZ6lBP5w0pwrgIrpOl218NDwClRq4Y1sla4RuY8x-3HVUsHWC5DWjIqeReksTIpyLRoddftBWG3DdRqaVFOos/s400/numblog3.png" title="Numberless Word Problems" width="400" /></a>I've been making some <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Numberless-Word-Problems-391892" target="_blank">Numberless Word Problem resources</a></b> to use in my classroom. Each resource contains 10 different scaffolded problems, plus an extra "challenge" page that has 3 - 4 more word problems (not numberless) that review other math concepts related to the word problem. There are also problem-solving templates, learning goal and success criteria to display, and an answer key. Each resource also contains a self-reflection form, as well as peer and teacher feedback forms for formative assessment opportunities, and a rubric for more formal assessments. Having students actively use the feedback forms to make improvements on their next problems by explaining how they used the feedback on their self-reflection forms makes these word problems an excellent portfolio piece or piece of assessment evidence.<br />
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You can take a peek at these resources by clicking <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Numberless-Word-Problems-391892" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>:<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numberless-Word-Problems-Adding-and-Subtracting-Large-Numbers-4745582" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Fn1OeNKp0xnBKEu98OGLMFQGJt2u08YI1SUdyKyjwnVSbia1lDXpOlP-GntV8Y_szdhyDI6Wowb_Rnc_c4AEtjSwgILboVDpb2yRi2gB1AgEb5pF2_i_pJTjBD0CP8MkQhMbesewFZk/s200/numberlessaddcover.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numberless-Word-Problems-Fractions-4762738" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLgUCOAjFQBMxeeEvOiZVN2_M450lv1L1oZFmVYNNr1iOp0Jx0SB-pGpJW9ZWiEmkLMxauibMhjHnx3Yhng1ozzLnkug3BXedu-zN2ftR5btzNjDJgb3uyqhGTO99Fr-UJmO98Pcb3Nc/s200/nwpfraccover.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numberless-Word-Problems-Multiplication-and-Division-4755862" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJTZqJhgMLMuUrQcV6Jef959622opiO_kgClJ5zi5N60ex1QMv1_A3NFt-AxH9mSOFaC8YT7o2e1q0fLoHbXCdUNrO3RJ2P0r88aI0XCnbqwzd2uNozUyJPMVcf2aCQC5_UDKHHA6Dt4/s200/nwpmultcover.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-38662140639643117902019-08-01T13:00:00.000-04:002019-08-01T13:00:53.457-04:00Quick Writing Reflection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWasJ5cCg4f4-iVLXtu5DP9vsoJGC5AjREvXqblzJ-KLxQAej9tSN7WyIXvUrfz_6nI9q_fNgjjBP8AwSlHhCyzofMEfTrLwmUq67RLK7A9moHUQ4nG52rFlEg4DcQ1JcOfUeRa_98bE/s1600/proud3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="829" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWasJ5cCg4f4-iVLXtu5DP9vsoJGC5AjREvXqblzJ-KLxQAej9tSN7WyIXvUrfz_6nI9q_fNgjjBP8AwSlHhCyzofMEfTrLwmUq67RLK7A9moHUQ4nG52rFlEg4DcQ1JcOfUeRa_98bE/s400/proud3.png" title="The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" width="310" /></a></div>
This super easy "Don't Stop Until You're Proud" chart may be the best thing that happens to your writing program. Seriously. Student self-reflection, goal-setting, peer feedback, writing collaborating, teacher evidence, portfolio piece ... all in a 5 - 10 minute activity. And the very best one - student pride. <br />
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I'm lucky in that most of my students love writing every year. They really do. A definite credit to my fantastic coworkers who built this into our students. We do a lot of formal writing all the time, but we also make the time to do a lot of "free writing" in my class. Any writing style. Any genre. Any topic. Just write. 10 - 15 minutes. But ... be prepared to share your writing with a friend at the end of the time. (You can read more about this time in my blog post - <b><a href="https://www.rundesroom.com/2014/01/just-let-them-write.html" target="_blank">Just Let Them Write</a></b>).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpK5WJpoG0wwnBpxrV7UlwijZS6ZKdoxdSuPsJXnI3SBUo3jBss9xV6LLz7xv2k4hHF8kkGZ88_dwo5cTQEmSQvB1Uh378BperWQAZlOFCFP7IyLX48wYaB-KtAgHS9t2WG8oOlJw8II/s1600/proud5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="434" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpK5WJpoG0wwnBpxrV7UlwijZS6ZKdoxdSuPsJXnI3SBUo3jBss9xV6LLz7xv2k4hHF8kkGZ88_dwo5cTQEmSQvB1Uh378BperWQAZlOFCFP7IyLX48wYaB-KtAgHS9t2WG8oOlJw8II/s400/proud5.png" title="The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" width="218" /></a></div>
About every 2 - 3 weeks, I quickly title a piece of chart, "Don't Stop Until You're Proud - The Line I'm Most Proud of Today is ..." and hand out sticky notes. The chart isn't instagram pretty, but it's easy and crazy effective. Which makes it way better than instagram pretty in my books. I usually have this set up before they begin writing, so they're working just a little harder while they're crafting their pieces ... knowing they will share their best at the end. <br />
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This chart works for any kind of writing - after formal writing lessons, or after fun free writing time. I try to do a combination of both. Sometimes I relate the writing to a particular goal we're working on from our <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Paragraph-Writing-2888632?aref=3gogdrh5" target="_blank">writing units</a></b> which focus on the traits of writing, or from our <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Goals-Clip-Chart-5th-Grade-790202" target="_blank">independent writing goal clip chart</a>, </b>or I ask them to include a kind of punctuation and circle it (comma, apostrophe, etc.), and sometimes there are no rules at all.<br />
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When our writing time is up, I ask the students to read through their work, focusing on their very, very best line or sentence from their work - the sentence they are most proud of (I really play this part up). They then buddy up to read each other what they have. Working together, they need to make at least two improvements to their line (improve a word, fix spelling, add a phrase, etc.). When this is done, they write their sentences on a sticky note and add them to the chart paper. That's it. My students are always anxious to read what others have written - and their compliments to each other are so genuine. I love it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjKND8MpgvOTXSxMACqVMbDZyHUPe1UIuuCSTQqO-P1T-180HpRHoMhiTWe44Py3eplKuHgYgLGxprj5gf6L6UVfsZtEZwv6Lz5fwrTpW7weRPq3gJklWM-xlPfcF2-hb3HzigiF8asA/s1600/proud4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="829" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjKND8MpgvOTXSxMACqVMbDZyHUPe1UIuuCSTQqO-P1T-180HpRHoMhiTWe44Py3eplKuHgYgLGxprj5gf6L6UVfsZtEZwv6Lz5fwrTpW7weRPq3gJklWM-xlPfcF2-hb3HzigiF8asA/s400/proud4.png" title="The Line I'm Most Proud of in my Writing Today ... Quick Writing Reflection" width="270" /></a></div>
So ... chart done - now what? You could leave the activity at that - writing revision, self-reflection, peer feedback, peer collaboration ... 10 minutes ... check. Or you could use the stickies for:<br />
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<li>students add them to a portfolio page where they can track the growth in their writing over a term or year</li>
<li>teacher can add them to assessment binders for writing evidence - especially at the end of units or near the end of the term</li>
<li>use them in student teacher conferences to set new writing goals or provide quick oral feedback</li>
<li>use them as exemplars of great writing and share (can be anonymous) with the class</li>
<li>use them as story starters for a quick writing activity - read the student's sentence and have the class write the next sentence (or finish the paragraph) (my classes LOVE this one)</li>
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And this chart doesn't have to be for writing - I'm going to try, "The proudest math moment I had today was ..." next year. :) </div>
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Writing resources in this blog post:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Goals-Clip-Chart-5th-Grade-790202" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWOa_hm2S-LwUWHfycOO50xMshNX4AQsvGpfGnMsYt_romP5N4MBrr-tXou2EYKLEDL6bnFkZUdWgPRT9qgqgGS5W6plo0b4zePeLuTPtABY5qSGlGYhNFyt4RUMbghyphenhyphenKJxN5RlKtCp8/s200/wg5+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Paragraph-Writing-2888632?aref=3anjy7jm" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdiHMd7QRduR1ZQc0OXLKjh1tM5oUCEbmJXRwXmWssRFNkCclvNPz9DEa4409W3ElGBSPwFdnQJYtteilxoAEt0DnK-xi7XhJ90uzXEoYEUDcY_5U30O1tz_WrDLPbMp_ebPn5-uiGRM/s200/para+traits+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fictional-Narrative-Writing-2392790" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZFiEQ5n1flfzR_mvGyuhvV8Z_UY4NSbTNOBmX5eC1t40rULh7gIGWrt32ksmqbcx52uAMChfoea_maAwuHZ0ACl8JR4bCQ_ucN97xR4vMD8MlsXv3fkXcFIAymWKED02hYHLupLXs14/s200/narr+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-81822186558971210282019-07-25T12:51:00.000-04:002019-07-25T12:51:16.369-04:00Donut You Know ... A Fast No-Prep Math Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Blcdm2FUISlwMgygC94GuduFvqhQ_qx-oH4IBpiHn44YXNKtV0hOw659Azem0k0WnADbiFIO-y6UoPCeuyqePpOXKaIXtq4t8M0CPfRcec7GcWRMP4jFi9Ju2CmFGKb3AxcMt65Kctk/s1600/donut+math1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Blcdm2FUISlwMgygC94GuduFvqhQ_qx-oH4IBpiHn44YXNKtV0hOw659Azem0k0WnADbiFIO-y6UoPCeuyqePpOXKaIXtq4t8M0CPfRcec7GcWRMP4jFi9Ju2CmFGKb3AxcMt65Kctk/s400/donut+math1.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="287" /></a></div>
Looking for more fun ways to incorporate a little extra math facts practice into your day? This super fun, no prep math game is a huge hit in my classroom. I've seen the idea floating around instagram and pinterest a few times, and decided to try it out. My crews always love a little competition, and actually, practicing their math facts too, so this game became an instant winner. They seriously love it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsh5s7vLRsDaJ5lSBazRGw1tLor8H6xSMjeZM-dgKKG5JmR9VopfZZt62z-cBgoBXtrk_9_IcyaUvjDOhgbzBdB_3GVKN31LyzbMOLFRmSiO4H3jks7BoEX0ckgW1cwzO2ztZ1yWNzJU/s1600/donut+math3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsh5s7vLRsDaJ5lSBazRGw1tLor8H6xSMjeZM-dgKKG5JmR9VopfZZt62z-cBgoBXtrk_9_IcyaUvjDOhgbzBdB_3GVKN31LyzbMOLFRmSiO4H3jks7BoEX0ckgW1cwzO2ztZ1yWNzJU/s320/donut+math3.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="259" /></a></div>
You start out by drawing a donut (hence the name - "Donut You Know". We use whiteboards, but any surface can be used.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKgsXyFdQuf5uiMkAoSw20UE9jJI_WjFH_szvIJFMvslIhqXQlPhgAh-GlIpKCaxwQSCbynrDdeiQcyh0uk3-bs0Bam7t_EQCKY22m7dBlIyAsc8B-f6HQXI7mmuhaWAHYfZ3MUGXIqg/s1600/donut+math4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="586" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKgsXyFdQuf5uiMkAoSw20UE9jJI_WjFH_szvIJFMvslIhqXQlPhgAh-GlIpKCaxwQSCbynrDdeiQcyh0uk3-bs0Bam7t_EQCKY22m7dBlIyAsc8B-f6HQXI7mmuhaWAHYfZ3MUGXIqg/s320/donut+math4.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="320" /></a></div>
Then you write your numbers around the donut (be intentional with the numbers depending on the skill you are practicing). *These numbers can stay the same for all the rounds you play.*<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPB4rC97sITerTYWXId_F5w6C2dLZW9gYkfi0C9vpyP-f1OwBimCOD1jjXy4Z70Js56-Wf7eep6_1x-LliS_Gjz-bj29OK-6jonmw7rynorok2bBQZDySVXUBO8PmwDDd70-RfNSKqdaw/s1600/donut+math5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPB4rC97sITerTYWXId_F5w6C2dLZW9gYkfi0C9vpyP-f1OwBimCOD1jjXy4Z70Js56-Wf7eep6_1x-LliS_Gjz-bj29OK-6jonmw7rynorok2bBQZDySVXUBO8PmwDDd70-RfNSKqdaw/s320/donut+math5.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="291" /></a></div>
Then ... with dramatic flair ... announce the donut hole number and skill ... and watch the students go crazy as they try to solve all the facts first. *No calculator allowed - mental math only.<br />
