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Wayground - The world's most engaging learning platform

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Find and create gamified quizzes, lessons, presentations, and flashcards for students, employees, and everyone else. Get started for free!

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Math Academy

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Does your child already have access to DreamBox? If your child already has DreamBox through their school, please click here to learn how to set up at-home access for the first time.

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Videos and More practice specific to standards

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Videos and More practice specific to standards

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From the CCSS website

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#4 Blind Drawing

Time: 25 minutes

Number of Participants: 4-30 People

Items Needed: Paper, writing utensils, A selection of everyday items (bottle cap, coin, key etc.) or pictures.

Goal: The artist must draw an item based only on the team's description of it.

Similar to Charades, but with a twist. Blind Drawing is a team-building activity that can be done in groups of 4-6. Each team must appoint one artist. Give the artist drawing materials and sit them with their back facing the rest of the team so they're not able to see the group.

The group then picks an item or picture from those supplied. They must successfully get the artist to draw this item or picture in 3 minutes. However they aren't allowed to tell the artist what the item is; they can only give indirect descriptions.

Say the team chose a photo of a bee. They can't say 'draw a bee' however they can give hints like 'buzz', 'yellow and black,' 'honey maker,' etc. The artist can not ask any questions and must draw only based on the descriptions.

When times up, groups should compare their drawings. It can be comical to see how badly they can turn out. The game can get people laughing and highlights how difficult giving instructions can be and how important it is to communicate clearly.
Follow Up Questions:
#5 Reverse Charades

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-20

Items Needed: Smart phone, Reverse charades application or board game Goal: Teams use 60 second rounds to act out as many words as possible while only one person guesses.

In a normal game of charades, one person from a group stands up and acts out a word or phrase while the rest of the team tries to guess. However, in reverse charades, the scenario is flipped. The rest of the team must work together to act out a word or phrase while one person has to guess. You can play the box game version or download the mobile app.

In Reverse Charades, it is necessary for team members to communicate with each other. Because there is one person is guessing and everyone else is acting, everyone is involved throughout the entire game, making it a good pick for shyer or attention avoidant team members. No one can sit back while a few take on the challenge.
Follow Up Questions:

Did you work as a team to act out the phrase?

Was it hard to get everyone on the same page?

#6 Sneak a Peek

Time: 20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-20

Items Needed: Building materials (clay, toothpick, plasticine, legos) Goal: Recreate an object out of building materials only going off a verbal description.

In this game, divide the group into multiple teams. One person from each team is selected to view a hidden object or sculpture. They only have 10 seconds at a time to peek at the sculpture and must relay the information that they see to the rest of their group. The group must try to recreate the sculpture based on the peek person's description.

Players must trust the team member to describe it accurately and listen to their instructions. It can help break down management barriers if you select a lower-level person as the person to view the sculpture. In a different position than they are accustomed to, it pushes them to adjust, direct a team and communicate clearly.
Follow Up Questions:

Did you successfully recreate the object?

Was there any bit of the description that confused you?

When did you benefit most from working as a team?

#7 Conducted Story

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-25

Items Needed: None

Goal: Create an interesting story one sentence at a time.

To do a Conducted Story, groups stand in a circle. One person may act as the conductor, who is responsible for moving the story along. The first person starts the story with a sentence like, "Mike went to the supermarket because..." The next person continues the story, "He needed eggs to bake a cake for.." The story continues on like this until it reaches the last person in the circle or goes around the circle a few times, depending on your group size.

The conducted story is a listening exercise that requires every team member to pay attention to what the others have said. It also stresses the importance of telling a seamless story and that unity and strong communication are needed to do that.
Follow Up Questions:

Did you find it difficult to come up with sentences?

When the story didn't go the way you thought it would, how did you pivot?

Was it hard to keep the story continuous?

#8 Swedish Story

Time: 15-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 3-25

Items Needed: None

Goal: To tell an entertaining story while incorporating team suggestions.

This is another activity that combines storytelling and teamwork but with a twist. People work in pairs or small teams of no more than four. One person is the storyteller while the others are the word givers. The word givers start off by giving a title that the storyteller must start talking about.

Then, as they are speaking, givers yell random words that storytellers must incorporate. The key is that the words should be unrelated to the topic to make it more challenging and interesting. For instance, in a story about, "Visiting the City," word givers should avoid relevant words like, "taxi", "skyscrapers", and "subway". Instead, they shout out unrelated words like, "coconuts", "T-Rex", "Big Foot", or "lumberjacks". You can see a combination of Swedish Story and Conducted Story here:

Storytellers will be put on the spot and have to think fast. It drives them to actively listen to the words the other members say and insert them into the storyline.
Follow Up Questions:
#9 Tied Up

Time: 15-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 3-15

Items Needed: Rope/String/Bandanas

Goal: Complete a goal while team's hands are tied together.

In this activity, divide groups up into teams of 2 to 4. Form members into circles facing each other and use rope or shoe strings to tie their wrists to their neighbours wrist. Then, give them a task that they must complete together with their hands tied.

A few examples of tasks that you can use are:

Because everyone's hands are tied, it will require the effort of each person to complete the task. The constraints can increase their creativity and push them to think outside-of-the-box. This will also require good and constant communication.
Follow Up Questions:

Was it difficult to complete the task?

How did everyone contribute to achieving the task?

What didn't work in terms of communication? What did work?

#10 Bounden

Time: 5-20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2

Items Needed: 1 smart phone for 2 people

Goal: Complete a dance with another person.

Bounden is a mobile dance game designed to be played with partners with choreography by the Dutch National Ballet. A pairs holds a smartphone or tablet while instructions appear on the screen.

Holding opposite ends of the device, you tilt the phone around a virtual sphere following a path of rings, resulting in players swinging their arms and twisting their bodies. Sensors in the phone detect if the right moves are made.

This can be used as a great icebreaker for small groups. It also requires people to pay close attention and follow the instructions. As they continue, the moves can get more fast-paced or difficult, so they'll have to stay in sync and keep communicating to win.
Follow Up Questions:
#11 Game of Possibilities

Time: 10-15 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-25

Items Needed: Various random objects, one per each participant

Goal: Come up with alternative uses for everyday objects and have team members guess said uses.

Each participant is given an object and must demonstrate an alternative use for it. You can use anything from a basketball or plastic bag to a hula hoop or stapler.

Give the participant one-minute to silently act out their alternative use for the object; for example, a stapler could be used as a fork or a trumpet. While they're acting, others in the group try to guess what they're mimeing. Every person who correctly guesses the alternative use gets a point. Once the minute is over, the next person will do the same and so on.

The Game of Possibilities is a great way to bring out your team's creativity and quick thinking as well as a fun way to boost team creativity and innovation.
Follow Up Questions:
#12 Dance Party

Time: 30 minutes

Number of Participants: 2-16

Items Needed: iPhone, Dance Party ™ Application

Goal: Closely mimic movements of dancers to get points.

Although one of the most effective and quickest ways to bring someone out of their comfort zone is to get them to dance, dancing can be uncomfortable for people who shy away from attention. Dance Party solves this issue by having up to 4 participants dance at once.

You can download the Dance Party app from the App Store and set it up in your office. Players mimic the dance moves that the avatar performs on the screen. Encourage members to form teams and compete.

Dancing as a group takes the pressure and embarrassment out of dancing. Dance Party fosters healthy competition and energizes teams. Plus, the physical activity can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Follow Up Questions:

#13 Heads Up!

Time: 20-50 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-10

Items Needed: Smartphone

Goal: Guess the word displayed on participants phone

You may have seen "Heads Up!" being played on the Ellen Show. It is a mobile app available for download on Android and iOS devices, in which one player puts the phone on their forehead, the rest of the players can see the word, celebrity, or other category on the card, but it is hidden from the person holding it. He or she has to guess the item on the card based on clues from their team.

Although it is a fun app usually associated with parties, it can be perfect for office team-building. The best part about the game is that you can use the preloaded decks or you can create your own decks. Make a deck that relates to your company or industry and test their knowledge while having some fun.

Outdoor or Large Indoor Space Team Building Games and Activities

#14 Minefield

Time: 20-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-20

Items Needed: Blindfold, masking tape, random assortment of items (for the mine field)

Goal: Team members must guide a blindfolded person through a minefield with only their words.

Minefield can be set up inside or outside, but make sure to clear the area to avoid any accidents. Place "mines" or objects in an obstacle area and mark a finish line with masking tape. Mines can be anything from styrofoam cups to cones, as long as they are soft with no rough edges.

The member that is going through the field, or obstacle area must be blindfolded. The other members of the team direct them through the minefield by giving them verbal instructions. If they hit an object, they must start over. The first team with all members across the minefield wins.

