Place Value Pick Up Sticks

Hello Everyone!!
Thanks for stopping by today!   I love this time of year.  Beginning of year assessments? Check!  Big beginning of year events? Check! Setting up routines? Check! Getting volunteers lines up? Check! Ahhhh! Feels good!  I think this week will be a fairly calm one.  
In math this week we are working on place value up to 99.  Teaching kids that the tens and ones places really stand for a "value" of the numbers can be a challenge. Last year my teammate found a great little activity on "Sunny Days in Second Grade.blogspot.com" and I couldn't wait to use it this year to help with place value.  I changed it up a bit and am calling it "Place Value Pick Up Sticks."  We started with a whole group lesson using some large (ruler sized)  sticks.  I put 10 orange stickers on one side of 10 sticks. Then I put one green sticker on the other side.  We took turns dropping the sticks. After the sticks were dropped we organized them into "tens" and "ones." That's where the dots come in. I wanted them to see the tens, and see the ones. We talked a lot about the "tens place" really meaning groups of ten, and when we write a 5 in the tens place we are really working with a value of 50. Then, of course we put the "ones" in. the kids wrote their findings on whiteboards.

Next week I will be putting a smaller version of this activity in a math tub.  The game will use popsicle sticks with dots drawn on them.

I know the kids are going to love it.  I might even get the kids to make their own game pieces!

If you think you might want to try this, check out sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com.  If you want a quick printable of my version of the game including directions on how to create the large and small sticks as well as a recording page for your kids...

CLICK HERE!!! :)

Have a great rest of the week!!! I'll be back soon!!

Joyfully!

Nancy

Hello Everyone!
Next week we will begin a science unit on seasons and then weather. With the start of fall, I wanted an easily accessible book I knew the kids would love, but also learn something.  Splat the Cat came to the rescue with his new book based on the character by Rob Scotton. "Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin Picking Plan" fit our needs.


You know I also love to integrate, so I created a quick little unit based on this book.  The unit includes an interactive science component on seasons, some poetry, some word work, a hands on visual connection and a few more little goodies.  Here are a few pics.

For your free little mini unit, CLICK HERE!!

I hope you can use even a small part of this pack.  The book can be found at Target or WalMart, as well as your local bookstore or on-line store.  Have a great week!!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave me a comment!! 

Happy Fall!!

Joyfully!

Nancy

Money Game and Family Wants and Needs

Hello Everyone!
 We have been working hard this week on identifying coins and telling their value. Today we created a whole group game to help with cementing those ideas. We made a "Bigger than Life" gameboard (you know my love of those shower curtain sized gameboards!). We divided the board into 25 sections with tape and then filled each section with either a coin, the coin's name, the value, or the value words.  We taped paper coins to a foam die. The kids took turns rolling the die and covering something on the board that matched with the coin rolled. We played until we had 5 in a row covered!  The kids were completely engaged for the entire game, helping each other and cheering when we finally had 5 in a row.  A smaller version of this game will become a math tub game for next week. 

You can get a printable of this game including large cards for the whole group lesson and small game board for math tubs.Simply CLICK HERE!!! :) It's FREE!

(I am hoping that google docs is cooperating.  Every time I upload things lately, it looks different. Remember, you can always e-mail me and I will send you the doc that way!)

Next week we will begin a reading/social studies unit on family wants and needs.  I have shared my "Me and My Family" before, but I added some elements using two favorite books, "A Chair for My Mother," and "The Relatives Came."

 

 You can get this printable!  You don't even need to save!!
All you need to do is CLICK HERE!!! :) I hope!!

Ok!!  I've got stuff to do to get ready for our SCI FRI tomorrow!! Magnet fun!! Yippee!!
Have a fantastic Friday!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

It was an "Appeeling" Week!

Hello Everyone!!
We had a great week last week!  You could say it was quite  "Appeeling!!"  Many of our learning opportunities had an fun apple twist.  We were studying closed syllable short a words, with the word apple as a favorite.  We practiced skip counting with apple shapes.  We studied the citizenship of Johnny Appleseed.  We studied force and motion using apples.  On Friday, we made applesauce together!  Here are a few pics.

Skip counting by 5's starting at 4!

Wobbly apple roll

Applecopter launch! The one and only time
 I let them stand on their chairs!! 

Studying force and motion with an Applecopter!!

 

Crock Pot Applesauce

Yummmmmmm!!

Wearing a pot on our heads??? Yes!!

You can get most of the activities for the science and social studies if you would like.  Keep reading!!

For all the Johnny Appleseed stuff, including the applesauce directions, CLICK HERE!

For the Science- Force and motion with an apple twist, 

CLICK HERE!

For the math skip counting with apples, CLICK HERE!!

Next we are working on magnets, and yes, I added a little apple twist to that as well.

You can get that HERE!! :)

 And one more quick share.  In writing we'll be working on when to use uppercase letters. Here's a quick little chant that was very effective last year.

You can get that HERE!! :)

PHEW!!!  Oh!  I almost forgot!  I told you I would share some amazing writing my kids have been doing. But this week was also filled with assessments, I station, Spelling Inventory, Accelerated Math Inventory, Writing Portfolio BOY entry, and DRA's. I am hopeful that this coming week will be a bit more "normal" and I can grab some shots of their amazing work.  I am very excited!!!  Till then, thanks for stopping by for a peek!! We appreciate your interest in what we've been up to!! Don't forget to leave a comment!!

Have a great week!!

Joyfully!

Nancy