February 2014 Currently

Brrrr...it's cold outside.  Snow, snow, and more snow.  Can't it just warm up already?  Mama needs to walk off some more baby weight.  However, being burrowed up inside next to the fireplace with my warm cocoa provides me with LOTS of time to blog, create, and work on lesson plans for when I return to teaching in 2 weeks.  Can you believe it?  My maternity leave is almost over!

So, today I'm linking up for Farley's February Currently!

 

 

I love DVR.  It allows me to watch some of my favorite shows when...ever....I....want.  Which is perfect because my schedule pretty much revolves around sweet baby Natalie.  What am I LISTENING to today?  Goldrush and Bering Sea Gold, which recorded last night after I was fast asleep for the night....or until Natalie decides she is hungry again.

 

Speaking of Natalie,  I am absolutely LOVING taking photographs of Natalie. 

 

 

Lately, I have been THINKING about returning to school.  I have been out on maternity leave for 4 whole months and I will be returning to school on Valentine's Day.  It's really bitter sweet.  Although I love my time spent home with Natalie, and I can't imagine being away from her Monday-Friday, I truly miss teaching.  When Natalie is asleep....I....am.....bored!!!

She is 3 months old today!  Wow, time sure flies by!

Lately, I have been WANTING for it to warm up outside.  When it is nice out my husband and I always walk our dogs 3 miles to the park.  I can't wait to bring Natalie to the park to see the ducks.  I also can't wait for the extra exercise to help shed the final pounds of my baby weight off.  We live in NY and unfortunately, the sidewalks are often not plowed. 

 

Since I'm stuck inside though I have been busy working on my Fractions Interactive Notebook file to add to the rest of my interactive math notebook collection.  I am NEEDING to complete it...NOW!  It is aligned to the Common Core Standards and Module 5 on the Engage NY website.  Module 5 has been out for about 2 weeks.  What's taking me so long?  It's 543 pages!  Insane huh!  I'm almost done with it too.  I'm to the point of taking photos of my notebook pages and creating the teachers guide.  I'm hoping to have it posted on TPT in a few days.

 

And as for my 2 TRUTHS & 1 LIE.  Last February I did visit Florida and we traveled there by car.  I have never flown in a plane before but it is definitely on my bucket list.  I'd love to bring Natalie to Disney World in a few years and I'm thinking a plane trip is definitely in our future.

 

Oh, and before you go.  Check out Techer Gems huge GIVEAWAY for a chance to win $200 in prizes!!!

 

What are you up to in this marvelous month of February?

Enter to Win a Pack of My NEW Winter Solve & Check Math Worksheets

Check out my NEW Winter Solve & Check Math Worksheets for 4th grade.  This pack contains 33 math worksheets aligned to the 4th grade CCLS for math.

Students solve each problem and then color the answer below.  This self-checking feature works out great for homework, independent or partner practice, morning work, or centers.  Students immediately know if their answer is correct.  If they are not able to color in the answer below they know to try the problem again.

I like to bundle a couple of the worksheets together and send them home for extra credit over February break.  That way students stay fresh with their math skills as they review previously learned concepts.

Download the preview on Teachers Pay Teachers for 2 FREE Color & Solve fraction worksheets.

 

Enter to win a FREE pack of my Winter Math Solve & Check Math Worksheets below.

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How will you use these worksheets in your classroom?

Tried it Tuesday - Fractions on a Number Line

Today I'm linking up with Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried it Tuesday.


We have just finished up our fractions unit (based on the Common Core Standards) and I have lots to share with you.

Today I wanted to share how we kicked off our unit on fractions.  We started with fractions on a number line (3rd grade standard:  3.NF.A.2).  Although I teach 4th grade, last year students didn't receive much exposure with fractions on a number line so I definitely wanted to start with bridging this gab. 

I passed out fraction cards to students and they created a human number line.  We organized the cards from least to greatest and talked about which fractions were equivalent.

My students loved the fraction pictures on each card.  It definitaly made the sorting process a lot easier and erased the common misconception that the larger the denominator the greater the fraction.

I made a little worksheet to go along with it for some independent practice.  Then students used a cute little board game to review the concept during math centers.

You can download my Fractions on a Number Line Pack in  my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Check out some of the other neat things teachers have tried for Tried it Tuesday!

Fraction Fun for Monday Made It

Well, last Monday Made It was just a few posts ago (sorry) but it's time again for February's Monday Made It.  Boy, does time fly!  Cheers to Tara, from 4th Grade Frolics, for continuing to host Monday Made It throughout the school year.  I must admit, it is the one linky party that I simply can't resist.  No matter how hectic life gets...I just have to link up!

Today we started our fractions unit.  So, my Monday Made It focuses mostly on....you guessed it...fractions!

On Wednesday we are going to learn how to estimate fractional amounts using benchmark fractions.  This is usually tricky for some of my kiddos so each year I fill up water bottles with water and food coloring to use as a visual tool.  This year, I decided to fill the bottles with Crystal Light.  I did this for two reasons.  One, because I forgot to buy more food coloring.  Two, because after Wednesday's lesson I plan on drinking them!  Crystal Light is one of the few things that I can drink without my blood sugar spiking...and enjoy!

Today we created these adorable fraction books from the fabulous Amy Lemons.  I put a little spin on them.  Rather than turn them into books, we spread out the pages a little so that you can see each page of fractions.  Students can reference this lovely book throughout our fractions unit.

This fraction book will definitely come in handy on Thursday when we start equivalent fractions!  You can easily use a piece of paper to line up the equivalent fractions.

Purchase Amy Lemon's fraction book and then snag the template I used to line up all the pages here!

Have you seen Fourth Grade Flippers amazing Monster Fractions Centers?  We will be using these fun centers and games throughout our fraction unit.  My favorite is the Monster Half Stack.  I have it laminated and ready to go for the day we cover comparing fractions.  Students play with a partner to sort fractions into two piles: greater than 1/2 and less than 1/2.  The monster theme is absolutely adorable!

I have a few fraction products in the works.  However, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try out all my products before I post them on Teachers Pay Teachers.  So, I can't share them until after my students have used them!  Check back though...I plan on taking lots of pictures of our fractions unit and I will definitely have lots to share with you!

Last but not least, I had to revamp our math centers.  We have had a few additions to our class so our groupings have been getting a little crowded.  I also needed a quick way to be able to rotate students through centers and it seems that each day we have less and less time to spend on them.  So, modeled after my reading center wheel, we now have a math center wheel!

I'll share more details about my math centers in a future post!

Don't forget to check out all the other Monday Made It's!