TerrificTruffula Tufts

Hello Everyone!
Thanks for taking a peek!  We have been having so much fun using the themes of "The Lorax" as springboards for other cutrricular areas.  In math we have been working on composing and decomposing addition facts.  We have been working on the strategy of making groups of 10 to help solve those additon problems.  Using a 10 frame is a way to show kids how to compose and decompose using 10's.  The frams also show kids different ways to solve the same problem. To make the concept clear and multisensory, I decided to find some "Truffula Tree Tufts" to use as manipulatives. Alas! Hobby Lobby had some large bags of bright colored pom poms in all different sizes. They so reminded me of Truffula Tufts and the kids couldn't wait to get their hands on them!!  We practiced using the tufts to show how to decompose (or move) enough of the tufts from one of the addends to help the other addend make 10.  We were then able to compose a new related addition fact.  10 + anything is easier to add!! The kids really got it!!

We finally had the time to make our little Text Connection books I talked about last week.  We, of course, had to use the story "The Lorax." The kids cut out their own hearts in specific colors, and wrote their connection ideas on each color, Yellow= Text to Self, Green= Text to Text,  and Blue= Text to World.  The kids had some great connections. The pics didn't turn out very clear (I so need a new camera) but I hope you can get the point of their connections!

"It reminds me of a book called Grizwald. He had to move because were cutting down the trees."



"I am a Daisy, and it reminds me of the Lorax."



  A final fun craft connection we did to go along with "The Lorax" was of course to make Truffula Trees!  I needed an inexpensive craft connection that the kids could easily make. I decided to have the kids make some tissue paper tufts with striped pipe cleaner trunks.  We took 4 sheets of brightly colored tissue paper (about 8x12) layered evenely.  We then fan folded starting from the short side. We trimmed the ends either round or diagonal, and twisted the pipe cleaner around the center. Now the fun part!  Gently pulling the layers apart!!  This so reminded me of creating hundreds of flowers for parade floats way back in high school!! :)  The kids had a blast making these and wanted to make a whole Truffula Forest!!!

A Truffula Tree Forest!

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for your inspiration!!
We've had a fantastic week!
Hope your week was just as inspirational!!
Joyfully!
Nancy