Ordering Decimals

I love it when a last minute idea turns out great. Last night I was trying to come up with a fun way for the students to review ordering decimals. So a quickly created this freebie.

Today all three classes completed the activity. It worked really well for those still struggling with comparing and ordering decimals. Being able to easily manipulate the numbers around helped them "see" which number belonged first, second, etc. Also, having the anchor numbers made it less overwhelming for my struggling students. Since everyone was working at their own pace, it made it easier for me to get around the room to help those who needed it.

Not only did they enjoy doing an "art" activity in math class, they loved displaying their work in the hallway. I have to admit I do not do it nearly enough.

I wish I had zoomed in for one of the shots. They really did a nice job.

Several students still need to finish coloring so we will be adding more to the wall tomorrow. They are anxious to get their work up there!

Did you do any Halloween theme activities in your classroom today? I would love to hear about them.

Happy Halloween!

Kim

Happy Halloween and a Freebie!

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted. I honestly do not know how teachers find the time to post regularly while working full time. I am trying desperately to keep my head above water. This whole blog thing seemed much more doable this summer. 

Anyway, enough excuses. Here is an activity I just whipped together to do tomorrow with my classes. It is nothing fancy, just a quick way to review ordering decimals before our final assessment. 

The students will cut and color the figures, then put them in order from least to greatest. I made four different versions so each member of a group would be working on a different set of numbers. I plan to have the students paste the shapes to a sentence strip.

The adorable clip art came from

  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Fun-Classroom-Creations

If you would like a copy of this activity you can click on the images above or here to download.

Please comment if you download. 

Are you planning any special activities for Halloween?

Enjoy

Kim

Scoot: I'm a believer.

In my search for new and exciting lessons that align with the Common Core, Scoot games have been a frequent search result. Up until two weeks ago I had never tried the game. It never seemed to be something that would work for my class.

For those of you who are not familiar with Scoot - You play by putting a task card on every desk. The students start at their own desk and complete the task card. Then on your signal (say scoot, ring bell, etc) the students rotate to the next desk and repeat.

My concern with Scoot was the fact that the ability levels within my math classes are so drastic. If I used the traditional rules of Scoot, I would have students that were bored to death waiting for the signal while others would have to move before they finished the card. 

Then, the other day, as I was trying to come up with a fun way to review place value, I revisited the Scoot game. I realized that the timing of the game was my issue. I needed students to be able to move at their own pace. The answer.............more task cards than students. So I adapted the game.

I put a task card on each desk and then several more around the room. I used two other tables and a back shelf. Instead of students waiting for a signal, they move as soon as they complete the card. Instead of moving in a particular order, they move to any free spot that they haven't visited yet.

 The big thing for the students to remember is to check the number on the task card and be sure to put the answer in the correct space on the answer sheet. 

The students loved it. More importantly, I was free to move around the room helping students who were stuck. I was also able to use their answer sheet to assess their learning. It was easy to see who was still having difficulty based on their answers and how many cards they were able to complete.

I used these cards  Place Value Mystery Number Cards.They are free from Love to Learn over on Teachers Pay Teachers. Go check them out. 



Have you used Scoot in your classroom or adapted any games to "fit" your particular class? I would love to hear about it. I am always looking for new ways to inspire my students.

Kim

Currently October and Exhausted.

Where did September go? Did I blink and miss it? I am beyond exhausted. The transition back to school has been a crazy one. We have a new math and ELA program to sift through. Add to that the new teacher evaluation process to figure out. It has been just a bit overwhelming. 

I have several ideas for post but I am definitely finding it difficult to find the time to complete them.I decided to link up with Farley with the hopes that this post will help motivate me to get back on track and start writing.  

This pumpkin waffle recipe is my husband's favorite. Check it out. http://www.5dollardinners.com/pumpkin-waffles/

Enjoy!

Kim