1-2-3 Come Do Some Fall-Themed Math Activities With Me

Oh my goodness this packet took a lot of time to put together! I hope you find it super-helpful and time saving, as it's chock full of quick, easy and fun math activities, that cover a variety of Common Core standards.

They are very versatile, so you can differentiate, making the lesson easier or more difficult, to fit your needs and grade level. (PK-1st).

Use them throughout the month for early finishers, extra help for strugglers, brain breaks, centers, review, table top lessons, assessments, homework, ESL help, or "just for fun” plug-ins when you have a few spare minutes. Tuck a few in your sub folder too.

Pick and choose what's appropriate and put together a Happy Thanksgiving packet to send home over break.

There are worksheets, several craftivities, puzzles, as well as dice, spinner & paper-pencil games, for the following:

* Counting
* Sequencing
* Ordinal numbers
* Telling digital & analog time to the hour & half hour
* Counting to 100 and 120
* 100 chart activities and games
* Skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's
* Sorting odd and even numbers
* "What's Missing?" worksheets
* "I Spy a Number" worksheet-games, for numbers 0-10 and 10-20, with a blank worksheet to program with higher numbers.
Perfect for whole-group assessing.
* Fact families
* Number words
* Strategy
* Coin counting
* 2D Shapes
* 10 frame activities
* Place Value
* Groups/sets
* Fill in the missing ad ends
* Addition worksheets and games
* Subtraction worksheets and games
* Tally marks
* Greater than, less than, and equal to
* +1 more worksheets
* +10 more worksheets
* "Dots and Boxes" game
* Graphing
* Listening & Following Directions

Wow! That's just about a little bit of most everything!

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this whopping 177-page, November Math Packet for PK-1st.

The featured FREEBIE today, also has a Thanksgiving theme. 

It's an educational placemat that you can use for your Thanksgiving feast, or if you don't do one at school, use it on that last crazy day before break.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

I'm anxious to get some smaller Thanksgiving packets completed, before I run out of November! Wishing you a relaxing day.

"If months were marked by colors, November in New England, would be colored gray." - Madeleine M. Kunin

1-2-3 Come Do "Sum" Seuss Math Activities With Me

I'm sure most of us use Dr. Seuss for lots of reading and writing activities, but you can also toss in some math as well.  Here's how...

"I see, he sees, we see, she sees, they see, everyone sees the number ___________." Says the Cat in the Hat. Try saying that tongue-twisting, pronoun-filled sentence fast!  It's an interesting way to introduce this quick, easy and fun Seuss-hat worksheet, which covers a variety of math standards.

Teachers can choose a number, give students a choice or make it a game, and have children roll dice to figure out what number they will use to fill out their worksheet. To create higher numbers for older students, add more dice.

You can also toss the Cat in the Hat number cards into a Seuss hat or other container,  and have children pick one. (The numbers go from 0-120!)

Interest remains high, even though you can use the worksheet for an entire week or all of March, because the number changes daily. 

Students look forward to working on their Cat Hat Math Mat, because they know what to do, which empowers them. 

They can get right down to business, without waiting for directions, which is a real time saver for teachers too.

I've provided a large template to use to explain and demonstrate what you want your kiddos to do, as well as a large completed sample that you can laminate & hang up as an anchor chart poster, to help remind young children of the directions.

For students, there's a smaller version, with two-on-a-page, to conserve paper. 

The beauty of this worksheet, is that you can use it for any number.  Younger students can work on numbers less than 10, older students can work with two and three-digit numbers. The worksheet is also an easy way to whole-group assess.

Laminate several templates and set them up as an independent math center.  Students use dry erase markers to fill in the number of the day. 

The Cat Hat Math Mat packet also includes a helpful Cat in the Hat bookmark with math symbols.

 I've also designed another Cat's hat math worksheet for younger children.  Here, students trace and write the numbers and number words.

They X-off that many boxes in the 10 frame, count and color the correct amount of dots in the group/set, circle the number in the sequence, then tally that many marks. 

For more practice, have students write one or two sentences on the back of their worksheet, using that number. 

The packet includes a completed hat to help explain things, then hang up as an anchor chart, so kiddos can refer to it.  Click on the link for the Cat in the Hat Number Sense packet. 

To see this past-week's Seuss-themed blog articles, simply scroll down.  If you'd like to take a look at all of the Dr. Seuss FREEBIES on my site, click on the link to pop on over to that section.  I also have an entire board of Seuss ideas, and free activities on my Pinterest board. 

Thanks for visiting.  I can't believe it's March 1st today! Did the new month sort of sneak up on you too? 

