Fun Fraction Book

We are up to our knees with fractions in Room 19 this week!  I ordered this awesome book Whole-y Cow! Fractions Are Fun by Taryn Souders from Scholastic awhile back. Ever since then, I've been waiting and waiting for our fraction unit to arrive so I could read it with my class. It is very silly and I know they are going to just eat.it.up! 

On each set of pages there is a situation with the cow that incorporates some sort of fraction (of a set or of a whole - halves, thirds, fourths, tenths). Then it asks questions to which there is a fractional answer. Since we are working hard on learning which number "goes on the top" and which number "goes on the bottom" I thought it would be nice to have a recording sheet for my kids to write down the fractions as we went along. We may work through it orally as a whole class first and then have the activity sheet in a center later where 3/18 of them can work on it at a time while getting a closer look at the illustrations. ; ) I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet, but I do know that I love bringing fun read-alouds into our math block.

Before I made this document I "googled" to see if there was already one floating out there in cyber-space. While I didn't find what I was looking for exactly...I did find a whole packet of activities the author created to accompany the book - there's some good stuff in there. Here's the link: Fractions Are Fun

Click on the link below to download my recording sheet:

Whole-y Cow! Fractions Are Fun

Measurement Activity

We had a SNOW DAY today in Wisconsin. Yucky and gross weather for March, but it did give me some time to catch up on things. I had a little time to make a quick measurement activity to help reinforce measuring with inches as the unit and comparing measurements. Our math program uses the metric system almost exclusively, so I try to supplement by using inches/feet measuring within my centers. I'll have my students use rulers to measure the line segments, record their measurements in the data table, and use the information to answer the questions.

I'm also working on some math problem solving pages involving measurement, which I'll post soon!

Measurement Data Table & Questions

Line Segments

Math Center

I spent WAY too long making this, but it was fun & I can't wait to use it with my class. I uploaded this file to my brand-new Teachers Pay Teachers Store as a $1 download. Click the image above to go and get it! Please follow me on TpT if you like this center. I will be uploading more things there as I create them for my class.

Another Math Printable

Power Towers Label
(click to download file in google docs)

Here's a little label to jazz up the containers you use to store the cups for your "power towers" center.  What are "power towers"?  Head on over to www.teachertipster.com and check out the video about them. I started using this idea for a math center last week and it has quickly become a class favorite for practicing math facts. They seriously L-O-V-E it. One of my toughest little kiddos even begged me to have this activity be his "daily reward" for good behavior -- usually it's 5 free minutes on the computer at the end of the day.

On the video he suggests using pringles cans, but I had an empty container (from sugar-free kool-aid) laying around that worked out perfectly. The small size dixie cups fit great and it takes up less space. One other modification I made was to write the answer to the problem inside the top rim of each cup, so they can check their answer before adding the cup to the stack. If they get one wrong they have to put it back on the bottom of the stack.

Math Center Printable

Kool-8's Addition

(click to download activity on google docs)

I adapted an idea I saw on www.teachertipster.com to make a math activity where the kids find all the possible addition sentences that make 8 using ice cube trays and manipulatives. Check out his video on making tens to see his original idea. Actually check out all his videos while you are there, he's got some FUN tips. My kiddos have loved everything I've implemented from his videos so far!

All the instructions for my version of the activity can be found at the link above. Let me know if you have any questions about how to use it.

Honestly, I can't wait to find a cute ice cube tray with ten spots so I can use the same concept for the combinations for 10, which are so important for kids to know.

I think this will be great center activity especially for my struggling math students who are still working on building their number sense.

Here's what the ice cube trays I am using look like:

(I've had these for awhile and I can't remember where I got them, but I can guarantee it was either in the Target dollar spot or a dollar store of some kind. :) I knew I'd use them for something eventually!)