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We don't use a time limit - the first person, or pair, or group to solve all facts correctly wins. When a group has finished, they yell, "check" and all groups pause - markers in the air. I run over, do a quick check, and if all are correct, the game is done and we start again with a new number. If they have an incorrect fact I hand the board back to them and say, "game on" - meaning they need to find their error and correct it and all other groups can go back to work, too. It literally takes one minute to complete a round.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKV6oFmUFKUEikuQr87iZGmcrt7K7iTKDp6691hrmI4Pp8WKpO8k6DcESIEx940gWSCxrUbLWSbetpVP_V4KSuRvR-mWmpB42987e1KBDlWpdFC-NFu_iYe97IKBaz7ezsqaC-AH2Xxjs/s1600/donut+math6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="586" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKV6oFmUFKUEikuQr87iZGmcrt7K7iTKDp6691hrmI4Pp8WKpO8k6DcESIEx940gWSCxrUbLWSbetpVP_V4KSuRvR-mWmpB42987e1KBDlWpdFC-NFu_iYe97IKBaz7ezsqaC-AH2Xxjs/s320/donut+math6.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="320" /></a></div>
To play a second round, just erase the numbers around the donut and in the donut hole - leaving the numbers on the donut. Just change the skill and number in the middle of the donut hole and students solve all the facts again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXb-XCo8VJ1MHvjOlHl9Bt0O3JSa9sLaIq23ZjyfAp9fJdhvF8jchAqUMUp-Nyd_qzBnV-SJPY7jaWWTYM2AGfc7hGCNv8HcwUleUzIwVEATLVwUlBgiilrlvWQSx6PBukAF6srZA-tY/s1600/donut+math2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Donut You Know Math Facts Game" border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="777" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXb-XCo8VJ1MHvjOlHl9Bt0O3JSa9sLaIq23ZjyfAp9fJdhvF8jchAqUMUp-Nyd_qzBnV-SJPY7jaWWTYM2AGfc7hGCNv8HcwUleUzIwVEATLVwUlBgiilrlvWQSx6PBukAF6srZA-tY/s400/donut+math2.png" title="Donut You Know Math Facts Game" width="305" /></a></div>
This game can be used to practice all kinds of math skills:<br />
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<li>adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing</li>
<li>whole numbers and decimals</li>
<li>adding or subtracting fractions</li>
<li>doubling and halving</li>
<li>tripling and thirding</li>
<li>multiplying by powers of 10</li>
<li>mental math strategies</li>
<li>number talk strategies</li>
</ul>
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Check out these other fun ways to help your students master those tricky math facts:</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span id="goog_546391672"></span><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdc92ab0wqi1CqzGpZq9aGY0MmM5sDJJkQWUPfK2ZzMkJkhAo11HLrsSXqQJQPha-y0aaO1fMh8yW-w0GEGE3tGwc3mQcXsaiW7SqjXne8HdDB51_ipfvoG2lPwODm9Ue0bwC9UYIiUI/s320/speed+dating+math.jpg" width="234" /><span id="goog_546391673"></span></a></div>
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<li><a href="https://www.rundesroom.com/2016/01/skill-and-drill-without-worksheets.html" target="_blank"><b>Speed Dating Math Facts</b></a> </li>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mental-Math-Circle-Facts-2001645?aref=1s4xhrmq" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV7GB5J2nQ_V7PM3TdYZHZvd5cJ5CARrdanfhGRSG-4-hpxYwg9BDyA_oOGu2t68Emqoog65iLLxH5Q1Tsweeh5x98PtTaARgSZ8hDiI0uiIs7GM8TCL7rT4-x_l8UavcJ4Bqbood4hU/s320/math+circle+facts+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mental-Math-Circle-Facts-2001645?aref=1s4xhrmq" target="_blank">Math Facts Math Circle</a></b></li>
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Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-79630655361846412072019-07-17T16:26:00.000-04:002019-07-25T10:11:08.871-04:00Back to School Graphing Activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Graphing-Activity-4703977" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Back to School 3D Bar Graphs" border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1125" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8vPvUpWDPGwNvuLRSw7BGxzEVg_ritZubwggNAGBRLOcsu1p3KekieRh3W_q0e0Rd61_ArCL97lET65Qb_rWnHf1vRL62VAtaB5qzp7XjExDwhUiJ71nBrccCizKtlIkVLs2Gh0aNvQ/s400/bar+graph+blog.png" title="Back to School Bar Graphs" width="400" /></a></div>
Are you looking for a new idea for a math back to school activity? These back to school Pop-Up Bar Graphs might be just what you need! I needed something new this year because I will have most of my class for a second time (I taught them in 4th, and will now have them for 6th). They are a fantastic bunch and I'm looking so forward to another great year with them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Graphing-Activity-4703977" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Back to School 3D Bar Graphs" border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="773" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmuxlRRUCFC9dXTFtqA_2SoIurFlilWLA4V9gJyV0tL5jCu_kx6DwxeQYl9gLjTp-3gbDNjJo9eq6Zker5whRIJDaHgxiVLBRykpVHageDoIHNedVvbFm9xgzJ10wIA_JOh2Ba9WXqY4/s400/bar+graph+pin.png" title="Back to School Bar Graphs" width="248" /></a></div>
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One activity they particularly enjoyed was our <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bar-Graphs-389468?aref=6pddr2el" target="_blank">Pop-Up Bar Graphs</a>, so I thought I could incorporate that idea into our first day of school this year.<br />
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This <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Graphing-Activity-4703977" target="_blank"><b>Back to School 3D Pop-Up Bar Graph</b></a> activity contains an ice breaker activity students will use as they survey questions. The object is for each student to find out how many classmates have the same answers as them. They will then use this data to complete a graphing organizer, graphing reflection, and an interactive 3D bar graph that will WOW! A learning goal and success criteria poster is also included, along with full lesson and assembly instructions.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Graphing-Activity-4703977" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Back to School 3D Bar Graphs" border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioduzes760qJQCbcdU8tWiExyUOM6ZiJGcqz_BDwYUsMm6yF6aPnL8ZgZ1OhjYTX1QFSHqILw8354odcNuXEJQ6eD7QK7QkPkbCKSJGdeqWsFg1fzS-pfe2sHilputn7co7QWv7Rciaqo/s320/bts+bar+graph+cover.png" title="Back to School 3D Bar Graphs" width="320" /></a>You can take a peek at these bar graphs by clicking <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Graphing-Activity-4703977" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or on any of the pictures in this post.</div>
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-44340097269195011892018-08-13T19:03:00.003-04:002018-08-13T19:03:56.768-04:00Math Scavenger Hunts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Math Scavenger Hunts" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9Hv5mliwWvFYEEUnmH7_aDWD391Q4YgL_JklsYHnRdwfiWiEj2F_kf3_GsCttglKx0mm_W9mNjuswD-zgXGTGO_c-RxA6GDSMsaq8bHptHFToOp-eBeOtPPuC-9lUohDqLt5i5P-MRA/s320/Slide1.PNG" title="Math Scavenger Hunts" width="320" /></a></div>
One of my favorite ways to use task cards in the classroom is to hide them around the classroom, so students have to hunt for the cards before they can complete each task. Cards are numbered, so students can complete the tasks in any order. It's just a little way to get them out of their seats and moving around the room, and it's a super easy way to add a little more fun to the activity. It only takes a couple of minutes to do - I'll hide the cards in the morning or during a break - when the kids aren't in the room - in the bookshelf, behind cupboard doors, under a desk top, on the back of a chair ... anywhere except inside desks or books.<br />
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This way of hiding task cards led to me creating these <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank">Math Scavenger Hunt Task Cards</a></b>. One of our school goals is to continue to integrate more technology into our activities, so I made these cards as more of a "digital scavenger hunt" - students will collect pictures of the objects or numbers they need to find according to the task cards, rather than collect the actual object or number. Students can take pictures of the objects on any device - depending on the number of devices you have available, you could have students complete this activity individually, in pairs, or in groups. I only have 5 iPads in my room, so we'll definitely be working in groups. You can have students work only in your classroom to complete the tasks (or find the objects), or they can work in a larger area of the school if you have access to one. Students should hunt through books, magazines, classroom walls and resources, newspapers, anywhere and everywhere, while trying to find the different objects.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Math Scavenger Hunt Task Cards" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBPWt7Ug6c4GPMIIGnnSUhyphenhyphenjpvj4q1eKP1Auax9_UwnFlAUu4Wsx3jqaFTfBTa9AQC1hiEkRXYO4gEamKAFQ3AHXsIY5HUxdrz5sgdQMJHgy3AqZ3AkBmS3pRqXp-xJF3bknUBeu101Q/s400/Slide3.PNG" title="Math Scavenger Hunt Task Cards" width="400" /></a></div>
Students could use the pictures they collect as evidence they have completed the tasks. They could also display their picture galleries to other groups during a "gallery walk" activity. You could also take it a step further and have students create a quick slideshow of their scavenger finds. There are many possibilities. Pictures could also be printed and added to students journal responses as a reflective bulletin board.<br />
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This <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank"><b>Scavenger Hunt Task Card Bundle</b></a> contains 4 different scavenger hunt resources - Place Value, Math in Real Life (a good overall review of math terms), Classroom Geometry, and Classroom Measurement (two versions of this resource are included - one with metric units and one with customary). Each resource makes a great diagnostic activity at the beginning of the unit, or a review before a summative task. They are also an easy low-prep activity, perfect for your sub tub, or math station resources.<br />
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Each resource contains a Minds-On Task I like to use whole group to introduce the activity, 12 task cards, a journal prompt (this is optional - it could also be a good discussion question or activity at the end of the task), and a student answer page.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank"><img alt="Runde's Room: Math Scavenger Hunts" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtvWC36sUDojutEjV9S5OaQpe-tWbFCu_chnmt-hkg15aK92X9z3IBPQSJba7pR1YKRr0Ji9HZEgky7qoUVTjs0iigzfncVa55UJWqhY7YRLEJTj2kHMItIwte_SuJ5iI66OCMRc4Y4k/s400/Slide5.PNG" title="Math Scavenger Hunts" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can take a peek at my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank">Math Scavenger Hunt Bundle</a></b> by clicking <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Scavenger-Hunt-Task-Card-Bundle-3995532" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or on any of the images in this post.</div>
