Easter Math Centres

We have so busy revising and adding Easter themed resources over the last few weeks. 

Click here to see our work on TpT

Odd and Even Sort

Working with numbers and finding out all we can about them is an integral part of manipulating numbers. The stronger sense of what a number is the better we can work through operations with them with confidence. 

Instructions - 
• color copy and laminate the cards
• cut on the dotted lines
• have students work in pairs
• there can be six students working on this at one time
• place the number cards in the center and work as a pair with an even and an odd sorting mat
• take one egg card at a time
• place on the correct mat
• check in with a buddy each time

Learning to skip count helps with addition and subtraction fluency. This Skip Counting Easter Theme pack has sequences that add and subtract. Use the task cards as a ‘read the room’ task and get students moving while learning. There is an answer key too. 

This pack includes -
• A full color or ‘save your ink’ version to print
• A recording sheet to write down the answers
• Answer Key for easy correction

These Roll and Cover tasks are an easy way to consolidate number sense and the basic number facts of +1, +2 and doubling. 

You will need
• To color copy and laminate the mats you want to use – there are two printing options 
• 6 sided dice
• counters for each student

This pack includes mats for 
• Number recognition to 6 using dice and subitizing facts
• Roll and +1
• Roll +2 
• Roll and double 

Calendars play a vital role in classroom procedures. Learning the days of the week, seasons and months of the year is an important life skill. 

This pack includes - 

• Northern and Southern Hemisphere seasons are included

• Headings to place on your bulletin board

• Days of the Week tags

• Season labels

• Months of the Year tags

• Dates to use on your calendar

• Daily Schedule tags

• Weather prompts

Ideas to help you use this pack - 

• Print and laminate these items and then use an existing bulletin board to display them. 

• Use Velcro dots to attach the correct parts for each day, or attach magnets for a whiteboard.

• Allow the children to become independent and change them each morning. Assign a bulletin board monitor who then shares with the grade what the board says each day.

• Start with today is.. then add tomorrow will be….then yesterday was. This allows you to discuss past, present tense and days in the order. Using the date and discuss ordinal numbers. 

• Months and seasons are also discovered incidentally. The weather for the day allows discussion on clothes and activities that are relevant for the weather.  

Ten Frames

Subitizing is a skill that assists later with adding to ten, build to ten, near doubles and doubles. Use these ten frames each day for quick recall of collections to 10. 

• Use as flash cards for trusting the count
• Discuss strategies that can be used to know that 7 is 4 and 3 as well as 5 and 2
• There are three card sets to choose from 
• Each set has two printing options – full color and less color

Missing Numbers is a great task to do to get your students thinking about what number is next or what comes before. These boards are easy to check when complete and can be checked by a buddy too for great peer teaching. 

Instructions

- Choose a board – the save ink or full color versions, boards are provided for 10, 20, 50, 120

- fill in the missing numbers with the dry erase markers

- Grids to 120 are not in traditional sets of rows of 10. By using an 8x14 grid the student needs to know what comes next and is not able to rely on the pattern to complete the grid.

You will need

- To color copy and laminate the boards you wish you to use

- Dry erase markers for each student

- Cleaning cloth to share 

Christmas Packs and New Year Goal Setting

Over the last few days I have been able to review these products and post them. There are two packs about celebrations around the world,  a New Year pack to help set up some reflections and goal setting. 

Click on the images to check them out in more detail.

Celebrations around the World
This pack helps to create an understanding of the celebrations that occur in our world within different countries and cultures. As your students read and research they will record the information they find on these interactive notebook templates. 

Copy and go – there are color and black/white versions.
Use library books and internet research to add the information for each section.
Have two children work on recording the information and then place all work in a class book to share or have on display.
There are photos provided to show you what the finished product could look like.

Christmas – Rockin around the World

This pack will assist you to record information from your own research. You will then be able to compare traditions and cultural differences. When completed this makes a great class book. Use the cover of the pack for your class book cover. 

This pack contains 68 pages 

Copy and go – there are color and black/white versions.
For some countries there is a male and female version to use. For Australia and the USA there are two versions for the question page.
Use library books and internet research to add the information for each section.
Have two children work on recording the information and then place all work in a class book to share. 
There are photos of completed work. 
There is a page for peer feedback.

New Year’s Pack – Year 2/3/4/5

There are 8 tasks to choose from. The first 7 tasks will make your students think about their achievements for the New Year. I will update this pack each year, so once you own it just keep down loading each year!

This pack contains 63 pages

Reflection for the previous year - This page will help to record three highlights for last year. You can then celebrate these milestones and build on them for this year.

Pennants for display - Color and display. The first pennant can be copied and glued on the back of each one for each student.

All about Me poster - There are two versions containing spelling for favourite/favorite, colour/color. Add the information and then display or place into a class book to help to get to know one another.

Interactive note pages with 6 different fonts - Record what you: would like to be, what you would like to be able to do, would like to do and what you would like to see happen this year.

Mobile cards for display - Each child is to fill out either the color version or the black/white version. Then cut out each rectangle – use string to attach them together and hang in the classroom.

Goal Book - Copy one for each child and brainstorm the information before they record in their own booklet.

Countdown Book - Copy and staple where the staple marks are. Cut in half to make two books. On each page record goals for the new year with Number One being the most important.

Autographs - Have a go at writing your autograph and collecting those of your classmates. Do this task at the end of the year again and compare signatures.

Calendar Freebie

My Daily Bulletin Board has been a freebie in TPT and has had heaps of downloads. With my USA buddies winding up for summer break, you may want to look at it for your new classroom. In Australia with our National Curriculum, I have found this to be really useful in addressing days of the week, measuring time and seasons. I have also used it to address some science outcomes when using the weather pictures.

 

Weather Unit - posted

 I had a few things to edit and just tidy up on this unit of work. So here is my Weather Unit all done and ready to start in maybe four or five weeks time. 

Our Preps (Foundation) need to acknowledge that when the weather changes we need to change our clothes and our activities. 

They also need to record how we may have to look after our pets depending on the weather. 

I have put some graphing information and analysing data ideas to use on a calendar.

There is a word wall you can add to as your unit progresses.

I have worked this unit using power-point and have to say how much easier it was than using word. I was able to be much more accurate with text boxes, borders, background papers and fonts. I wouldn't go back to using word again to help publish my units of work. The task even took less time as my templates were not moving all over the place.

The only down side I encountered was I couldn't move between landscape and portrait - it was one or the other. Maybe there is a way around this!

A freebie......

I guess I am motivated by having a colourful classroom. I know that there is some evidence around 'boys in education' that says we need to tone down our classrooms for our boys. When I continue to get positive feedback from students and their parents about how our learning space looks it does motivate me to continue to add colour and hopefully a vibrancy to our shared learning journey. I have such a strong belief around what a positive learning environment should look like. As our new shared space grows after our summer break I will share photos of our evolving space with you.

I have re-jigged these labels for my Daily Bulletin Board using some exquisite background papers from  - http://www.cocoamint.com/ 

There is a label for autumn and one for fall for my Aussie and USA followers. You can access this freebie through my digital shops - to the right; 'Teachers Notebook' and 'Teachers Pay Teachers'.

Let me know what you think about the cute graphics from 'Scrappin Doodles' for the weather icons.