100 Day Champs

This Friday, is our 100th day of school! This year is flying by! Kindergarten and First grade have decided to have a Super Bowl theme this year. Kindergarteners are wearing Seahawks colors and First graders are wearing Broncos colors. We even made shirts for the teachers to wear. Check them out!

I made a banner for my door.

One of the K teachers showed me the most adorable craft for 100th day and I wanted to share it with you.

You take skin colored paper and have students tear it into pieces and then glue in a circle on construction paper to make a face.The torn paper makes the face look "wrinkled". Then, add eyes, nose, lips etc. For the hair, use cotton balls. I love how some of them made mustaches and beards.  When we were finished we wrote about what we would do when we were 100 years old. Take a look at some of my favorites.

 I'll be in the nursing home.

 I will sit on a couch and eat.

 I am going to heaven.

 I will be awesome.

Aren't these adorable! We are also making football helmets by taking a "bonnet" pattern and adding a chin strap! What are you doing for the 100th day?

Thanks for stopping by!

MOOLAH

Hello to all you wonderful teachers and bloggers! Just like Shelley, things have been crazy for me as well, so I apologize for being MIA for a while.

Since I last posted (terrible to say but I cannot even remember when...all I know is it was at the beginning of the school year), a lot has happened. I graduated with my Masters in Educational Technology in December from the University of Missouri (MIZ-ZOU). That was the best feeling in the world. It still feels surreal that it's all over with, as it felt like I just started. Call me crazy...but I have been thinking about starting up my doctorate degree. I haven't applied or anything but have been seriously thinking about it.


Callie sitting with Grandpa a few weeks ago

Along with my masters, I helped welcome my new niece, Calliope "Callie" Ann, into this world in September. I have been obsessed ever since I met her. I will admit..it was an interesting experience as Philip and I don't have any children yet, but it was all so worth it. Here are some pictures of my adorable niece.


Callie a few weeks after she was born

 

 

Ok...enough with the updates with me. Now onto talking about money! Who doesn't love money!?

We just started teaching money in 3rd grade at my school. We are a little behind with our schedule due to various snow days (we are up to 7 now), but that's what I have learned with teaching...you rarely follow a schedule exactly. Anyways, I wanted to share a few ideas that I am using in my classroom.

On the first day I introduced money, I split up my kiddos into 6 groups. I gave each group a cup of coins and a piece of paper. I sent the groups off by telling them that they had 5 minutes to write down as many words to describe the money as possible. I told them I wanted them to think that I didn't know anything about the money. Then we came back to the floor and discussed what they came up with. I created an anchor chart with some of their answers. Their answers varied from what the coins looked like, to its use, to the value of the coins. I thought this was a great hands on activity where all learning abilities were engaged.

For the remaining part of the money unit, I am going to focus on adding money and making change. Since I have two math groups I meet with daily, I will teach making change to $5 for my lower kiddos, and for my higher kiddos, $20 and higher.

I plan to use the Math Academy-Dining Out resources. I printed out some of the menus and corresponding questions. Every student will get a menu. However, my higher kiddos will be the only ones to receive the questions. You can also get some local restaurant menus or store ads to use with your kiddos.

While I am meeting with my lower group (I meet with them first), my higher group will be working on answering the questions with corresponding menus. If they finish, they get to work on a challenge packet that comes from the Singapore Math Program and/or play my Money War game. I use the challenge packet as homework too.

With my lower group, I plan on asking them questions from the menus and having them add the items up and make change.

For example, I bought a hot dog and a soda. How much did I spend? Then, I used $5 to pay for it. How much change will I get back? I will have them create the change using two different combinations. They will work with a partner or individually to answer these questions. I will work with my struggling students as needed.

After meeting with my lower kiddos, they will work on the corresponding workbook pages, which comes from the Singapore Math Program. This will happen for several days.

Another idea I may use is having my students create a menu. When they have completed the menu, they will get with a partner and practice buying items from the menu and making change. This may be something they do when they have free time.

The following are also websites I am going to try to use with my kiddos as well:

• Cash Out
• Cash Register
• Making Change

Enough from me...what about you? How do you teach money and making change?

The first 2 people to reply will receive my Money War game for free. Please make sure to include an email address with your response.

Also, don't forget to follow us on Bloglovin to stay in the loop! :)





Scientific Method and Science Fair

Hello darlings!  Our third graders are required to complete a Science Project every year and I am the Science Fair Coordinator at my school, so it works out nicely!