<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-86970607808983517842017-02-05T17:49:00.002-05:002019-08-12T09:51:25.340-04:005 Activities for Teaching Problem-Solving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pLHzmHnHYSIULsWQq_rT1oHzlJGSeprzZlpJCi0tBMrScC43sZv_DUoYcBFu8UEmo3688QpwgxAwAGtVCEWxpkSVgplbouLfvuA1O5Dv3vB7Dl-isRmyDMxMBr5Cjlb4Cho_qkZY4Rk/s1600/word+problems.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pLHzmHnHYSIULsWQq_rT1oHzlJGSeprzZlpJCi0tBMrScC43sZv_DUoYcBFu8UEmo3688QpwgxAwAGtVCEWxpkSVgplbouLfvuA1O5Dv3vB7Dl-isRmyDMxMBr5Cjlb4Cho_qkZY4Rk/s320/word+problems.png" title="Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="267" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">This "</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: cabin; font-size: 18px;"><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/06/5-activities-for-teaching.html" target="_blank">5 Activities for Teaching</a>" </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">post (click the link for more 5 Activity Ideas) is all about </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: cabin; font-size: 18px;">Problem-Solving in Math </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: cabin; font-size: 18px;">(and there just may be 6 activities in this one). </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;"> As our testing relies heavily on our students' ability to problem-solve and analyze and solve word problems, we have a heavy focus on problem-solving all year long. This post aims to give you some new ideas to get your students digging deep into word problems, on their way to becoming problem-solving masters. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4aKHomr1vV1Rlej0uXDngzEwUpuqsOo1ouconiTxS1Dp_Mu4ZOaGhtzhPtaHCKv8kllfwmhMMsWezDnfXlkBZW36pygBw1YfylWZRl0TFFEW07XTSp1pXxqGQg6fKtH6wmk9D30sEMs/s1600/numblog1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Activities for Teaching Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="847" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4aKHomr1vV1Rlej0uXDngzEwUpuqsOo1ouconiTxS1Dp_Mu4ZOaGhtzhPtaHCKv8kllfwmhMMsWezDnfXlkBZW36pygBw1YfylWZRl0TFFEW07XTSp1pXxqGQg6fKtH6wmk9D30sEMs/s400/numblog1.png" title="Activities for Teaching Problem-Solving in Math" width="296" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">1. Go Numberless - </span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">I recently started using <a href="https://www.rundesroom.com/2019/08/numberless-word-problems.html" target="_blank"><b>Numberless Word Problems</b></a> in my classroom and it has changed the way we look at word problems. By taking the numbers out of the question, students work with the actual problem itself - deepening their understanding of what the problem actually means and how to go about solving it. It is fantastic for differentiation because students start to substitute their own numbers into the problem (working with numbers they are comfortable with using) as a way of scaffolding the process. You can read more about <a href="https://www.rundesroom.com/2019/08/numberless-word-problems.html" target="_blank">Numberless Word Problems</a> and see exactly how I use them in my classroom in my blog post <b><a href="https://www.rundesroom.com/2019/08/numberless-word-problems.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnYa5PmtM79eV2BR1syElC59g6_4QBrhrxLUp2ydqVhKDGU2RIuCqcjmfa440Zb9XsqRhbRKJDa8IOzTFVfw37dwBcsLYDXIjTfwGWOmh69x7gRu2iIv5iMQdaTrmk2Y4INn6oKYGABY/s1600/numblog2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Runde's Room: Activities for Teaching Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="981" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnYa5PmtM79eV2BR1syElC59g6_4QBrhrxLUp2ydqVhKDGU2RIuCqcjmfa440Zb9XsqRhbRKJDa8IOzTFVfw37dwBcsLYDXIjTfwGWOmh69x7gRu2iIv5iMQdaTrmk2Y4INn6oKYGABY/s400/numblog2.png" title="Activities for Teaching Problem-Solving in Math" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">2. Use CUBES to help students analyze the problem before they begin solving - </span></h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFC2W_QuzFykehXwhnIJEs6tbOjXH0rId-Is1xw1MBi4PAM1kkNAsb72MxJm1FEm5hCumHQdlOGE8mcWK0l7bHYmao9_xDeQ9G63hYitMOyjci3ZFj1_hFrstWZW5WU_ypxmSJGSnw2I/s1600/Day+26a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFC2W_QuzFykehXwhnIJEs6tbOjXH0rId-Is1xw1MBi4PAM1kkNAsb72MxJm1FEm5hCumHQdlOGE8mcWK0l7bHYmao9_xDeQ9G63hYitMOyjci3ZFj1_hFrstWZW5WU_ypxmSJGSnw2I/s320/Day+26a.jpg" title="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="219" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: "cabin"; font-size: 18px;">Before I began using CUBES with problem-solving, I would watch in frustration as my students plucked numbers from the question and began solving without really thinking about WHAT they needed to solve. Sometimes they would miss some of the steps in a multi-step question, and other times their answers weren't actually answering what the question asked. By introducing CUBES, my students now actually slow down and examine the question fully first ... leading to much greater success in problem-solving activities. I introduce CUBES very early in the school year. I hang an anchor chart in the classroom, and we complete an entry in our Interactive Math Journals (click <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CUBES-Problem-Solving-Math-Journal-Entries-2246892" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> to see this resource in greater detail).</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CUBES-Problem-Solving-Math-Journal-Entries-2246892" target="_blank"><img alt="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9oQ8HbyGHMnHQc6gKeCnYHh4Pk3IgvVdqrybX3UMFWewyRLoUVBpdF5Gwk9YkOZcM47kMI2nZ5QPktJ2MS0rW-6wq72hSDBLWs66vJwYQNeiiU-qh5DIMvFdVlMt9FIDPyGuMgraLU0/s320/day+26b.jpg" title="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="312" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Search:CUBES+word+problems" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyHV6Eq1EgxPQrhXJuMEsiV4CxtEOqrfYmbxHOy2x_du_W9tSDE-oAmkjPGHwIEQCmv9Ze1bd90YXrmmfQUAeSrrc4we3zvgQPXXkwB4pYRw4GAZZbRNnsSFv1FEoGvH27_9vyNvOO8g/s320/word+problems1.png" title="CUBES Strategy - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="258" /></a>I also created sets of concept-related <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Search:CUBES+word+problems" target="_blank">Word Problem Activities using CUBES</a></b>. These resources contain a checklist for CUBES right on the page that students need to complete before they begin solving the problem. I LOVE using these pages for quick formative assessments in the classroom - and they make a great portfolio piece to keep parents informed of what we are doing in the classroom, and how their child is progressing. There are 2 different versions of each word problem so you can easily provide differentiation for your students or provide some extra practice for students who need some reinforcement with the concepts.</div>
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3. Establish a set of success criteria for the steps to solving the problem - </h3>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Building-Better-Math-Responses-1217569" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Building Better Math Responses - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3zLPxjArRHn-jlOmWW86uyAqz18J6q8knHFDLPiktsEkLgDnjemUg6KKBfQdD_E3HWbBoPNYwVwyfSZtc4ZGWi6FoO7A_CuSMvAd7pUtQOZ0lk1X-iqHZJfsouFwQcTpmlnn8nE7-04/s320/2016-01-12f.jpg" title="Building Better Math Responses - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="207" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPBiPbZhZpspwO10bJFjOXM6ni1aoikOUqaOEfzK9-FPX6nMyYDTfuMfdy1wva24RyIYpyEONyj87Dsrw7KJxhQXoPe8ckPI5_CyuBv9dce7weyveWRw5G_OxqSBOfds6SfegLVL_ubw/s1600/2016-01-12e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Building Better Math Responses - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPBiPbZhZpspwO10bJFjOXM6ni1aoikOUqaOEfzK9-FPX6nMyYDTfuMfdy1wva24RyIYpyEONyj87Dsrw7KJxhQXoPe8ckPI5_CyuBv9dce7weyveWRw5G_OxqSBOfds6SfegLVL_ubw/s320/2016-01-12e.jpg" title="Building Better Math Responses - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="183" /></a>Once my students know how to analyze the word problem, it's time to start talking about how to SOLVE the problem. Because we have a HUGE focus on communicating HOW the students solve the problem, just showing their work isn't enough - they have to show their thinking, too. Using my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Building-Better-Math-Responses-1217569" target="_blank">Building Better Responses in Math</a></b> has been the key to this in my classroom. This resource breaks down the problem-solving process step-by-step and creates a set of easy-to-follow success criteria for students, ensuring that they have not only solved the problem, but also communicated their thinking during the process. We start out with our first success criteria, and every time we master a criteria (usually every two to three weeks), we add another criteria to our board (there are 9 criteria in all). I also post EVIDENCE (a student-created exemplar) alongside the criteria each time we add a new one. This gives the students a model to reference. This resource also comes with printables for students to practice each criteria in isolation, as well as pages for scaffolding the steps each time they add a new one. All pages contain a checklist for students so they can be sure they are completing each step. </div>
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4. Work Backwards - </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QzoMfLdLWhrsQahCy1RY5tjmmBeoFj_Fz1GLGSfD93RHMw-on95WPEXBE-p3lbm38HjgPG-1czsS9pkHaONV5DFsCn7AtD7d7repyEOszjXLvkwxheDkvZTRXs5iTMHslOpXW7bSjhY/s1600/word+problems2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Work Backwards - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QzoMfLdLWhrsQahCy1RY5tjmmBeoFj_Fz1GLGSfD93RHMw-on95WPEXBE-p3lbm38HjgPG-1czsS9pkHaONV5DFsCn7AtD7d7repyEOszjXLvkwxheDkvZTRXs5iTMHslOpXW7bSjhY/s320/word+problems2.png" title="Work Backwards - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="240" /></a></div>
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I LOVE this open-ended activity for getting students to think about word problems. I start with an answer, and get each student to write a word problem for the answer on a sticky note. They quickly check in with me before they post their question. When we first started this activity, students were including the answer IN their question, but with more practice, they are now thinking more about writing the word problem with the answer in mind. To extend this activity, students can choose a word problem written by a peer, and work to solve it - PROVING the answer is correct.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhf9uwT2hBetwHxEaUx03lj_oRT0aBdUoGLfdZooQp6veWIYFVaSoCuv4JgOcVm2TYXrvM0a7WoS89nlepdzkTQvmst7gYwtyMZU-7Kvoxbq7F0qfYNcVUJr74rQOeJ1lY8ko4mDp_e8/s1600/word+problems3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Work Backwards - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhf9uwT2hBetwHxEaUx03lj_oRT0aBdUoGLfdZooQp6veWIYFVaSoCuv4JgOcVm2TYXrvM0a7WoS89nlepdzkTQvmst7gYwtyMZU-7Kvoxbq7F0qfYNcVUJr74rQOeJ1lY8ko4mDp_e8/s400/word+problems3.png" title="Work Backwards - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="400" /></a></div>
