Day 10 of Freebies!

Well, I've stretched it a little longer than 10 days....but hey, it just heightened the anticipation, right?

You may or may not remember my "Number of the Day" booklet my kids complete (you can click HERE to see the original post).  Well, since then I have varied each book.  We switch 'em out every 20 days.  

Since it's Freebie #10, I thought I'd put together what I have created so far and you can download it from Google Drive {here}.  I placed them in a zipped folder, so be sure to extract it to a safe place!  They're in Publisher, so hopefully you'll be able to see them.  If not, let me know and I'll try to resave them as PDFs!  Update:  PDF version available {here}!

At some point (maybe by the end of the year?) I'll stick 'em all together and throw it up on the teacher stores, but until then...enjoy! :)

Place Value and a Freebie! :)

I would love to say today's freebie was my own lil' idea....but I cannot (and unfortunately, I cannot give her credit, since it's not on her sheet!).  However, I can say that I improved on a GREAT idea! :)

In second grade, we build numbers to the hundreds.  I had this great little center that dealt with rolling tens and ones, building them with base 10 blocks, and then identifying each tens and ones place.  My kids really enjoyed it!  Soooo....along comes my design (and I must say, I don't know how the original creator made those boxes, but they were very time consuming!)....now, students are rolling, building, drawing, and writing to 100s! :)

Pick it up {here} as Freebie #9 (!) for my (almost) 100 followers on Google Drive.  Hope you're able to use it in your class! :)

Pirate Tweets and Freebie#8

At least, I think it's number 8 :)  If I'm off, please let me know! :)  

I have some lego-lovin', piratey super hero star wars fans in my classroom this year, so I'm sure you've noticed a theme in some of the centers and games I've been making!!!

Today is no exception, except I decided to do something my girls would like as well.  I present to you my "Pirate Tweets."  Figure they're cute enough for the girls, but the boys will like the theme!

My class is filled with students who, um, let's just say need to be active!  That also includes writing.  I created "Grammar Adventures" for my class last year, and we had a lot of fun solving grammar mysteries.  This year, though, my students are a little "needier" and I haven't been able to use those adventures as much.   I'm so excited we're getting to the point where the students can start doing more things independently!  

So, they are going on a treasure hunt and finding correct verb tenses!  I've also included a sort with these cute pirates that students can do for reinforcement.  The whole packet is on sale at my teacher stores (and ON sale!!!), but you can pick up the verb sort {here} as a thank you for being my loyal followers! 

An Award and Another Freebie!

Thanks to Bri over at The Price of Teaching for the Liebster Award!  Also to Tammy at Dots Of Fun!
 

Here are the rules:

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post.

5. You cannot “tag back” the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you & see who you nominate.


Okay, so 11 random things about myself....
*I LOVE the show "The Voice."  I really like the "blind audition" idea!

*I have always wanted to be an author.

*I have an unhealthy obsession with containers and baskets.  Seriously.  If it wasn't for the Dollar Tree, I probably would have been bankrupt by now!

*While I try to be organized at school, it's a mess at home!

*I love meerkats and actually have Meerkat Manor on DVD. :)

*I don't like talking about myself, nor having photos taken of myself (so this list is hard!).

*I test ideas for centers on my 6 year old to see if they're "doable" and on my 11 year old to see if they're "lame."

*I never teach the same unit twice.  I often use some of the same ideas, but for some silly reason, I always seem to rewrite them every year!

*I can spend hours on the computer reading different teacher blogs and Pinterest, but alas, our satellite internet does limit our usage!

*My favorite books are by Janet Evanovitch - Stephanie Plum series.

*I actually asked my mom for office supplies (cardstock, page protectors, printer cartridges, etc.) for Christmas!  I actually WANT them and not much else.  Weird, I know! :)

Okay, so the second part is answering the questions Bri sent, so here goes....