It can be difficult for some to trust their team members or to rely on someone else to help them reach a goal. Some may think they have to do it on their own. Minefield is an activity designed to foster trust in teams. It can help members that are resistant to collaboration become more open.
Follow Up Questions:
#15 Hole Tarp

Time: 14-45 Minutes

Number of Participants: 8-20

Items Needed: Tarp, 1-3 Balls

Goal: Guide a ball around tarp without letting it fall into a hole

Thought it may remind you of an activity you did in gym class, Hole Tarp can be a lot of fun, even for adults. It can be done with a tarp or plastic sheet and a few tennis balls.

First you must cut one or a few holes into the tarp. Once this is done, place your team evenly around the tarp. Have each member hold the edge with both their hands. Instruct your team to shake the tarp so it begins moves around like a wave. Once it is moving, throw in a ball.

Participants must navigate the ball around the tarp for the longest possible period without having the ball fall through one of the holes. If the ball falls through a hole or off the side of the tarp, your team must restart the game.

Alternatively, you can have the team guide the ball, circling each hole. The team wins the game when they successfully navigated the ball around the circumference of each tarp without having it fall into any of the holes.

Everyone on your team has to keep moving to keep the ball rolling. If someone stops, the ball will drop. This game relies on constant communication to achieve its final goal
Follow Up Questions:
#16 Lava Flow

Time: 25 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-14

Items Needed: Items that can be used as platforms (milk crates, fabric square, tires, baseball base), 2 ropes or 4 cones

Goal: Cross the floor or ground by maneuvering across different objects.

If the phrase "the floor is lava!" brings back happy memories of your childhood, you'll like this team-building game. Lava Flow, also called River Crossing, is a game in which a group must cross the river of lava by jumping and maneuvering across different objects.

It's the team's task to figure out how to get the entire group from one side of the lava field to the other without touching the ground. The group should be given a limited number of objects, 2 or 3, that way they have to be moved and shared each time someone crosses.

If someone touches the floor at any point, then they will get burnt and must start over. The first team to cross the river with all members intact are the winners.
Follow Up Questions:
#17 Scavenger Hunts

Time: 1-3 Hours

Number of Participants: 6-50 People

Items Needed: Scavenger hunt list, smartphones (optional)

Goal: Gather as many items on the list within a set period of time.

Scavenger hunts are one of the oldest ways to get people to interact and collaborate. But, there are still one of the most effective and fun. Smartphones and apps have made it possible to do scavenger hunts anywhere. You can even add in photo or video challenges and share an album within the organization.

You can do a simple scavenger hunt and keep it in the office or take it outdoors, which can be much more exciting. Create a list of items that groups must collect or tasks that they have to complete. They can be goofy, as long as it's possible to complete.

Some examples are: "Take a selfie with someone wearing a cat shirt" or "Grab a take-out menu and a fortune cookie from a Chinese restaurant." Set a checkpoint for people to meet when they finish.
Follow Up Questions:
#18 Spider Web

Time: 40 Minutes

Number of Participants: 5-16 People

Items Needed: Twine/Rope , 2 vertical poles (2 trees, soccer posts, etc.)

Goal: Get everyone through a web of rope without touching the rope

Do you remember all those spy movies with the intricate laser security systems people had to maneuver through? Spider Web is kind of like that.

Create a maze of lines and shapes by stringing twine between vertical 2 poles. The end result should resemble a spider's web with some larger, easier holes and some smaller more difficult gaps. Teams must cross the spider web to reach the other side without touching the string or going in the same shapes as anyone before them.

The challenge gets harder as more people cross to the other side and requires everyone to remember and communicate with each other.
Follow Up Questions:
#19 Balloon In Water

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-40 People

Items Needed: Buckets, Balloons, Bricks, Disposable straws, Binder clips, Plastic Bags, String, Tape, Scissors

Goal: Submerge a ballon in a bucket of water using only the supplies given

Balloon in water is a great way to see how your team solves problems together, particularly when faced with limited resources. Each group must immerse an inflated balloon in a bucket of water for a minimum of 5 seconds. They can only use the provided materials to complete the activity.

Each group gets:

The brick goes in the bottom of the bucket of water. Teams have a minute to strategize and flesh out their plan and only 5 minutes to do the activity.

Only the provided materials can be used during the challenge. The 3 binder clips and inflated balloon given to the team cannot be altered in any way. Before starting the activity, the team has one minute to plan and they have to plan without touching the materials.

After planning, the team is given 5 minutes to execute their plan. The balloon must be fully immersed in the water before the 5 minutes is over. The balloon must remain immersed for at least 5 seconds, and the team must notify the trainer(s) when they are ready to be timed.
Follow Up Questions:
#20 Leaky Pipe

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-14 People

Items Needed: Water, Buckets, Several cups, 2 Pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 Ping pong balls

Goal: Teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top.

This game can get a little messy, so it's recommended for outside. Leaky Pipe is a highly interactive activity that requires groups to work fast and efficiently together. You'll need water, buckets, several cups, 2 pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 ping pong balls.

To win, teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. Participants will need to work together using the cups to carry the water from the bucket to the pipe, relay race style with cups of water to fill it.

The pipe has holes drilled in it, so they will have to plug the holes as the water gets higher. To complete the challenge, each team will receive a bucket of water (which is placed 10 metres away from the pipe) and several cups. Remember to set a countdown, so they are racing against the clock.
Follow Up Questions:

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38 Team Building Games That You Will Actually Enjoy

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4 Blind Drawing Time: 25 minutes Number of Participants: 4-30 People Items Needed: Paper, writing utensils, A selection of everyday items (bottle cap, coin, key etc.) or pictures. Goal: The artist must draw an item based only on the team's description of it. Similar to Charades, but with a twist.

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Group Work/Extensions

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Providing instructional and assessment tasks, lesson plans, and other resources for teachers, assessment writers, and curriculum developers since 2011.

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Eureka Math Tests

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Edulastic: Formative and Summative Assessments Made Easy

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Math Quizzes/Tests for Eureka

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7/8th Weebly Website

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DON RIGGIO SCHOOL 7TH/8TH GRADE MATH MRS. MCCORMACK

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Grades

Students and Parents can access grades at any time. To get to the Aeries sign in page, click on the link below:

​ lincoln.asp.aeries.net/Student/LoginParent.aspx?page=default.aspx

You can also download the app to your phone:
Search: Aeries Mobile Portal

If you have already created an account last year, then you are all set to go!

Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if you need a copy of this information or visit our school secretary Ms. Stephanie to request your verification codes for Aeries.

Google Classroom

Log-in to google drive here:
www.drive.google.com

​ Google log-in:
student ID#@students.lusd.net
Password:
YYYYMMDD

School Supply List

Click on the link above to view the suggested school supply list for 6th grade. School supplies will be provided, however if your student wishes to chose their own items, then please use the school supply list in the link provided. Thanks for your support!

Sign up for text message reminders
​from the teacher

REMIND is an app you can download on your smart phone to receive short reminders from the teacher through text messages. It also allows you to text the teacher and it keeps everyone's personal information private. If you prefer to be reminded though email, see the link under the corresponding teacher below. It's easy to sign up and a great way to stay connected!

​ FYI... The school district is using this program at every site and may have already enrolled students.

Math 8 Period 1: Text the number 81010
Text this message : @bb8f6g77h2
Join by using a computer: rmd.at/bb8f6g77h2

Text the number: 81010@7hfg94ec4f Math 7 Period 2:
Text this message:
Join by using a computer: rmd.at/7hfg94ec4f

rmd.at/gf63f8ge64 Text the number: 81010rmd.at/a2gbaeaf93 Text the number: 81010 Math 7 Period 4: Text the number: 81010
Text this message: @gf63f8ge64
Join by using a computer:

Text this message:
Math 8 Period 5: @a2gbaeaf93
Join by using a computer:

Text this message:
Math 8 Period 6: @fa8f68c6g6
Join by using a computer: rmd.at/fa8f68c6g6

​

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DON RIGGIO SCHOOL 7TH/8TH GRADE MATH MRS. MCCORMACK

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Students and Parents can access grades at any time. To get to the Aeries sign in page, click on the link below: ​ lincoln.asp.aeries.net/Student/LoginParent.aspx?page=default.aspx You can also download the app to your phone: Search: Aeries Mobile Portal If you have already created an account last year, then you are all set to go!

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Student Data in one place!

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Unsupported Browser Detected!!

We have identified that you are using an unknown browser which is not supported in this application. It is recommended that you upgrade your browser:

If you continue using the application with this browser, the application will likely not function properly.

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We have identified that you are using an unknown browser which is not supported in this application. It is recommended that you upgrade your browser: If you continue using the application with this browser, the application will likely not function properly.

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Conference Sign-up Page

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Grade Six - Content Standards (CA Dept of Education)

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Visual and Performing Arts: Visual Arts Content Standards.

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Which one Doesn't Belong

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CCSS Math Activities | Engaging Activities

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"Don Riggio Teacher Handbook 16-17". Please enter the access key that was given to you with this link. If you have not received an access key, please contact the author of this binder.