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5. Work Together - </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB_WOYuLhQ11Jh0uUsw0i4VXq3of897Wv7TfCNL_r6uW1zUVgClZFQXbcSOEkuh58z5HdGRIx-Y_A8bTm1AXtsBsdSybxSdVdBnuIVG3JAQMpF4koumms7WgomjKNcEx7AgBe-PH3vHs/s1600/day+30a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Stick-It-Together - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB_WOYuLhQ11Jh0uUsw0i4VXq3of897Wv7TfCNL_r6uW1zUVgClZFQXbcSOEkuh58z5HdGRIx-Y_A8bTm1AXtsBsdSybxSdVdBnuIVG3JAQMpF4koumms7WgomjKNcEx7AgBe-PH3vHs/s320/day+30a.jpg" title="Stick-It-Together - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="314" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqHjco_hXjfeqmVHNJVSm5i685j0IZcfwcvUIxWJC6L18aP8Fvu6uiD78nO9QvAZuJTfvRS4036JLxvIgrG4n4YOwaSZOM07qDCtq1AjE__WZ2wZHV4mIuHLlKcmBqr3RJFzaeU23fSQ/s1600/2016-04-12+21.20.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Stick-It-Together - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqHjco_hXjfeqmVHNJVSm5i685j0IZcfwcvUIxWJC6L18aP8Fvu6uiD78nO9QvAZuJTfvRS4036JLxvIgrG4n4YOwaSZOM07qDCtq1AjE__WZ2wZHV4mIuHLlKcmBqr3RJFzaeU23fSQ/s320/2016-04-12+21.20.46.jpg" title="Stick-It-Together - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="240" /></a>Students can be a GREAT reference for each other. I love letting my students explore word problems together. They often have different ideas and strategies for how to solve a problem, which leads to awesome conversations about justifying their answers. I always make them responsible for completing their own pages, but they can work together on the solutions. My favorite resource for this is my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Search:stick+it+together+math" target="_blank">Stick-It-Together Math Resources</a>. </b>These resources have students working together in groups of 4. Each students is responsible for solving the problem independently first (on a sticky note), then working together with the success criteria to build the best response they can from each other's responses. I hear the BEST math talk when using this resource, and I watch them go back into their notes to help them with their solutions, which makes my teacher heart smile. Each of these resources also contains an editable template, so you can add in any word problem you want to work on - better yet, give your students the opportunity to come up with the problem themselves.</div>
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You can also have them work together on large chart paper, or just give them some clip boards for their paper and let them work anywhere they wish within the room. This is my students' favorite way to problem solve.</div>
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6. Let them be the experts - </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO2S9XQxcTrVqzD4w7QDktWE9uSv441hOMIN2RERqobAm32SUmbRbsJuPFnrmG9ezK_2Umkfqi9QQdao7xXiOjetN5JxL5r5TrSAUutYolHgNvREBMEwW-D2nwT7r5ho4HEtP-53sTEc/s1600/2016-02-17+12.58.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO2S9XQxcTrVqzD4w7QDktWE9uSv441hOMIN2RERqobAm32SUmbRbsJuPFnrmG9ezK_2Umkfqi9QQdao7xXiOjetN5JxL5r5TrSAUutYolHgNvREBMEwW-D2nwT7r5ho4HEtP-53sTEc/s320/2016-02-17+12.58.10.jpg" title="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="240" /></a>Lastly, let your students be the experts. Allow them plenty of time to see other solutions, and comment on the work (their own, and other's work). I do a lot of peer and self-evaluation with problem-solving. After problem solving activities, we do gallery walks - where students' work is displayed, and the students are asked to go around and view all the work, giving "stars and wishes" to their peers. This makes them really think about what is needed in the solution to fully answer the problem.</div>
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I also like to post all the responses on the board, and allow students time to present their solutions - explaining what they did and how they know they are correct, or what they would do differently next time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMVJOs3artBmCC03qHuV-qE8wqOh6APVqJD5EgJO4-6Lbs3zrYZT4ycsnKdpb7wvVfa4yzitJkq84QKkTj13XyNCW9Kd1XcQmPM9BN3URx1NVwI_uOLRNfSMIFpKbZjbZVNWJUe7MRAw/s1600/2014-04-25+14.33.29+%25282014_04_26+16_19_07+UTC%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMVJOs3artBmCC03qHuV-qE8wqOh6APVqJD5EgJO4-6Lbs3zrYZT4ycsnKdpb7wvVfa4yzitJkq84QKkTj13XyNCW9Kd1XcQmPM9BN3URx1NVwI_uOLRNfSMIFpKbZjbZVNWJUe7MRAw/s400/2014-04-25+14.33.29+%25282014_04_26+16_19_07+UTC%2529.jpg" title="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="400" /></a>To help them differentiate between explaining HOW they solved the problem, and WHY they chose the steps they did, I also like to do an activity where I give the students two different colors of stickers or sticky notes. They walk around the gallery of math, examining all the solutions, and place the one color where they see students explaining HOW, and the other color for WHY. This really helps them see the difference between the two. I then allow them time to go back to their own solutions, to see if they have completed both steps, and improve upon their communication.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cenDRcOUoeL0qsCrzJpt6d0fwaZXvoISDATLeT9rDHa1p2yq7GhFfCI_fnQK75hgZy92AfqpdFTamUOHh9JVhg1pUJx-8FVuH0ofCvYjZcqeoAfoXoSfoTtl8LG9tKiBRuBlUr0L-zY/s1600/2014-04-25+14.35.28+%25282014_04_26+16_19_07+UTC%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cenDRcOUoeL0qsCrzJpt6d0fwaZXvoISDATLeT9rDHa1p2yq7GhFfCI_fnQK75hgZy92AfqpdFTamUOHh9JVhg1pUJx-8FVuH0ofCvYjZcqeoAfoXoSfoTtl8LG9tKiBRuBlUr0L-zY/s400/2014-04-25+14.35.28+%25282014_04_26+16_19_07+UTC%2529.jpg" title="Let Them Be the Experts - Different Activities, Strategies, and Resources to Help Your Students Become Masters at Problem-Solving in Math" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are just a few ideas. I'd love to hear some of your fabulous ideas for helping your students dig deeper into word problems - just leave a comment below to share your ideas.</div>
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<!-- inlinkz code end --><br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-24932045248732650042017-01-03T18:18:00.001-05:002017-01-03T18:18:22.089-05:00Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bEF_dyxfDYiRe4CihvLmOM3jwdPOFgHvvPINNQUH_ueW6F6hHntpmZuqZHZIbXfKX22kOYRLAVGfnYWu9FSyaqoZdTcx6NmPqJWGdTGRNmaSGjUujHeIXZ16x85Z4ny2F9BrhZpyUKI/s1600/spelling2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bEF_dyxfDYiRe4CihvLmOM3jwdPOFgHvvPINNQUH_ueW6F6hHntpmZuqZHZIbXfKX22kOYRLAVGfnYWu9FSyaqoZdTcx6NmPqJWGdTGRNmaSGjUujHeIXZ16x85Z4ny2F9BrhZpyUKI/s320/spelling2.png" title="Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart" width="260" /></a></div>
This Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart is one of the best additions I've recently made to my classroom. Within 3 days, it completed eliminated the "How do you spell ...?" questions that brought my students to a halt during the writing process, made my students actually think about and attempt to spell the word instead of just shooting their hands up, and freed up my time to meet with more students and provide more meaningful feedback and comments while working on writing. And the best part ... it literally takes absolutely no time or prep to implement in the classroom. And that's a win in my books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRUjdldnPzST_V7aKZwaeRp10J4eg2y9zLmbVyQXlCDNuUoY1_fgcvdJxBHTMz2lGAjblJTbKtdEfVK0QTiDW3aUOqXZw4KoWefipk7wpLrOoAD-BskGUX2RbOgCNLL4t4gThkjTamEM/s1600/2016-11-18+15.31.37-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRUjdldnPzST_V7aKZwaeRp10J4eg2y9zLmbVyQXlCDNuUoY1_fgcvdJxBHTMz2lGAjblJTbKtdEfVK0QTiDW3aUOqXZw4KoWefipk7wpLrOoAD-BskGUX2RbOgCNLL4t4gThkjTamEM/s320/2016-11-18+15.31.37-1.jpg" title="Your Try / My Try Spelling Chart" width="180" /></a>I set up this chart on a chart stand that didn't get a lot of use in the room so it could be a permanent fixture in the room. The instructions are simple - during the writing process, if a student has a question about how to spell a word, they can check a dictionary (online or in print) or write the word on the chart under "your try". As soon as I get a chance, usually within a few minutes, I will write the correct spelling beside it on the "my try" side. I've also started to put a checkmark beside correct attempts by students, and I still rewrite the word on the my try side. And that's it. I started this chart mid November, and by the end of December, we were already onto our 4th page of chart paper - so it's definitely getting used by the students. I've also seen them go back and check previous sheets when they know the word was on the chart before.<br />
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I do a lot of free writing in my room, and that is when the chart is getting used the most, but I've also seen students using it when writing responses during other subjects, so I've encouraged its use for that, too. My friend, Tina, from <a href="http://www.tinasteachingtreasures.com/" target="_blank">Tina's Teaching Treasures</a>, has a great little freebie if you want to do this on an individual basis with your students. You can check it out <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Personal-Dictionary-I-Can-Try-Spelling-Book-2714020" target="_blank">HERE.</a></b><br />
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Check out some of my other writing resources:<br />
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-40551053173664037582016-11-20T14:54:00.000-05:002016-11-20T14:54:38.869-05:00Mad Scientist Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3fM2blRgEriSju3wlKcvb024H2AnKbRDL5W6Rs1nfsnfZfmXfEhWZZvOzmlXCgMJpehuqdGkkiU_tcLjxXr40Xj-wyTTxqeAucwZiRodgxzsYsDT88VrzxUjSUS7R9Mclx0PgqsZhoA/s1600/mad+sci+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3fM2blRgEriSju3wlKcvb024H2AnKbRDL5W6Rs1nfsnfZfmXfEhWZZvOzmlXCgMJpehuqdGkkiU_tcLjxXr40Xj-wyTTxqeAucwZiRodgxzsYsDT88VrzxUjSUS7R9Mclx0PgqsZhoA/s320/mad+sci+2.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="253" /></a></div>
Mad Scientist Day! This is seriously one of the best days of the year in my classroom! As a class, my students have the opportunity to earn points for excellent behaviour and excellent learning - with the points going towards earning extra excellent learning days!!! Mad Scientist Day is our first one of the year.<br />
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This is my second year doing Mad Scientist Day. This year I switched up the activities a bit. Last year we had Mad Scientist Day the day before Halloween, so our activities were very Halloween based. This year, that wouldn't have worked. All of our activities are aligned with the science strands we study during the year, so they have a little information to draw from when we get to the particular units.<br />
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I "set the stage to engage" first. A fun costume and a few props did the trick - something quick and easy to set up. Students were also invited to dress up as Mad Scientists for the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpLk-6Q3JdRB26LcDHIxic8w5SS2G5toBN6-CjTlmRkibY2n7jZ6UJ-yVagJoCBClsqeY5f3J9ai6qtM3fKgEalnsQ_cERklsochMA9bCk63NjDLSoWCjUn2kbBFWJ2wqhyKM2yngvIE/s1600/mad+sci+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpLk-6Q3JdRB26LcDHIxic8w5SS2G5toBN6-CjTlmRkibY2n7jZ6UJ-yVagJoCBClsqeY5f3J9ai6qtM3fKgEalnsQ_cERklsochMA9bCk63NjDLSoWCjUn2kbBFWJ2wqhyKM2yngvIE/s320/mad+sci+3.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="309" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyYGS-X3gV7PzziSr_P3vM417ql9e6P5PXw2mtfiFRtNnIxRl1iY5xyTA2IGvhSDTyoshK9W1XBIag5J4JBtQxnxS-vX7K_-iQrhlrgFLNCe_eb1tKiBJAk_8ttEIZm5RZ1Eu9WcRHvc/s1600/2015-10-29+09.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyYGS-X3gV7PzziSr_P3vM417ql9e6P5PXw2mtfiFRtNnIxRl1iY5xyTA2IGvhSDTyoshK9W1XBIag5J4JBtQxnxS-vX7K_-iQrhlrgFLNCe_eb1tKiBJAk_8ttEIZm5RZ1Eu9WcRHvc/s320/2015-10-29+09.42.jpg" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvWg2aI6u5pKH3YQ9o4ovKwKawakqAhb-WF3Y5PUuk_9ohqO7_1D8f63kM-lzdxIt4656vQDjI9qmrGpgoqNAmBPdScGx7Zs0AgJXDwDRodWw1rqpxOmROHsahAp6hYFrJKsS7WWyiTg/s1600/mad+sci+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvWg2aI6u5pKH3YQ9o4ovKwKawakqAhb-WF3Y5PUuk_9ohqO7_1D8f63kM-lzdxIt4656vQDjI9qmrGpgoqNAmBPdScGx7Zs0AgJXDwDRodWw1rqpxOmROHsahAp6hYFrJKsS7WWyiTg/s320/mad+sci+5.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="240" /></a></div>