Even though I'm happy to see the record-breaking-cold February gone, I still have lots of Seuss-themed activities on my "To Do" list. 

Hopefully, there are other teachers and homeschoolers that celebrate Seuss for the entire month, or at least a week, as I'll be posting a few more goodies!

 "Don't give up.  I believe in you all.  A person's a person no matter how small!"  -Dr. Seuss  from Horton Hears A Who

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fun November Math Activities and Games With Me

This whopping 70-page "print & go" packet has a lot of quick, easy and fun math activities, covering a variety of Common Core standards.

The activities are pretty versatile, so you can differentiate, making the lesson easier or more difficult to fit your needs and grade level. (PK-1st)

For example, here's a sample of all of the options you have for the "Hats Off"  worksheet.

Because students get to play a game using dice or one of the spinners, they really enjoy the math practice.

I think you'll also like the "Show Me the Number" worksheets. 

I have one for numbers 1-10, 1-20, and 1-30. 

Simply run off an entire week or month's worth and pick a different number each day. 

Because you've already explained it once, there's no need for continuous directions and your kiddos can get right down to business. 

Use the packet throughout the month for early finishers, extra help for strugglers, brain breaks, centers, review, table top lessons, assessments, homework, "just for fun" plug-ins, when you have a few spare minutes, or tuck a few in your sub folder. 

If you're required to send something home over your school breaks, pick and choose what's appropriate and put together a Happy Thanksgiving packet.

There are worksheets, as well as dice, spinner and paper-pencil games for the following:

• Counting
• Sequencing
• Ordinal numbers
• Counting to 100 and 120
• 100 chart activities and games
• Skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's
• Sorting odd and even numbers
• "What's Missing?" worksheets
• "I Spy a Number" worksheet-games, for numbers 0-10 and 10-20, with a blank worksheet to program with higher numbers

• Telling digital & analog time to the hour with this cute little "Turkey Time" Itty Bitty booklet.  Great as an assessment tool too.
  
• 10 frame activities
• Fill in the missing ad ends
• Addition worksheets and games
• Subtraction worksheets and games
• Tally marks
• Greater than, less than, and equal to
• +1 more worksheets
• +10 more worksheets
• Dots and Boxes game

As you can see, I did a ton of work, so that you don't have to!  Click on the link to grab your copy of the Common Core Thanksgiving Math Packet, and let the educational fun begin! Would love your feed back, as I'm thinking of making one of these packets for winter.  diane@teachwithme.com or you can leave a comment below. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  It's time for a much-needed break.  I'll be braving this snowy day (Yes here in Michigan we are already blanketed in white.) My daughter is treating me to a pedicure, so I'm off to go pamper myself.  Wishing you a relaxing day!

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

1-2-3, Come Play A Quick, Easy and Fun Turkey-Math Game, With Me!

As a child, I enjoyed playing the game Battleship. This pencil-paper game, has been played in various forms since the 1930’s. In 1967, Milton Bradley made the first plastic pegboard version, which is my personal favorite.

When Online games became popular, visitors were able to play against the computer, with no need for an opponent. If you're looking for a kid-friendly game site that makes a nice independent computer center, Primary Games does a nice job and has a Battleship option.

Since all sorts of math skills are practiced while playing the Battleship game, I decided to adapt the concept for the classroom, and designed Turkey Battle.

This quick, easy and fun Thanksgiving turkey game, will help students practice strategy, coordinated pairs, skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, as well as addition and tally marks.  

However, younger children can also play the game, by simply capturing turkeys. They'll be practicing the life skills needed to play games, as well as simple counting, number recognition from 1-5, plus uppercase letter recognition from A-E.

Students choose a Pilgrim opponent. Their mission is to capture all of their rival’s turkeys before they capture all of theirs.

So there's no peeking, use file folders as a privacy screen. (I've included a cover for these, if you want to decorate them.)  Hidden behind the screen, Pilgrims position the turkeys on their “battle board”. There are two different sizes to choose from.

Older students record their hits via tally marks then add up the point values of each hit via skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s. A point poster is provided, that you can hang up to assist in this.

If you want to give the game an extra twist and make it a bit more exciting, students can use the "Kaboom!" bomb cards. This gives kiddos another way to win.  Here’s how: Students get 3 bomb tiles to scatter on their battle board.   If their Pilgrim opponent sets off all three land mines, then they have lost the game.

The turkey battle board consists of 25 boxes on a grid. There are 15 turkey tiles for students to place on their battle board. There are 5 turkey tiles for each of the following point values: 2, 5 and 10 points.

