Introducing Fractions with a Story

I never get as much done on the weekends as I would like, but lately my weekends have consisted of sitting around and doing nothing, so I haven't had an excuse!

My weekend so far:
- Surprised a co-worker on her birthday (just a little surprise!)
- Went to my husband's improv show and went onstage as a volunteer (and actually did okay!)
- Went to a thirty-one purse party (not usually a purse girl, but I'm excited to get my order!)
- Tried out a new local restaurant (mmm chili on top of mac 'n cheese in a breadbowl)
- Got the chance to see some out of town friends (over frozen yogurt!)

For once, I have an excuse for not getting much done on the weekend.

Anyway, this will be a super simple post, but I wanted to share with you how I introduced fractions. I love to tell stories and incorporate the learning into it, usually with some (very) quick sketching on chart paper.

By 2nd grade, they already have some background knowledge, but even outside of 'school' fraction learning, almost every kid knows what 'half' means.

 Me: So my little brother and I were hanging out and we decided to go and get a pizza. He cut the pizza in half. (draw the blue line)
Class: What!? No! That's not fair!
Me: What do you mean? He cut the pizza into two parts...
Student: But the two parts aren't the same size!
Me: Wait, so 1/2 means two EQUAL parts? How should we have split the pizza?

(Student drew the blue line.)
Me: OHHHH. So we should have each gotten the same amount of pizza.
Class: Yessss!

Me: Okay, I get it. So then we got some breadsticks. There were four breadsticks in the order, and my brother was so nice. He gave me half of the breadsticks. (Draw the blue line.)

 

Class: Nooooo! That's not fair! That's not half!

Me: Wait. That isn't half? Who can tell me why?

Student: Because he got three and you only got one and that's not fair!

Me: But I thought half meant splitting something into two parts. Here's my brother's part, and here's my part. Two parts!

Student: NOOOO. The two parts have to be the SAME!

Me: So half means something has been split into two EQUAL parts. Ohhhhh. So how would I really split these in half?

  

(Student draws the blue line.)

Me: Okay, so for dessert, my brother and I went back and shared a pie with my mom. He cut the pie, and then he gave himself one part out of 3 parts. So... 1 out of 3. (Writing the fraction)

Class: NOOOOOO!!

Me: Oh no. I almost forgot. Fractions have to have a certain kind of parts. Can you help me? Fractions must have-

Class: EQUAL PARTS!

Me: So why isn't this 1/3?

Student: Because the parts aren't equal!

 

Me: So let's see. We should have split the pie into three EQUAL parts! What if we split the pie this way?

Class: YES!

 

Me: And how do you know that I got 1/3 of the pie? Whisper your answer to your neighbor.

(silent countdown) Okay, who wants to share how they knew this is 1/3?

Student: Because you got one of the pieces and the pie is in 3 equal pieces.

Me: Oooh! Oooh! Did you hear her? WHAT kind of pieces do fractions have to have?

Class: EQUAL pieces!

Me: Okay, let's write out what we've learned about fractions.

And then we made this anchor chart:

It's nothing crazy groundbreaking, but it does remind students that parts of a whole can mean a whole object OR a whole group, which is always tricky for my kids.

Afterwards, a few of my kids were very concerned that the whole pizza story with my brother really happened. At first, I think they just thought he was really mean. And when I explained that he wasn't really that mean, their concern seemed to be that maybe he just wasn't very smart and didn't understand fractions. I had to assure them that I made up the whole story, and that the only reason my brother would try to eat more breadsticks is as a joke because he likes them so much!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Adjective Riddles Freebie!

Feeling weird about my post yesterday. I hope it didn't seem like I was fishing for compliments or totally decrying Charity's 5 Star Blogger Award. I know it will really help some people refocus their blogs, and maybe I took things too personally. I know that's not what she meant, and I am grateful for the reminder that I could post more teaching content.

Thanks for your comments, though! I'm glad to know I'm not alone in feeling a little weird about the whole thing, and that my blog is liked. I know I don't have the time to comment on every blog post I read, either, so hopefully it didn't sound like I expected all of you to do that.

Please... just make sure you comment on ideas or posts or freebies you particularly enjoy (on ANY blog). I don't think I realized how important that was until I was a blogger myself!

This was a review week for adjectives, and my kids are still having a little trouble identifying adjectives in context. See, we have focused so much on imagery, similes, and other descriptive language in writing that they are really struggling to differentiate between those and just plain adjectives.

Cue the anchor chart.