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California local educational agency (LEA) testing coordinators can use this website to find helpful information, instructions, training, forms, and external links for test administration.

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Instant Classroom

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Create a free, customizable, printable seating chart and more with Instant Classroom.

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Top menu: NT = Number Talks PT = Pattern Talks (hover over NT to see)

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Read about how Math Talks can strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility in this article by Sherry Parrish from Teaching Children Mathematics.

More sources for Math Talks:

Other Tools
This folder includes a variety of helpful tools for deepening math talks, planning, and assessing. Including:

Another source of information and resources for Math Talks from Math Perspectives is here.

30 ways to make number strings more inclusive...

Anchor number strings in context.

Never underestimate the importance of models.

Explicitly represent language that helps students be precise mathematically.

Explicitly ask students to try new strategies

​More on NumberStrings.com

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Read about how Math Talks can strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility in this article by Sherry Parrish from Teaching Children Mathematics. More sources for Math Talks: Other Tools This folder includes a variety of helpful tools for deepening math talks, planning, and assessing.

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This is our collection of games specially chosen for use in the computer room or on the whiteboard. Each explores a strategic or mathematical theme; they will work well as teacher-led class activities but are also suitable for students to play directly, as they can all be played by individuals against the computer and none require direct teacher mediation. As with all of our games, players should be armed with a pen and paper to help to plan their strategies and record their findings as they play.

The games are listed in approximate order of difficulty.

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Secondary Interactive Games and Challenges

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Games and computer room activities suitable for secondary school students

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Marilyn Burns Math Blog | Marilyn's current thinking about math education and her ongoing classroom experiences and learning.

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A friend and I were talking recently about how much work we put into planning lessons. Even after all these years of teaching, I have to think through lessons

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Class Routines/Procedures

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Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley

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The school year is almost here for us down in the South. With that in mind, I am linking up with some of my favorite teacher bloggers to bring you some Back to School Survival Tips! For my tip, I wanted to share with you my favorite math charts to start the year. These are the math charts that I use to set the tone and introduce a lot of my common procedures in math. In fact, these are my math mini-lessons the first week of school. If you want your students to be successful with math instruction, you have to clearly lay out the expectations from the beginning of the year. These charts, hopefully, do just that. They also hang in the room, providing a written reminder all year long.

I am also linking up with some amazing upper elementary bloggers to bring you a variety of helpful tips to start your year. Check out all of these amazing topics to help you survive and thrive in the first weeks of school and the entire school year! Links to the blog posts will be at the bottom of this post.

Chart 1: Create a chart that clearly lists your expectations for math centers or workstations.

The first chart I want to share with you is all about my math center expectations. We do math centers at least two times a week in my class. This is the time when I reteach and meet with struggling students. I also use this time to challenge and enrich. Read more about my guided math instruction here and here. I start the year off doing math centers after clearly going over the expectations with the students. The first week of math centers is all about ensuring the students meet the expectations and follow the procedures. When I meet with groups during this week, I assess the students on basic math facts, word problem understanding, and number sense.

For the math mini-lesson, we go over each expectation and talk about how to meet that expectation and why each expectation is important. As the students participate in math centers, we refer back to the chart to make sure we have met those expectations. Depending on the group, we may do one center rotation then come back as a class to do a check up. During this check up, the students self assess and discuss whether or not they met the expectations. We also talk about any roadblocks or problems with meeting these expectations during this checkup. If the group is doing well with the expectations, we do the checkup as a class after all the center rotations (typically 3-4).

I use my Back to School Themed Math Centers that review 4th grade skills for my math centers the first couple weeks of school. I also have a set of 4th grade back to school math centers which you can see here.

Speaking of math centers, my favorite math centers to use are the ones that focus on content and engagement, and not complicated prep or student directions. This allows the math center time to be productive and the students are able to meet the expectations for math centers.

Here are a few of my favorite math resources to use during math workshop:

Math Choice Boards are fabulous for differentiating and allowing for student choice. The students can challenge themselves at their own independent levels. Read more about my Math Choice boards and grab several FREE choice boards by clicking here.

Roll and Answer games are perfect for practicing and reviewing key content, and they are self checking. The students can work with a partner or independently. The answer keys allows the students to self-assess their learning. Then, the students work with their partner to learn from their mistakes. Click here to read more about these games and grab some FREE ones to try out!

Chart 2: Create a chart that helps your students see the importance of math notebooks and helps them take ownership of them.

Chart 3: Create a chart that explains how you expect the students to take care of and organize their math notebooks.

After helping the students realize the importance of their math notebooks, we move right into Math Notebook Expectations. I keep the expectations simple but important. As we read each expectation, we discuss why this is important and connect it back to the chart shown above.

Chart 4: Create a chart that helps your students become independent math problem solvers.

And finally, this last chart is one of my go-to charts that I refer to all year. From the beginning of the year, I like to set the expectation of working hard and get the students to buy in. I pose this question of the students: "What do mathematicians do when they are stuck on a math task?" Together, we brainstorm a list of possible responses. I have this list handy to help guide the students if they are stuck. This chart is a staple in my classroom after making it. When students are stuck on a math task, they are reminded to look at the chart to see what they should do next.

Those are my favorite math charts to start the year on the right foot. What are your go-to math charts that you make in those first weeks of school? Let me know in the comments! Don't forget to head over to these blogs and read their survival tips!

You might also enjoy these posts:

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Math Charts to Start the Year - Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley

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The school year is almost here for us down in the South. With that in mind, I am linking up with some of my favorite teacher bloggers to bring you some Back to School Survival Tips! For my tip, I wanted to share with you my favorite math charts to start the year.

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Use ASAP

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas. Another 40% have a "growth mindset" - they believe that they can learn anything and that their intelligence can grow. The other 20% waver between the two mindsets.

Students with a fixed mindset are those who are more likely to give up easily, whereas students with a growth mindset are those who keep going even when work is hard, and who are persistent. The two mindsets are associated with different achievement pathways as the papers on this page show. It is possible to change mindsets - my student online class which can be accessed under courses - has been shown to shift students' mindsets from fixed to growth and cause higher mathematics achievement. There are a range of resources on this page - a poster of math norms, a strategizer card with lots of teaching ideas, a short video to boost students' mindset, and some interesting short papers.

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas.

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One of the best ways to start your day is waking up to an Amazon shipment on your front door step!

Oh yes, this is how I started my day. I knew that despite my stupid summer head cold, today would still be a great day! So, I'm linking up with Deanna Jump for her Book Talk Tuesday Linky!

I actually got 5 books in the mail today but I'm only going to tell you about 3 of them. I'll save the other 2 for a rainy day.

I got this beautiful box set called the Peter Reynolds Creatrilogy Box Set (Dot, Ish, Sky Color)

All three books in this set are must read for your students in the first weeks of school or even for your own children...I know I will be reading these books to my own kids before I take them to school.

One of the books is fairly well known. It's called The Dot

.

This book is great for helping you to instill a growth mindset in your classroom. I'm going to blog about growth mindset in another post but in simple terms it's this: "I can't do that.....YET". This is the motto in my classroom. I try to remind my students all the time that they can do whatever they put their mind to, it might take longer for some but they can achieve anything.

The next book in the set is Ish

....as in, "Wow that sweater is sort of ugly-ish" (that would be my mom thinking that she's subtle).

I'm sure you've had a student who will sit there, and sit there, and sit there doing nothing. Then when you finally get to them to see what they have accomplished, their page is blank or worse, they've drawn a whole picture or written a whole story and then erased it all. Why? Because it wasn't perfect. It wasn't exactly how they pictured it in their mind. This book encourages students to keep trying and that as long as it is "Ish", it's okay and someone will love it.

The third book in the Creatrilogy is called Sky Color

:

This book will help your students to consider different perspectives. In Sky Color the little girl wants to paint the sky but she doesn't have any blue paint. She's very upset and thinks she can't paint the sky unless she has blue paint. Throughout the day she watches the sky and sees a variety of different colors and shades. She comes to realize that the sky is not always blue. Depending on how and when you look at it, it can be orange, yellow, gray, purple and a whole host of other colors. It's a lovely book!

If you don't already own these books you definitely should! And just about any other books by Peter Reynolds as well!

Happy Reading

Create Dream Explore is a participant in the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca.

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Beginning of the Year Read Alouds! So excited!

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One of the best ways to start your day is waking up to an Amazon shipment on your front door step! Oh yes, this is how I started my day. I knew that despite my stupid summer head cold, today would still be a great day!

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I love to start the year building classroom community with Peter H. Reynold's books like The Dot and Ish. Both books are great for teaching kids that it is okay to take risks and make mistakes. Those books also go very well with this growth mindset activity we worked on. Read on to find out how this activity worked out in my classroom.

I started this school year with an activity that I saw on Twitter. I wrote out these words on plain paper and then read each word to my students so they would know what each said. For each word I asked for a show of hands to see how many kids had an idea of what each word meant. The only ones that I didn't get every hand up for were persistence and dedication. So we talked about those words as a class and I shared what those words mean to me. I also gave a specific example for each of those words.