1. If you could chose one famous person to meet, who would it be and why?
Hmm...hard one.  I had to think about this one for a bit.  Maybe Janet Evanovitch, just to get ideas on how to become a writer (and finding the time to do it in between teaching!).  Or, someone more fun would be Adam Levine, because he seems down to earth and fun to talk to on The Voice.  That, and I LOVE Maroon 5!

2. What is your favorite smell?
hands down, baking bread.  Nothing better in the world :)

3. Other than your computer, what do you hear right now?
Movie on TV that my kids are watching...."How To Train Your Dragon"

4. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
Oh my...I would probably pay off all our bills first....then go out and buy something fun!  I'm sure my husband would have a few suggestions :)

5. What is the top item on your Christmas list?
sad but true....printer cartridges.  Oh, and either an iPod Touch or Kindle or Nook for my use and classroom :)
6. What do you do most when you are bored?
Look at Pinterest or watch TV....I can be a real couch potato!

7. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
author and dog breeder and lawyer (for a short time)

8. Do you have pets?
yes - two dogs, one fish, two cats 

9. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
when my friend and I were goofing around and trying to "relocate" political signs (shh!).  I couldn't do it, but when we got home and confessed what we did, I laughed so hard, I nearly peed my pants! :)

10. What is your favorite children's book?
Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel and Pigeon books by Mo Willems (tie!)

11. If you could compete in any Olympic sport, what would it be?
I would love to be a runner.  I have tried, but can never get my breathing right, then start to hyperventilate...and well, you can guess the rest!

From "Dots of Fun":

1. What occupation did you want to have growing up?

*author or dog breeder or lawyer

2. Who inspires you?

*all of the different blogs that I read!!!!!

3. Where would you want your dream vacation home to be?

*North Carolina, along the Brunswick Beaches :)

4. If you were a famous singer, what kind of music would you sing?

*country or rock n roll :)

5. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

*night owl

6. Left handed or right handed?

*right

7. Coke or Pepsi?

*diet coke!!! (or diet dr. pepper)

8. What is one of your favorite shows on TV?

*The Voice and Hot in Cleveland

9. What "sweet" food can you NOT resist?

*chocolate!

10. What is your middle name?

*Elizabeth

11. Why did you start blogging?

*I was inspired by other teachers sharing and though I had something to share as well :)  I've always thought that if I spent hours doing something, why should you spend all your time doing the same?  We all learn how to share in Kindergarten, right? :)

Okay, so here are my 11 questions:

1.  Do you go out on Black Friday?
2.  Which do you prefer - Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
3.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
4.  What is your favorite holiday to celebrate in your classroom?  What do you do?
5.  What is your favorite unit to teach?
6.  Why did you decide to start a blog?
7.  How do you use social media in your classroom?
8.  What is your favorite book to use in your classroom?
9.  What is your favorite book for your own personal pleasure?
10.  What has been the most informative thing you have learned since blogging?
11.   How do you celebrate New Year's Eve?

Okay, so now, I have to nominate 11 Other Blogs:
1.  Enriching Kinders
2.  Inspired in Second
3.  Reading and Writing Redhead
4.  The Quirky Apple
5.  Whoooo's In Second
6.  The Happy Teacher
7.  Ms. Smarty Pants
8.  Today in Second Grade
9.  Teach Play Smile
10. Sweet Life of Second Grade
11. Sweet Seconds

*I know not all these blogs are under 200 followers, but I feel they're all worthy of the award! :)  Please be sure to check them out!

Okay...for the FREEBIE#7....I am revisiting some of my old centers, and since we're beginning to explore even/odd numbers, here is one of my favorites!  This is a Johnny Appleseed themed-game with apples to program (you can print multiple copies of the sheet)....get it from Drive {here}.  Enjoy!

Synonyms and Antonyms Plus a FREEBIE!

