FREEBIE - Geometry Vocabulary Word Wall

Hey everyone!  Hope you are having a great week!  I happen to be on Spring Break and am relaxing and marking off items on my "to do" list.  I thought some of you might like a freebie item this week.  These Geometry Vocabulary Word Wall cards contain 56 vocabulary words, including the title cards.  Click on the link below and enjoy!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/GEOMETRY-WORD-WALL-vocabulary-bulletin-board-FREE

The Great Pig Race 2012

This week marked the 2nd annual Great Pig Race at my school.  It was the reward for a fundraising earlier in the year.  1 classroom from each grade level K-5 that had sold the most items received a pig.  Our classroom pig was fuchsia, hot pink.  (It took the boys a little time to be okay with the pinkness of the pig).  

We voted on a name for the pig who originally came in a box and was called Mr. Bacon...go figure.  When the votes were counted "Lil' Diva" was the winner.  The week was spent preparing for the pig race.  There were 2 categories for the race: the fastest pig and fashion-wear. The girls had the best time bringing in clothes and outfitting Lil' Diva. (At one point she wore a santa outfit.)  Of course the boys thought Mr. Bacon had lost all of his manliness and really had to work hard to adjust to the way we had dressed their Mr. Bacon.

Lil' Diva

Of course the pig race didn't happen until the last hour of the day on Friday.  Do I really need to mention how much learning DIDN'T happen that day? :)  Oh well...

The race was in the gym and all the winning classrooms gathered together in a huge circle, armed with posters and chanting their pig's name.  There was an excitement in the gym that reminded me a bit of the first year our high school went to the state play-offs.  

Finally, after much ado with introductions, biographies of the pigs, and prolonged waiting, the race began.  From the moment the race began, the pigs acted as if they were real.  They would stop and oink.  They wandered around.  One set of pigs would continue to stop and oink at each other.  However, when the dust settled, there was only 1 pig winner.  It wasn't my class. :(  (We believe the dress got caught on Lil Diva and slowed her down.  If we participate next year, we will go more aero-dynamic.) We came in 3rd amidst the cry from the crowd that the winning team pushed their pig from the starting line.  Maybe it happened, maybe it was sour grapes...we'll never know until the video is reviewed. :) The decision stands though.  

...and they're off!


Go Lil' Diva, Go!

Sadly, Lil' Diva is not the 2012 Fashionista either.  The honor went to a pig dressed in a flag cape. This year simple was more, I guess.  

I thought about all the time we had spent that week working on outfits, coming up with a full page biography for Lil' Diva, checking batteries, voting on names...and I reflected on how that had helped us with learning our performance standards and preparing us for the state standardized test in April.  I couldn't think think of one standard the pig race helped us with. But, you know what?  My kids had FUN!  Fun all week.  There are so few times in education now that kids get to just stop and have a good time.  I wouldn't want to have a pig race every week but, watching my students work together, compromise, laugh, and come up with silly stories about Lil' Diva's life was worth the time it took for us. I have become pretty proficient at making up time.  We will still be ready for that state test!

Library Card Holders - FREEBIE - Lots of Good Uses

Take a gander at these 41 freebie library card holders.  There are a variety for almost any occasion. Click on the link below.  Enjoy!
FREEBIE LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS

Coordinate Grid Game

For those of you who remember the game Battleship, this game is played the same way.  It is called Apples and Worms. This idea came from a Mailbox magazine idea.  My kids love it.  All you need is a piece of construction paper and grid paper.  The students draw two 10 x 10 arrays on each half of the paper, number the grids, and draw 10 apples and 10 worms on the top grid only.  They glue the grid onto the construction paper and they are ready to go!  With a partner, each child takes a turn calling out an ordered pair. The results for the turn are written on the blank 10 x 10 grid.  (The students will either put an apple, a worm, or an x for no item at the coordinate called out.)  The object is to get the most apples.  Play is stopped when one partner has 5 worms.  Then the partners count their apples.  The student with the most apples wins.  (I give a small prized to each winner.)

Pinterest!

I had been hearing all the buzz about Pinterest for the last year and had purposely stayed away from it because I knew I would like it.  I finally gave in and joined a couple of weeks ago and I don't like it...I LOVE it!  I have found so many great ideas not only for school, but for everything!  I am going to have to pace myself :)  

Great Book For Introducing Coordinate Grids

I just wanted to share a book I use each year when I introduce coordinate grids to my kiddos.  The Fly on the Ceiling by Dr. Julie Glass is a small read-aloud book that loosely uses historical fiction, (called a myth on the front of the book) to spin an imaginary version of how the coordinate system was created.

The ABC Posters of Oz, Lb, T

My students really enjoyed creating the ABC weight posters.  I placed their finished work in the hallway outside my classroom.  However, the illustrations would make a cute ABC book as well!  

I assigned each student a different letter of the alphabet, excluding letters that would be difficult to find items of weight.  
On a white piece of construction paper, my students labeled the front side of the paper "pounds."  Then I had them draw pictures of items that used pounds as a unit of measure.  My kids had already had experiences finding a pound before this activity.  I placed (1) dictionary, (1) lb weight, and (1) oz weight, and markers, crayons, and colored pencils on each group of 4 desks as resources to help them complete 4-5 illustrations of items measured with pounds.  It took 2 (1) hour math periods to complete.  They had the best time with this activity!

Many students took the activity very seriously.  They went home and made lists of words that began with their letter for the next day.

When they finished the "pounds" side, they flipped their papers over and did the same thing using "ounces."  Of course, there are always the early finishers, so I assigned them "tons" and another piece of construction paper. It was a great activity and the kids still keep asking if we can do it again :)  They keep thinking of new illustrations!

Although the assignment was to illustrate 4-5 items on the posters, my kids just got carried away!