Documenting Learning in Math

Today we were talking about how a number stays the same no matter what the arrangement of objects looked like. I used whole brain teaching to start, MIRROR, showed them how to arrange, then, TEACH OK, students showed each other how the number stays the same, then back to our desk to work with a partner.

SOOO I had this idea that I would film them as they were working with a partner. I normally just walk around and shout things like, DON'T put that counter up your nose or can you PLEASE not make alien pictures and do your job. Today students were actually pretty well on task, so I grabbed my camera and started filming.

The results were very interesting. I noted that many students were still counting to determine how many, even though their partner had just rearranged the counters. 

My thought is that tomorrow's math lesson, I will show them a video example of students  working with a partner and NOT having to count to know how many. Then we will discuss what we see and try again. 

Thoughts? How do you document student understanding in math?

Mrs. Dunn

My Feelings Unit

I was going through the health unit that I have about feelings, and I felt like it was looking in pretty sad shape. I wanted to create a resource that would be a little more student friendly. I found this super little feelings story that inspired me.

So I created a unit about monster feelings, and here is what I came up with! I hope you enjoy it and can use it in your classroom. You can purchase it on Teachers Pay Teachers. My Feelings- a thematic monster unit.

Mrs. Dunn

My Monster

I have already blogged about this art project, I believe, and the students just made these chromatography monsters in class the other day.. I wanted to make a writing activity to go with it, so here is what I came up with. Students write all about their monsters in this little mini book that is available here.

Mrs. Dunn

Transparent and Opaque

The students are learning about Transparent and Opaque in Science class this week. I am super excited to use these cute lil puppets that I made, Ollie Opaque and Timmy Transparent. AWESOME right??? You can find the puppets as well as the activity with centres to go with this outcome on my TPT store. I glued onto thicker paper, cut out Timmy's tummy, laminated and glued onto a popsicle stick. Popsicle sticks again, I know. Enjoy!

Mrs. Dunn

Happy Thanksgiving Eh!

So to all my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

We had lots of fun this week doing different Thanksgiving inspired activities. We read I Know an Old lady who Swallowed a Pie. Much to the students delight, we made our very own old lady, inspired by Cara. I really love this idea.! I think I may use clip art for the pictures in the mouth next year as some children's pies looked like.. well.. I don't know ermm... you know... I'm not actually certain, just have a look and see. But they loved the activity.

I also enjoy how some of the googly eyes ended up in the hair. Such creativity!

For Science, students are supposed to be able to show colours that are darker and lighter so we did a thanksgiving themed activity.

Anyways, it was a fun week and I can't wait to have turkey and mashed potatoes this weekend, yummmo!

 Mrs. Dunn

Sight Word Practice

I find it difficult to practice sight words outside of center time in a way that is interesting. This is my new  trial and error version. At the beginning of the day, the students write their new sight word onto the card in the boxes. One of my students was very confused... you want us to box the word???? Anyways, once they have written the word in, they get a laminated name card and put their new sight word in. They get to keep the old one and take home to practice with.

Then throughout the day I sing this song 

To the tune of: Where is Thump kin?

(Teacher) Where is sight word, where is sight word?

(Students) Here I am, Here I am! (students hold up their card)

(Teacher) Word today is ____, Word today is ______

(Students) _____, _____, _____

              _____, _____, _____

You can find the poster on my Teachers pay Teachers site.

Mrs. Dunn