Then I spread each paper around the room with markers and asked students to go to each word and write or draw what the word means to them. I told them it had to be a silent activity so that their friends could really think about each word.

I have a fairly chatty class but you could hear a pin drop during this activity. Some of the ideas they came up with were just so great.

The most important part of the lesson came at the end when we shared all of their ideas. I asked them to tell me why they thought we were talking about this, why was this an important conversation.

Here is the answer I got from one student, "...because it's okay for us to make mistakes. If we don't make mistakes we can't learn from them. And in order to make mistakes we have to have courage to take risks sometimes, even if we are worried we might get it wrong. In order to take risks we have to put in some effort and persistence and we will eventually be successful".

WOW!

Just. WOW.

Kids are so bright!

Give this activity a shot in your classroom. If you have younger kids I would limit the words to just 4. This was a mixed grade glass with third and fourth graders.

Let me know how it goes!

You can read about another simple way to build classroom community here.

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An Easy Activity to Promote Growth Mindset

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Hi, my name is Heidi and I'm an elementary school teacher. I blog about ideas and resources for the classroom as well as issues in education. I love technology and inquiry based learning so I often include those topics. I create resources for a variety of subject areas and grade levels.

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{ Parent Math Resources- 6th Grade : LPSS : Lafayette Parish School System }

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Athletics, Student Activities, Health and Physical Education

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Module Support

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6th Grade Math (Eureka Math/EngageNY) | Khan Academy

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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At our educational website, we have hundreds of free, online, learning games for kids. But anyone interested in online learning can use our site -
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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!"

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Sheppard Software: Fun free online learning games and activities for kids.

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At our educational website, we have hundreds of free, online, learning games for kids. But anyone interested in online learning can use our site - we have so many subjects - (geography, math, animals, science, language arts, creative activities, health) and lots of levels for all abilities - loads of games and activities for learners of any age.

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Real World Math Activities

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Giant chocolate bunnies What can you deduce about the bunnies ... solid? hollow? cost per pound? cost per height? Anything else? 6.RP.A, 7.RP.A Holiday candy sales Which holidays are associated with candy? For which of those holidays do you think that the most candy is sold? What percents of annual candy sales do you think each holiday contributes? Students use a pie chart of information on candy sales to determine actual dollars spent for Halloween, Easter, Christmas and Hanuka, and... 0, 0

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Giant chocolate bunnies What can you deduce about the bunnies ... solid? hollow? cost per pound? cost per height? Anything else? 6.RP.A, 7.RP.A Holiday candy sales Which holidays are associated with candy? For which of those holidays do you think that the most candy is sold?

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The MrNussbaum.com math games collection features 87 original games covering an incredible range of skills and grade levels. These games motivate students by allowing them to role-play as (for example) arm wrestling soft pretzels, pizza shop owners, fractions-loving super heroes, number-loving animals, tae-kwon donuts, and many more!

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Interactive Learning Sites for Education

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Interactive Learning Sites for Education

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Scholastic Games online

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Can't afford our program? Cignition can help! Contact support@cignition.com We want everyone to play and learn this summer!

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During the first week of October (Oct. 1 - 5, 2012), New Jersey held its second annual "Week of Respect" which was created as part of the state's anti-bullying law. During the week of respect, we are asked to include something in our lesson plans that reinforces the importance of treating all people with respect. I was thinking about respect and the importance of respect in the math classroom and I realized that the kind of bullying that I usually see in a math classroom is students laughing when other people make mistakes. I think it is very important that my students feel safe in my classroom and know that if they make a mistake that they will not be ridiculed. So for my lesson on respect I decided to talk about "math bullying." I start out the lesson by asking my students what they think a "math bully" is and that usually elicits some interesting comments. My definition of a "math bully" is something who laughs or ridicules another person when they make a mistake. Then I share with them some quotes that I found on the importance of making mistakes in the learning process.

Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster.

Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones of genius.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.

The many who achieves makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all - doing nothing.

Never say, "Oops." Always say "Ah, interesting."

It's okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are our teacher - they help us to learn.

I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work.

After we read the quotes together I shared this Respect Pledge:

And then I invited all the students to cut out a geometric shape and write their name on the shape and add it to the Respect Pledge classroom mural at the back of the room. I like the fact that this activity gives us a chance to do a quick review of some geometry vocabulary while at the same time it illustrates that we are all different and unique and we come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

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During the first week of October (Oct. 1 - 5, 2012), New Jersey held its second annual "Week of Respect" which was created as part of the state's anti-bullying law. During the week of respect, we are asked to include something in our lesson plans that reinforces the importance of treating all people with respect.

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TPT

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Connect Four: Full-Year Bundle - 6th Grade Math

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This bundle includes all 14 of my Connect Four math games for math in the upper grades. You can try out my Connect Four: Multiplying Decimals for a free sample of my Connect Four

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Team Building

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Hey friends! I've been tackling a lot of my Instagram questions through Periscope, but I thought it would be beneficial to create some blog posts as well! So, here we go.
One of my favorite parts about my classroom is an idea that I didn't even think of... one of my amazing students did!
"KEEP THE QUOTE"

As soon as he brought up the idea I knew we just HAD to bring it to life. The only question was, "How do we do this?" You can imagine my excitement when I found the amazing roll at Target three days later. I may have screamed "OH MY GOSH, THIS IS PERFECT," but I can't remember. This roll is seriously perfect for this concept, as the quotes need to be kept after being displayed. The paper came with it, but I refilled it our school butcher paper after it ran out.

What is Keep the Quote? Keep the Quote is a fun, weekly goal-setting system used in my classroom. Students bring in quotes that they think our class should use as a motto for that particular week. My kiddos bring in their quotes on Monday morning. (It is completely optional if they bring one or not.) The students read their quotes aloud and then vote to see which quote should be our motto for the week. I write the quote on the paper during my prep or after school on Monday. On Friday, we then review our success following the quote and select one student to actually KEEP THE QUOTE. Get it?! Anyway, the student selected has to be someone who was really demonstrating that quote. *Wow, am I saying "quote" a lot or what?* The paper is ripped off, given to that student, and then a new quote is added the following week.
My students truly love Keep the Quote, and I hope yours will, too! :)

What's the next blog post you'd like to see??

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Hey friends! I've been tackling a lot of my Instagram questions through Periscope, but I thought it would be beneficial to create some blog posts as well! So, here we go. One of my favorite parts about my classroom is an idea that I didn't even think of...

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Building Community

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Hi, friends! I've had quite a few people ask me about my whiteboard messages that I use in my classroom, so I thought, "Why not make a blog post about it?" Here we go!

WHY do I do these messages in my classroom?

*I pride myself on creating a classroom that genuinely feels like a family. A place where students love to be and love the people that they're with. A place where students set goals and encourage other students on their journey of meeting their own goals. I want my students to feel like they are in a safe, judgement-free zone where they are respected by not just me, but by their peers as well. Each time I complete one of these boards, I feel like my class is getting that much closer to being a true family.

Students need daily reminders about the importance of friendship and community. They need you to give them opportunities to see how just simple actions can truly make someone's day. and they need you to make them feel loved and appreciated. If you can get your students all supporting and fighting for each other, they're going to carry that with them for the rest of their lives. These simple messages are so meaningful to my students, and I hope they have the same impact on your students, too.

How do I come up with my board ideas?
My messages are focused around two main components: goal-setting and kindness. The main questions that I ask myself when thinking of a new message are:
What do I want my students to be thinking about?
What are my students needing to hear?

After sharing my whiteboards on Instagram, a new hashtag was started: #miss5thswhiteboard. I get a lot of inspiration for new ideas by browsing through the feed. It's an amazing feeling being able to see so many different teachers and classrooms utilizing these messages in their classrooms. I encourage you to check out the hashtag on Instagram for whiteboard ideas- you'll find plenty! :) I also have a list of prompts available for download here.

How often do I write a message on my board?
*On average, I complete 2-3 boards a week. I write the messages so that students see them first thing that morning. Sometimes I repeat the boards we've already done, but the wonderful thing is that each day is different. You could do the same board over and over and you would get different responses each time!

When do my students respond to the message?
*My students know that if there's a message on the board when they walk in that morning, they can answer it any time between 7:40-8:20 (our morning work time). I usually only like 2-3 students at the board at one time, so my students know they need to wait their turn. I also have students who come in at 7:40 and then others that come in at 8:05, so the staggered arrivals kind of eliminate the "crowd."

What markers do I use?
*Expo, folks. Plain, old Expo markers. :)

Happy boards, happy students, happy teachers!

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Establishing a Classroom Community with the Help of your Whiteboard

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Hi, friends! I've had quite a few people ask me about my whiteboard messages that I use in my classroom, so I thought, "Why not make a blog post about it?" Here we go! WHY do I do these messages in my classroom? *I pride myself on creating a classroom that genuinely feels like a family.

