Feeling Proud of my Interactive Math Notebook!

Well, I finally finished my rendition of Interactive Math Notebook pages for TPT.  I am so excited...and exhausted.  It took a while to get it altogether.  It is a 4th grade NBT (Numbers and Base Ten Operations) unit and includes a large variety of pages.  It includes just about everything you could possibly need for this standard strand...NBT.1, NBT.2, NBT.3, NBT.4, NBT.5, NBT.6.  Pictures are also included with the interactive pages to show how to set them up.  

My students use interactive pages each day, one way or another.  I would be lost without it!  The interactive notebook begins, and guides my lessons on many days.  

My county uses NO math textbooks.  Therefore, the interactive notebook is a lifesaver!  My students have examples...and practice before they head home with homework. The interactive pages are a great resource for parents.  (Many parents, as well as many teachers, are confused by the new Common Core Performance Standards).  The notebook gives parents "a clue" as to what is going on.  Additionally, forget the old saying by students that "the teacher didn't go over what's on my homework."  The evidence that the teacher did teach the material is there in the notebook.  

Here are a few examples of what is included in the many pages of the NBT Interactive Notebook.  

Just click on any picture to see the NBT interactive notebook pages in my shop at TPT.

The interactive pages include pictures of completed pages, examples, hints, vocabulary, and plenty of practice for students.

Here is a general list of what is included in these interactive notebook pages.

• Introduction

• Getting Started

• Math Notebook Covers – 3 types

• MCC4.NBT.1 – Place Value – 8 pages - (This includes 10 times
more / 10 times less, and the value of numbers). 

• MCC4.NBT.2 – Ways to represent numbers: standard, 
expanded, word, and base-ten model – 10 pages

• MCC4.NBT.2 – Comparing & Ordering Numbers – 6 pages 

• MCC4.NBT.3 – Rounding Numbers – 7 pages 

• MCC4.NBT.4 – Addition – 6 pages

• MCC4.NBT.4 – Subtraction – 6 pages

• MCC4.NBT.5 – Multiplication – 20 pages – (This includes 
arrays, area model, the commutative, associative, and 
distributive properties of multiplication, partial products, and the 
traditional multiplication algorithm).

• MCC4.NBT.6 – Division – 12 pages – (This includes using base- 
ten models, distributive property, partial quotients, and the 
traditional division algorithm).

I have began working on my fraction interactive pages.  I will let you know as soon as I put them on TPT!

Everyone have a great rest of the week!

Plexus Slim Giveaway

Good morning!  I just wanted let you know that I have been losing weight for the past month.  As of today, I have lost 8 pounds.  I'm not dieting or exercising.  I'm simply taking a little pink drink, similar tasting to Crystal Light, each day. (It really is good!)  I can eat what I want...I just don't want as much.  Anyway...I like it so much that I am going to begin selling it.  I am giving away (2) 3-day trial packets on the blog I created for Plexus Slim.

If you have time, or are interested in losing weight...I actually lost weight over Thanksgiving...click on the image below and sign yourself up for the giveaway!  Have a great week-end.  

Not long until Christmas break! YaY!

Cyber Monday...and Tuesday

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving day!  For once, I did not overeat...trying to lose a little weight. I know...I'm crazy beginning my weight loss during the holidays.  Oh well, I have never done things the easy way.  :)  I am excited that I have lost 6 lbs in a couple of weeks' time.  It hasn't been difficult at all.  Yay me!

I just wanted to invite everyone over to TPT this coming Monday and Tuesday for the big sale.  I already have a MAJOR wish list going.  I have been saving my TPT points for this sale too!  I am prepared...bring it on!  

If you would like to view any items in my shop, just click on the image below.  Happy Shopping! 

My Version of an Interactive Notebook

I don't know about other counties and states, but, my county took our math textbooks away from us seven or eight years ago.  This upset me.  I wasn't upset about the textbooks leaving thinking I wouldn't be able to teach any longer.  I never used a textbook faithfully anyway.   I began making my own lesson plans and activities way before TPT or Teacher's Notebook came along.  I was upset because there were no longer examples of how to work out a problem or extra work for children to take home that needed extra help.  Plus, if a student was absent what better way to help him or her catch up.  I won't even go into all the parent complaints about not being able to help their child at home since there is no longer a textbook. 

Over the years, I have tried various things to make up for the loss of a textbook. Well, by golly, this year, I hit the jackpot.  I decided to have students use a spiral notebook for math, that doubles as a textbook with examples of problems, vocabulary, and problems to work out.  I absolutely love it!

