Marshmallow & Froot Loop Place Value

It is mid-week 3 now and things are getting going.  I've assessed my students in reading and in math.  Let's just say...YIKES!  So, I'm having to adapt a lot of the math plans I'm getting from my fellow grade-level team members.  We chose to begin with place value because we all were noticing that our students just didn't have any sense...number sense, that is!

Rather than doing a pencil and paper activity, I wanted to assess their place value knowledge thus far and give them another opportunity to manipulate and visualize those digits!  I hunted and hunted on Pinterest and TpT.  I googled.  I searched blogs.  Luckily, I came across a blog that had an activity for a lower elementary grade using marshmallows and Froot Loops cereal.  I loved it!  But it was too easy for my Terrific Thirds!  So... in true form, I adapted it and made my own materials and lesson plan for it to use it the way I wanted to.

I made the materials so I could display it in the hallway as well.  The work mat is blank with spaces to assess students' understanding of place value in a 4-digit number.  The recording sheet also assesses their understanding of rounding to the nearest 10.  The activity as a whole will give them practice in and assess their understanding of whole number v. digit, the value of a digit, place value, estimation, rounding, etc.

Here are the materials if you're interested!

Marshmallow Place Value materials

Focusing.

Things are coming together.  Yes, pre-planning starts in two days, but Im still working and I'll be working in to pre-planning to be 100% ready for this school year.  See, I have this issue with doing things better than perfect.  I can't just throw something together or leave something for later.  I do everything until it's completely finished and to my standard.  And I have high standards.  So, I pay the price.  Yesterday, I worked all day on labels, dividers, a PowerPoint and getting my reader's notebook together.  However, I am happy to say I completed these tasks and have them here to share!

First, I wanted to share pictures of my upscaled ugly plastic laptop cart.  It was dingy and dirty and yucky when I entered my new room.  So I cleaned it, draped it in fabric, added ribbon on the edge and applied contact paper on the top to give it a new life.

Also, here is a picture of how I displayed my class rules...

My word wall which is right above where my focus wall will be for all our "We Can" statements, both organized and displayed by content area.  I made them dots to match my theme!  ;)

My writing materials center, "The Write Stuff".  

NOW to share my stuff!!  First up is my PowerPoint for introducing classroom expectations.  I've saved it in PDF format in Google Docs because the font I used will not transfer over in otherwise.  The version in Google Docs does not have my name on it. ;) You can bring it up on your interactive whiteboard and delete the slides you don't want or use it as a guide to create your own.

Classroom Expectations- in Google Docs

Up & Running...Again!

Hello again!  I am very sorry to have been out of touch from my blog for a couple of weeks!  The truth is that I had a favorite teacher friend of mine visiting from Kansas and then we had a death in our family so I was traveling to be with our extended family in Arizona.

I returned from all that and got working on my classroom again at the end of last week.  I am happy to report that it is coming along, slowly, yet it is progressing.  Much of my time in my room has been spent cleaning out the previous occupants stuff, which is now in a pile on a group of desks as we speak.  BUT I did get my bookshelves draped with fabric to hide the contents from view, I have also unpacked all of my belongings and organized the stockpile of supplies I hoarded over the summer.  And in true teacher fashion, a fellow faculty member and I had a “laminating party” this past Friday and spent 2 hours cutting out the 110 feet of laminating I had!  Now I can finally begin hanging things on the walls and start of bulletin boards, etc.  I also had the privilege of attending a former faculty member’s “back-to-school 31 party luncheon” yesterday...and spent another ungodly amount of money on cutesy bags and totes!  haha!

With that said, now that I have officially kicked off the back-to-school season, I’d like to share with you my projects the last two days!!  Ooooh, and I think I feel a FREEBIE coming on!!!

First...I saw this on Pinterest and LOVED IT!  A new, “high-end” way of displaying class rules.  And with my red/white/black theme!

 C’mon!  It’s cute, right?!  A $1.67 8x10 frame from Wal-Mart and some ribbon.  I just used a hot glue gun to attach the ribbon to the back and have those adhesive hooks for the wall.  It’s super cute!  Here’s where I got the freebie printable class rules.... not mine, so I’ll def promote them.