Our first activity was a STEM activity for making catapults (tie in to Simple Machines - levers). I divided my class into small groups and gave each group a plastic spoon, two popsicle sticks and masking tape. They were also allowed to use anything in their desks. Last year, before Halloween, I had small plastic rats to use as the load and we called our catapults, "ratapults". This year we used hershey kisses and "chucked chocolate". I gave them around 15 minutes to build their catapults. Once we were done, we had a chucking chocolate competition. Students had to measure the distance they could "chuck their chocolate" in metres and centimetres. Each group had 3 attempts, and then we compared and ordered the distances (YAY for a math tie-in!!!). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfeadWHg23Jcm_n2cng9TFTPEOhCp9bw377yepBReXibUm4225rE465HUOnxCEsHETjWYWVIpXMvqr_Y2hxrdqoAgfZBhiVUneSFi661wI9mcLBF0oB1VLnS8Y4w924UMdgBEsskDTeA/s1600/mad+sci+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfeadWHg23Jcm_n2cng9TFTPEOhCp9bw377yepBReXibUm4225rE465HUOnxCEsHETjWYWVIpXMvqr_Y2hxrdqoAgfZBhiVUneSFi661wI9mcLBF0oB1VLnS8Y4w924UMdgBEsskDTeA/s320/mad+sci+6.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="231" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1RnM8oKs2scVdwLH0ZlHmmoIFQKjd4fpLJxZ_wXX7xLCagRjcSajef6xxhefh_CzK-zz0MxMQOnzgneEwS-1y-H7zJ9hB_KpkvCLtx8t-lsokb_Uu4ne-AkC1N3U6dvUh87_h_4OFE/s1600/mad+sci+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1RnM8oKs2scVdwLH0ZlHmmoIFQKjd4fpLJxZ_wXX7xLCagRjcSajef6xxhefh_CzK-zz0MxMQOnzgneEwS-1y-H7zJ9hB_KpkvCLtx8t-lsokb_Uu4ne-AkC1N3U6dvUh87_h_4OFE/s320/mad+sci+7.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="253" /></a>Next, the little Mad Scientists got to smash some rocks - cracking open geodes for our tie-in to Rocks and Minerals. I bought some geode kits from Amazon (affiliate link to the product below). This was definitely the WOW activity for the students. It definitely took some time to get through the whole class, so I used the time to take some awesome pictures of my students dressed as mad scientists sitting behind the prop desk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzD3mEduetFoMRQ9mb6xKk9j9LclFFKyW7ZuPtEEKkg0pQUJqqxp8WQl6X0bsejGO560S8aePLkFRm-atKHcS5Afvu7NaelkZohRjHyszmgXndquIGS3_-HHOr2WQM1JZPCzdcgMbbAI/s1600/mad+sci+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzD3mEduetFoMRQ9mb6xKk9j9LclFFKyW7ZuPtEEKkg0pQUJqqxp8WQl6X0bsejGO560S8aePLkFRm-atKHcS5Afvu7NaelkZohRjHyszmgXndquIGS3_-HHOr2WQM1JZPCzdcgMbbAI/s320/mad+sci+8.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="216" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pxAS5cz4bQY1x0wXnok_75wUSDhawbEA_J-YGrVEU4i7qeMVV9fhO6moEE5H5fe7F-UjaVolwwzqKbh3EQUE4ovaReDppwofwPBo_kJm1NxHk_l2Gk5LbRwW-Krw0Ht_OQVT4BTwvno/s1600/mad+sci+12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pxAS5cz4bQY1x0wXnok_75wUSDhawbEA_J-YGrVEU4i7qeMVV9fhO6moEE5H5fe7F-UjaVolwwzqKbh3EQUE4ovaReDppwofwPBo_kJm1NxHk_l2Gk5LbRwW-Krw0Ht_OQVT4BTwvno/s320/mad+sci+12.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="292" /></a>As we completed each activity, students worked in a little Mad Scientist booklet I made for the day (the AWESOME clip art was part of the Mad Scientist Set by Melonheadz Illustrating - you can see it <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Melonheadz-Mad-Scientist-clip-art-Combo-Pack-2820203" target="_blank">HERE</a>). For each activity we had to fill in "What we Did" and "What we Learned". You can download a copy of this booklet I made <b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4kW6VjjnOtgeHlGenMwbnZIMzA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> (just a note - it's not editable if you are doing different activities, but it can definitely serve as inspiration).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbxv3aeiZtQjZnwr5xES8XfpZ3uMj9WUhzHLSUJHCm7bu5kx3UQhC35Hozwpsk7Qh3nKyQhrUVeghKk3ie6VmEI5uioE3avbDWF_rN6e_UsHelINCq7BwBplMM6nLn8CkcRWE2FOnQyU/s1600/mad+sci+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbxv3aeiZtQjZnwr5xES8XfpZ3uMj9WUhzHLSUJHCm7bu5kx3UQhC35Hozwpsk7Qh3nKyQhrUVeghKk3ie6VmEI5uioE3avbDWF_rN6e_UsHelINCq7BwBplMM6nLn8CkcRWE2FOnQyU/s400/mad+sci+9.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl97_H_R0I8_itV0cvnqa_Q0-66VDHr9cpa14KnpM6x3-byBWgqc7q1tu_wQDCVUAUr-O4EIeHww5ygTyz27fXqAY_sgR1iu6sH15fkWtEFyr2KBoMUoNuOY9voWQjQgGR11oHRaxLc1I/s1600/mad+sci+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl97_H_R0I8_itV0cvnqa_Q0-66VDHr9cpa14KnpM6x3-byBWgqc7q1tu_wQDCVUAUr-O4EIeHww5ygTyz27fXqAY_sgR1iu6sH15fkWtEFyr2KBoMUoNuOY9voWQjQgGR11oHRaxLc1I/s320/mad+sci+10.png" title="Mad Scientist Day for Upper Grades" width="220" /></a>Next up was Making Blood Models (tie in to Human Body unit). I've blogged about this as a full lesson before - you can see this blog post <a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2012/10/our-classroom-was-covered-in-blood-today.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Each student had a water bottle. We added a drop of yellow food coloring to the water for the plasma. Then we added cheerios (dyed red with a full bottle of food dye) for the red blood cells. Mini marshmallows were added for the white blood cells, and we used small circles of paper from the hole punch for platelets. We watched a Brainpop video on blood before we made our models to further our learning. The students LOVE this one!</div>
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For our last activity, we had to blow something up! Mentos and coke fit the bill - and was a fun tie-in to Matter and Materials. I have wanted to do this FOREVER! So much fun! We added 7 mentos to a bottle of coke (I read online that 7 is the perfect number) and watched the fun!</div>
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Mad Scientist Day was a perfect way to reward students with an awesome day of learning they will be sure to remember. Engaged students LEARN. Period.</div>
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</iframe><br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-74203488986816910932016-09-25T17:44:00.002-04:002016-09-25T17:45:35.924-04:00Using Task Cards with Board Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgCF0xsqyAwe_Pk6hLVQb9brknsjIl4wWEl2XqO5wmMtA9EBp91b9OTpUA2NiRQAZflGHk22ZxYE9geFipW47oN-Ui_N8tzRG8JBEMuWM5N0EUhEg0lQcVdUrC7vx5NcdrHNIX8x3w_0/s1600/board+game1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgCF0xsqyAwe_Pk6hLVQb9brknsjIl4wWEl2XqO5wmMtA9EBp91b9OTpUA2NiRQAZflGHk22ZxYE9geFipW47oN-Ui_N8tzRG8JBEMuWM5N0EUhEg0lQcVdUrC7vx5NcdrHNIX8x3w_0/s400/board+game1.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="308" /></a></div>
My students love task cards - especially ones that get them moving. That's exactly why I created my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Circles-205237" target="_blank">Math Circles</a></b> - sets of task cards that get my students up and moving while learning and mastering the concepts. So engaging for all students and absolutely perfect for your kinesthetic learners. If you're anything like me, you have probably have tons of sets of task cards in your teacher stash already. One day last year, while I was figuring out ways to use my task cards in more engaging ways, I had an awesome thought. I wanted a GIANT game board so we could "play math" in a GIANT way. So, I made it my plan to accomplish this during the summer. I'm so glad I did - our giant game board has been an amazing addition to our math classes, and whenever my students literally BEG me to "play math", I know I've got a winner.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Make the Game Board</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6MCpRFqJmyOPqpyJxI7_VvVrV6boTykyySEBl6IgZfF0tB2JhYOphRC-D98c7gLZXOWzewKCt6On4iObinYETv9_C_oX9rv9Z7so0KL4sTT6ihd3RaUh904uupoTNtd1KLaQGGYL6yU/s1600/board+game2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6MCpRFqJmyOPqpyJxI7_VvVrV6boTykyySEBl6IgZfF0tB2JhYOphRC-D98c7gLZXOWzewKCt6On4iObinYETv9_C_oX9rv9Z7so0KL4sTT6ihd3RaUh904uupoTNtd1KLaQGGYL6yU/s320/board+game2.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="260" /></a></div>
I ordered my game board through <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/" target="_blank">Vistaprint</a>. It is a 4 x 8 vinyl banner. If you create an account with Vistaprint, they have some amazing sales and promo codes they will keep you informed about. I waited until they had a good sale going to buy the banner. I bought some board game clip art from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Build-A-Board-Game-Clipart-Set-3-Over-80-Colorful-Graphics-902885" target="_blank">Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs</a> and resized the game board a bit in photoshop (powerpoint would work, too) so it would fit. I resized it to 24 x 48 inches and when I uploaded it in Vistaprint, the image worked perfectly - it's nice and crisp and fills the banner perfectly.<br />
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Now, go big or go home doesn't apply here. You don't have to make a giant banner - anything would work. You could draw a game board on bulletin board paper (it would make an awesome permanent bulletin board if you pinned the game pieces on it - a bulletin board you don't have to worry about changing ALL year long). You could also use a large piece of cardboard - get your students involved in drawing the actual game board! You could also do this on a smaller scale on regular paper so you could use it as a math station. Anything goes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViNKXUs2IObsRdbcRVSQe-3LX9BxeJnH6oW3xrJQIK-UIrFy2zK_5lEhb3O-pm2y7TMzsLY1Yh8SXF_VN-BcsjFBbxFW6-Ayb1lS0fgn0G7JEuSNdkMGCVtVM8QWRWruMziBO9XxxKgs/s1600/2016-04-08+15.11.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViNKXUs2IObsRdbcRVSQe-3LX9BxeJnH6oW3xrJQIK-UIrFy2zK_5lEhb3O-pm2y7TMzsLY1Yh8SXF_VN-BcsjFBbxFW6-Ayb1lS0fgn0G7JEuSNdkMGCVtVM8QWRWruMziBO9XxxKgs/s320/2016-04-08+15.11.31.jpg" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="320" /></a></div>
Last year when I thought of this idea, I tried it out by projecting an image of a game board on my whiteboard (there are tons of free blank game boards available when you search on google images). We just used whiteboard markers to track our progress around the board. Quick and easy and best of all - no prep.<br />
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To go along with our GIANT game board, I decided we just had to have some GIANT dice, so I found some on Amazon (I have included my affiliate link below this post). You can use almost anything for the game pieces - I have a fun little collection of "ugly dolls" (they are just too cute to be ugly) in my classroom that work perfectly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTMKyRYPjKijNaRWNVmqIRWAnqHkRTog7uGMINmelIBjqNiSuDfaoet8YCeCWKIrnA1THHiQoWUWwpytIdyg0Xa7nKE1PYBa158FYya0Ev_9Xmgd_Y5g9MKO333aHvomXVpWtDW7Te_c/s1600/board+game3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTMKyRYPjKijNaRWNVmqIRWAnqHkRTog7uGMINmelIBjqNiSuDfaoet8YCeCWKIrnA1THHiQoWUWwpytIdyg0Xa7nKE1PYBa158FYya0Ev_9Xmgd_Y5g9MKO333aHvomXVpWtDW7Te_c/s400/board+game3.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Play the Game</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomxqpo2TLH2GmuwcnRphj9OC5t7rxiEhg-BUUZnVmkc7RtJmBR96GRGySAWGLxo9dEZTVWLv814OLCPocVFJ9IwH1pSbmfvJj6HcA_-pIHdpeDjvL214RELTCbIaSs2A8r6UICfJSHOo/s1600/board+game5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomxqpo2TLH2GmuwcnRphj9OC5t7rxiEhg-BUUZnVmkc7RtJmBR96GRGySAWGLxo9dEZTVWLv814OLCPocVFJ9IwH1pSbmfvJj6HcA_-pIHdpeDjvL214RELTCbIaSs2A8r6UICfJSHOo/s320/board+game5.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="320" /></a>I used my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Circle-Whole-Numbers-1974312" target="_blank">Place Value Math Circle</a></b> to break in our new game board (but could use any set of task cards - and this doesn't just have to be limited to math). We rolled out our board game in a nice open area and I divided the class into two teams. I had previously printed out the numbers for the game (the same set of numbers can be used with many of my math circles) and have made them into necklaces with string and a clip. These hang on a hook in my classroom and we use them often.</div>