It's simple, but they are in awe of my cursive skills right now, and we just added words as we read Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. (I just finally got my own copy from our book fair- yay! Love Kevin Henkes.) I realize some of these don't seem like adjectives (like "movie star") but it was used as one in the book!

One of the things they taught me to do in college was to have some kind of engaging task for students as they listen to you, like during a read aloud. In my class, the parts of speech we work on a lot each have a motion.

For a noun, we act like we are taking a picture with a camera. (You could photograph most nouns.)

For action verbs, we mime running in place. (Action!)

For adjectives, we act like we're taking notes (because we're describing a noun).

As I read aloud Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, the class made the movement for adjective whenever they thought they heard one. It helped me see who knew them really well, and also helped me notice times when they heard not-adjectives but thought they were adjectives, so we could stop and discuss.

When we shared adjectives, I wrote them on the anchor chart. (I love letting kids write on the chart, but does anyone know a way to do that without having to wait for.ev.er. for each kid to get up to the chart? I feel like it just kills all the momentum of my lesson and I go crazy because the kids usually do too!)

Then, we used adjectives to write riddle poems in this format. No, it's not anything special, just something I made up. You could modify it!

What is ___________?
What is ___________?
What is __________________________ (rhymes with line above)
What is ___________ and __________ and ____________?

A _________________.

Then I modeled brainstorming some adjectives to see if I could think of enough for the poem...

 Here is where I keep it real. This chart is far from cute- but I modeled changing the order of the first two lines to make rhyming easier. I tend to have kids that will come up to me saying, "What rhymes with 'ridiculous'?" when they could have rhymed with something like "bad."

Then, we made the poem together. A kid came up with "slimy as a sardine." (Love it!)

A couple of student examples...

What are sweet?
What are neat?
What is something you just can't beat?
What is loyal, honest, and kind?
Friends!

What is green?
What is red?
What has the rain and sun led?
What is beautiful, colorful, and untouchable?
A rainbow!

After rough drafts that you check over, have the kids fold a big piece of construction paper (you know, the ones that twice as long as normal paper?) in half. Paste the riddle on the front, and then the child's answer to the riddle (along with a drawing) on the inside. Hang so that kids can lift up the top flap to look underneath and see if they got the answer right.

It's a simple enough idea to implement, but I love finding print-and-go lessons... so here you are!

Download your freebie copy of the planning sheet and publishing papers here.

Adjective riddle poems were such a fun way to practice description, and they are an instant interactive bulletin board, too! Let me know if you try these out in your classroom!

Reality vs. Fantasy

I just read the 5 Star Blogger challenge, and I feel... weird about it. I'm not sure these tips are right for my little blog.

I'm not starting this blog to become a seller. This isn't to say I won't ever go there (let's face it, some extra money would be nice), but right now I hardly have time to keep up with my classroom, much less create for yours. And I think as a new blogger and a not-seller, the rules are a little different.

I think linky parties, tag, and awards are more important as a new blogger, because you have to help readers find you. I work hard at finding worthy blogs to link to, and I love feeling like I can help other bloggers. As a reader, I love getting to know the bloggers behind the blogs, so I try to include some me in my posts, too.

Honestly? Lately the real 'content' stuff takes me a lot of time and doesn't seem to go over as well as I expect, which makes me wonder if my ideas aren't at all innovative or useful. Or maybe people just don't comment. It's hard to say.

In any case, I'm going to make it a goal to have more content worth your time. Not so I can put a blog badge here (because, honestly, I feel a little like Emily over at Second Grade Silliness about the whole thing), but because I know I can give you better ideas and resources.

While I'm getting this out there, I kind of want the community of a teacher blogging group that doesn't involve a big investment (since, like I said, I'm not counting on my blogging becoming a money-making venture). If anyone wants to start a low-key group where we try to figure this teacher-blogging stuff out together on a free, casual basis... let me know. I'm no expert, but I think we can learn from each other (and Google) and enjoy the support! The main support group for teacher bloggers is just a lot out of my price range for something that's purely a hobby, and I know I'm probably not the only one in that boat.

Anyway.... real content time!

Distinguishing between reality and fantasy is usually pretty easy for my kids, but sometimes they get it confused with fiction and fantasy confused.

We also just happened to come back from a long weekend where kids were dying to share what they did, or who they visited, or how many Easter eggs they found, so this was a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Simple- fold the paper in half, then fold down a little flap on top. Write Reality on one side, Fantasy on the other. The one above was my sample. (Don't laugh at my drawings! If you're wondering what the dogs really look like, you can see photographs here.)

A student example: 

Reality- "I am ready for piano." Fantasy- "Fly in the sky."

Below is the girl who can draw ten times better than I can. I try not to get too jealous.