For the past two years, I have made it easy on myself and completed the same science experiment with my class to model the scientific method and model the project that they are required to do at home.  The experiment is all about chocolate, so of course they are extremely engaged!

Our Question:
Will chocolate melt faster when held in my bare hand or when I hold it in a glove?

Research:
-human body temperature
-melting point of chocolate
-insulators

I purchased about 12 pairs of gloves when they were on sale last year (around $.25), and I just wash them and reuse them.  The gloves will melt the chocolate, just not as quickly.  Of course it melts more quickly in a bare hand, but don't tell anyone I told you! =)  It is a great lesson to talk about human body temperature and to talk about insulators.  Many kiddos think that the glove will melt the chocolate faster because they associate it with warmth.  They learn that a glove is an insulator and traps the heat inside the hand instead of letting the heat escape to the surface.

Kiddos love testing their hypothesis, and then eating the results!

We went through each step of the Scientific Method together.  I usually break the project up over a week so that kiddos aren't overwhelmed with all of the writing at once.  They have to fill in their Science Journal as we go so that they have a guide to take home to help them (ahem...the parents) understand each step.

 Once completed, we learn how to set up the Science Fair Board by making a miniature one with each part.

I love getting to see the students' finished projects from home!

I do make sure to make a big deal about THEM putting the board together.

If you would like to save yourself some time, click below to get all the resources in my unit! I even included a completed answer key journal for the Chocolate experiment!

Good luck on your Science Adventure! The first person to comment with their email will get this unit sent to their inbox for free!  Don't forget to follow us on Bloglovin to make sure you are in the loop with these freebies!

It Has Been Awhile!

Hi Fellow Teachers and Bloggers,
I have not posted in about a year. The last year has been the best, yet busiest, time of my life! There is not one thing in my life that has stayed the same....except for the awesome friends and family I have in my life. Since last February, I started writing math curriculum for New York State(more on that later), got married, moved, and got a job teaching kindergarten at another school. Blogging was put on the back burner.....until now! I am still working 2 jobs. I teach during the day and do PD on the curriculum I helped write in the evenings, but my goal is to still blog whenever I am able.

Since this is my first time blogging since my wedding, I wanted to showcase one of my talented friends for any future brides out there! I love DIY projects. One of my projects I was trying to get done before the wedding, was a hanger that spelled Mrs. Petre (my new name). While I was working on the hanger, and failing miserably, my  wonderful fiance told me he would take care of the hanger for me! He called Stephanie and within a day she had the hanger ready! It was perfect! Click on the link under the picture to order your personalized hanger! This would make a great wedding shower gift!

https://www.facebook.com/HungUpWithLove

I didn't want to blog and not leave you with a freebie! Click the picture below to download a free copy of the Prince Charming Rhyme Game. Students turn all cards face up. Find the princess' prince by matching the rhyming words. If the princess and prince don't rhyme, then it is not a perfect match! You can also play Go Fish or Memory! I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Shelley

Biography Resources for Free!

Hello darlings!  I hope you are staying warm!  I'm in O'Fallon, Missouri and it is cold!! We got about 10 inches of snow here on Sunday.   According to my Weather Channel App it says it feels like 14 degrees.  That is a huge improvement from feeling like -10 degrees yesterday.  We have had two snow days.  I wonder about tomorrow.  How is it where you are?

Since I have been away from my beautiful blog for so long, I decided to share with you one of my mini units for free.  I really want to provide more ideas and resources than products this year!   Click here to download for free!

While you are at it, check out  this awesome bundle from Educents that some of your favorite bloggers and I put together! 

It is a collection of our BEST SELLERS of 2013 with over 1,400 pages of engaging activities!  I already have it and I can't tell you how excited I am to start using it in January! Just do yourself a favor and check it out!!  It is only $29.99 instead of $143.24!!!! Click here!  It is only available until Jan 15th! 

                                       

Stay Warm!

Currently and a great deal

Hello darling friends!  Happy New Year to you!  I hope for many blessings for you and your family!  I'm linking up with Oh Boy 4th Grade for the January Currently.  I'm a day late, but what can I say, at least I am doing it!  =)

I hope you can check out this awesome bundle from Educents that some of your favorite bloggers and I put together! It is a collection of our BEST SELLERS of 2013 with over 1,400 pages of engaging activities!  I already have it and I can't tell you how excited I am to start using it in January! Just do yourself a favor and check it out!!  It is only $29.99 instead of $143.24!!!! Click here!

                                       

Happy 2014!