So, FREEBIE #6 comes from a new collection of synonym and antonym centers with a December theme.  I usually create these centers so that they are introduced in class, practiced in reading groups, and then placed in a literacy center.  I'm excited about the cute moose and reindeer clipart that came from my favorite website, Scrapping Goodies!  If you've never visited, they are a reseller of clipart and you can often find very cute themes for a great deal, including licensed superheroes!

My class is restless by nature and often learn best by movement.  Since "same" and "opposite" are familiar concepts, the first game is a "match up."  Print the cards on sturdy paper, such as cardstock, and laminate for durability.  Then, hand out the cards (there are 12 matches...a total of 24 cards).  Students must then find their match, depending on whether you use the antonym cards or synonym cards.  Other suggested activities are included as well.

The next game I created was with one of my favorite clipart, "Moosey Occasions."  I used just two of the moose for New Year's and Christmas.  There is also one for Valentine's Day, birthdays, and St. Patrick's Day.  Very cute. :)  In this game, students match up the synonyms on the cards (to make it easier for struggling learners, they match one of the New Year's moose to the Christmas moose).  There is a recording sheet at the end of the packet to assess student understanding.

I listed both of these at my stores, but for the #6 freebie out of 10, you can click {here} for "Moos-ing Around With Synonyms."  Please let me know what you think!  By #10, do you think I'll have reached 100???  That would be awesome, but I am so thankful for the 98 that are already following me!  Thank you so much for sticking with me through this year, for all your support and comments.  It really means a lot! :)

Oh!  Don't forget about the cyber sales coming up on Teacher's Notebook and TpT!  You can really stock up and save!  Be sure to check out the linky on Charlotte's Clips blog!  There is a list of shops participating, as well as freebies! :)

Are You Turkied Out Yet?

I love turkeys, but feel they've taken over my holiday!!!  Poor Pilgrims and Native Americans....but turkeys are so cute and fun - I just can't help myself!  Also, I am one who will still do a few more Thanksgiving-themed things after the holiday, so I'll make it up to the Pilgrims then. :)

Today's FREEBIE actually comes from Mailbox magazine.  I must admit that I have let my subscription lapse since I discovered Pinterest.  I simply don't have time to read it anymore!  However, I still have good ideas stashed in files, and this was one of them!

We are learning about related facts, and this came along at the right time!  The template for the turkey is from Mailbox.  Unfortunately, it was one of those things I copied long ago....but I took a picture of the template and downloaded it to a PDF.  You can download it and the turkey call template (below)  {here}.

One last idea I do for Thanksgiving comes from the National Wild Turkey Federation.  Years ago, I attended a state fair and received the teacher packet for free!  Now, I notice it's $50 on the site, but if you can get your school to fund it (and maybe share or put as a resource in a Science lab) it is definitely worth it!

Two of the things I use the most are the CD-ROM which has actual turkey sounds, and the video (VHS...does that tell you how long ago I got it?).  It teaches the kids a LOT about turkeys in a fun way.  After we watch the videos, (it's a series of 3 short videos), then we make turkey calls!

Simple and easy:  plastic cup (like a Solo cup), twine, and a toothpick. 

*Poke a hole through the top of the cup (it's easier to have the cups stack and use an adult pair of scissors to poke the hole).

*Thread the twine through.

*Tie a toothpick to the top of the twine so it doesn't go all the way through the cup.

To make a "cutting" sound for a turkey, tug firmly in short bursts (not too hard!).  The kids love this and I actually had a former student take it turkey hunting!  He competed in national competitions for turkey calling, so I thought it was funny when he gave it his seal of approval! :)

I know it's a little late posting Thanksgiving ideas, but I figure you can put this away for next year! I'll also be posting the photos on Pinterest, if you'd like to repin, or you can pin straight from this post! 

I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving and good luck to all the Black Friday shoppers out there! Don't forget for teachers, both Teacher's Notebook AND Teachers Pay Teachers are having their sales! :)

A Little Cyber Shopping for the Classroom!