Children decide how to win the game. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes; the Pilgrim who captures the most number of turkeys is the winner or the Pilgrim with the highest point value when the timer rings, is the winner.

To play, students alternate turns and get only one guess to capture a turkey. The first Pilgrim calls out an ordered pair (i.e. A5) and his Pilgrim opponent informs them if they have captured a turkey, and if so, its point value.

Pilgrims mark an X on their recording sheet of where they have guessed and make a tally mark on their paper in the appropriate point value place when a turkey is captured.

So that children know when all of their turkeys have been captured, the captured turkey tile is removed from their battle board.  Have students put the captured turkey tiles back in their Snack Baggie as they play, so they won't lose them.

The game is done, when the timer rings.  I’ve included certificates of praise that you can pass out. (There are ones in color as well as black line.)  I find these mini certificates are a simple, yet effective way, to build self-esteem and good sportsmanship.

Click on the link to view/download the Turkey Battle November Math Game.   Thanks for visiting today.  My daughter Kelli, had baby Kaitlyn Monday night, so I'm off to do some super-fun "tickled pink" shopping.  Wishing you a blessed day.

"We may all have come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." -Martin Luther King Jr. 


1-2-3 Come Play Some Math Games With Me

Just when I think I'm ready to move on to another theme, my brain shifts into overdrive and I come up with yet another apple idea that I just have to putz with.  Thus the apple math mats came about. 

Who'd have thought they'd take 2 days to complete.  My husband always tells me that I have no concept of how much time will be involved when it comes to one of my projects.  I think it's the driven perfectionist in me that always has to have things "just so".  

Any hoo, I hope you and your kiddos enjoy this apple math game as much as I did making it.  You can make a class set of apple math mats to use each year, or have your students make their own.

This apple "craftivity" is a super-fun way to reinforce addition and/or subtraction, and if you teach older students, I've also included a template to make a multiplication apple game. 

To play, students roll a dice to see if they will work on their addition or subtraction skills.  If they roll an even number they will add and use that side of the apple mat.  (I made this side red.) 

If they roll an odd number, they'll flip the mat over and use the subtraction side, which is yellow. (Note how the leaves and center ovals have to do with addition or subtraction.)

For their 2nd roll, they toss two dice to determine their equation, which they jot down on their recording sheet. 

Students can either use the paper seed tiles, some sunflower seeds, or pom poms as manipulatives to show "how many" on their mat. 

If students are making their own apple mats, I'd suggest having them color and cut out the seed tiles. This way they can continue to reinforce lessons by playing at home.  The paper "seeds" are pictured in the photographs.

If you want to have students do this activity as a whole-group and use your laminated mats, I'd use sunflower birdseed.  (As you can see by the picture, the sunflower seeds are just the right size!) 

Make sure you explain to your kiddos that these are sunflower seeds and not apple seeds, as sunflower seeds are sold by the bag. Give each child their own Dixie cup full, or sprinkle them on a paper plate in the center of their table.

For more practice, make an extra set of apples and put the game in your independent math center, along with 14 black or brown pom poms in a Ziplock Baggie.  (I always add 2 extra pieces to my games incase a few get lost.  Saves a ton of time searching for materials to make more.)

Students place the correct amount of seeds on their mat according to the numbers that they roll with the dice. (See photographs.)

After they have written the equation down on their recording sheet, they count up the total number of seeds to solve the addition problem, and take away the appropriate amount, to solve the subtraction one. 

Once they have jotted down their answer, they clear off their mat, and begin the game again by rolling one dice.

To help reinforce greater and less than, have students use the math symbol ovals, and place the < or > oval in the middle of their apple mat, which will now cover the plus or minus oval. 

Have students write these equations down on their recording sheet as well.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple Math Mats packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  My grandson's up from his nap and it's time for a snack and stroller ride.  Have a blessed day!

"Learn as much as you can while you're young, since life becomes too busy later." -Dana Stewart Scott

1-2-3 Come Add To 100 With Me

I must confess I'm a flitter.  I endeavor to try and stay focused 'til I complete a task, but this proves rather difficult when I'm doing research on the Internet. 

One thing leads to another, and pretty soon I find it's late afternoon and I haven't accomplished a thing.  I've enjoyed learning all sorts of trivia, and have added to my already too full list of things I want to design, but I've gotten off the beaten track.   Anyone out there do something similar while planning a lesson?

The result of my craziness, has come up with something I think your students will enjoy, and works well for a 100 Day celebration too. 

I stumbled upon several math sites that asked students, "How much is your name worth?" 

