Pumpkin Unit Mega Bundle

You can purchase this MEGABUNDLE  at my TPT store HERE.

Or you can buy each item separately at my TPT store.  Click on the hyperlink to take you to each item at my store.

How a Pumpkin Grows (Life Cyle of a Pumpkin) Packet:

1. How a Pumpkin Grows Cut Apart Story: Students cut apart the story and piece it back together using the picture clues and what they know about how a pumpkin grows. Can be used as an assessment piece after reading the mini-book.
2. How a Pumpkin Grows Mini-Book: Easy reader with picture labels. Similar clip art pictures as the cut-apart story. Simply copy double-sided and have your copy machine staple on the left hand side. Cut in half with a paper cutter and add additional staples for reinforcement.
3. How a Pumpkin Grows Writing: Picture clues included in the picture box to the left. Handwriting lines included to keep your early learners organized as they write the sentence to match the picture.
4. Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Sequence Cards: Display in your pocket chart or on your bulletin board. Use at a center to have your students put back in order.

How to Carve a Pumpkin FREEBIE:

1. Step by step with picture clues on how to carve a pumpkin writing sheet.

Pumpkin Skip Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s:

1. Pumpkin skip counting cards. Some pumkins are missing the numbers. Students will write the missing number before cutting the cards apart to have for a "put the cards in order" activity.
2. Write the skip counts on the 100 grid sheet.
3. Write the skip counts through the pumpkin patch sheets.

Pumpkin and Halloween Riddles:

1. This is a riddles game that you can play whole group during your fall pumpkins theme and before Halloween. Teacher reads the riddle as students are holding the answer cards (picture cards). They have to listen for the clues for their picture and then come up and answer the riddle by reading the card.

Pumpkins & Halloween Cut Apart Sentences:

1. A pumpkin is orange and round.
2. A pumpkin grows in a pumpkin patch.
3. We will have a pumpkin tasting in first grade.
4. Halloween is for trick-or-treating.

Fall, Pumpkins, and Halloween Word Wall Cards:

1. Fall: acorn, squirrel, apple, leaf, leaves, scarecrow, crow, rake, sunflower, corn, apple pie,
2. Pumpkins: pumpkin, seed, sprout, plant, vine, yellow pumpkin, green pumpkin, leaf, pumpkin muffin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin patch, jack-o-lantern, blossom, carve, stem, weigh, measure, paint, pumpkin harvest
3. Halloween: witch, pirate, skeleton, vampire, astronaut, frankenstein, ghost, spider, bat, gravestone, haunted house, candy corn, treat bucket, treat bag, kettle, cowgirl, cowboy, trick or treating

How to Carve a Pumpkin Cut-Apart Story:

1. Students put the simple story in order by cutting out the story parts and pasting them back in order.  Picture clues are provided to help young children do this on their own.

Pattern Block Pumpkins:

1. This is a step by step hands-on activity to do for your Pumpkins theme. Students create a Pattern Block Pumpkin using a Pattern Block Template or stencil, construction paper, and Pattern Blocks. A great way to combine an art project with your math activity.
2. Pocket chart direction cards for a visual for your students.
3. 1 page directions that can be posted as a learning target.

Math RTI for First Grade

This weekend I have been obsessing on getting a Math RTI packet together to use from year to year.  After searching Teachers Pay Teachers for something that was easy to use and just print, I couldn't find everything I needed or what I exactly wanted.  Guess that meant I just needed to create it.  I'm sure my husband wonders if I am ever going to get off the computer and get any housework done.  Oh, well.  When I get into one of these moods...nothing else gets in the way.

I feel like every single year once we get our RTIs in place I have to create things over and over again and it gets old, tedious, brain busting, and just NOT FUN.  I like to have a data collection sheet for our learner assistants to use that they can mark on and I can easily go and collect the progress from.  One thing I hate more than anything is going through TONS of stuff in a folder that our learner assistants do with the RTI kids and having to write down progress.  It takes FOREVER just for 1 kid!  Hoping this will help this year...I'm sure there will be some updating as needed, but this is a start.