A little break from the FREEBIES (sorry -- I left my flash drives at school...ugh!  Tomorrow, I promise!)

Okay, so TpT and Teacher's Notebook are BOTH promoting special sales during the holidays!

First off, Teacher's Notebook:

 

  Teachers Notebook is "giving back" to all its members. Make a purchase from a teacher shop and Teachers Notebook will take off an additional 10% from your ENTIRE ORDER!. With so many shops running sales, you could get up to 55% off!.

Next up, Teachers Pay Teachers!

Be sure to check it out!  I'm thinking since most of the Thanksgiving and Fall things are "new", I might go ahead and stock up for next year, as well as looking ahead to winter themes!

Happy Shopping!

Enough turkeys! Bring on the Pilgrims!

Okay, so I realized that most of my Thanksgiving activities are turkey-based.  We make turkey calls and study the information from the National Wild Turkey Federation.  We do turkey math fact craftivities.  We even have a turkey glyph that goes with one of my favorite books, 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving!

So, today, I gave a little wave to the turkeys, telling them to sit back for awhile and let the Pilgrims take the spotlight.  I found this cute hat clipart from The Enlightened Elephant on TpT as a freebie and voila!  A center was born!

So, for #5 FREEBIE for my (almost) 100 followers....something that is for sale in my teacher stores (but for you, my loyal followers, it is absolutely free!)....I present "Wearing a Lot of Different Hats!  Related Facts Featuring the Pilgrims!"

Click on the picture to take you to Google Drive to check it out.  Even if you can't use it this year (and I actually plan on using it AFTER Thanksgiving, since my students are just starting related facts), save it in your file for next year! :)

Thank You, Sarah!

I LOVE this book by Laurie Halse Anderson!

 

I use it each year for Thanksgiving and even though some of the information may be over my second grader's heads (Civil War, for example), they understand the basic concept.  How appropriate is it this year that we are studying Famous Americans during this time...and it was Abraham Lincoln who granted Sarah Hale's request for a national holiday of Thanksgiving!  I can't wait until they make that connection. It's too bad we won't have discussed Susan B. Anthony by the time we read the book next week, but hopefully they'll remember when we get to her after Thanksgiving break.

So, in my round of freebies this is, I believe, number 4 of 10 FREEBIES to celebrate the (almost) 100 followers.  Click on the link {here} to check it out!  I'll also be posting it to my teacher stores as well...hopefully before Thanksgiving!

Famous Americans....A Reboot

I don't know what's wrong with me.  Every year, I seem to want to "redo" or "revamp" my unit plans.  I can never seem to teach things the exact same way twice.  Do you do that, too?  Of course, Pinterest and the teacher blogs haven't helped!  They've inspired the creativity and "ooohh...I can do that!" to make me change the way I do things!

So, even though last February, in my beginning blog days, I blogged about the Famous American unit, here I am (somehow moved to Fall) making a few more tweaks and changes!

First, I was inspired by Pinterest.  I saw the coolest idea of making a visual for biographies.  Thought hmmm...I can do that!  So far, we've discussed George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Here is what we have posted.  

It's a bit different than my normal anchor chart, but I think it looks pretty good! :)  The "bubbles" are actually the thought bubbles from Publisher, only with lines on them.  I am doing 3 "thought bubbles" for each Famous American to highlight WHY they are famous!  (My kids really wanted to put wooden teeth and wigs, but I told them that's not what made him famous!!!).

I was then inspired by a fellow VA teacher with paper bag books.  What a cool concept!  I've already passed it on to a fifth grade colleague. :)  Doris over at Third Grade Thinkers posted this on reviewing Famous Americans for our statewide test.  What a cool idea!  She had some other ones on there as well, including a bio poem that you can email her and she'll send you a copy!  Please be sure to check her out!

I have revamped mine so that it includes George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr, Helen Keller, Susan B Anthony, and Jackie Robinson.  You can find my pages {here} along with a flipbook template in Publisher.  (That way you can adjust it to whatever people you need!). 