In order for children to calculate this, each letter is assigned a value according to its position in the alphabet.  i.e., The letter A is worth 1, B is worth 2, all the way up to the letter Z, which is worth 26.  

I've included a bookmark key you can run off and give each student, that will make things easier, as well as a valuation worksheet you can also use.

So that younger students don't get confused, I made the numbers in red, green, and blue so that they stand out.

After students get the hang of this concept by adding up their name, challenge them to find a word that is worth 100.  So that I could find a few words, without having to rack my brain, I Googled words worth 100. 

To my surprise, this led to the term "Dollar" words.  Quite a few teachers all over the planet seem to be challenging their kiddo's to find the value of words.  

Just an FYI, do NOT assign this as a homework assignment.  It will defeat the purpose of the lesson.  Any child with access to a computer will find all sorts of online help, lists, and even several sites that will calculate the amounts for them. 

Instead, do this activity in class.  You want your students to practice all sorts of standards, as they think up words and add up numbers. 

You also want them to have the joy of discovering their own 100-point word, which can be pretty exciting. Click on the link to view/download the 100 Dollar Word packet.

After your students have worked on this assignment in class, you can share 2 word calculation sites that I found: Balmoral Software and Math Lair. I think it would be fun for them to practice their keyboarding skills, typing in a variety of words, names and numbers to see their values.

I'm not sure who came up with the original idea, as there is a plethora of sites, activities, and information about calculating the value of names, words, etc.  The "game" was also listed in several math-activity books like Math For Smarty Pants by Marilyn Burns.

Perhaps the idea came because of a snide remark by Ernest Hemingway.  William Faulkner, also a prolific writer at the time, stated that "[Hemingway] had never been known to use a word that might send the reader to the dictionary." 

In his defense, Hemingway shot back: "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don't know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right, but there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use." 

Thus we have evolved from those ten-dollar words, to the dollar words that are popular today.  If you want to tie this activity into your 100-Day celebration, simply call them 100 dollar words, making each point worth one dollar.  

One of the reasons I think this is such a tremendous activity, is because it is a great mental workout, which involves all sorts of other things besides counting and addition.  Students need to come up with a strategy, which involves critical thinking.

So that even young students with limited addition ability, can also do this activity, give students a dictionary and a calculator and set them loose.  

So that older students get the much-needed addition practice in, have them figure out their word, and then check it with a calculator.  After they have done a specific amount of "ciphering" allow them to use the calculators, so that they are able to practice more problems.

With so many students working on so many words, teachers may find it difficult to give students immediate feedback, which speeds up the learning process.  However, allowing students to use calculators, to check their answers that they have come up with by themselves, solves the problem and guarantees correct results. 

For many younger students, using a calculator is a first-time experience and makes the entire process less frustrating and more fun.  The use of a dictionary helps build vocabulary, reinforces spelling and gives them all sorts of dictionary-skill practice, such as alphabetizing.  You could also introduce your students to a thesaurus if you haven't already done so.

Besides problem-solving math, you can also review parts of speech.  Which words are nouns, verbs, or adjectives?  Did you come up with any compound words?

So that this activity is not overwhelming for your struggling students, break things down.   Are you studying prefixes and suffixes?  Have students make a list of them and give them a value.  

A root word may not add up to 100, but how does adding a prefix or suffix help? For example, adding ed to a verb increases its value by 9.  Adding ing to a verb increases its value by 30 and reduces the target value for the root verb to 70.

The strategy then, is  breaking down a large problem into smaller ones that are more easily solved.

Are you stuck at 99? Can you add an S to make the word plural?  Adding S to a word increases its value by 19 and reduces the target value for the root word to 81, offering you a teachable moment to review the concept of singular and plural. 

Give students a certain amount of time on their own and then break them up into small groups, so they can help each other and work on cooperative learning. 

After students have worked on this 100-Day word challenge for the allotted time, give them some help, by suggesting clues for the different "dollar words." For example, "Something you'll find in all bathrooms is this plural dollar word."  Answer: toilets

To make this easy for you, I've done a day's worth of work finding dollar words, so that you don't have to.  I've come up with a list of 740 dollar words!

There are a variety of lists out there with more, but mine is alphabetized, checked, student-appropriate, spelled correctly, does not contain proper names and lists only real words.

To save you even more time, I've also made up a list of clues for 60 dollar words that your students should be familiar with. 

Print off my clues and have each student choose one, or have children work in groups with the same clue, to see who can figure it out first. 

I've included an answer key for you, so you don't have to strain your brain.

When a dollar word has been correctly identified, give students another clue. 