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I handed the first team the first card from the math circle. They had to read the instructions and arrange themselves into the number on the card (numbers are written in different ways on different cards - in word form, expanded form, by place value column, and greater than and less than form). When they were finished, the opposite team examined the card and determined whether the number the first team made was correct or incorrect. If correct, the first team got to roll the dice and move the number of spots indicated. If they were incorrect, they did not get to roll the dice or move. Then, the second team got the next card in the math circle - and followed the same procedure. Repeat. If you are using 2 dice, the game goes quite quickly - if you want to make the game last longer, only roll one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn-uRystv5GRuyNNOhfT6WrgzaOVjMEnqHSeudBlUEaBl38Ow_r2WStPoGAMCWpyCKaCz0PktQWpjOy0Q16NYk6X4XluiFi_kjDTbGVq54INeApWfpUv00Cprm2WRgyjTjrIwSKpXOwY/s1600/board+game4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn-uRystv5GRuyNNOhfT6WrgzaOVjMEnqHSeudBlUEaBl38Ow_r2WStPoGAMCWpyCKaCz0PktQWpjOy0Q16NYk6X4XluiFi_kjDTbGVq54INeApWfpUv00Cprm2WRgyjTjrIwSKpXOwY/s400/board+game4.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="400" /></a></div>
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In the picture above, students were asked to build a number that was 1000 greater than 6,588,301. I also have sets that fit both the US and Canadian way of writing the numbers (either with commas as place value holders, or spaces). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllpM6lSSFSZdtPkoJhiu65QV3zxThRKYeZN6b-LUND-4t5Swp9VLFq4BVGdKxnHzlms9tD0WpcbZhHFLFl0IqZGFKhDXxbF0d5HiUqnNvtoJggfxk3tSJRSobnPADtAvqOcaqkB1EePs/s1600/board+game6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllpM6lSSFSZdtPkoJhiu65QV3zxThRKYeZN6b-LUND-4t5Swp9VLFq4BVGdKxnHzlms9tD0WpcbZhHFLFl0IqZGFKhDXxbF0d5HiUqnNvtoJggfxk3tSJRSobnPADtAvqOcaqkB1EePs/s400/board+game6.png" title="A set of task cards and any blank board game makes an engaging yet rigorous way to help your students master math concepts." width="400" /></a>And that's it. SO much fun. When we were finished, we came back to the classroom to reflect on our activity. I posted a question from my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Reflection-Fans-519507" target="_blank">Math Reflection Fans</a> </b>and asked them to answer the question on a sticky note which we then posted. You could also just have them write their answers on a large piece of chart paper (whole group graffiti style) or on the whiteboard. </div>
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My students are already asking when we're using the game board again ... and I have to admit, I can't wait!!! I've got a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rounding-Math-Circle-2016830" target="_blank">Rounding Math Circle</a></b> that will be perfect for the end of the week!</div>
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-19440090319374028042016-09-10T16:56:00.002-04:002019-07-21T18:29:41.683-04:00Introducing Growth Mindset in Math<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGy1jeEb1Uw8ut1IfQtGdODDftMWxQTcPJU1_wJfrmw7g5ZX6PQJ0pkC-K07EKb43TmFiwvq4cyOuiOC9xj8rIKplLlrYTppbgUjZapJTFYSYkVl41hNOfMFU9F6OV9uDFSPeacaiYRU/s1600/math+mindset1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGy1jeEb1Uw8ut1IfQtGdODDftMWxQTcPJU1_wJfrmw7g5ZX6PQJ0pkC-K07EKb43TmFiwvq4cyOuiOC9xj8rIKplLlrYTppbgUjZapJTFYSYkVl41hNOfMFU9F6OV9uDFSPeacaiYRU/s320/math+mindset1.png" title="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" width="276" /></a></div>
This year, before we dive into our first math unit, we're setting up for a successful year by examining our growth mindset in math.<br />
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The very first day, I started with a math engagement survey, to see what my students' attitudes were about math and their learning (you can grab a free copy of this survey <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Engagement-Survey-899207" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>). It was pretty awesome to see that most of my students already have a pretty positive attitude about math - that's definitely a testament to the amazing teachers I work with at my school.<br />
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This summer I discovered <b><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/" target="_blank">Stanford University's YouCubed site</a></b> by Joanne Boaler - full of amazing math lessons and activities that are designed to foster a math mindset in students. I instantly knew I was going to start the year with this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTZEK6OP6HYCHdyP2ka8yoa_O0Ekazsm1aHvNicGxWkQuWKuEo6o1poPL8DjlCw-bJqDuimv4Eic3nkkZ0h7_67f_zvemEhKKgYMQuN7nPlMgsqkTIRmf0D1ODnxzE78HL3EW7uETb1s/s1600/math+mindset2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTZEK6OP6HYCHdyP2ka8yoa_O0Ekazsm1aHvNicGxWkQuWKuEo6o1poPL8DjlCw-bJqDuimv4Eic3nkkZ0h7_67f_zvemEhKKgYMQuN7nPlMgsqkTIRmf0D1ODnxzE78HL3EW7uETb1s/s320/math+mindset2.png" title="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" width="320" /></a></div>
As I was reading more about the activities during my prep period on the second day of school, I came across <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTUb6UWZYs" target="_blank">this fun video</a></b> made at a youcubed summer camp. As I was watching it, I saw an image of this quote: "In this class, mistakes are expected, inspected, and respected." Perfection. I pulled my big binder of bulletin board letters of my shelf and set to work. By the time my students came in from recess, there was a new quote to look at on our wall. When I posted the picture of this quote on my <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RundesRoom/" target="_blank">facebook page</a></b>, a few people had mentioned they had seen this quote with the word "corrected" added (such a great addition ... but I have no more wall space to add the word - lol). When my students and I discussed this quote to examine what it means, we all agreed that corrected is an integral part of inspected - when we inspect our mistakes, we are not only trying to determine where we went wrong, but also how we can use teacher and peer feedback to correct it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynB98eR7ZG2-40XiIP_kf9QwK2oLz8HFxnj4OMv7zyMtXxNMcNMHWtlG_Hvvb1J_KnvuDuvBYCs45To_PJRYHCrn52X60PZl68o9JtvhtCPSARJGMRFLTaQiTKrmjLYU2wxB3OqF8eN8/s1600/math+mindset3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynB98eR7ZG2-40XiIP_kf9QwK2oLz8HFxnj4OMv7zyMtXxNMcNMHWtlG_Hvvb1J_KnvuDuvBYCs45To_PJRYHCrn52X60PZl68o9JtvhtCPSARJGMRFLTaQiTKrmjLYU2wxB3OqF8eN8/s320/math+mindset3.png" title="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" width="219" /></a></div>
One of our first tasks (suggested on youcubed) was to brainstorm what makes a successful math group, as so much of our learning and inquiry will be done in groups. We did a think, pair, share activity and came up with this great anchor chart to remind us of the norms while we are working. It hangs right below our "mistakes are" quote - and together they are exactly what we need to remember as we start our math year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9O2dvY2EbcRBRqTLfkkSanqEg5RLnK8fYRoFZJdANoeRii3PsZAua0nvack7pmy346ycGFQrvFkb76iLuxMU11SfYvYIF0pVIIsWikvwjrV59QnKmnX1QJVJ87VsF6fRDu50Cl0Ca48/s1600/math+mindset4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9O2dvY2EbcRBRqTLfkkSanqEg5RLnK8fYRoFZJdANoeRii3PsZAua0nvack7pmy346ycGFQrvFkb76iLuxMU11SfYvYIF0pVIIsWikvwjrV59QnKmnX1QJVJ87VsF6fRDu50Cl0Ca48/s400/math+mindset4.png" title="Growth Mindset in Math - Starting Math Class Right!" width="238" /></a><br />
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On Monday we our going to start our <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-315177" target="_blank">Interactive Math Journals</a></b>, and our first entry is going to be my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Math-Journal-Entry-2313346" target="_blank">Growth Mindset in Math</a></b> entry - the perfect start to our math journals. You can read more about this entry in a blog post <b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/01/math-journal-sundays-growth-mindset-in.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>. From there, we will finish off our week with more great math inquiry lessons from youcubed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Math-Journal-Entry-2313346" target="_blank"><img alt="Growth Mindset Math Journal Entry" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcABjw_m2xU27dQGQFkYA-gRftE1PZGNnKbOCAir0jlmRnLtFF0Uk9dHSHpH3xbGlbffCaHczcvFxNFxBjER_PhMUEoikU1rvCmewG0Gtew1bM6mXUH1ESyoDG0PMsPxIfxDxi1a4KsI/s400/mathmindset6.png" title="Growth Mindset Math Journal Entry" width="400" /></a></div>
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With all of this, I am so excited to begin our year exploring math. We're going to have a great year!</div>
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-87392526234036907342016-08-24T20:10:00.003-04:002016-10-15T13:09:47.825-04:005 Activities for Teaching Place Value<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBftauGZnTBbX6e57cvZabb0X1h4I-cLGVSAw2khL6KCjE02jV1ZofByecsnQyAVvy7BskAerY4cHD-6R66CTpa_KIOCWbrz52RXV1yxDCvo3cICvN0jYLYaHmSqfQDQ96oFrj9mgZm0/s1600/place+value+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBftauGZnTBbX6e57cvZabb0X1h4I-cLGVSAw2khL6KCjE02jV1ZofByecsnQyAVvy7BskAerY4cHD-6R66CTpa_KIOCWbrz52RXV1yxDCvo3cICvN0jYLYaHmSqfQDQ96oFrj9mgZm0/s320/place+value+1.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="266" /></a></div>
I'm back with an all new "<b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/06/5-activities-for-teaching.html" target="_blank">5 Activities for Teaching</a>" </b>post (click the link for more 5 Activity Ideas). This one is all about <b>Place Value</b>. Like many of you, I always like to start my math year with Place Value. This post aims to take you past the traditional hands-on activities that students need like building and exchanging numbers using base 10 blocks, and hopefully gives you some new ideas to add to your collection.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Interactive Math Journals - </b></span>I always like to introduce new math concepts with an entry or two in our Interactive Math Journals. I've got some fun ideas here on my blog that you can read some more about. This one is from my original <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-315177" target="_blank"><b>Interactive Math Journal</b></a>. Students identify the place value column of the highlighted digit. You can see it <a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2011/11/math-journal-sundays.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2011/11/math-journal-sundays.html" target="_blank"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApXXu0V1-COko_FtMsFLHJY_E5dmbtIDepgcGKYCFl4KCIsX4Z-TP8KoCZD_PJXKFq5tdhn8rJUjEmqyG4N-A_zwi5kBDRfXooLKBBr5nJq7JLVsJ3HKI0ff9dTJep2XC1AZx3uisR9tY/s320/IMG_0150+%25282%2529.JPG" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="240" /></a><br />
