Unit 6 Math Centers

Next week, Room 8 will be wrapping up our math unit 6. It has been a tricky one for a lot us - tackling adding three addends, subtracting double digits, comparison stories, multiplication, and starting next week.....division. *Gasp!* To review the skills they have been building on for the past couple weeks before introducing division, I decided to have a fun math class today. 

We love centers!

To review multiplication (and slyly introduce division) we started off math today by playing a game to break up the class in several equal groups. I would say a number, four for example, and the students would make groups of four and link arms. We would then discuss how many equal groups there were, how many people in each group, and how many people in all. Then we would recite, 4 times 4 equal 16. With some numbers, the students realized that all 18 were able to form equal groups, and with some there weren't. 
 I then broke them up into four groups with four centers. 

Center #1 had a game of adding three addends where they would flip over three cards from a deck and add them together.

Center #2 had students practicing double-digit subtraction using base 10 blocks.

Center #3 had the students finding equal groups around the classroom.

Center #4 had students breaking down comparison stories using unifix cubes.

Counting ceiling tiles

Once all the groups had rotated through the centers (about 7-10 minutes each), after cleaning up, each student got a calculator and met me on the carpet. Using all the strategies and skills for multiplication and adding multiple addends, I gave the students the challenge of quickly (and quietly) adding all the ceiling tiles in Room 8. It was so funny to watch them tiptoeing around the classroom with their pointer fingers in the air counting the tiles. Once they had the answer they would come check with me.  If they were pretty close to what I got for an answer, I had them take a seat on the carpet. After everything, we learned that there are 120 ceiling tiles in Room 8!

"Snow" Day!

After a busy, busy (and sick) Monday and Tuesday, a Wednesday "Snow" Day could not have been more welcomed. (I put snow in quotation marks because I don't think a single snowflake hit the ground.) I guess the roads were dreadful, but I am happy to report that I avoided leaving my bed at all costs, let alone the house. I can now successfully breathe through my nose, speak clearly, and go more than 5 minutes without needing to blow my nose! The kiddos seem to be a lot happier and healthier today too, which is always a major bonus.

Conga Lines in Second Grade!

Even though the temperatures are low outside, morale is high in Room 8! After snack today, the students decided to have a mini dance party "to the music in their heads". Needless to say, it wasn't too long before a conga line danced around the carpet. Silly kiddos! It's going to be a great day.

The Result of a Three-Day Weekend

Could not have been more grateful for a long weekend and the four day week that follows (I think the kiddos would agree). However, coming back from a long weekend also comes with its challenges - mainly crazy kids. Sometimes it's important to realize that your idealized outcome in a lesson will not be met in the way that you intended. Yesterday, I had a perfect and orderly (in my opinion) math lesson on word problems and a review of ballpark estimates all ready to go. Unfortunately, the kiddos were NOT having it and it was frustrating for all of us. 
Lesson of the week: don't force something if it's obviously not working. I cut the lesson short and resumed today. I created teams and set up a "Ballpark Estimate Game Show". The first time ballpark estimates were introduced, the kids did great on the carpet showing their responses on their whiteboards, but when time came for the worksheets, they were stuck. I knew that this review needed to be more of a reteach. 
I broke up the class into two teams and a scorekeeper. For round one, I called out a number for the students to round up or down, they would circle their answer, and then raise their hand to signify that they were finished. The team member that raised their hand first got a point; ties meant that both teams got a point. The prize for cooperation, good sportsmanship, and teamwork (not points) was that they didn't need to do the worksheet. 
With every competition-style....anything.... in the classroom runs the risk of tears and arguments, that I knew and that I experienced, but through it all, I knew that the learning and understanding was still there, so I pressed on. 
In round two they practiced adding their ballpark estimates and in round three they added the ballpark estimates and the actual numbers. In the end, we all agreed that they now have a better understanding of ballpark estimates than before the game show. ...And they were all pretty jazzed to not have homework. :)

Learning about Haikus!

"Magic Butterfly"

Because of all the illnesses these week, my reading group of four became a reading group of one. Poor sick kids! Since my remaining student loves reading and writing poetry to the point where it's really all she reads and writes, I decided to do a mini-lesson on writing haikus. I got a set of poetry magnets for Christmas from my uncle and figured I should put them to good use. After reading a few examples and discussions on the format, she hit the ground running. I'd say she did amazing!

"The Music Warms My Life"

 

New Fish in Room 8!

This morning was very exciting thanks to some swimmy new additions to our class - two tetras and a bristle nose pleco!

Subbing, and Blackouts, and Spiders, oh my!

Observing the spider in the sink

In my Social Studies methods class last semester, I remember Joan Staffiere telling a story about how there are a few things that completely derail a lesson. She also mentioned that if these circumstances do arise, the teacher should just let the situation run its course. Example #1: Electricity loss. Not too long after the students arrived in the classroom, the entire school fell to darkness. After a few screams and exclamations from the students, I ushered them to the carpet, and let them share their stories of times their uncle's sister's aunt lost electricity. Within minutes it was back on.  Example #2: Discovering a spider. Later, during a lesson on the five basic food groups, a student discovered a spider in the sink. Not just a spider, but a daddy-long-legs. Back story: I am terrified of spiders. After some screams from students (thankfully just the students), the group huddled around the sink. There was a heated discussion if whether it should be killed or released (released) and then whether to put it outside or in the hallway (the hallway). A very brave little girl scooped the spider into a Dixie cup and placed it in the hallway. Then came the spider stories.....

Journaling for Glowing Germs!

An illustration of a teacher's reaction to the Glowing Germs!

Glowing Germs!

At Asa Adams, every Friday morning the first and second graders participate in Surprise Science. Each first and second grade teacher plans an hour long science investigation that the students rotate and participate in for five weeks. For Room 8's rotation, I planned an activity called Glowing Germs to investigate the importance of handwashing during flu season! I set up a chart for students to predict which method of handwashing was most effective - antibacterial hand soap, regular hand soap, or hand sanitizer. Not surprisingly, antibacterial hand soap got the most votes by a long shot. We then had three volunteers test the Glo Germ gel on their hands before washing. Glo Germ gel is a substance that sticks to germs and, when exposed to ultraviolet light, they glow! The students were fascinated and disgusted by how much their classmates hands were glowing! The class then broke up into three groups and washed their hands. The students each got a dab of Glo Germ gel and rubbed it in. They each got a chance to put their hands under the black light to see if there were still germs. We noticed that almost all of their fingertips were glowing! The students concluded that it didn't really matter what soap was used, as long as they wash their hands for the amount of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" (20-30 seconds), rinse with warm water, and pay extra attention to washing their fingertips and fingernails. They recorded what they learned in their science journals!

Making our predictions!

Handwashing using antibacterial soap

Applying the Glo Germ gel

Handwashing with regular soap

Using the blacklight to see the germs

Glowing germs!

Reflecting on what we learned in our journals

A Little About Me!

I am a senior early childhood and elementary education student at the University of Maine. I am currently working on my student teaching semester in second grade at Asa Adams School in Orono and absolutely loving every minute of it. This blog will include experiences, thoughts, projects, and pictures pertaining to my time spent as a student teacher. (FYI: I have parental permission to post the photos of children in Room 8.)