I'm having a Giveaway...

On my other blog I'm having a giveaway.  Go check it out...

It's been a while... starting to think about this next year!

So I'm starting to think about this next year of school.  We are starting the new year off with Unit 1 of the Common core.  I find it a little difficult to get a grasp of it and organize and plan it all out.  We have had 2 planning days with our first grade team so far to plan for this next year and implementing the Common Core.  I feel good for what we did a couple of weeks ago but would like to know.... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  Do you have activities?  Do you have a map on what you are teaching? 

How are you planning for the CCSS?  I know not all states are adopting but for those of you that are, what blogs or sites have you found helpful?  What have you created? 

I would share what we have come up with but it's kinda a blur and on a different computer.  :)

Looking forward to it but a little nervous about it.  I just don't feel like I'll be 100% prepared for this next year.

http://web.me.com/acaciatc/UACC/Intro.html

My weight loss blog

I started a new blog recently and thought I would share it with everyone who reads this blog (that I have not done a good job keeping up with!). 

I'm sick of being overweight and have decided to take a new step in my life and lose this weight I've been carrying around the past forever years.  I have decided to finally find the skinny girl that is hiding inside me.  It is going to take time and I am just so ready.

So, if you want to read my other blog go check it out:

http://leah-findingmyskinnygirl.blogspot.com/

Color the Eggs- choose your reward

I have many students who want to eat lunch with me, play games with me, and do other various things throughout the day.  I've done in the past where each group has a puzzle they are trying to complete to earn a reward.  I have always set what the reward is (eating lunch with me).  So in April I'm going to try to let the students write down what they would like as a reward and color in eggs to work towards earning their reward.  Anyway, here's what I've come up with.

Student reward charts

How to earn their reward and possible rewards

Fractions!

So I'm starting fractions this week.

Today, I just had them in groups of 4 and gave them 5 cookies to share.  There was one table that imedietly knew what to do and they gave each person 1 cookie and broke the other cookie into 4 equal parts.  One group just left the one cookie in the middle and didn't know what to do.  One group took a while getting started but were talking about what they should do.  I think they were afraid to break the cookie.  :)  After I walked around and they talked about what they did, we ate our cookies and listened to the book, "The doorbell Rang."  

Tomorrow I'm going to read Eating Fractions (I have this book and another book about eating fractions) and get more into fractions and part to whole.  

I found a few videos I may show them:


Pizza guy talking about fractions


Cutting food into fractions

I printed out these pizza fractions and am going to play a "find your pizza partners" game where students are given 1 piece of the pizza and have to build their pizza.  We'll then talk about how many pieces are in your pizza as a whole and how big a part of the pizza they are.  I'll throw this in a center next week where they can make the pizzas and explore different ways to make a whole pizza.

I made a couple of papers about pizza fractions.

What have you done with fractions? 

A few other Rodeo Things

I have been looking through our 1st grade Rodeo unit, trying to update and make things exciting.  I haven't come up with much but here's what I've got so far.

I created a PowerPoint to introduce the Springdale Rodeo of the Ozarks to the students. 

Rodeo of the Ozarks Powerpoint

 (it is a big file, not sure how long it takes to download)

One of the things we are suppose to do is talk about the 4 parts to production.  There is a little game in there that they play where everyone gets 4 cards (random) and has to go around trading with other students until everyone has 4 different cards (land, labor, capital, entrepreneurs).  Before hand I will explain what each part is and come up with a chart that shows pictures, definition, examples... etc).  Here are the card I made for the little game (you'd have to make a enough copies for each student to get the 4 different parts).

Special Specialists

Next up, the Lemonade production line.  We originally had a production line to make cowboy hats but I've heard they were too hard to make.  So, I came up with the idea of making lemonade and selling it (to help with the cost it will be for the students to go to the stick horse rodeo.  Here's the lesson that goes with this.  

Lemonade Production Line

Oh and I plan to show the I Love Lucy clip where they are wrapping chocolates.  

I haven't make this yet but there are some wants and needs of cowboys/girls that I'm gonna work on making.

Here is the actual Stick horse Rodeo Unit I found online 

(I think it is an earlier version but basically the same)

Back to work I go.  :)

Jungleopoly and Farmopoly

So I recently came across this post and it got me thinking.  I don't want to do a homeworkopoly so I created my own jungle themed monopoly.  I'm not sure how I'm going to use it yet.  I'm thinking I may try to use it for academics (spelling words, reading level, math facts, etc.).  I'm thinking that I'll just make a chart and anytime they complete something from the chart, they can roll the dice and move that many spots.  Anyway, here is what I came up with.  I'm not sure about the names of all the places/things.  It's hard to think when you have a child screaming in your ear and one in the other ear.  :)  Let me know what you think!

Jungleopoly board game

Jungleopoly cards 

(you print them out and write your reward on the back)

Since I obsess... I made a farm themed monopoly!

Farmopoly

Farmopoly cards

Oh and if you want it big enough for a bulletin board, print it normal.  If you want it small like a real board game, print 4 pages to one sheet.