Rock, Paper, Math

I have a group of wiggly third graders this year - my class is mostly boys with a few girls.  My principal has suggested using some brain breaks.  I would love to implement a few brain breaks that also involve some content review.  That is why I love this video with a version of rock, paper, scizzors that reviews multiplication facts (if you teach younger students I'm sure you could substitute with addition or subtraction instead).

This comes from a book entitled Energizing Brain Breaks.  You can find a few more free videos at the website here.

What brain breaks do you use?

Fun Faux Stained Glass Picture

If you are looking for a simple Christmas Arts and Crafts project for your students, you will love these fun faux stained glass pictures!  

We made these fun faux stained glass pictures of candles today and they came out super cute! You can use almost any coloring page if you would like a different image.

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We started with these supplies:

• Candle picture template (click to download)
• Black Yarn
• Glue
• Sharpies
• Aluminum foil

We first put glue on the black lines and then covered them with yarn.  We found it easier to do it piece by piece, measuring the yarn first, cutting it to size, then gluing it down.

When it was completed, we wrapped it in tinfoil with the picture side upside down.

Then we pushed down to make the yarn impression show on the foil.

Then the kids used sharpies to color the insides.  We found that using the sides of the markers kept the foil from ripping.

And another final project done:

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Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

If I Were In A Snow Globe Writing Activity - FREEBIE

                                                                                   

If you happen to have school next week like we do, you might be looking for some fun Christmas type activities to keep them engaged - and learning.  My kiddos had a great time writing about their time in a snow globe as an imaginative narrative.  It was seriously one of the best pieces they have written all year.  I was quite impressed!

I have posted the graphic organizer and final paper as a FREEBIE on Teachers Pay Teachers if you would like to try it out.

I had the kids make their own snow globes using pictures we took, a paper plate, and a Ziploc bag.  Here is one of our final projects:

Christmas Light Decorations Craft

I had seen this idea on Pinterest awhile back and then got the Mailbox flyer that had this printable pattern in it, so I decided we had to make them.
Here is one of ours:

I must be honest - my room is now covered with glitter - but I think the kiddos loved adding their personal touches to our holiday decor. 

Christmas Multiplication Drop Friday Freebie

I am always on the hunt for ways for my third graders to practice their multiplication facts!  This was something I came up with that is a twist on an idea I have seen multiple places before.

You have your students drop two Christmas mints onto the gameboard.  They say the math fact that corresponds.  For example, in this picture the mints landed on 6 and 3, so the student would say  6 X 3 = 18.

I have two game boards to allow differentiation.  One board goes up to 10 and the other only goes up to 6.  I didn't write multiplication on it, so it can be easily adapted for younger students as an addition game.  We played the game with our first grade book buddies and they loved it!

We played this game in class, but it would also be a fun activity to send home in a Christmas break packet to play at home.

Here is the link to this fun freebie.

Problem of The Day

Every day I put a problem of the day on the board for my kiddos to solve.  I usually use real world problems and examples using either the students or my family.  My fifth grader noticed that I did this the other day, and asked why?  I told him that my students are always curious about my family, so they enjoy these little problems. 

Today I had collaboration in the morning and my kids usually hang out in my classroom before school.  When I came back in, I noticed this on the board.  My fifth grader had written a problem of the day for the students!  While it was a little too challenging for my third graders - I thought it was a great way to stretch my 5th grader.  I think I might have him come up with problems more often!

It also made me think that it might be fun to ask some of my students to come up with problems as well.

Do you incorporate problem solving into your daily lesson? What things do you do?