A Chair For My Mother

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick post tonight!  The Texas Rangers are playing one last game to secure a wildcard spot for our division!  We are huge Ranger fans and would so love to see them win tonight!!  
go Rangers!!  Anyway, the game starts in just a couple of minutes, so...
I wanted to share our quick readers response from last week. In Social Studies we've been exploring the differences in families, what our families need and want, how families get what they need, etc.  After reading "A Chair For My Mother" by Vera Williams (one of my favs) we brainstormed things families save money for and how they save.  The kids then had the opportunity to write their own response and create a little jar with "coins" just like the family in the story.  
Here are a few pics.

 I Love their innocent little responses!!  Great job kids!!

We used silver and brown stamp pads!

For your quick printable, click here!! You don't even need to save up!! It's free! :)

OK!!  Off to watch my Rangers!! 

Joyfully!

Nancy

Place Value Pizzazz!

Hello Everyone!
We will begin a math unit this coming week on place value.  Our school district offered a good professional development course this summer using the First Steps in Mathematics as a resource.  In that resource, the authors discuss the fact that most kids understand the "places" in place value but sometimes see the numbers in those places as simple numbers.  A "7" in the tens place should be realized as 70, not just a 7 in the tens place. This little whole group lesson and math tub activity is easy to set up and will give kids the understanding.  You can use it as an intro to place value or as a diagnostic tool.
Here are a few pics.

 

For your quick and easy 21 page unit on beginning place value, click here!


Hope this helps you!! 
Thanks for stopping by!! Looking forward to a good week!!
Now off to church with the fam!!
Have a great day!
Joyfully!
Nancy

A Great Day For UP!!

Hello Everyone!!
YAY!!! We had an awesome day today! It was all about clouds!! A great day for UP!! To start with, our Think Outside the Box Thursday shape looked very similar to a cloud...but it wasn't a cloud!!  Look what my little smarties turned that shape into!

They are really stretching and growing  their creative brains!!!  Great job, kids!!!

Then we were so excited to see a few little clouds out this morning!!  A rare event this time of year!  We made our cloud watchers earlier this week and haven't seen even a hint of a cloud until this morning!!  We hurried out to try out our watchers because the clouds were fun little popcorn clouds that disappear pretty quickly!!  We were able to observe and document our observations for a few minutes!!  

Recording sheet and cloud watcher template are only a click away!! HERE!!!

 Then of course we had to finish our shaving cream and glue clouds.  Sometimes it looked like...  You know, from "It Looked Like Spilt Milk!"

 You probably already know how to make this, but in case you don't, one part shaving cream, one part white glue.  Mix together.  That's it!  Plop a glob on some paper, and let the kids swirl and create a shape.  It takes all day or night to dry, but stays puffy!  Then, of course you need to write about it!!

It was a great day, with more fun to come tomorrow!!  Almost finished with beginning of year testing!!!  Can't wait for tomorrow!! It's going to be another good one!! Thanks for stopping by for a peek!!  Stay tuned!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

Observing the Night Sky with Splat!

Hello Everyone!!
We are busy finishing up our weather unit and beginning our "Objects in the Sky" unit.  We will be learning all about the sun beginning tomorrow and then moving on to the night sky.  I added a few things to a unit I posted last year.  Here are a few pics from the 27 page unit.

Patterns to make Splat are included!

Hope you find something you can use in this little pack!! If you think you might, click HERE for your free printable unit!

I'll be back soon with updates and pics from our journey this week!! Thanks for stopping by for a peek!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

Up Up and Away!

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to quickly share a little video of our Mini Hot Air Balloon launch.  It is only a couple seconds long, but you have to watch and listen to the kids!  

We were busy all week learning about wind, how wind is made, and it's association to how hot air balloons work.  The explanation, directions, and examples are in my unit from last week, Wind, Clouds, and Air.  On Friday we got all our little firsties (about 100!) together in the science lab and were able to help them understand the concept first hand.  In the video you will see a toaster (heat source), cardboard around the toaster, and a thin plastic bag (balloon) over the cardboard.  Turn on the toaster and ...voila!!  Luckily, my sweet teamie grabbed her ipad and took the video!! Thanks, H!!

I love the excitement!!
Well, that's it for tonight!! Thanks for stopping by!! Hope you enjoyed the view!!
Monday, here we come!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

What's In Your Piggy Bank?

Hello Everyone!
I had a couple minutes of down time today (or I should say, I was forced into down time today due to some vein surgery this week which actually threw me for a crazy loop! UGH!!  If you are a teacher on her feet all day, please make sure you go home from time to time and try to elevate your feet!!!).  Anyway, during my "down time" I had a few minutes to recreate my money posters.  I have posted my money unit before, but I wanted some cute posters to put up as reminders to kids.  
We are starting our week long unit of coins and money this coming week.  Our objectives include identifying the major coins and telling the value.  Kids also need to be able to count groups of like coins and give the value.  It goes right along with all the skip counting we've been doing the past couple of weeks. 
I'm sharing my set of 6 posters which I hope you can use if you are a teacher or a parent!  Here are some pics of what is included in the set.

Click here for your printables!! :)

or 

HERE for a set with a little variation on one of the kids! :)

Now off to help get dinner going and then take it easy!!  Maybe a movie or something!!

Hope you're having a great weekend!!!

Joyfully!

Nancy