1st Day Frame and Interactive Math Notebook

Last year I made a 1st Day of 4th Grade Frame for Monday Made It.  This year I decided to make another, with a fish theme.

I also decided to do a little math work.  Our district is adopting the new Common Core Modules that New York State is in the process of putting out.

You can download the first module from New York State on place value, rounding, and algorithms for addition and subtraction here.  It is chocked full of lesson ideas, teacher talk, fluency practice, review, worksheets, homework, etc....

However, one thing that it was missing was any details or real mention of how to incorporate an interactive notebook for math.  This was a little upsetting to me at first because that is exactly what I had hoped to add to my curriculum this year. 

So what did I do...I made one myself!  You can download it today here at my TPT store.

Inside you will find all the materials you will need to kick of a Math Notebook this school year with your fourth graders....starting with Place Value, Comparing, Rounding, Adding, and Subtracting.  I have provided samples of what each page in the notebook could look like to introduce the various Common Core standards, as well as the necessary materials, clipart, and cut-outs that students will need to assembly their books.

This year I will be out for a few months on maternity leave.  Between substitutes in and out of the room and trying to implement a new math program, I was worried I might be missing something important ... time!

So, I've also included a quick print version in this pack for the teacher on the run.  Simply print and go!  No notebook necessary.  Just throw a staple in the top, possibly a few pieces of plain paper between each standard (for notes and showing work) and your notebook can be up and running immediately.

The nice thing about the Quick Print version is that not only is it in ink saving black/white but at the end of each module (or unit) students can bring their notebook home to share with parents.  If they loose it.....I plan on creating a new one with them for the next module.

Look for a new, Common Core aligned, Interactive Math Notebook for each math module.  I will continue creating the resource as each module is posted!

Don't forget to link up with Tara for Monday Made It!

1st Day of School

I survived my sixth 1st day of school teaching 4th graders.  I must say, I am one lucky teacher.  My class is amazing!  They are lively, energetic, full of personality, and loads of fun.  This is going to be a great year.

Here is a play by play look at our schedule for the day:

8:40  Students arrived - I anxiously stood in the hallway to greet my new fourth graders.  When they arrived, they read the morning message, found their new desk, hung their backpack off their chair, and quietly started their morning work.

9:00  Announcements

9:05  Morning Meeting / Get to Know You Activities - Our school follows Responsive Classroom.

9:30  Supplies - I created labels for each student with their name and subject.  It makes labeling their belongings a lot easier.  We just go through what they were suppose to bring, slap a label on each item, and I collect them or they place them in their desks.  If students are missing an item I use this time to provide them with it.

10:00  Student Ice Breaker - Find Someone Who .... activity.

10:25 Read Aloud - First Day Jitters (One of my favorite books)

10:45  Bathroom Break

10:55  Lunch

11:25  Read Aloud - Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing - Chapter 1 (Another one of my favorite books)

11:45  Ice Breaker - People to People Game

11:55  Reading - I taught a mini lesson on how to find books in our classroom library and how we use our book bins.  Students selected books and spent 20 minutes independently reading.  Then we grouped back together to share one good book we found in the library.

***I pulled students aside during independent reading to snap a quick pic of them holding our 1st Day of 4th Grade Frame!***

12:40  Snack - "Nuts and Bolts"

12:45  Math - Our first unit is place value.  I have lots to share about math so I am going to save it for a future post.

1:55  Art - I used this time to send a quick email to parents containing the pics we took during independent reading!

2:40  Lockers - Our school was once the middle school.  Each student, in 3rd - 5th grade, is provided with a locker and locker combination.  We spend the first few days just practicing how to open the locker and then by the end of the week we start using them to hold all our "stuff".

3:00  End of the Day Routine

3:24  Bus Dismissal Begins

Although it is hard to tell just by looking at the schedule above, a huge portion of our day was spent going over classroom routines, expectations, and practicing procedures over and over!  The hard work we put in now will definitely pay off in the end!

Congrats to my giveaway winners:  Kristin Adamson Buford, Heather Bevington, and Meghan Franklin Bennett.  You will all be receiving an email from me shortly!  Thanks to every one who entered!

I hope tomorrow turns out to be just as fabulous!  Now for some much needed rest, relaxation, and comfort food!  Can we say Pizza Hut?

1st Day Frame, Robot Snacks, & Quick 200+ Giveaway

Hurray for Monday Made It! Bless Tara's lovely blog for hosting such an amazing linkie party. You can spend hours searching through all the fabulous made-its from fabulous teachers.

This week I just had to create a 1st Day of 4th Grade picture frame.  Tomorrow (our first day of school) students will each get to pose behind this fun frame for a quick pic that I can email to their parents and/or mail home.  A bunch of these have been floating around.  Mine is modeled after one I found on First Grade School Box's blog.  I must admit, mine is not as durable as hers.  I snatched a piece of foam board from Staples, cut it out to look like a frame, and glued some letters and stars around the outside made with scrapbook paper from ACMoore.  It was quick and easy to put together.  I'm not sure how long it will hold up....but it will serve it's purpose on Tuesday!



I look a little tired in that picture....too many back to school dreams and not enough sleep.  The shadow in the background of my husband taking the pic doesn't help either....any suggestions for a good digital camera?  My birthday is coming up in a few weeks!

I also created some first day snacks for my kiddos. To coincide with our robot theme I made little bags of Nuts & Bolts (aka - M&Ms & Pretzels).  I was inspired by Wendolonia but had to tweak the baggie toppers to fit my bag size....and because I simply can not print in any more color.  My husband will pop his top if I have to purchase one more round of ink for our printer this summer.  He thinks I am turning into a print-a-holic.  You can download my baggie toppers here.  Just print them out, cut, fold them in half, and staple them to the top of some snack-sized Ziploc baggies!

Check out all the other wonderful Monday Made Its on Tara's blog!

Now...I want to take a moment to thank all of you with a mini giveaway now that I have passed 200 followers. 

Want a free item from my TpT store?  You have 3 chances to win: follow my blog, follow my Pinterest account, and/or follow my TpT store.  Already follow?  Just tell Rafflecopter that you do.

I will select 3 lucky winners to each pick an item from my store and I will email it to them for free! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hurry...my giveaway only lasts 1 day!  Enter now!