Contraction Surgery

We did some surgery on contractions today!! It was such a cute little activity that I found on Pinterest a few weeks ago, from The First Grade Parade, though I've found it all over the place since then.

I started with cut sentence strips. I wrote down different words that could form contractions: I am, do not, cannot, we will, they are, etc. I found some bright neon band aids at Wal-mart. I had the kids cut out the letters that the apostrophe takes the place of and replace with the band aid. Voila! Word Surgery!

The kiddos had a blast and really got into the work. I wrote "Dr. _______" on their band aids with sharpie, and they loved it.

Here's a pic!

Such a simple activity to complete. I hope this inspires you to do some word surgery in your classroom!!!

Jessica

Ice Cream Contractions

As promised, here is my Ice Cream Contractions game! It's so fun and makes me want to eat some ice cream!! Just print it out, laminate or you can cut it out and glue it on construction paper first, put it in a center, and go!!

This activity involves the students choosing the contraction form FROM the two words, rather than going from contraction TO the two words that make it up. I find that my students have trouble knowing which letters to take out and replace with an apostrophe. This way they can see it and choose it for themselves. 

 I hope you can make use of this game in your classroom. There is a recording sheet to go with it. 

Scoop up your game here :)

Jessica 

Here are the Common Core State Standards associated with this center: 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2c Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

Scoops and Cones

Don't you hate when you are looking for something and you can't find it??? 

Or you find it and it's the design you want but not the skill you are teaching??

It's happened to me more often than I would like, so I decided to create my own blank customizable sets of different things that I could use for a variety of lessons and skills and centers.

The other day we were working on contractions and using Contraction Jack, a center activity I found on TpT from the blog Sassy in Second. It was so cute and the kids loved it!! Anyway, I needed something to continue practicing and since we are in November now I had brainstorms of turkeys and feathers and Thanksgiving dinner and macaroni and cheese but I still wanted something that I could use throughout the year and not be specifically themed.

So I decided to make my own customizable and programmable center pieces.  For my first one, I created ice cream scoops, cones, and bowls using The Print Shop 3.0. I used the shapes creator to put the scoops together (they are made of circles and hearts!) and in the clip art files I found the cones and bowls. I made chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, sherbet, lime, mango, etc. scoops for all to enjoy!!

This is the first of many (I hope!) to come. I thought of lots of different things for which I could use ice cream scoops and cones.

Here's just a few ideas:
-number decompositions
-contractions
-sorting
-counting
-patterns
-rewards in classroom
-different ways to show numbers

The last on there I will be posting as a center game shortly. I will also post my Ice Cream Contractions game after I tidy it up a little. 

 Hope these can help you and inspire you to be creative!!!

Click here for your own set of ice cream cones and scoops!!

Thanks, 

Jessica

Fall Math Fun!

In honor of the autumn season, I have created a number decomposing activity to help my firsties with ways to make numbers consisting of trees and leaves!!

I call it....

Number Expression Trees!!!

Yeah, not such a fancy or cutesy name, but hey! It gets the point across.

This activity involves decomposing numbers 5 through 10. Children write facts on leaves, then glue leaves to the properly numbered tree. There is a recording page for accountability.

My kids did this as a cut and paste activity where they came up with the expressions, wrote them on colored leaves, and then glued them to the right tree. I unfortunately was not there that day, but my associate teacher told me that they had so much fun! Their finished trees were so cute and so correct!! 

You could also color the trees, make multiple copies of the leaves and color them, and write the facts on the leaves, then laminate the pieces and place in a center.

If you would like this free activity, click on over here!!!

Let me know what you think!! Thanks!!!

Jessica

Here are the Common Core State Standards associated with this activity: 

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.B.3 Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.2Examples: If 8 + 3 = 11 is known, then 3 + 8 = 11 is also known. (Commutative property of addition.) To add 2 + 6 + 4, the second two numbers can be added to make a ten, so 2 + 6 + 4 = 2 + 10 = 12. (Associative property of addition.)
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.B.4 Understand subtraction as an unknown-addend problem. For example, subtract 10 – 8 by finding the number that makes 10 when added to 8.
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.5 Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on 2 to add 2).
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.7 Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.

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Pinterest!!!!

I love Pinterest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it is the most amazing invention ever created for teachers. So many wonderful teachers out there sharing ideas. I go a little crazy at least once a day on Pinterest. Here is a link to my favorite board where I try to pin everything I can for my classroom. Fun in First!

The first grade team at Mayfair Lab School teaches in Thematic Units. We have created Criterion Referenced Learning Guides for 8 separate units that span the school year. Sorry :( I can't share the CRLGs with you, BUT I have a Pinterest board for each unit!!! Granted, this is the first year we are teaching these units, so the boards are a work in progress. I'm hoping to find a lot more ideas throughout the year!!!

Here's a link to all my boards: Jessica's Outstanding Collection of Pinterest Boards
I by no means think I've got the most interesting collection on the web, so please feel free to share with me!! Thanks!!!
Jessica

Candy Corn Fact Balancing!!

We are focusing on equivalent expressions using candy corn!!! 

I made this giant Candy Corn and laminated it along with some laminated construction paper that I drew plus and equal signs on. I made large number cards. Each student used a mini work mat (we slipped them into page protectors), dry erase markers, and candy corn to balance our equations. Had a blast doing it!

All my little friends loved it! The next day we took our Unit 1 district benchmark test, and 100% scored basic or above. Congrats kiddos!!!

As far as mini work mats, I recommend using Engage NY's A Story of Units suggestion for personal white boards. (See HERE and it's on page xii.) Basically you take a page protector, a piece of cardstock (or tagboard, as suggested), and a white sheet of paper. Slip the cardstock and paper in the protector, hand the child a dry erase marker, and a wipe of some sort (I use square cut pieces of felt or kleenex). We use this for everything MATH. I just passed out the Candy Corn Workmat and instructed the kids to slip it in their white board. Good to go!!!

Totally have to give credit to Nancy over at First Grade WOW!! Love her!! She had a balancing facts activity in her New Year's Unit using a party hat as the balance. Totally couldn't wait for New Years to do it, so I was inspired by a bag of candy corn on my kitchen table. 

I created a mini unit for you and included some number cards if you want to make a set for each child. 

Click here for your free work mat and recording sheet. 

Enjoy!!!

Jessica

Here are the Common Core State Standards associated with this activity: 

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.B.3 Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.2Examples: If 8 + 3 = 11 is known, then 3 + 8 = 11 is also known. (Commutative property of addition.) To add 2 + 6 + 4, the second two numbers can be added to make a ten, so 2 + 6 + 4 = 2 + 10 = 12. (Associative property of addition.)
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.7 Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.8 Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ – 3, 6 + 6 = _.

Adventure Cove 2013-2014

The pirates of Adventure Cove have been hard at work this year!! We are rockin' and rollin' and working our way through the CCSS for first grade!!! Here are some pictures from  some of our work so far this year!

The above picture is a landform cookie activity that I found First Grade WOW. Nancy over there is AMAZING!!! Make sure to check her blog out!!!

MUCH MUCH more to come!!!!!!
Jessica