You can award points and give out the Dollar Word certificates to the winners.  

So that younger children don't feel left out, I've also included certificates for participation.

Later, share the list and have students find out how many letters the longest dollar word had. 

What was the shortest dollar word?  I've included a worksheet for that.  There is one that features the dollar bill if you are doing Dollar words, as well as one with a 100-dollar bill at the top, if you're using this for a 100-Day activity.

Honduras, Milwaukee, and Tallahatchie were all 100-point places that I found.  Kristin, Henrietta, Paulette and Suzanne, were 100-point names, and Wednesday is the day of the week that is worth 100.

Are there dollar words on the list that your students don't know?  Have them choose 10 to look up. 

I've included a My Dollar Word or My 100 Dollar Word dictionary for your students to record things in. 

This is a wonderful Daily 5- word work activity.
You could also have students use different colored highlighters to show which words are verbs, adjectives, nouns, or compound words.

Click on the link to view/download the 100-Day Word Challenge packet.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away. 

"Teaching is the power to think clearly; the power to act well in world's work, and the power to appreciate life." -Brigham Young

1-2-3 Come Be A Very Hungry Caterpillar With Me!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite book by Eric Carle; it was also one of my Y5's all-time favorites too.

Because so many teachers read this book, as well as study butterflies some time during the school year, I decided to make a variety of lessons that incorporate this hungry little guy. 

Hopefully your students will have fun gobbling up the lessons too!

A quick and easy way to review the Common Core Standards that involve "parts of a book" is to have students make their own caterpillar anchor chart cover.

Anchor charts are a terrific way to help students understand concepts and retain information.

This one reviews the parts of a book. I've included a teacher's poster + a template for students to make their own mini anchor chart.

To make it more of a keepsake, have students make the body of their caterpillar by dipping their index finger into a dab of paint, or inked stamper.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Parts Of A Book anchor chart activity.

Since the caterpillar is starving, why not feed him a variety of letters, numbers, and shapes as a quick and easy way to whole-group assess your students.

I've also included color as well as black and white picture cards, of all of the items the caterpillar ate in the story.  Pass them out to your students and have them feed the caterpillar when you come to that part in the story.

Afterwards, see if they can sequence the cards in the order that the caterpillar ate them.

This 50-page packet also includes:

• traceable number cards 1-30,
• traceable skip counting cards by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's,
• traceable upper and lowercase alphabet cards,
• traceable cards for all of the adjectives in the book,
• traceable life cycle of a butterfly cards,
• picture life cycle of a butterfly cards
• story cards,
• traceable days of the week cards
• traceable months of the year cards
• traceable number word cards,
• covers to go with all of the word cards to make Itty Bitty booklets
• What's missing? number and letter worksheets, for skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's & 10's + counting by 1's
•  caterpillar color a pattern worksheet,
• + a Caterpillar Creeps dice game.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar activity packet.

Finally, if you are still working on counting to 100/120 with your students, I think you'll enjoy The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats 100 Things booklet.

This packet includes:

• 2 caterpillar craftivities,
• a food sorting idea, + 64 circle pictures of food.

Students trace and write numbers & number words, as well as the time, drawing the appropriate hands on the clock. 

They also circle the capital letters and add end punctuation. Children cut and glue the groups of 10 pieces of food to their matching numbered boxes, as they count by 10's to 100.

As you can see, a lot of Common Core Standards are covered in 1 easy reader!

Click on the link to view/down load The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats 100 Things.

Thanks for visting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.

"Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on the door forever." -Unknown

A New Twist On "There Were 10 In The Bed":  Subtraction In Action!

Are you doing A Farm Theme or do you want to review simple subtraction with your students?

This cute little booklet will help out.

Simply make a teacher's edition to read, or run off a copy for all of your students to trace, solve and write the subtraction equations in their booklets.

The adorable ending switches to addition.

After reading the story, chose 10 students to lie on the floor and chant the "There were 10 in the bed" verse. The child on the end "moo-ves" over and leaves the barn 'til only the calf is left.  Play until all of your students have had a turn.

Your students will really enjoy "seeing" subtraction in action.

Click on the link to view/download There Were 10 In The Barn

Thanks for stopping today.  I hope you can moo-ve on over tomorrow too, for more ideas and tips.

Feel free to PIN anything you think might help or be of interest to others.

Do you have a farm-related idea, or one that helps your kiddos learn subtraction or addition that you'd like to share? 

I'd enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to leave a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas.  Thanks in advance for your time.

Scroll down for article #2 today FIREFLIES!