You can download a preview to check this out and see if it will work for your classroom or purchase this HERE at my TPT store.

Here is a sample of one of the counting coins pages:

Math Calendar Journal Sheets for Daily Practice

I've kind of taken a little mental health break from "school stuff" this summer.  Not what my plan was, but sometimes you just need a bit of a break.  I'm spent a lot of time reading and just relaxing, going to the pool, going on walks, and trying to run/jog when I get a free moment to myself.  Got myself able to run at least 2 miles without stopping, so YAY for me for that, I guess!

Last week I started to get into school mode and tackled one of the projects I wanted to get done over the summer.  I wanted something that the whole class/each student could do each day to help them be a bit more "into" our daily math calendar time.  I knew that I needed it to be a bit transitional as they learn about 2 digit and 3 digit numbers.

I'm not quite sure how I want to use it, but my plan is to create a monthly packet for each student to fill in as we do the math calendar or after we do math calendar to transition into math.  I thought it would be a good way to teach it and keep everyone actively involved.  I feel like I always have those kids that tune-out during the time on the rug while one kid comes up to the board and does the activity.  Kids just aren't listening.  I'm hoping this way, they realize that they are responsible for all items on the math board and not just when they are chose to go to the board.

This Math Calendar Journal packet includes:

• Blank Calendars (portrait & landscape) for children to fill in for each month. This would be a great cover page for a monthly Math Calendar packet.
• Blank Calendars for Recording Temperature (portrait & landscape). Students will record the temperature each day and then the high & low temperature for the month.
• 4 different “Write the Date” sheets to use throughout the year in the learning process. Beginning sheet guides them to choose the “day of the week”, the “month”, the “date” and the “year”.
• “Write the Date” sheet that includes recording the daily “Temperature”
• 3 “Days of School” sheets to work with the number of days in school that include: writing the number, even & odd, B10 Blocks, tallies, money, and number grid placement. Three different levels from 1-digit to 3 digit numbers to get you through the 180 days of school.

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.  You can download a preview of the entire packet to see what the whole thing looks like before you purchase it.  I would love your feedback here on my blog, even if you don't purchase it.  Let me know what you think!

Santa Skip Counting and Santa Poem FREEBIE

Can you believe its less than 3 weeks until Christmas?  We are well into our Christmas theme and just finished one of our biggest projects yet:  The Holiday Cookbook.  They are sent off to the AEA for publishing and we are now awaiting a return so we can wrap them up as gifts for mom and dad.  This week we also did 2 other Christmas gift projects:  Reindeer Handprint Ornaments and a special Christmas Ornament telling their mom or dad why they are so special.

Santa Skip Counting:
Here is a Santa Skip Couning activity that is similar to the Pumpkin and Turkey Skip Counting activities we posted about earlier.  We added a skip counting by 25s to make this one a bit more challenging.  We'll soon be introducing the quarter and skip counting by 25s is very helpful when counting money.

You can find this activity HERE at our TPT store.

 

 

Santa Poem FREEBIE:

Here is a link to a Santa Pocket Chart Poem with a file folder retelling for you for FREE!  One of the ways we want to say Merry Christmas and thanks for being our followers.  You can download it HERE through Google.  Large version is for the pocket chart and the smaller version and the poem page are to make a file folder retelling of the poem.  (Glue the poem onto the front of the file folder, cut out and laminate the small pieces, and attach with velcro to have an independent work station where students retell or re-read the poem and self-check to see if they got it in the right order.)

 

Clip Art used to make the Santa poem is from DJ Inkers.

 

   

 

 

Thanksgiving Skip Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s

Our first graders REALLY liked the Pumpkin Skip Counting activities we made this year to use for our Pumpkin theme, so Christine thought we should create some Thanksgiving ones, too.  Skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s seems to be one of the main goals in first grade Everyday Math.  Counting by 5s and 10s helps children later when they are learning and practicing counting coins.