 

  On the Reality side, the students were supposed to tell me how they really spent their weekend.

 

On the Fantasy side, they had to draw a fantasy of their weekend- which means that not only did it not happen, but it also couldn't have happened in real life! (I zoomed in so you can see this egg hunt up close. How cute is that?!)

 I particularly enjoyed the dichotomy of eating at Chipotle and an alien invasion of Mexico.

 

If I were to do this again, I might've done 3 sections- Non-Fiction (what did happen), Realistic Fiction (something that didn't happen but could've), and Fantasy (didn't happen and never could), but as it was, I loved their drawings. 

 

"I had a soccer game." and "An alien punched me." (k pow)
 

 Pretty sweet unicorn, amirite? (Am I right?)

"I am hunting for Easter eggs" and "I have turned into a dragon!"

 

This one confuses me. I'm not so sure he understands what 'reality' means... any ideas what this is?

So, in conclusion... 

I'm not a 5 Star Blogger, & I'm okay with that.

I want teacher blogging friends and that could be you!

Please leave me your best guess for what's going on in that last 'reality' drawing!

Teaching Blogs Outside the Box

This'll be quick because I really need to clean off my desk tonight. (And about ten other surfaces in my classroom, but I'm starting small!)

Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed with the number of special activities from here until the end of school? I am a firm believer in teaching to the last day, but I'm looking over my calendar and wondering when I will have time. This week alone, we have a scheduled field trip, musician visit, watching a performance of the another grade's musical, and having a parent come in to do a special art/ Earth Day project for the grade level.

And this is with WEEKS still to go!

Anyway.

A few of my favorite blogs aren't too well known in the "teacher blogosphere," but they are great reads for teachers and I wanted to share them.







Bird on the Street is one of the first blogs I ever started reading. Katy started her blog back on MSN ages ago, when she was a special education teacher. I loved hearing about her ideas and experiences in a tough job, and then the blog changed entirely. When her son Charlie was born, he had heart failure that led to bleeding in the brain. Now, he has cerebral palsy and more, and his mom blogs about how she best cares for, teaches, and advocates for her son. She has just recently had twins, as well! As a teacher, I love hearing the perspective of a special needs parent who also knows the teaching side of things. Katy is a talented writer and well worth reading!

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages is another blog that isn't afraid to let things get real. She's posting less frequently now that she's a new mom and working on Common Core curriculum, but I still love reading her witty, intelligent rants. She is terrific when it comes to standing up for our profession in a sassy but smart way. This lady truly gets what it's REALLY like to be a teacher who puts your all into the classroom and struggles with the politics and legislation and all. that. craziness. She is one of those people who makes me feel like I'm not alone, and makes me laugh at the same time. Even better... she balances the teacher venting with truly amazing teaching ideas, and I am seriously excited to see the curriculum she comes up with.

One of her best blogging friends is Notes from the School Psychologist. I love reading a different perspective on school and the things we do. A school psychologist focuses on some of the things my students really need to have... but might not be getting unless I take the time to teach it. (I don't know about your school, but our school psychologist works for multiple schools and isn't in our building daily. Our counselor is wonderful, but very busy!) She knows so much, has some great stories to share, and helps me think of things I might not otherwise!

 

Most teaching blogs I read are posting lesson ideas and photos, but the blog Look At My Happy Rainbow! is just about enjoying and appreciating the little moments that teachers see everyday. As a male kindergarten teacher, the author has a rare perspective into what it's like to be a teacher, but what I love most about his blog is the relentless optimism. The touching and funny teaching anecdotes he shares make me smile and remember why I love this job.

 

Finally, VodkaMom. This mom and teacher has gone through some tough times lately, but she survives with sharp wit and sassy sarcasm. She's that woman who will say the snarky things you are really thinking in your classroom on the craziest of days. But she's also a powerful writer who always keeps it real, and she cracks you up so much that you'll wish she was your friend in real life. (At least, I do!) I'm pretty sure we have all had a "Frank" in our class!

When I look for blogs to follow, I usually look for ones that give me valuable ideas I can take straight to my classroom. But these blogs are all ones that just make me laugh, make me appreciate my job, or give me a new 'inside' perspective of a special family- and I love those too.

Teresa over at Confessions of a Teaching Junkie motivated me to think positively again a few days ago with her linky party!

I always try to be optimistic anyway, so I couldn't pass this up. Besides... meltdowns were sort of a daily thing when I wrote this, so it was an especially happy day not to have one. I'd love to read what went right for you today, so link up with Teresa!

Who do you follow just because their words brighten your day?