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by Illustrative Mathematics

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Math Stations/Workshop for Middle School

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Math Stations/Workshop for Middle School

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Great how to blog

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Are you a little giddy (and overwhelmed) as you think about implementing math stations this year? Are you trying to figure out your activities for BUILD stations or pinning down what your MATH acronym stands for? Worried about teaching routines and procedures for math stations or how you will keep up with all of the groups and assignments? Stressing over what your math bulletin board will look like?

Well, let me stop you there!

Using stations, centers, or guided math in an upper elementary classroom doesn't have to be complicated or a management nightmare. You don't have to plan or search for an outrageous number of activities or spend hours laminating and cutting. And you don't have to have figured out these uniform categories of activities that you use all year.

I have implemented some form of math stations with my 4th grade and 5th grade students since my 4th year of teaching, and let me tell you, it made a tremendous difference in my ability to differentiate for and engage my students. { My last post was an overview of my take on upper-elementary math stations--head back there first if you missed it!}

I want to share with you some "rules" for upper elementary math stations that you may have somehow got the impressions that you must follow. I will admit, I can be a bad influence, but I encourage you to break these so called rules if they aren't working out for you and your students.

Let's be Math Station Rule Breakers together!

Rule # 1: Figure out a Fancy Acronym to Organize Your Stations/Rotations

I've never used a fancy acronym for my math stations. I've tried. I've obsessed over it. I've come up with activities I want my students to complete, and I've tried to force them into this perfect acronym. What I've found is that I'm much happier with my math stations without over-structuring them in this way.

We can still have common routines, procedures, and activities that occur regularly enough that students "understand the drill," but I don't have to force my math stations into specific math categories. To me, this over-complicates the planning process and sometimes forces teachers to find "filler" activities just to fit a category.

So, the first "rule" of math stations that I break that you can also break is that you don't need some fancy acronym. You can simply have ideas for a variety of activities or just create stations as you find resources you love for your unit.

Ahhh, isn't this freeing?!?

Rule #2: Plan for and Have Math Stations Every Day

You may think that the only way you can get started with math stations is to get them going every day. 4-6 different activities or groups each day of the week sounds like a lot of planning and laminating fun to me (not!). Before you go all in like this, ask yourself why you are committed to have stations every day and consider the benefits of only having stations a few days a week.

The biggest secret to my enjoyment and management of math stations (IE-keeping my sanity)-is that I do not run math stations every day. Just because I (you) see value in this teaching structure doesn't mean I (we) have to be married to it every day or even every week.

Whole-group instruction and whole-group learning activities also have value. Engaging students in problem solving, inquiry, and math talk where everyone works together and learns from one another also has value!

Often when I launch a new unit, we do a lot of whole group activities, discussions, group, and partner activities. I work hard to get students to elicit prior knowledge about our new math topics (tap into what they learned the year before) and I collect information about the strengths and weaknesses I see. I keep a notebook handy and I jot down their misconceptions and insights word for word so that I can use them later in lessons and "bell ringers." Then, I've got more information to help me proceed with planning my math stations. We may spend the first week or two of a unit in whole group discussions, inquiry, and partner activities.

Rule #3: I must tie myself down to a small group table and teach my students never to interrupt my small group.

Running math stations doesn't have to mean that you are always tied down to a table teaching a guided group. There are lots of ways that you can meet students' needs and often for 4th and 5th graders, a new lesson is not needed every single day. (Repeating yourself over and over for 3-4 small group lessons is also not a very efficient use of your time. If you find yourself doing this, ask why and if it is effective.) What many of our upper elementary students often need is PRACTICE, new challenges that they have to grapple with, and consistent feedback throughout the learning process.

Providing consistent feedback and support is easier when I am not tied down to a kidney table.

Re-teaching can be done one on one and as needed while you are rotating the room and checking students work. This does not mean that I never plan for a "with Mrs. Roose" station, but I don't require this of myself for every rotation plan that I make.

Rule #4: Every station and activity must be differentiated.

Now, I have to give you permission to break this rule because I know you know that I am a passionate differentiator. I am a growth mindset enthusiast and a huge advocate of challenging our gifted students while meeting the needs of our struggling students.

But, let's keep it real. Your students will be a-ok if all of your stations are not differentiated all the time. I have numerous reasons for running math stations-differentiation is a big one, but it is not the only one.

One big reason to launch math stations (and hold them twice a week) is to break up the monotony of a regular math class. Now, I know if you are reading this, you are not aiming to be a boring math teacher, but it happens to the best of us. Math stations force you to be a little more creative and gives students more time to work and less time playing "sit and get."

In addition, differentiation happens through more than the resources we assign. You differentiate for your students based on the level of support you give them-are they working alone, working by your side, do you grab a whiteboard and re-teach something to them, do you partner them up with another student so that they have to explain their thinking?

When I run stations but have not assigned different work to different students, it is often because I want everyone to be able to work at their own pace. (A quality of an ideal math class that is hard to achieve when using a whole-group structure). I also want to use math stations to break up the rut that we can get in with "regular math class" and to motivate my students to push themselves and work hard.

I've found that breaking my math block into 2 parts (usually 20-25 minutes each) helps keep students from getting bored from the same activity. Math stations allow me to incorporate seat work and independent practice AND games, partner activities, and mini-projects within one class structure. My students are often "in the zone" in their math stations and then eagerly awaiting their opportunity to get to work on something new. This doesn't mean that I have differentiated their work all of the time.

> > > Lastly, I WANT TO BUST THE BIGGEST MYTH THAT YOU MAY BE BELIEVING ABOUT MATH STATIONS right.now.my.friend.

YOU, yes YOU, (repeat after me) DO NOT have to have it all figured out before your school year begins.

Seriously! Your math stations can evolve and progress as the year goes on. Your math station experience can be organic. You can keep it loose and fluid (like I suggest) and you can choose to add new station ideas every time you start a new unit, or a new quarter, or a new week if you get a sudden (awesome) burst of teacher energy.

But, you really don't have to know every little thing you and your students are going to do before the year starts. Just plan that you are going to have math stations 2 days a week with 4 different stations. Sometimes those station assignments will have students finishing work that was started during a whole group lesson or independent work time.

It's okay for a set of math task cards that you launched in whole group to show up the following day as a math station. It's okay for you to pull out a game that students played in the past to help them review previously learned content. (Actually, these two math station ideas are my preference!)

Then, you can have them experience something new in a small group with you or a station that you monitor and support heavily during station time.

It's never too late in the year to add stations into your math instruction, but you don't have to follow a set of arbitrary "rules" that you've heard rumors of.

You have my permission to implement math stations a few days a week, keep yourself available to help all of your groups rather than tying yourself down to a small group all the time, and to use assignments that you had students start with in a whole-group lesson.

Oh, and those bulletin boards and beautiful {fancy} math station acronyms---I'll show you how to get around those in my next blog post!
Management Tools for Upper Elementary Math Stations
An Overview of My Upper Elementary Math Stations

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5 Rules for Math Stations...that you can break!

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Trying to implement math stations or guided math centers into your upper elementary math routine this year? Well, I've got 5 rules that you can plan to BREAK as you set up your routines, schedule, and teaching plans.

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Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley

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Do you want your guided math centers running smoothly from the start of the year to the end of the year? *raises hand*. Then, you need a strong launch. On this post, we will take a look at some guidelines to follow when you launch guided math centers in your classroom AND I will be linking to FREE starter packs for grades 3-5 so you will have all the math center resources you need to launch math centers in your classroom.

Note: I will be sharing guidelines for launching any guided math centers you choose *and* sharing examples of how I launch my math centers. I am a firm believer in providing the guidelines and thinking behind a teaching practice so you can make it fit in your classroom. For that reason, actual lesson plans for launching math centers are not included in the starter kit or on this post, however a suggested sequence and sample is included.

1. Think through your procedures and expectations.

In order for math centers to run smoothly, you will need to teach your students the procedures and expectations you want them to follow. To see a huge list of suggested procedures (including what I do in my classroom), click here.

2. Choose your centers.

To begin with, decide how many centers you want to have. I always have the same number of centers as groups, so this will greatly depend on your class size. I also include myself in the center rotation. If I have 6 groups that would mean I only need to decide on and plan for 5 centers.

Now about the centers you choose...

I started having huge success with my centers when I kept them consistent. Read more about having consistent centers here. The consistency allows your students to focus on the content of the center and not learning a new center each week. It also saves you instruction time because you will not have to spend your time constantly going over new center directions.

Examples of consistent centers:

1. Roll and Answer Partner Games

2. Math Task Cards

3. Math Sorts

4. Choice Boards

5. Find the Error

You can also mix things up with seasonal centers and a wild card center that changes up from time to time.

In the free starter packs that I will link at the bottom, you will be able to download a free center for each of the example centers!