3rd Grade Thoughts - Class Rules Printables

Second...I was searching different behavior management systems teachers have in place that are out there and I came across Mel.D’s Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations.  Warm Fuzzies!  I love it!  So today, I’ve been obsessed with all things warm and fuzzy.  I took her idea that she had perfectly explained for her first grade class on her blog, and made it my own for 3rd graders!  I  made a PowerPoint to introduce this “Seusstastic” behavior incentive/reward system to my class during the first days of school.  I’m feeling giving today, and since I’m sure we’re all a bit stressed with the school year looming over us more and more as each day ends, here it is as a FREEBIE! I’ve uploaded it to Google Docs and I’m pretty sure my cute Doctor Seuss font will not transfer over.  If not, I have .png files of each slide that you can paste on to a PowerPoint slideshow so it will show up the way it’s intended.  Comment below if you want them.

Warm Fuzzies PowerPoint

As a part of the rewards, Mel D. uses classroom coupons as prizes.  Students can “cash in” their warm fuzzes for a coupon.  I made my own!  I call them “Good Choice Coupons” since all of the ways students can earn warm fuzzies all boil down to making a good choice vs. making a bad one. Again, I’m feelin’ it today so here they are.  You should be able to click on the image and print it.  If not, comment below.

 

NOTE:  I actually have the CLASS Apps job chart in my classroom that is pictured above.  If you want it, here is a link to order it from Amazon!  So cool and very 21st Century for our technology-centered learners!

CLASS Apps - Amazon $11.99

More Pinterest Crafting!!

As promised, I made the DIY No-Sew Classroom curtains today.  After a trip to Hobby Lobby for $0.99 bandanas and stitch witchy, I tried it out.  They were SO easy, took me about 30-45 minutes to do all 20 panels, and came out so cute!  BUT, of course, I put my own spin on them and added 2” grosgrain ribbon at the bottoms of each of the panels for added cuteness.  Here are some pics....

How To Make No-Sew Curtains

Curtain Panels - before and after

DIY No-Sew Classroom Curtains

Where did I get the idea from?!  Why Little Miss Kindergarten on Classroom DIY, of course!  Here’s the link to the “how to” and Little Miss Kindergarten’s blog....

Classroom DIY: No-Sew Curtains

DIY File Folder Pocket Chart - LABELS

Today I spent most of the day bouncing from task to task, trying to prepare myself to move in to my new classroom tomorrow.  That’s right, tomorrow is moving day!  I have all my totes packed and ready to roll first thing tomorrow morning.  Now, I hope my classroom is empty and ready for me!  You see, the last teacher still had A LOT of stuff occupying my new room...

That’s besides the point.  The point is that one of the tasks I worked on was creating labels for the file folder pocket chart I made yesterday.  I completed mine, and made one for a friend!  Here it is...

finished File Folder Pocket Chart with labels

  My favorite is the bottom folder.  I love all the embellishments I found.  I got them at Michaels yesterday and they were 40% off at that!

Okay, I promised you yesterday that I would post labels for you to use to create your own file folder pocket chart.  I created a PDF document of some labels you might use so you could use the same font I did without having to download it.  I used Avery 8160 labels and cut the top and bottom of the peeled label itself to give it the rectangular look and fit inside the bordered label on the tab.  If you do not see a label you want on the PDF document I made, email me and I will make it for you.  OR if you want to  make your own using this font, the font name is “Fairview” and I got it as a FREEBIE on fontspace.com.

Enjoy!

DIY File Folder Pocket Chart labels

Getting Organized?!?! I AM!! (FREEBIE ALERT!)

I’m organizing all these resources I have as I’m planning for the upcoming year.  So, I made binder covers.  Of course I did! Here are the first 3 I made.  I made the first one to go with the Common Core Scoring Rubric for standards-based report cards our district sent out.  I made the other two to go with the tables I’m creating to go with the essential maps for ELA/Reading/Writing and Math.  BUT my tables will not only have the standards, but the complete skills required for mastery. I’ll post THAT later (when it’s done, truth be told.)  For now, if you’d like some quick binder covers for the same thing, here they are.  Click on the link below the pictures to go to my TPT account to download them.  THEY’RE FREE PEOPLE!

Oh and in the preview I have here, my name is on the bottom.  The ones you’ll download do not have a name there.  ;)

Common Core Rubric & Maps Binder Covers