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Saturday, November 9, 2013

PUMPKIN MATH!!!

A few posts ago, I posted about my Pumpkin Math packet, sold in my TPT store.


The day before Halloween, this AWESOME, AWESOME Pumpkin Math day happened. The kids were UBER engaged, and we covered SO many math and science topics I had planned *AND* that I hadn't planned. Everything came together so wonderfully it was mind blowing. Truly an awesome day, and I thank God for giving me the idea for this! I will do this year after year. Seriously, look at these pics!! I just wish you could see their sweet smiles!


Let me just run through the topics covered within the hour it takes to complete this activity: estimation, weight, mass, expanded notation, adding with decimals, distance, circumference, radius, height, conversions, buoyancy, parts of the scientific process... I'm sure there's more but that's what I can remember for now. After we completed all of our awesome math and science activities, I read How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin by Margaret McNamara (which told us why some pumpkins weigh more than others even though they may look small AND what the lines on a pumpkin tell us) and we cut into our pumpkins and harvested the seeds. The whole day was amazing and completely hands on.

Thank you Lord for pumpkins and a successful and engaged learning day!!



Rockin' Math: Tenths, Hundredths and Fractions

I have to share this rockin' activity inspired by an awesome math teacher and blogger, To The Square Inch. In fourth grade, we learn about tenths and hundredths. It's a hard one for kids to get! Once we understand these place values, we turn them into fractions and put tenths on numberlines.... It's a lot. For students AND teacher.... Anyway, I saw this activity a few years ago on Pinterest and tweeked it for my kiddos since it originally had the students working with percents and fractions. It's now our "Hundredths Design Square".


First, the students color a square hundredths model using four different colors. Then they count the colored squares and record each color as a decimal. After that, they turn it into a fraction. The kids LOVE IT! And it sure is fun! Check out these awesome designs!