3. Get organized.

Once you have your centers and the number of groups you will have, you will want to get organized and ready to launch your centers.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1.) Will you have a rotation board?

2.) Will you need to create anchor charts for your launching mini-lessons or will you create them with the students? I do some ahead of time and some with the students.

3.) Organize your math centers. You will need two organization "systems": 1) organization for centers not in use and 2.) organization for centers being used by the students.

Here is how I organize my centers that are being used by my students.

I like these stackable containers because they stack nicely, and they hold all of the center materials needed, including recording sheets and answer keys.

4. Loosely group your students.

As you are introducing math centers, you will want to group your students for the group practice portion. At this point in the year, you will have some information about your students (from previous test scores or other information such as IEP, ESOL, etc), but for the most part you are still getting to know them.

At this point, I recommend grouping your students using any mindset and behavior issues you have noticed.

Tip: This introductory time period is the perfect time to get informal data on your students' math behaviors, mindset, and how well they work with others. While the students are practicing the centers (more about this in a minute), take note of things you observe and see. It will be invaluable information when you officially start your math workshop. This is also a perfect time to target students who need more positive support to change their math mindset early on.

5. Follow a "model, practice, and reflect sequence" when introducing centers.

I follow these steps when I am introducing specific math centers to my students:

1.) Introduce the directions and materials needed for the center.

2.) Model how to complete the center for the students.

3.) Make a list or discuss what students noticed.

4.) Have students model correct and incorrect ways with a few sample problems.

5.) Have the students practice as a whole class (can be independent or in groups. I recommend having them practice how they will be completing the center during math time).

6.) Reflect on student performance and what went well and what they struggled with.

Tip: At any point during the practice, if you notice students not following your expectations or procedures, stop them and reflect right then. You want to make sure they are practicing the correct way from the beginning and that you correct any off-task or negative behaviors that you see.

6. Introduce one center at a time and "stack them."

As you introduce, model, and practice centers one at a time, begin to "stack them". For example, your launch may look something like this:

Day 1: Introduce roll and answer partner game center and practice.

Day 2: Introduce math task card center and practice.

Day 3: Practice transition procedures while practicing both roll and answer partner game and math task card center.

Day 4: Introduce math sorts and practice.

Day 5: Practice rotating through (and completing) four centers (the three centers introduced on days 1, 2 and 4 and a "teacher time" center).

And so on.

Here is an example of my 10-day launch. Click here to grab a downloadable copy.

Tip: Start with the center you think your students will struggle with procedures the most so they have more time to practice that particular center.

7. Embed teaching procedures throughout your launch authentically.

While you are introducing centers, teach the procedures that "fit" with that day. For example, if you are teaching a center where the students will need to use a resource, teach the procedure in regards to that resource. If the students are working with partners, teach the expectations for working with partners that day. This will make it more authentic and relevant for the students, and the procedures will have a better chance of "sticking."

Here is an example sequence of procedures to teach:
Click here to grab a downloadable copy of the example sequence of procedures to teach.
The example sequence is what I used in my 5th grade classroom. If you teach a younger grade or students who are not used to group work/centers, you may want to spend longer on your launch and teach less procedures each day.

Also, if you decide to use my example sequence, keep in mind that you may need to change it up depending on which centers you introduce which days. For example, when you practice a game center, you will definitely want to teach procedures for working with others on that day.
Read more about guided math procedures on this post.
8. Review, reteach, reinforce procedures and expectations.

Throughout the entire time you are launching math centers, make sure you are constantly and consistently reviewing, reteaching, and reinforcing the procedures and expectations you have taught. I prefer to use positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement to help set the tone that math centers are enjoyable when procedures are followed correctly.

You want to be very diligent about enforcing your procedures, so your students will start off on the right foot. But, don't forget to review the procedures as needed throughout the year.

Tip: When you get a new student and after an extended break from school are perfect times to review procedures.

9. Explain the why behind having guided math centers to your students.

On day 1 of launching guided math centers, I spend some time talking about why we even have guided math centers and the importance of them. We make a chart and that chart hangs up for at least half of the year (keep it up all year if your students need more consistent reminders).

Here are some reasons to discuss with your students:

1.) Math centers allow us to focus on skills we need to improve on.

2.) Math centers allow us to review previously learned skills so we don't forget them.

3.) Math centers allow us to talk about math with partners and group members.

4.) Math centers allow us to "have fun" while we are learning.

5.) Math centers are important because they help us learn at our own pace.

10. Use simple review skills to launch your centers.

While I believe that all math centers should be at least somewhat of a review to really be productive, the math centers you use to launch guided math centers should definitely be review, for all your students (or as best you can).

In my FREE math starter packs, I specifically chose skills from the grade level below. This way the students can focus on learning the procedures and expectations of the centers. Here is a glimpse at the centers included in the 5th grade starter pack (all of the centers in the three grade level packs are very similar with only changes to complexity or difficulty).

Click on the links below to grab your specific grade level starter packs!

These starter packs will give you enough centers (SIX complete centers) to launch math centers in your classroom.

Here are some other helpful blog posts about using math centers. Just click on the title to be taken to the blog post:
Getting Started with Math Centers Guided Math Procedures to Teach Forming Guided Math Groups Scheduling Your Math Block for Guided Math Centers Organizing Math Centers Managing Math Centers A Peek at My Guided Math Centers 7 Ways to Support Students with Math Centers Higher Level Math Centers for Upper Elementary
Let me know in the comments if you have any specific questions about how to launch guided math centers in your classroom.

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How to Launch Guided Math Centers in Upper Elementary - Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley

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Do you want your guided math centers running smoothly from the start of the year to the end of the year? *raises hand*. Then, you need a strong launch.

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Classroom Coffee Blog

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Music is one of the best tools I have in my classroom management tool belt. It is great not only for work time but transitions, brain breaks, class building, and learning new content. Sometimes I stream straight from YouTube, but mostly I use files on my computer that is connected to my Smartboard.

Think about it... how often do we have music going in our lives? In the car, working out, grading papers {ok so that's typically Netflix, but you get the idea}. It can change our mood, help our focus, relieve anxiety, and boost productivity. Here are some ways I use music in my classroom.

1. Calm Work Time

The most obvious way music helps in a classroom is supporting focus. We've all used calm, peaceful music during quite work time. It is soothing and creates a great backdrop to help kids focus. Research shows music around 60 beats per minute is beneficial as that's a typical resting heartbeat. I tend to prefer piano or guitar. Here are a few of my favorites.

Want to sneak in some of your favorite songs? Search for strings or piano versions of your favorite songs or check out the YouTube channel Rockabye Baby for lullaby-sounding favorites like Michael Jackson and Queen!

2. Upbeat Work Time

Sometimes, you don't want such calm and quiet in your room {what?!?!}. You want your kiddos to be pumped up and groove while they work. For those times, you need music to bounce to. My favorite strategy is to find instrumental versions of songs I like. Lyrics can sometimes distract from being able to focus on work, so having the beat keeps them going. Haven't you noticed you run farther and clean faster when you have a great song to pace with? Same concept. Here are some of my favorite upbeat work songs:

Smooth Criminal- Michael Jackson

Star Wars on Piano {she has lots of videos available!}

You Should Be Dancing- Bee Gees

3. Transitions & Signals

Nothing works as well for signals in my room as music does. I have a song for everything we do all day long. It works so well because I don't have to try to get their attention and they know they have until the end of the song to be ready. There are some great classroom songs out there that sing about "Come to the carpet" or "Clean Up", but I like to use real songs. It's more fun and keeps me sane. Sometimes, I use the whole song, sometimes just part of it. Here are some of the songs I use for transitions in my classroom:

Clean Up Song: Help-The Beatles {"If you're finished, go help someone clean up!"}

Line-Up Song: Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye

Morning Greeting Song: Happy- Pharrell Williams

Family Meeting Song: We Are Family- Sister Sledge

School-wide Intervention Time: Try Everything- Shakira

Writing Time: Best Day of My Life- American Authors

Math Time: Eye of the Tiger

Shared Reading: ABC- Jackson 5

Rotate Stations: I use the first 75 seconds of Seven Nation Army

Mystery Skype Time: Final Countdown

Pack-Up Time: Can't Stop This Feeling- Trolls

This song and video is SO moving. It sparks the importance of kindness going around and my class watched it at least once a week.

For anything else, there's always Kidz Bop!

These are just some of the examples of music I use all day in my room. Sometimes, I switch it up, but it's so helpful to have the same consistent songs. My kiddos know what is happening next when the song signals begin. They know exactly how long they have to transition and get any materials they need. Plus, music is a great relaxer and can reduce anxiety.

Obviously, as any good teacher does, be cognizant of your students and how they learn best. Not all students can work with music. Always offer work space alternatives or adjust if you notice that certain music is having the opposite effect you are going for.

I also strongly suggest using a website like ViewPure or SafeShare if you are going to stream your music. It blocks out ads and suggested videos. No one wants a loud commercial to cut through calm, peaceful working. You can find more of the music links I use on my classroom website.

