3D and 2D Geometric Connections: Using a real-life object to make that demonstration

I took a regular Kleenex box and showed my 1st grade students step by step what 2D shapes makes a rectangular prism.  They made connections between the 3D rectangular prism and 2D rectangular and square shapes using a Kleenex box.  I cut the Kleenex box and pasted each face to chart paper.  We discussed the edges, faces and vertices of the rectangular prism.  Before this lesson, we made a compare and contrast Venn diagram between a rectangular prism and cube.   It's important for my students to have that solid foundation and understanding of the different geometric shapes.

 

QR Codes 1st Grade Math

 Technology and math integration for my 1st grade students.  I designed it as a review of different math skills that my class has covered so far.  The following is the result and I am freely given it away to all classroom teachers that can possibly make use of it.    Print  in color paper and laminate.  Download a scan app to an IPod and IPad.  Each student can then scan the QR code to solve the math problem.  Have a wonderful day!  :)

Click here to download

WHATASIGHTWORD (Sight Words Display For Classroom)

Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) is always a great challenge to take on and one I always look forward to each school year.   This school year, I wanted to organize the sight words in a different manner than previous school years.  My vision is to see students be more interactive with their sight words as they use them to do various language art activities with them.  We have always done the following activities:  spell them out, find them in their books, magazines, postcards, write sentences with them, use them as they speak English etc... but now I want my students to choose the words they want to keep practicing.  Keeping in mind, that eventually, they will need to choose different sight words each time they use the WHATASIGHTWORD Board.

I went to my local WHATABURGER and they gladly donated the french fries containers.  Thanks so much!  Voila!

Classroom Interior Decoration: To Infinity and Beyond Quote

My niece, Elizebeth, knows that I'm always looking for a bargain when it comes to buying good quality items for my classroom.  She bought me 4 small blackboards for 25 cents each at a garage sale.  I loved them the instant she gave them to me!  I knew that I could put them to good use!  I started thinking,  what do all little good 1st grade students relate to????  Animated movies!!!   So, I found myself a quote from Toy Story that Buzz Lightyear uses throughout the movie.  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

I grabbed myself a glue gun, some fashionable letters, some creativity and came up with this simple classroom decoration.  I can't wait to display it in my classroom very soon!

From Trash To Flash In 30 Minutes

Currently I am updating my writing station in my classroom but did not want to spend a dime on buying more items for my classroom so I had to get my creative juices flowing to think of someway to create something nice and reusable for my classroom.  My niece who lives with me -->  I'm her guardian... loves chocolate powder to add to her milk.  I was fixing to throw the empty container in the trashcan when....ding, ding, ding!!!! Then, it hit me like a ton of pencils!!!! I could use this container and turn it into storage for my markers!!!  This project took about 30 minutes to do.  The following photos are the results

 

 Voila!  My new storage container for the different writing instruments my students will be using for their creative writing station!

EGGstraordinary Fractions!!!!

This activity elevated my little 1st grade students to the next level of understanding in fractions.  They had so much fun using the sports theme Easter eggs to learn and practice fractions.  Really want to share this activity with everyone out there!  When my little students took the district assessment test over this concept, the majority of them passed the test.  I love it when students really capture and understand the concept.  It gives me goosebumps when I see my little ones being successful in their academic learning.  

So here is the activity along with a couple of pictures of what I used to setup my Eggstraordinary Fraction Station.  Please feel free to pass along this activity to your teacher friends!

*By the way, I shopped at the Dollar Tree.   That's where I found the sports theme Easter eggs.

click here to download fraction activity 

Fractions With Literacy

We have been enjoying the different stories written by Kevin Henkes.  In several of his books, Mr. Henkes, writes about Lilly, one of my students favorite characters.   Lilly is a very fun and creative mouse.  She appears in the following books:  Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Chester's Way, Lilly's Big Day, and Julius, The Baby Of The World. 

After reading and discussing those books, we celebrated Lilly's birthday during our math time.  My students were learning about fractions.  This was a perfect opportunity to make another connection with Lilly.  Students were asked to draw cakes and demonstrate the many ways they can cut the cake in 4 equal parts to share with friends.  Students decorated their cake in their own imaginative way.

The following is a second way to do this same activity!  Thank you for your e-mails/comments!  Have a wonderful week!  

Click here to download free activity!

Voting Math Freebie in honor of President's Day

In honor of President's Day here is a voting math freebie I've designed.  What a good way to learn about the voting process and practicing math at the same time.

On a side note, my niece and I have not quite picked her birthday cake.  I am hoping that it will all come together this weekend along with the invitations.  Really excited for her birthday!

Click VOTE to download freebie.