If you'd like to check out the things I haven't quite gotten to yet, check out my Famous American Pinterest board!  The water bottle people are so cute....I'm trying to find a way to fit them in! ;)

Day 2 of Celebration

Okay, still stuck at 98 as of this post...but here is Day 2 of freebies! :)  Maybe by Day 10 I'll have 100??? :)

Listening to the melodious tones of The Voice (I just love Terry!!!), I created a singular/plural sort for my students using that cute Fall cat theme I mentioned.  My kids did a really cute pirate-themed sort today....and then bombed out on the sheet (long story short + one major headache - my kids thought they had to write everything straight across and did NOT pay attention to my directions, nor the ones on the sheet!).  So, I wanted to give them another go and voila, a new center was born!

I gave in and had them match up the singular AND plural of 6 pairs...but I made it a bit more tricky...not every card HAS a match, and there are 7 matches, but they must pick 6.  Okay, not so tricky but at least it makes them think (or as one of my students observed today with their sort....there were two pages and if she cut everything out in order, it was a pattern!  Proud of her for observing the pattern, but I mixed mine up a bit more!).

Go ahead and for Day 2, pick it up at Google Drive {here}.  Hope you enjoy!

98 and counting....

Okay, I can't wait :)  I was trying to figure out something fun to do with 100 followers.  I mean, 100 is a BIG milestone, right?  While I would LOVE to be able to give away gift cards, etc. my budget simply doesn't allow me to do so.  Boo.  So, instead, I thought I'd offer 10 (because frankly, I don't know if I can produce 100!) days of freebies...(If I miss a day, I'll post 2!).

So, since Thanksgiving REALLY snuck up on me this year (where's the time to lose the extra pounds before heading to parents for Thanksgiving dinner???), I don't have a ton of Thanksgiving/fall themed items.  However, I DO have one I just listed on TpT.  To you, my lovely followers, I will offer this as a FREEBIE!

So, Day 1 is "Turkey Trot."

I am soooo addicted to spending my earnings from Paypal on clipart!  So, when I saw these turkeys, I splurged.  Aren't they cute?  To help support my newest addiction, I made them into a place value center.  This can be geared towards any level really.  I have several suggested activities included in the packet.  Since my kids work on two and three digit numbers, these are the examples I made for them.  (Yes, I really did do 437 tally marks!  Whew!).  

Pick it up {here} as part of the 10 days (or so) of FREEBIES! :)  *Please let me know if this does not work (I put it on Google Drive, and "share" so that anyone with a link can access it!

I have an adorable cat fall theme I'm going to try to do something with for the 10 freebies!  Maybe watching the DVR version of "The Voice" tonight will inspire me! ;)

Wow! Close to 100! Time to Celebrate!

Wow!  I cannot believe how close I am to 100 followers!  As of this writing, I have 96!  Woo hoo!  Okay, so it never gets old when I get a new follower.  Granted, I may not jump up and happy dance, but I can do a little wiggle and cheer :)  Just kidding (maybe).  

I started this blog because I was inspired by other teacher blogs I saw and thought...hmm...I could do that!  I have some cute ideas to share!  

Well, to be truthful, it all started with Pinterest.  Last Fall, my best friend (a Kindergarten teacher) urged me to sign up and sent me an invite.  OMG!  Talk about overload!  It was FANTASTIC for someone who used Google Images to search for ideas/topics!   

So from Pinterest, I clicked on links and found a whole plethora of teacher blogs! I was inspired to share my OWN ideas and....well, here I am almost a year later (I got up my nerve and started blogging in January!).  