The idea is very simple.  However, before we wrote one single number or letter, students had to understand they may NEVER take a page out.  It is forbidden! :)  Each child has his or her own spiral notebook.  It must be taken home each night.  (I give a daily review check each evening even if I don't assign other homework.  Therefore, the spiral notebook must be taken home too!) I bought bunches of these, (I teach 100 students a day), at Wal-Mart during summer for $0.17 each for children who could not or would not purchase their own.

We use the spiral notebooks almost everyday.  Below are a few examples of how they are used.  I guess you could call them interactive notebooks! 

Example 1 - Writing vocabulary with examples.

This way, especially when beginning a new unit, when students forget the material for the day, they can look back at it.

Example 2

Examples of work completed in class.

Example 3 - Showing how to break up the problem into smaller segments.  (We know that even students who "get it" during class oftentimes get home and are completely lost.)   Parents oftentimes have not had the same standards as we are teaching students today.  Parents appreciate the examples too!

Example 4:  Of course, there is the truly interactive activities that go into the spiral notebooks.  We worked on this candy corn during our unit about the ways to represent a number.  Students wrote the problems on the outside of the candy corn and wrote the form, standard, expanded, or written on the inside.  This particular interactive activity came form Rundee's Room, Interactive Math Journals on TPT...great resource!

The bottom picture is a rhyme I made for my NBT.2 unit on using zero as a place saver.  Students could look back at these 2 pictures when working with representing numbers various ways.

Example 5:  Sometimes I simply have students label a page with the unit we are studying and I hand out copies of the vocabulary.  They simply glue it into their spiral notebook.  We did examples on the following pages as we came to that particular vocabulary word.  The vocabulary come from my individual place value units.  (Click on the picture below to view this place value unit).  

Example 6:  Examples of rounding and a place value rhyme to help students remember what to do.
(The rhyme came from my rounding unit.  Click on the picture is you would like to view it).

Example 7:  This is from my addition unit.  Students worked out problems on grid paper.  They cut out four examples to place in their math spiral notebook.

I guess I need to come up with a cool name for my notebooks.  The kids and I are so familiar with calling them "spiral notebooks" that it easily rolls off our tongues.

I used these spiral notebooks during our parent-teacher meetings.  It was very helpful to me to have something I could show parents that they could use to help their child at home.  It was also very nice to tell parents that Little Johnny did have examples and everything else he needed to complete his homework each night. :) 

Place Value - Places and Periods

When introducing place value, my students always start out confused by the differences of places and periods of numbers.  I try many different strategies, including lots and lots of place value charts.  After a bit of practice, I always include a flashcard activity of places and periods. 

Below, I have posted some pictures of the place value flashcard activity I use in my classroom.  Each child receives 6 laminated cards:  ones / tens / hundreds / Ones / Thousands / Millions.  

I hold onto the flashcards.  I put one flashcard under the document viewer at a time, (the cards can simply be held up for the class to see too), and the students decide on which place and period the highlighted number on the flashcard is located.  They look through their cards and find the correct place and period.  At my signal, everyone holds up two cards. I go through all the flashcards in this manner. 

Beside being excellent practice, this activity is a quick assessment of where the students are, and who needs more help!

The cards in the pictures are my first, original cards.  I have updated them since first using them in my classroom.  You can find them the updated versions of the cards by clicking on the following link:

Place Value NBT.1 Unit

There are 6 cards per student.

I place the flashcard on the document viewer, but, they can be held by hand and shown to the class.

When I give the signal, all children hold their place and period card up at the same time.  I usually have the students hold the cards in their hands like they were playing a card game, so students won't be tempted to look at each others cards until we hold them up.

This activity is really helpful for me.  It allows me to get a quick assessment of what each student knows.  

We have a discussion after each turn.  As the activity moves along, I see more and more students catching on.

Louisiana Purchase / Lewis & Clark

I just wanted to share my new Social Studies unit, The Louisiana Purchase.  I taught Social Studies for years and years and I love it!  This unit includes a lot of information about Lewis and Clark but, I do include the second expedition that was led by Zebulon Clark. 

 There are daily 5 Minute Check reviews, vocabulary/word wall cards, worksheets, activities, research items, an assessment, task cards, and more!

If you would like to take a look just click on any of the links below.  I would love to have you visit my TPT shop!

I'm Having a Sale!

Please feel free to stop by my store, Mrs. C's Classroom, and browse.  Everything is 20% off from Sunday, October 13 through 
Tuesday, October 15, 2013. 

 Simply click on the poster below!