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Another math journal idea is from my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-2-1403522" target="_blank">Interactive Math Journal 2</a></b>. This one has students identifying the place value columns from billions all the way up to the billions column. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2012/09/math-journal-sundays-place-value.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2012/09/math-journal-sundays-place-value.html" target="_blank"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0hq4_2pT75CZ9c5beSXTHplNDoTpd1f_S57SAldWi6JXMCf21yURvjp0v-3ETjQ14nCOT5HL573YyJs5SfWSrNsydDwe5egAIGNh14ozKhPLGbav_VBKGNf-j4k1cevjiRTQpZr1K0E/s400/IMG_2129.jpg" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza7upLv9ieaTBFnDcDavIkIhoti-RYJ0x5JRXRPHFwk1cZUfNdvq4NEEHYLzwqFq2s0bDrdMbOY06SEOj4pALtoTWsdUbVBWoGfRbsqQcuqEXMVhivtCYBIATXBSwl1wAjWildBNHmi4/s1600/place+value+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza7upLv9ieaTBFnDcDavIkIhoti-RYJ0x5JRXRPHFwk1cZUfNdvq4NEEHYLzwqFq2s0bDrdMbOY06SEOj4pALtoTWsdUbVBWoGfRbsqQcuqEXMVhivtCYBIATXBSwl1wAjWildBNHmi4/s320/place+value+2.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="284" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Cup-Stacking Place Value Game - </b></span>This one is SO much fun! You need styrofoam cups (or any cups with a lip so you can write a digit on the lip). Label each cup with a digit from 0-9 (I used a sharpie for this, and I wrote the digit on both sides of the lip). Repeat for the number of cups you have. The number of cups you need depend on the number of students playing, and how high you wish your numbers to go. For a group of 3, playing to the hundred thousands, you will need 18 cups. (I bought a pack of 20 at the dollar store). To work with numbers in the billions, students would build a pyramid with 10 cups.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VDED8Q4_6QN_hOdkwVjeAPCUeAAhyuIGsWDujWmOux9CvIMW-aTv3OxEtRhbOl43zgYc3txFjLAKBZkIEFt831p3O-vSHAMnLBjr0xSMVT4Yle6J_gpJEuZ8AdCNPx2zRJuZ4mZGmRA/s1600/place+value+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VDED8Q4_6QN_hOdkwVjeAPCUeAAhyuIGsWDujWmOux9CvIMW-aTv3OxEtRhbOl43zgYc3txFjLAKBZkIEFt831p3O-vSHAMnLBjr0xSMVT4Yle6J_gpJEuZ8AdCNPx2zRJuZ4mZGmRA/s320/place+value+3.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="180" /></a></div>
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Spread the cups out and have your students seated around them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aV8TIzuaa0wevqkFu11r-4nzsvOngsKZQj7rWrpWyCGXyxXtsPAJlI2mKn8nTCbJ42umTAk7V_i7w2HVdZZgTdPHMzYo0glWLy491Ek866-s200E0hK2XD3H2HSCZqn-CrWZHkJfAik/s1600/place+value+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aV8TIzuaa0wevqkFu11r-4nzsvOngsKZQj7rWrpWyCGXyxXtsPAJlI2mKn8nTCbJ42umTAk7V_i7w2HVdZZgTdPHMzYo0glWLy491Ek866-s200E0hK2XD3H2HSCZqn-CrWZHkJfAik/s320/place+value+4.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEU-qgLeJkLaXuthp7cg_bjTgYlpknvq5oR5JZPSqYXUrMBdrS-zhcZGw75ZCGaG-Hh5HZTD4nLEFIDl0i9DGz1VeMOu0Iod3edytB10g9LoCP1f4Eon7LAxjy6_iZszsngFJh7Yhyphenhyphen8A/s1600/place+value+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEU-qgLeJkLaXuthp7cg_bjTgYlpknvq5oR5JZPSqYXUrMBdrS-zhcZGw75ZCGaG-Hh5HZTD4nLEFIDl0i9DGz1VeMOu0Iod3edytB10g9LoCP1f4Eon7LAxjy6_iZszsngFJh7Yhyphenhyphen8A/s320/place+value+5.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="176" /></a>As quickly as they can they need to stack 6 random cups in a pyramid, then collapse the pyramid so they have a stack of 6 cups. The first person to read the 6 digit number the stack makes, wins. To get all participating and keep the motivation going, you can give the first person 2 points, and everyone else in the group that reads their number correctly 1 point. Or, you can simply make this a math station without any points at all. :) Take a peek at this video to see how we play it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwegR5NyglRq_iwUGpEWEcjwfEAh-9dim-vhe14zIRuQ_DmXjYx6pRybVIT4prk8KGMssq13F47Wl1auHqeSw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Centers-2649245" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wQCcqGvgr06MnfU4tSaKtodBHgfx7ywUp2MtIjQfmcNDN3rwtyeoap9TdxYJULvRrPwQFpU6Shtz5cJuhjNS9Du95qjsK1fhBe5LXcH46LXVsbuSQzFT3VC-cwgeyZSqpNvxk5UbkgE/s320/2016-07-16+19.09.00.jpg" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="240" /></a><b style="font-size: x-large;">3. Math Stations - </b>Dice, cards, dominos ... all of these manipulatives are great for building numbers to have students work with place value. I have a fun package of math station sheets for place value that use dice - whole numbers and decimals are included (US and Canadian versions are both included in the resource). With this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Centers-2649245" target="_blank"><b>Rolling Place Value resource</b></a>, students will be working with standard, written, and expanded form of numbers.</div>
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To use less paper, I bought these great dry-erase pockets at Amazon. LOVE them. Just slide the sheet inside, and let the students work. I'll include an affiliate link to Amazon at the bottom of this post. If you want to take a peek at this <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Centers-2649245" target="_blank">Rolling Place Value Resource</a></b>, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Centers-2649245" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Centers-2649245" target="_blank"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecyUqQbz3eoLcAddyQ_2lLa_wuGT9WVfyHC1BBNfbNm_yPz0ptMVHCWZ97iuyESpZuwiNFbvR9w3T-AA-u0n5iyI57iuZetJ_863B4gHG9-ynSOTcHys5irLg5V_Vg3AH7Vq7ROaNbDM/s320/2016-07-16+19.10.11.jpg" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rounding-Numbers-Math-Centers-2824031" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkt7GZO8e0Ck_2ZhHMHQxuunvXR-y8IDQjNy5acGxse0Hw8_eReR4gcqzFFKVRwq-vLP2Zao3BlgALjuRLGOnfs9ipmjhO-JLP_BvNTi3ogDIs5qfH7R-PFZpMDTKzlngW0OTvxk7-as/s320/2016-10-10+14.14.23.jpg" width="320" /></a>I also have a similar resource for rounding - including numbers from millions to thousandths on individual sheets so you can easily differentiate for your students. Students will also compare and order the numbers they made. To see this <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rounding-Numbers-Math-Centers-2824031" target="_blank">Rolling with Rounding Resource</a></b>, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rounding-Numbers-Math-Centers-2824031" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Each of these two "rolling" resources include an extra page that students can complete and hand in for a formative assessment.</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">4. Place Value Scavenger Hunt - </b>I've got a fun little freebie to share with you. This Place Value Scavenger Hunt has students hunting for numbers - around the school, in a newspaper or magazine, online ... wherever you choose to have your students look. I'm planning on having my students work in groups, giving each group an iPad. When they find one of the numbers on their scavenger hunt, they can take a picture of it on the iPad. At the end of the activity, they will go through their gallery, showing the 15 pictures. To grab a free copy for your classroom, just click <b><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4kW6VjjnOtgSGJ4SlNKYW9uRUU" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KX4LiiLTs1OEGy3mduxigdzzFCh-Rkx1diPKVJ-BSOMqmchaZWZTEfRfU6AHqY3GaZDhhZ3geBhARdH0X17oPteC5_m8cm_35EX3KxKIGdaPqRuDQscf6a3L8hY6T6VJQA70iVt7plk/s1600/place+value+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KX4LiiLTs1OEGy3mduxigdzzFCh-Rkx1diPKVJ-BSOMqmchaZWZTEfRfU6AHqY3GaZDhhZ3geBhARdH0X17oPteC5_m8cm_35EX3KxKIGdaPqRuDQscf6a3L8hY6T6VJQA70iVt7plk/s400/place+value+6.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Circles-205237" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodPHR63tGdrGDnlIK3J5SMLpSqVANCPsmC9wzFabsjmP9MpCFU5eKP7uiX219nbfblwVMFLCDp4p6w5v-6anJTHwsWe4wLBXUqSq9RV7kO8NIWyQMQzZr40DLfPqmSQzFeGGWl9Yu5ts/s320/2015-09-18+13.00.00.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities for Teaching Place Value that your students will LOVE!" width="240" /></a><b style="font-size: x-large;">5. Place Value Math Circle - </b>This Place Value <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Math-Circles-205237" target="_blank">math circle</a></b> is always a hit in my classroom because it gets us up and moving, and really exploring numbers. It is especially beneficial for the kinesthetic learners in the classroom. This math circle is similar to my drama circles in that everyone gets a card with a direction to follow. Each student is given a digit from 0-9, there is a decimal for someone to wear as well. Once everyone is wearing their digit, the first person reads the instruction on the card and builds the number using people in the class. For example, in the picture below, the card said, "Use 5 people to build a number with a 2 in the ten thousands place, 4 in the thousands place, 9 in the hundreds place, 6 in the tens place, and 3 in the ones place. Read the number aloud." I have both a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Circle-Whole-Numbers-1974312" target="_blank">US version</a></b> and a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Place-Value-Math-Circle-Whole-Numbers-Canadian-Edition-1974331" target="_blank">Canadian version</a></b> available.</div>
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And that's about that. What are some of your best tried-and-true place value activities in the classroom? Leave a comment below explaining all about it.</div>
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-91361864702542002322016-08-20T20:00:00.000-04:002016-08-23T13:29:09.510-04:00Quick Tips for Back To School - One Little Word ThemesAre you looking for some quick tips for back to school? I've got just about 2 weeks to go before we start, so this is definitely where my head is right now. And I'm starting with getting my room set up. And that all starts with a theme.<br />
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Apart from trying to have cohesive colors in my room, I wouldn't say I have a decorating "theme" for my classroom. I do love having a nicely set up classroom, and I do love the cute classroom themes I see all over pinterest and facebook, but a full out theme is not something I thought I could pull off - decorating-wise or time-wise. But ... does a classroom theme need to be a decorating style? Does it need to be time consuming and costly? In one little word, NO.<br />
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My quick tip is one that worked very well for my class last year. Classroom themes can be easy. Classroom themes can be one simple but powerful word. I wanted our theme to be more than a decorating style. I wanted it to mean something. So instead, I took my "theme" from the one little word I thought was most important for us to have a successful year, and such an important life skill for the future - my classroom theme was (and will be again this year) "collaborate".<br />
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<b>"One Little Word" classroom themes</b> can be taken from anywhere. They can be from a novel you are starting with (if reading Wonder at the beginning of the year, "Choose Kind" would be a fabulous classroom theme), they can be a character trait you want your students to display, or a verb meant to motivate like Think, Encourage, Lead, Persevere, etc., or a growth mindset word or phrase you want to keep reminding your students of. It just has to be something you remind your students of daily, and keep reflecting on throughout the year.<br />
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For me, collaborate is what I wanted my students to start right from day one. It was something I knew was necessary for all of us to have a successful year. So, we got started right away. I had each student trace their hand and arm, and decorate the inside with the names, and other words and pictures that were important to them. Then, we posted our hands reaching up to our goal - and used my big bulletin board letters to spell out COLLABORATE. This was placed over our main board, so it was in front of us every day, all year long. A great reminder throughout the year as I knew I'd be having them working together and learning from each other every single day.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room/Category/Building-Better-Responses-Stick-It-Together-145159" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjt1VRgRWvDxB0as0PwLyUBeiZ0HTUm68-pDn2KwYaRKNeu4k8odH48uJtCVAtaa2T0XPy4ZL0REQfmhFbZbs3MDt1TsnEaslVEreOqcENO2okNVuJwSyB_eyut5U9KiwNXrVzslsPhm4/s400/math+ad+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-To-School-Stick-It-Together-2040697" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLx9LWZnSoTN2y3jnZX5fxiALhGzQXTxcSRT4gLPaaMr5KwQ79OlyedBS3YRYWPgi4uZCx8KiKXOuybXsVTnKh_2LG9_rqt-OC0yJyPCTMhgtws6CKMeTwe2S62pAJO6HL0H37zrrK-0/s320/back+to+school.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As soon as that was done, we talked about what the word means, and how we collaborate in the classroom - not just student to student, but student to teacher as well. After a great brainstorm session, we tried it out with our first <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-To-School-Stick-It-Together-2040697" target="_blank">Stick-It-Together Collaborate Activity - one for back to school</a>. It was a great way to start to get to know one each other, start thinking about what our year was going to be like, start working on our goals, and most of all, start to COLLABORATE.<br />