Here is the Thanksgiving Skip Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s activity.  You can find it HERE at our TPT store.  Let us know what you think.  Maybe for Christmas we can make Help Santa Deliver the Presents skip counting??!!

Clip Art included in this activity by Clip Art by Carrie and KPM Doodles.

Pumpkin Skip Counting by 2s, 5s, 10s

 

 

One of the hardest things to teach first graders is skip counting.  I started making this activity just for counting by 2s, but Christine gave me the idea to make it include counting by 5s and 10s as well.  It seems like we always have students on an intervention for skip counting and they need all the practice they can get.  We have done the skip counting cut apart cards for a few years where they cut apart the pumpkin cards with counts by 2 on them and then scramble them up and put them back in order.  I thought it would be a good idea to make some 100 grids to go along with this so they would have to write the counts by 2 and see the number grid pattern.  As a final activity I included the writing the skip counting through the pumpkin patch to use as an assessment.

 

You can find this activity at our TPT store HERE.

 

 

 

 

Math Calendar Songs FREEBIE packet

We love to sing in first grade and having chants, songs, and rhymes to help teach math is a fun way to get children engaged and focused on learning.  We have a daily math calendar time that takes about 15 minutes.  During that time our math calendar reviews many concepts that students need to know:  date, months of the year, days of the week, tally marks for counting by 5s (days of school), B10 Blocks for place value (days of school), money (days of school), writing the money with dollar sign and cents signs, even and odd (date), even and odd (days of school), temperature/weather.

We put together a packet of songs that we have "inherited"  or written that we sing each morning during our Math Calendar time.  Students know the routine so well by the end of the year that they can do the daily math calendar routine all by themself without teacher direction.  They start the songs all on their own and do their "job" without help from the teachers.
Here is the packet of songs we put together to share with you all, which you can find at our TPT store HERE for FREE.

These songs go along great with the Math Calendar Board that we have for sale at our TPT store:

Green/Yellow themed Math Calendar Board
Purple/Blue themed Math Calendar Board
Purple/Blue/Black Dots themed Math Calendar Board

B10 Block Circle Game (I Have...Who Has?)

First graders love what we call Circle Games:  I Have...Who Has games.  It can be a bit crazy and frustrating at the beginning of the year when first graders are just starting to be able to listen and follow along large group.  But they are great for building independence because it forces them to listen for their card.  In order to get the game to complete the "circle" each person needs to do their part.

Here is a circle game we made for practicing naming numbers 11-30 with B10 Blocks:

You can grab it at our TPT store HERE.

Base 10 Block Graphics FREEBIE

Grab your free Base 10 Block graphics of CUBE, LONG, and FLAT at our TPT store HERE.  Files are in PNG format with a transparent background so they work great for layering in projects you want to create for math.  You can also find this freebie clip art set HERE at my Teacher's Notebook clip art gallery:  Clip Art by Carrie.

Domino Dot Posters FREEBIE

I made these posters my very first year teaching first grade.  We have them hung on our math wall for students to refer to during math.  Our Everyday Math program uses dominoes to help teach addition and part-part-total, so this works as a GREAT reference for our students.  We have them hung up right underneath the Touch Points posters.
You can get this as a FREEBIE at our TPT store HERE.

Math Calendar to Match Helpers Cards

This morning I made new Classroom Helpers Cards and decided that I needed to get the rest of my Math Calendar board to "match".  One of those traits I have...it all has to match!  The cute dot border is from Graphics From the Pond...the rest I created myself on the computer.  This is the same Math Board I blogged about earlier and posted as a Green/Yellow and also Blue/Purple scheme...just added the Black Dots border (and got rid of some of the gradients) to match the Helpers Cards.

Here is an thumbnail of the Math Calendar Packet:

You can purchase this ready to go Math Calendar packet at our TPT store HERE.  Please let us know what you think and if you would like a different color scheme, let us know!

Math Game & Work Mats

Here are some game and works mats that can be used with the 1st Grade Everyday Math program.  We have been using the Coin/Counting Money mats and the Base 10 block mats for years, but wanted some new ones to use for some of the other Everyday Math games and activities.  Our tables look pretty busy with all the "stuff" that the name tags have on them.  For some kids with vison problems its hard to find the little pieces for the games because they blend in with the table top name tags.  We are hoping that using the mats gives the kids a "place" to play the game on the busy table top.

These mats are made for 11x17 printing but print fine on 8.5x11 paper, too:

1. Base 10 Block mat (use for "Roll for 50")
2. Coin Counting mat (with pictures of trades they can make at the bottom of the columns)
3. Coin Dice "Bank" mat (can be used with multiple players)
4. Coin Dice 2-Player "Bank" mat
5. 2-Player "Top It" mat (for any Top It game)
6. "Before and After" game mat
7. Counting on the Numer Grid mat (includes arrows for fingers to follow for kids who can't find the next row)
8. Basic Pattern Block Dice game mat (use for any Pattern Block game you have where students roll the dice, pick the Pattern Block shape, and put it on their game board)
9. "Two-Fisted Penny Addition" mat (included fill in the blank number model where students can write with a wipe off marker)
10. "Domino Sums" mat that included "Part-Part-Total" diagram and fill in the blank number model for quick wipe off.  Students build addition facts using chips and place them on the domino to create the domino dot placement.
11. "Who Can Make The Biggest Number?" (for place value game using the Everyday Math card decks)
12. "The Difference Game" mat (included a circle to place the chips and a box to drag the difference to)
13. Fact Family Facts (students put the fact triangle in the triangle shape, write the numbers in the boxes of the triangle, and then write the number models that they can make with the 3 numbers for the fact family.
14. Show the Amount, Make Trades, Show With Fever Coins mat (includes a box to show the amount using play coins, a gray shaded area to remind them to make trades to the bank, then a place to pull down the remaining coins to show the same amount with fewer coins.
15. Double-Digit Addition mat (to use with B10 blocks)

You may find this packet of work mats at our TPT store HERE.  You can get a free preview download of the Fact Family mat.

Clip Art used in a few of these mats by KPM Doodles and public domain clip art:  www.openclipart.org.

Fact Family Match-Ups

I tried hard all day to not think blogging or creating or anything to do with making and creating, but couldn't help it.  When an idea comes to me, I have to get started on it!  Here's a new creation that I think our first graders will love.  This will work great in a "may do" center or during math calendar in the Fact Family pocket chart we have.

The object of the activity is to find and match the 3 cards:

1. part-part-total card with 3 numbers in fact family
2. addition number models (shows the turn around facts)
3. subtraction number models

I color coded the different sums so that if this stays together into one activity, the kids could easily sort the cards...and if it goes into smaller packets and one card gets misplaced, it will be easy to figure out which set it goes with.  Here is a picture of the activity:

If you are interested in previewing or purchasing this activity you can find it HERE.  Hope this is something that might fit into your math curriculum.  Thanks for stopping by!

Base 10 Block War Game

So you know when you wake up and you realize you are dreaming about a game to make your brain doesn't shut off when you are sleeping.  Woke up this morning and had to get this off my brain so whipped this up while eating breakfast.  It's a Top It game for numbers 1-30 using Base 10 Blocks.  Students play the game like war and have to decide who has "more". The student with the most cards when all the draw cards are taken is the winner.  Included in this packet is a student record sheet that the winner can record their "win" by writing both numbers and the < or > between the numbers.  If you print two sets of this game you can add the = sign.

Here is a picture of the game:

If you would like to preview or purchase this game, find it at our TPT store HERE.  Please leave us feedback if you purchase at our store or a comment on our blog about what you think.  Is it worth it to make additional games for larger numbers?  I suppose you could make one with numbers in the 100s?!?!....uh oh!  Another game coming soon!  :)

10 Little Counting Chicks FREEBIE

Cute little number rhyme book that we just realized we had to take off our free products at Teachers Pay Teachers because of the DJ Inkers Terms of Use...SO we are adding it to Google Docs because it is so cute and it was a hot download.  We use this at the beginning of the year when we are reviewing numbers and color words.  If your school uses Everyday Math, it goes right along with one of the first lessons in Unit 1.  Students have to write the missing number words in the poem and also write the numbers in the egg on the right hand side of each page.

Here is a snapshot of the book:

If you would like a copy of this freebie, click HERE to get it through Google Docs.

Math Calendar Packet

Today we finally finished the Math Calendar packet.  Seems like we have been revamping our Math Calendar board each year since we've both been teaching first grade.  And every year we do something different.  We have so much we do each day during math calendar...I think even more than our Everyday Math program suggests.  There's just so many important things that we want to include in our 15 minute group time!

Things we do each day:

• Write the Date on the marker board
• Last Month, This Month, Next Month
• Yesterday was, Today is, Tomorrow will be
• Attendance (_children are in our class, _children are absent, _children are here today)
• Tally the Days of School (make a tally, then count the tallies)
• Base 10 Blocks for Days of school in Hundreds, Tens, Ones pocket chart (add a cube, then count the cubes and write the number)
• Money for Days of School (and showing skip counting under the coins)
• Skip Counting by 10s, 5s, and 2s
• Even and Odd for Days of School (write the number int he HTO boxes and tell if its even/odd)
• Even and Odd for the Date (put and X on the number box and tell if the 'date' is even/odd)
• Call the Time and Temperature (record temperature on the Everyday Math thermometer poster)
• Write the temperature on the Weather Calendar (printable blank calendar we create in Publisher) & color to match the Everyday Math thermometer color zone

A LOT covered in 15 minutes...usually takes a bit longer at the beginning of the year, but by now in 1st grade, they've got it figured out.

So for those of you who HATE making stuff, we put together a packet that you can print and laminate and you are all set. 

Check out this GREEN/YELLOW colored packet at our TPT store HERE.

We also have a BLUE/PURPLE colored one HERE.

If you have a specific color scheme you would like, please leave us a comment and we can get one uploaded for you to purchase as soon as we can. Thanks! Please be sure to leave us feedback. Thanks so much...

Money Posters FREEBIE

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This is probably the 3rd time we have revamped these money posters!  We know we need something on the wall to help the kids refer to and remember the names of the coins/money and how much it is worth.  A few summers ago we took a class on working with autistic children and realized we needed to declutter and desensitize our classrooms.  We decided to simplify some of our posters so they weren't so BUSY.  It's so easy to get hung up on cute clip art, but sometimes simpler is better.  All the kids really need is a visual representation of the heads and tails side, the value of the coin, and a letter to help them remember the name.  If your school uses Everyday Math, your students will know what the P, N, D, Q stands for as this is the symbol that is used in the Math Boxes review pages and on the written assessments.

Here is what our current money posters look like that we made for this year:

If you want to save yourself some time without recreating these yourself, you can find them at our TPT store HERE for FREE.

What is My Word Worth?

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Here is an activity that we use to practice skip counting coins.  Students choose a vocabulary word, sight word, their name, or spelling word and write it in the top box of the student activity sheet.  In the middle box, the student stamps, writes, or glues the corresponding coins to match the letters in the word.  Students count the coins by writing the skip counting (what they say out loud as they count it) underneath each coin.  Then in the bottom box, they write how much their word is worth using the $ and cents sign.

You can make a huge poster of this and hand it in your math center or make multiple copies of each mini-poster and do as a large group activity.  If you have coin stampers that works great for a math center, but if you don't have enough stampers to use large group, you can use reproducibles of coins and have the students cut and glue the coins or just draw the coins.

Here is a picture of the 3 posters we made along with the activity sheet:

You can purchase this activity set at our Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.