What music do you like to use in your classroom? Feel free to share below!

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Music is one of the best tools I have in my classroom management tool belt. It is great not only for work time but transitions, brain breaks, class building, and learning new content. Sometimes I stream straight from YouTube, but mostly I use files on my computer that is connected to my Smartboard.

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embarconline

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Number Talk Problem of the Day

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Log in with Google

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Paid for on TPT

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From TPT

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Good ideas

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A blog about ideas for Art classes and art projects for kids K-8th grade.

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I love these owl projects! I plan to frame them for our April art show! #owlpainting #gearingupfortheartshow

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Blog

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Hi, friends! I've had quite a few people ask me about my whiteboard messages that I use in my classroom, so I thought, "Why not make a blog post about it?" Here we go!

WHY do I do these messages in my classroom?

*I pride myself on creating a classroom that genuinely feels like a family. A place where students love to be and love the people that they're with. A place where students set goals and encourage other students on their journey of meeting their own goals. I want my students to feel like they are in a safe, judgement-free zone where they are respected by not just me, but by their peers as well. Each time I complete one of these boards, I feel like my class is getting that much closer to being a true family.

Students need daily reminders about the importance of friendship and community. They need you to give them opportunities to see how just simple actions can truly make someone's day. and they need you to make them feel loved and appreciated. If you can get your students all supporting and fighting for each other, they're going to carry that with them for the rest of their lives. These simple messages are so meaningful to my students, and I hope they have the same impact on your students, too.

How do I come up with my board ideas?
My messages are focused around two main components: goal-setting and kindness. The main questions that I ask myself when thinking of a new message are:
What do I want my students to be thinking about?
What are my students needing to hear?

After sharing my whiteboards on Instagram, a new hashtag was started: #miss5thswhiteboard. I get a lot of inspiration for new ideas by browsing through the feed. It's an amazing feeling being able to see so many different teachers and classrooms utilizing these messages in their classrooms. I encourage you to check out the hashtag on Instagram for whiteboard ideas- you'll find plenty! :) I also have a list of prompts available for download here.

How often do I write a message on my board?
*On average, I complete 2-3 boards a week. I write the messages so that students see them first thing that morning. Sometimes I repeat the boards we've already done, but the wonderful thing is that each day is different. You could do the same board over and over and you would get different responses each time!

When do my students respond to the message?
*My students know that if there's a message on the board when they walk in that morning, they can answer it any time between 7:40-8:20 (our morning work time). I usually only like 2-3 students at the board at one time, so my students know they need to wait their turn. I also have students who come in at 7:40 and then others that come in at 8:05, so the staggered arrivals kind of eliminate the "crowd."

What markers do I use?
*Expo, folks. Plain, old Expo markers. :)

Happy boards, happy students, happy teachers!

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Establishing a Classroom Community with the Help of your Whiteboard

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Hi, friends! I've had quite a few people ask me about my whiteboard messages that I use in my classroom, so I thought, "Why not make a blog post about it?" Here we go! WHY do I do these messages in my classroom? *I pride myself on creating a classroom that genuinely feels like a family.

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Resource for math games

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In this quick and easy game, students compete against one another to form the highest decimal number using playing cards. This game challenges students to think critically about the place value of digits in decimal numbers and how each digit's placement impacts the total value of the number. It's also a strategic game that keeps students thinking about the odds of drawing certain cards as they try to form the highest decimal number (perhaps good for a probability lesson too!).
Note: You can also play this game with lower grade levels by replacing the place value columns with hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones. Score sheets, a deck of cards, and pencils are all that are needed for this fun game! Playing the game:

1. Score sheet - 1 per player (you can download a free copy by CLICKING HERE, or you can have students draw the template shown right into their notebooks)

2. Deck of regular playing cards (remove all Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Jokers)

3. Pencil for each player

1. Shuffle the deck of cards. Be sure that all face cards and Jokers have been removed. Place the deck of cards in a pile facedown in the center of the table.

2. Each player takes a turn taking one card from the top of the pile. Players place the card face-up directly in front of them so that all players can see each card that has been drawn.

3. Each player looks at the number on the card that he/she drew from the pile. Then, each player looks at "Round 1" on their score sheet to decide which place value to assign the number. The player can only write that number under one place value column (hundreds, tens, ones, tenths, hundredths, or thousandths). Players should not show their opponents where they wrote the number on their score sheet. Once each player has written down the number in a place value column, it cannot be changed at any point during the game.
Each player has to make decisions about where to place the digit as he/she receives a card. Once written, the digit is locked in.

In this game, drawing the 10 card does not represent 10, but represents the number 0.

4. Players repeats steps 1-3 until all 6 place value columns have been filled in (which means that 6 cards should have been drawn by each player).

5. Players show their final number to their opponents to determine who has written the highest number.

6. The player with the highest number must read his/her decimal aloud correctly (i.e. one hundred and seven thousandths, not one hundred point zero zero seven) in order to score the points.

If the player with the highest number reads his/her decimal aloud correctly, he/she gets 1 point for the round. The other players do not get any points.

If the player with the highest number does not read his/her decimal aloud correctly, he/she does not get any points. Every other player gets 1 point for the round.

7. Place all of the used cards back into the pile of cards and shuffle the entire pile again. Begin the next round by repeating the same steps. Play ends after 10 rounds have been played.

Did your students enjoy playing this game? We'd LOVE it if you'd share one of these images on social or leave a comment in the space below!

Looking for other fun ways to practice decimals in your math centers? Check out these and other fun decimals games in our store.

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In this quick and easy game, students compete against one another to form the highest decimal number using playing cards. This game challenges students to think critically about the place value of digits in decimal numbers and how each digit's placement impacts the total value of the number.

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Pop Art Self Portraits

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6th Graders did a really nice job on this project. We started off by learning a lot about the artist Roy Lichtenstein. We watched this video and read through this handout. Using iPads and computers students worked on editing their photo to make it in a comic book style. They drew from the image they created. I had to stress to them to draw what they were seeing and not what they thought it should look like. After seeing Lichtenstein's work, students set to work using only primary color markers (and black). They were to fill in some areas solid, and use Lichtenstein's dots in other areas.

I had two very different types of students with this project; one group were the students who totally embraced the idea of using interesting colors on their face, and the other who were so self conscious about it they would work with their drawing on their lap so no one could see it.

Even in this day in age, you know of the "selfie," many students were just so embarrassed to do this project. It was not because of the colors, but the idea of the self portrait.

Do any of you struggle with your older students at the idea of a self portrait? How do you go about problem solving it?

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6th Grade Roy Lichtenstein Self Portraits

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6th Graders did a really nice job on this project. We started off by learning a lot about the artist Roy Lichtenstein. We watched this video and read through this handout. Using iPads and computers students worked on editing their photo to make it in a comic book style.

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Charcoal Value Study- 6th Grade Panda Drawings

I did this lesson over 2 weeks with my 6 Graders. This was the first lesson of the school year. Reviewing sketching, values & shading. The full body Panda Drawing with the simple value scale was a pretty easy lesson. The second panda eating bamboo with a background was a perfect step up from that.

Continue reading Panda Drawings- Charcoal Value Study

MIDDLE SCHOOL PI DAY ART

Starry Night City Scape. Here's a fun Middle School Art Lesson to celebrate Pi Day (March 14th).

Continue reading Middle School Pi Day Cityscapes

BICYCLE WATERCOLORS

MIDDLE SCHOOL STEAM ART

I teach art for a 7th/ 8th grade STEAM elective. This project incorporates engineering thinking with drawing & painting.

Continue reading STEAM Art Project-Middle School Bicycle Paintings
5th & 6th Grade Funky Collage Self Portraits
Continue reading Funky Self Portraits
FALL LEAVES ART LESSON
This is fun technique, the effect looks like watercolor.

Tissue Paper bleeding and oil pastels create these amazing fall leaves.

This was 6th Grade, but this lesson can be done with any upper elementary grade level or middle school, using oil pastel or crayons.

Continue reading Fall Leaves Art Lesson
Model Magic Food Sculptures for 6th Grade
Last school year was the first time I have thrown Model Magic in to my curriculum. Going class to class and not having an art room or a kiln makes clay projects a challenge. I love using model magic for sculpting and it's much cleaner than clay and doesn't break when being transferred around.

Continue reading Food Sculptures
Halloween Figure Drawing
Our figure drawing unit happened to overlap the week of Halloween. I was super excited to come up with these.

Continue reading Halloween Figure Drawing

The focus for this lesson is proportions of the human body and observational drawing. Each table gets a wooden mannequin to observe.

Continue reading 5th & 6th Grade Figure Drawing
Halloween Art- Painted Skeletons
6th Grade Art Lesson in Acrylic & crayon

Continue reading 6th Grade Halloween Art- Painted Skeletons

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Charcoal Value Study- 6th Grade Panda Drawings I did this lesson over 2 weeks with my 6 Graders. This was the first lesson of the school year. Reviewing sketching, values & shading. The full body Panda Drawing with the simple value scale was a pretty easy lesson.

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BACKGROUND
Direct instruction of vocabulary can help students learn enough words to become better readers, and becoming a better reader can in turn help students learn even more vocabulary. So how do we teach students to learn or acquire new vocabulary? Research suggests that vocabulary instruction should include the following components: definitional and contextual information about a word; multiple exposures to a word in different contexts; and encouragement of students' active participation in their own learning of the new words.1 Here are 15 vocabulary activities that you can integrate into your classroom starting tomorrow!

1. Stahl, 30; Texas Reading Initiative, 20.

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I remember trying to plan my first day of school my first year teaching, so the kids show up at 8:00am AND......crickets. How do you start the first day?! There are so many things that the kids need to know and according to Harry Wong I had a lot of procedures to teach. But a day full of rules and procedures doesn't sound very good to me! I have collected a bunch of first day/week of school activities that will help the kids learn about procedures, get to know each other and have fun! I rely heavily on the ideas in the " First 6 Weeks of School" book and ideas from other amazing teachers I have met!

Goals of the First Week of School:

1. Get to know eachother.

2. Learn, develop and practice rituals, rules and routines in our classroom.

3. Have fun!

There is time for content later, establishing your classroom community that first week will effect the entire school year!

First Day of School Plan View PDF

Here is my lesson plan form the first day of school last year. This is just an example, your day will likely be very different than mine, but I know my first year it would have been helpful to have a template to start from. Also, I always try to plan MORE than enough and then bump some things to the next day if necessary.

1. First Day Letter

The first thing my kids do when they come in the room is find their desk and read a letter I have written them. Their first assignment is to write me a letter back about themselves. This is really good because I can deal with first day hiccups (new kids, parents, lost students, school supplies) and I can immediately gauge where my kids are as writers. I print this letter out on fun paper.

** Playing Cards ...Several people have asked about the playing card in the corner of the desk. I use packing tape to tape down a playing card on each students' desk. On the first day of school I hand each student a card (from a second deck) and students have to find their matching card to find a seat. Throughout the first semester I use the cards to create groups and call students. For example: All the even numbers can line up! All the hearts will start at the computer station. Find 4 of a kind for your reading response group. etc...

2. Classmate Scavenger Hunt.

This is not a new idea, but it is a really fun idea for the first day. Easy, nonthreatening way to get your kids to interact and get to know each other.

3. Learning Inventory.

This learning inventory is a questionnaire that helps me understand what my kids like/dislike about school and what their feelings are about themselves as learners. I do this sometime the first week and it is invaluable information for me to get to know the kids as learners. It also is a good springboard to start talking about metacognition, or thinking about learning. Note: You may need to walk the kids through this, or even read each question out loud and let kids fill it out that way.

4. Multiple Intelligence Inventory.

PDF Multiple Intelligence Inventory

This year I wanted to do a multiple intelligence inventory with my kids, but all the ones I found online were written in language that my 4th graders would not be able to relate to. I adapted several different intelligence tests I found online to work for my kids. Just like the learning inventory, you may need to read these out loud to help your kids take it.

5. Parent Folder. (First day "homework")

Isn't it funny how kids always want homework on the first day of school? That sure wears off quickly, doesn't it?! I use that enthusiasm to my advantage that first day! The first day I send home a file folder with several forms and information for parents. I tell my kids that their parents have homework-trust me they LOVE this, and you will get every folder back! These are the things I include:

1. Parent Letter:

2. Student Information Sheet.**I highly recommend sending this home if nothing else! Your parents have the best insights about their kids! I especially pay attention to the question about the child's fears.

Word Student information Sheet

PDF Student Information Sheet

Word Student Information Sheet (SPANISH)

PDF Student Information Sheet (SPANISH)

3. Classroom Expectations.

4. Example Homework Sheet

This is a really fun icebreaker that The First Six Weeks of school recommends. Helps kids work on non-verbal communication and gives you good insight to who your classroom leaders are.

This activity has multiple purposes: introduce your classroom library, categorizing and sorting, working in a group...

If you use a Basal or anthology reading book, this is a neat way to get your kids excited about reading this year-and it's a graphing activity, yay for cross curricular activities! (You could really use this with any textbook!)

9. Science Book Scavenger Hunt.

This activity could be adapted for any content area, I just use it with science! I create a scavenger hunt that goes along with our text book in order to generate excitement and interest in what we will be learning about in Science this year! Mine is pretty generic, but you will probably have to modify it to work with your text book!

10. Classroom Rules.

We spend a lot of time the first week talking about expectations and procedures in the classroom. At the end of the week we work together as a class to make our classroom rules.

I don't have any pictures of this, but it is a powerful activity for the first week to talk about using kind words and how our words impact others. Click here for a complete description of the activity.

12. Decorate Name Tags

This is an activity straight out of the First Six Weeks book. I use the large address labels and give one to each child and have them write their name in the middle in their favorite color. Then in each corner they will include something that describes themselves. For example:

1. Top left: Picture of their family

2. Top right: Favorite food

3. Bottom left: Something they are good at

4. Bottom right: Favorite place on earth.

At our second day morning meeting we will share our nametags and then use them to label our pencil boxes for the year. (or writer's notebooks, or folder or whatever works :)

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I remember trying to plan my first day of school my first year teaching, so the kids show up at 8:00am AND......crickets. How do you start the first day?! There are so many things that the kids need to know and according to Harry Wong I had a lot of procedures to teach.

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You Tube Videos Georgia

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What do Mathematics Standards Look Like in the Classroom?

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Georgia Document w/links

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Students are expected to follow procedures for cleaning up and setting up for the next subject or scheduled activity. Music will play during this time to prompt students to prepare for the next...

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Premade/create your own

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Featured Resource: Easter Bunny Road Race Review Game for Whole Class in PowerPoint

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XtraMath is a free program that helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

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Ice Breakerr

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The link to the Prezi SHOULD be working now!

Save Fred! is one of my favorite beginning of the year activities. I like to use it as our first "real" science activity. We did this today after spending the beginning part of the week going over procedures and the importance of following directions (using the wonderfully hilarious "Follow the Directions Test," I'll make a blog post of this next!).

I found Save Fred somewhere a few years ago and used it as a lesson I had to teach in my college "Science for Elementary Teachers" class. It's fun, builds community, gets kids to work together, and reviews the Scientific Method.

Basically, Fred is a gummy worm who was on his boat (a cup) when it started to sink. Fortunately, Fred had a life preserver (gummy Lifesaver) in his boat! Unfortunately, it was still in the boat (under the cup). The goal is to get Fred into the Lifesaver without touching him, the boat, or the life preserver with your hands. Each person in the group gets a paper clip, though.

I created a worksheet to guide my students through the Scientific Method. This sheet will be on mysite. I also made a Prezi that explains this in greater detail. It's not fancy, but it works!

I introduce the worksheet after the Prezi. We go through each number on the worksheet, talking about the Scientific Method and how it applies to this activity. I then put students into random groups of 3 and pass out the papers. I tell each group that they have to fill out #1-4 on the sheet before they can get their materials. This requires them to plan what they will do before actually doing it.

Once groups get their materials, the classroom can get a little loud! Each group is so excited to save Fred, and they have lots of great ideas. There is also a lot of laughter and cheering! Get your camera ready if you plan on doing this, because you get some great pictures!

After saving Fred...the groups got to eat him and his family members! With this activity, you just HAVE to let them eat some gummy worms!

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The link to the Prezi SHOULD be working now! Save Fred! is one of my favorite beginning of the year activities. I like to use it as our first "real" science activity.

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Ladybug's Teacher Files: A 5th Grade Teaching Blog

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Teacher Blog

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We finished up our study of Newton's Laws of Motion so I wanted my students to use the iPad minis to create a project to show they understand the laws. I gave them an option. They could pick Sock Puppets, Tellagami, or Yak It Kids to create the video.

I loved hearing them work together and brainstorm ideas!

Some groups even used iMovie to combine each of the 3 laws videos into one. I told them to play with the apps and see what they could do. I'm familiar with each of these apps but I've learned not to limit the kids because I don't know how to do something. Normally someone will figure it out and share with others who want to use the app.

Here are just a few of the finished projects.

STUDENTS: This week is our fall break. What are your plans for the week?

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We finished up our study of Newton's Laws of Motion so I wanted my students to use the iPad minis to create a project to show they understand the laws. I gave them an option. They could pick Sock Puppets, Tellagami, or Yak It Kids to create the video.

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Teacher Tools - Tons of Worksheet and Puzzle Makers

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Our teacher web tools enable teachers to make worksheets, classroom materials, graphic organizers, teaching resumes, cover letters, lesson plans, and rubrics for FREE.

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Differentiated Online Math Activites