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I can't wait to share pics from my classroom set-up this year - full of reminders to collaborate, space to collaborate in, and resources to collaborate with. The two-week countdown is on!<br />
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Check out some more ideas below from some of my fabulous blogging friends, and get ready to grab some inspiration to make this the Best.Year.Ever!<br />
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<br />Runde's Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131626283927713737noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5202102119215739734.post-7734659119600506822016-07-13T14:12:00.006-04:002016-07-13T14:12:55.982-04:005 Activities to Teach Mean, Mode, Median<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEoY7FEjS8u0c62SlVU8dQ37OL3i_ezi3kD4Su7YbdYxsXfqJQtuLG53t1t1F00H-8E5QFS8-_DQobZ0kA7HH2iAl_kHBo6xjwnnrazLNlp03xAoJx83YZEvp9RX1kIPXeAmaHgDYqu0/s1600/mmm2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEoY7FEjS8u0c62SlVU8dQ37OL3i_ezi3kD4Su7YbdYxsXfqJQtuLG53t1t1F00H-8E5QFS8-_DQobZ0kA7HH2iAl_kHBo6xjwnnrazLNlp03xAoJx83YZEvp9RX1kIPXeAmaHgDYqu0/s320/mmm2.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="245" /></a></div>
Today's <b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/06/5-activities-for-teaching.html" target="_blank">5 Activities to Teach</a></b> ... is all about Mean, Mode and Median. Get your students exploring these concepts in an interactive and hands-on way with some of these ideas.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Interactive Math Journals</span></b> - My favorite journal entry for mean, mode, median and range uses cue cards and a brass fastener. We write definitions for each of the terms on the cards, then fasten them all together and stick them to the right side of the page. On the left side of the page, we use a set of data and actually work through solving for mean, mode, median and range. Getting this done early in the unit gives the students something to reference for the rest of the year when they encounter these concepts. You can read a little more about this journal entry <a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2015/11/math-journal-sundays-mean-mode-median.html" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>, or find the full lesson in my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-2-1403522" target="_blank">Interactive Math Journal 2</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqv0svRhjzuqnJm6IarqlpAQZ5xVRmk3ygikb3vuoas4JMAK5ljC3HuHO46-fsFtPf8CquwJcj8A30xzhabnKD-2kdyfzTmMy7QibAOnKZ-YYP2ngNIMVUEndMORnkfHyOZWVh1cUyyU/s1600/2015-11-20+13.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqv0svRhjzuqnJm6IarqlpAQZ5xVRmk3ygikb3vuoas4JMAK5ljC3HuHO46-fsFtPf8CquwJcj8A30xzhabnKD-2kdyfzTmMy7QibAOnKZ-YYP2ngNIMVUEndMORnkfHyOZWVh1cUyyU/s400/2015-11-20+13.58.jpg" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="302" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. OREO Day!!!</span></b> - Ummmm ... math and oreos ... life is good. This is one of my favorite days in the classroom - hands down. And it's not even the cookies - it's the stacking competition that I love (OK ... maybe it's the cookies, too). Students get paired up (each pair needs a package of cookies - I sent a note home asking parents to send in cookies and received more than enough). Each student then takes a turn stacking. Rules are - using one hand only, and you cannot move a cookie once it has been placed on the stack. That's it. Keep stacking until your tower falls. The partner not stacking counts the cookies in the stack. I drew a big chart on the whiteboard to record the # of cookies. Each person got 2 attempts, so we had a large set of data when complete. Then, together we found the mean, mode, median and range with the data. Notes on this activity are included in my <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-315177" target="_blank">Interactive Math Journal</a></b>, but you can also read more about it in my blog posts <b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2011/09/our-outrageous-and-outstanding-oreo-day.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2015/11/math-journal-sundays-mean-mode-median.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9sqXcQRQ3qFLksezE6J_rZAKXcL5qJ7Z0WgcikF1-Aspd1ipGXdisP1MZ79Gv_zxQL0-b5CkrtPfdos0HZx-OOe3eg_cdBu8aBkowddNDCfHgyq8uIClhKHxXvOnMfKBHIBfAiyNf4w/s1600/2015-11-20+15.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9sqXcQRQ3qFLksezE6J_rZAKXcL5qJ7Z0WgcikF1-Aspd1ipGXdisP1MZ79Gv_zxQL0-b5CkrtPfdos0HZx-OOe3eg_cdBu8aBkowddNDCfHgyq8uIClhKHxXvOnMfKBHIBfAiyNf4w/s400/2015-11-20+15.30.jpg" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91lg6bc1f8_26__dNrEoG_a5abDzKitU6jQI4YYnma0EC8NDftg83jYVgFvyx8FhW3E0_k909laLsozhkAObX002E9rwoTHtXYlUN5DVoZ2yWa5WmX9oteLRIHVv8wc2z4Mn6pVZIsSw/s1600/mean+mode+%25282013_08_25+14_43_43+UTC%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91lg6bc1f8_26__dNrEoG_a5abDzKitU6jQI4YYnma0EC8NDftg83jYVgFvyx8FhW3E0_k909laLsozhkAObX002E9rwoTHtXYlUN5DVoZ2yWa5WmX9oteLRIHVv8wc2z4Mn6pVZIsSw/s320/mean+mode+%25282013_08_25+14_43_43+UTC%2529.PNG" width="239" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Hey Diddle Diddle</span></b> - A few years ago I came across a great little rhyme for remembering how to solve mean, mode, median and range. It is based on the rhyme, Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat and the Fiddle. Every time we do a mean, mode and median activity in class, we recite it. I made a little printable with the rhyme, with a space for you to enter any set of data and room to solve for MMM. You can grab a copy of it <b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4kW6VjjnOtgNGRvYUtoSDlNeDA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Use REAL Data</span></b> - And use it often. Don't just teach it and leave it. Keep the learning going with real data throughout the year. I like to do "Triple M" assignments (Mean, Mode, Median) whenever we get back testing data - whether it is a small quiz, or larger assignment where percents are given. It's valuable practice for solving mean, mode and median, and gives students an idea of where their own mark is compared to the average mark in the class. To do this quickly with grades 4-5, I use the Hey Diddle Diddle printable above, and write the scores in the data box in random order before I photocopy the page. I also have a few larger assignments that I used with my students in grades 5-7, where students must plot the results on a line plot graph and reflect on the numbers in written prompts. You can take a peek at those assignments (which also contains editable Word files) <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mean-Mode-Median-and-Range-Poster-and-Assignments-106472" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU0JYD5Im04vgzSJKRHuhvxxfNnd-UaF6nqaQ_qAGUesfuxhogLEbhaJru9KsvbjXN9Tf2ZPZmvmEIfChTO4b6ATEo1tyvc5fW2fKWcY5vgDPn0jkwiCKYGrHlSl4iNvABxTbW5ueVBE/s1600/mmm3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU0JYD5Im04vgzSJKRHuhvxxfNnd-UaF6nqaQ_qAGUesfuxhogLEbhaJru9KsvbjXN9Tf2ZPZmvmEIfChTO4b6ATEo1tyvc5fW2fKWcY5vgDPn0jkwiCKYGrHlSl4iNvABxTbW5ueVBE/s320/mmm3.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="223" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Stations, Stations, Stations</span></b> - Again, since coming up with more math stations for next year is my main purpose for these posts, I've got some more station ideas for you. Pull out the dice or cards and the whiteboards, and give your students a task like "Choose 5 cards and find the mean, mode and median. Let a partner check your work. Then switch." Or "Roll 10 dice to make a set of data. Find the mean, mode and median. Then, re-roll two of the dice and see how that changes your data." Have students complete a number of rounds at each station before moving on. Add a little more fun to the stations by using a set of "fancy" dice, or giant cards. I just got a set of huge 5 x 7 cards from Amazon that I can't wait to use (affiliate link at the bottom of the post).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_AAnp9zLPc7kMfjsB7azRWF4gzqEELJBXZWqe75nc8aQRKutV3oqDSUeqpuH4IZ0NXZ1YLBDdmMnh-i34hsQZGWT8qzIo-azYTkGhYKxAdlPfmJDd5VlqV-MRMYs1ciSmfc6TQj_57U/s1600/mmm4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_AAnp9zLPc7kMfjsB7azRWF4gzqEELJBXZWqe75nc8aQRKutV3oqDSUeqpuH4IZ0NXZ1YLBDdmMnh-i34hsQZGWT8qzIo-azYTkGhYKxAdlPfmJDd5VlqV-MRMYs1ciSmfc6TQj_57U/s400/mmm4.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAu7CQ6lMo7mPwF8uz4n88HChe_3iEU0tPBeUlRRk_I4dazwcN_37Ja6Ng4PfDZK3xG_59rTkVYTDZuyj6JAxqKTs5jp86q9x7iPX0iKqeDn2z7g1SmcYMSJ2f8CFAokDAfenDcZ-p8c/s1600/mmm5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAu7CQ6lMo7mPwF8uz4n88HChe_3iEU0tPBeUlRRk_I4dazwcN_37Ja6Ng4PfDZK3xG_59rTkVYTDZuyj6JAxqKTs5jp86q9x7iPX0iKqeDn2z7g1SmcYMSJ2f8CFAokDAfenDcZ-p8c/s400/mmm5.png" title="5 Fun Hands-On Activities to Teach Mean, Mode and Median that your students will LOVE!" width="260" /></a>I also made a set of <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mean-Mode-Median-Task-Cards-2641793" target="_blank">Mean, Mode and Median Task Cards</a></b> to use at a station. This resource includes a full page Minds-On Task which I use to introduce the station, a set of 12 task cards (ranging in difficulty from solving from a set of numbers, to taking the data from a graph, to finding the missing value in a set when given the mode or median), plus a journal prompt you can use for a written or oral response. It can also be used as an exit slip. While my students are rotating through their stations, I like to work with small groups at a task card station - and then collect the recording pages for a formative assessment. You can take a peek at this resource <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mean-Mode-Median-Task-Cards-2641793" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> or by clicking on the picture below. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mean-Mode-Median-Task-Cards-2641793" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl6tVqUnNflNQVAkqwT4b1tFOHStQxf1kp1L1De9dguzhyo3ON2PXZfezUvCgSQyl-frVaKk_EP8vPB5NkasAhji4B35Ai421nZuslQOdTT-DhX-KinzOrTX-6hyphenhyphenZcS1Nm8SM8dUGrOY/s320/MMM+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And lastly, if you have computers as a station, this <a href="http://www.technologyrocksseriously.com/2011/04/mean-median-mode-range.html#.V4aAPLgrKCg" target="_blank"><b>LINK</b> </a> from Technology Rocks has a few fun online games to practice MMM. </div>
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<a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/06/5-activities-for-teaching.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtpcR0hnhioejoFnYWepH1-wdTmyiheAdsJ6VfX6PMJj0OzHwVb87-_hXAGCexzJnNOI-eABRz4TOzeAk5bDdyjwwWmWEEq7xYwo5mfEpBYpnfAuMss2INUSSMLCPb-Geulxef6WhiP8/s320/5+Activities.png" width="320" /></a>That's about it for today. Please leave a comment below if you have a favorite station idea to teach mean, mode and median. And be sure to check out my other posts for <b><a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2016/06/5-activities-for-teaching.html" target="_blank">5 Activities to Teach ... </a></b></div>
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