Discovering Odd & Even Numbers

What to do with the magazines, newspapers, postcard advertisements, coupons, grocery advertisements, etc... in the mailbox?  After reading it, I don't place it in the recycling bin just yet, I take it to school to use it for academic learning.  Last month, we did our study on odd and even numbers.  This is what we did with the clippings...

Students and I discussed how we look at the last digit to determine if it's an odd or even number.  

Have a wonderful school week!

Dream it! Live it!

Monica

Valentine Shopping For Your Elementary Students

My niece and I found some excellent bargains at Wal-Mart.  Watch to see what was bought for Valentine's Day! 

Love, Monica

S.W.E.E.T.

It was a s.w.e.e.t. surprise that one of student's gave a me a Hershey's Chocolate Bar wrapped up in a pretty blue paper with 3 colorful hearts.  The small details made this gift more delightful!  You can never go wrong with a Hershey's Chocolate Bar!  Thank you!  :)

 

Color My Hearts Fact Families Freebie

My niece and I are making preparations for her Sweet 16 Birthday!  We are designing her invitations and looked at several cakes.  She took some pictures of different cake designs.  Hopefully, we will nail down exactly the look she wants.  So exicited for her upcoming birthday!  Have some wonderful memories of Elizebeth as a baby!

My students are continuing to review fact families, so I grabbed the designed I've used before for a skip counting skill and turned the design into fact families.  This activity goes perfect with the Valentine theme.  

Have a wonderful week at school and enjoy the classroom freebie!

**FYI  My website for MathGeekStudio.com is currently undergoing some changes.  It will be up in the very near future.  Thank you for reading my blog and hope you will be back soon!  

Click here to print your freebie!

 

Chocolate Candy Bag Math Activity Freebie!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner!  One of the best days of the year!    But, here is another fun math activity that I've just finished designing.  Take a look at it and let me know how you like it.  Here's to another great week of learning!

Click here for freebie!

Freebie: Skip Counting by 2's Perfect Valentine Cards

Here is a freebie from MathGeekStudio.com.  This worksheet activity is dedicated to my niece, Devin Nicole, who designed illustrations over the summer.  She is one smart, dedicated student and teenager!  I love her like a ton of Hershey Kisses!  

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. Have fun skip counting by 2's! 

Have a wonderful week at school educators!  Let's dream it and live it!

Click here download the freebie.

My Basketball Shoes

Listening to Beatles Channel while posting my new math fraction design about basketball shoes.  Follow me on twitter for updates on new math activities.  This is a freebie to teachers.  Thank you for your comments and encouragement!  Truly love hearing from all of you!  Much love!

Click here to download Basketball Shoes Activity

Touchdown!

Thank you so much for all your support and for reading my math blog.  I really do love to hear from y'all, so shoot me an e-mail!  To my fellow audience,  I have officially finished my first math activity book and I am so excited to share it with you very soon.  Now, I'm in the works of beginning on a second math activity book.   Ideas are starting to flow and have been diligently writing them down as it happens.  

Looking forward to spending some quality Christmas time with the family and helping my niece with her basketball practice, which by the way we are both getting much better at that sport. Like they say, "Practice makes perfect!"

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!  I've just finished designing this math activity and wanted to give it away for classroom teachers to use.  Football is always a favorite with many of us, so that is the theme for this activity.

Click here for the freebie! 

Freebie: Classroom Creation Station Cards

Here is to a wonderful Christmas and New Year 2012 to all the wonderful teachers out there!  May you enjoy this time to its fullest with family and friends!  This semester has gone by too fast for me but it has certainly giving me time to be thankful for my family, students, friends and all my fellow teacher friends!  I've just designed a set of Classroom Station Cards for rotation organization.  Also, I left the last page blank on purpose.  They are yours for free just leave a comment!  

Click HERE to download your Classroom Station Cards

FREEBIE NUMBER SENSE: COLOR MY WORLD

Love designing math activities for teachers to use in the classroom.  Here is a freebie to use for your kindergarteners!  Leave a comment and let me know how it goes!

Click HERE to see the Math Freebie!

Students Finding And Analyzing Geometry Shapes In The Real World

Heard some interesting conversations among the students as I was facilitating this lesson on the discovery of different shapes they can find in the real world.  One student asked a question, "What's is the difference between a square and a rectangle?"  He answered his own question as he discovered various different items that were squares and rectangles.  He noticed that 2 sides were the same length than the other side.

They also found out that shapes turned different directions/angels.  

Students helped each other look for real world shapes, cut and organized shapes into 4 different categories:  circle, triangle, square and rectangles.

Below are some  image samples one can find in newspaper clippings: