….days! I can hardly believe it! I CAN believe it….but CAN’T all at the same time! Where has the year gone? This past week was just a little wonky because I spent the majority of it in training. After having spent the last 2 1/2 days sitting still {the hardest part} in a chair, it felt great to get back to my classroom with my kiddos! I met them on the playground today and almost got knocked to the ground with hugs! My kids are the best!
Now back to the 8 days part! Ready for rest and relaxation…yes.I.am! Freaking out just a little bit about paperwork, packing, meetings, paperwork, and documentation that needs to be completed…..yes.I.am! Thank heaven for a long weekend to get a head start on wrapping things up, so I can concentrate on making great memories over these last few days because one thing is for sure….they will go by at the speed of light!
Since I spent most of the week out of the classroom, here’s a quick “catch up” over a little of what we’ve been up to recently….
We just wrapped up our measurement unit. I love mixing a little literature into our math block as often as possible. With measurement, we read several different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk as an introduction to each lesson. On this day, we used the giant’s boot coming down the beanstalk to explore area. After reading the story, each kiddo illustrated a beanstalk down the middle of their page to divide it in half. We discussed using the boot as their measurement tool for making comparisons….to decide if items covered less area or more area. Students walked around the room and placed items on top of the boot to make comparisons. If the they could still see the boot, it covered less. If the boot disappeared, it covered more. Sweet, simple……and FE, FI, FO, FUN!
Everything grows a little bigger in Texas, even beanstalks….or in the case of Waynetta and the Cornstalk by Helen Ketterman, cornstalks. Students used area tiles to build their own cornstalk design, then colored to transfer the design to grid paper, and counted the number of squares used to determine the amount of area covered. You can get another glimpse of this little activity by taking a quick look at my Instagram page. Don’t forget to follow!
Math station skills review has been SUPER! Students are reviewing lots of skills to get ready for second grade! You can check out this little activity to generate and determine the value of numbers by clicking HERE.
I couldn’t come back after being gone most of the week without a little fun up my sleeve! Today was letter ‘R’ on our ABC countdown. In honor of all things R, we visited Rainbow Town to meet our friend, Roy G. Biv. I great, big ole {puffy heart} LOVE directed drawings!!! After listening and following directions to draw Mr. Biv, students used crayons and watercolor paints to give him a splash of color….afterall, there’s no wasted space in Rainbow Town. Bright, beautiful color is a MUST! =)
Here’s a closer look. What do you think?
Enjoy these last few days……and if you’re already out…..(don’t mention it). Ha! =)