Okay, enough nostalgia.  :)  I've noticed on other blogs, they've celebrated their 100 followers, and I think it sounds like a great idea!  So, in the next few days, I'll be publishing some FREEBIES for you to grab to celebrate the time you take to read my posts!  I'll also be publishing some cool ideas I've found to revitalize my Famous Americans unit.  Last year, we did this in February, so to see those posts, click {here}.  Okay, so I couldn't get it to link to those posts...hmmm...so for now, until I can, use the "Search" box to the side (sorry!).  Still working out the kinks. :)

Thanks once again for reading and I'll be looking/creating things to post!  Be sure to check back soon!

November Currently??? Yep, it's November!

Oh my - is it just me, or do I feel like every few weeks we're changing our calendar over???  I'm linking up with Farley for her November Currently (I think I missed October...that's how crazy time has been!!!).  Sure, I'm trying to get work done here at school on my makeshift workday (schools are closed for Election Day....sooo nice!  This is only our second year of doing this!), so what am I doing?  Blog stalking.  Yeah, I just slapped my hand. :)

I think most of this is self-explanatory :)  I don't know what's wrong with me this year, but I've had the worst time with respiratory stuff!  Every time I get in an exercise routine, it seems to happen, and trust me folks, I NEED TO EXERCISE!  It's not just the pants anymore, it's also for stress.  My assistant very nicely told me I have been "super grumpy" lately...and I'm usually not like that!  The time factor is also when I seem to be running my kids to different activities.  Granted, I am VERY happy that my son, especially, wants to be involved, but 4 out of 5 days, I'm either picking up or taking him somewhere.  I'm glad the "season" is almost over!

Gosh, music.  Classical, as soothing as it is, would put me to sleep!  I like something with a beat, something the kids can sing along to.  Kids Bop is perfect!  It's current, upbeat, and I don't have to worry about screening lyrics!  Believe it or not, my kids are more productive when it's on.  They have to be quiet to hear it so the noise level goes down, which helps them focus more and stay on task.  I don't care about singing (sometimes I've been known to sing as well) and let me tell you - a class of 2nd graders singing "My Heart's a Stereo" is precious!  I also have on the shuffle (and yes, I set it to shuffle) Alvin and the Chipmunks and some songs from various albums that my kids have (Rio, Tangled, etc.).  It adds a nice variety and the kids get excited to hear songs from movies/shows they know.

Hmm...maybe my "needing" should have been advice.  If you've read this far, please see my previous post on Investigations.  If you do this program, I need a little advice!  Also, I am FREAKING OUT about math fluency.  I am taking this course and have to admit, am laughing my head off disagreeing with the fluency factor.  Investigations claims that by playing the games, students will be more fluent with their facts.

Hmm..well, if that was so, then why is one of our Correlates now in charge of a math fluency program we are implementing?  Anyway, the way it reads, we do some things in the classroom, but it's basically left to the parents to help their children learn facts.  I have some awesome parents.  However, I have some very busy parents - ones that don't always have time/energy to sit down with the kids and go over facts.  My son, in sixth grade, is suffering b/c he doesn't know his facts (he also has a processing deficit that is either ADHD or something else....they won't test b/c of the ADHD...but that's another post) with higher math.

Anyway, I created some triangle math flash cards for my kiddos to take home.  While I know they could pop out to the dollar store and get some, these are more "personal" for my kids.  I took some things they like (pirates, star wars, xmen, etc.) and created flash cards for them to use at home.  Hence, no excuse AND I can keep a set in the room.  I'm hoping that with the characters, they'll be more apt to study them.  (It worked with place value!).  I've posted them on my teacher stores but I won't plug them here...you can click on the link to the side to visit any of my stores.  I do like the whole "triangle" concept and have used it for years (cutting index cards into triangles)....but even though it's cardstock, let me tell you, it'll save my wrists!  I figure I'll have my kids pick what "character" they want and only print out that number.  If they get lost, I can replace them.

If you've never heard of the triangle concept, it's basically a card with 3 numbers and the "+ -" signs in the middle.  I like them because it also helps the kids realize...hey, 2+3=5 and 3+2=5 and 5-2=3 and 5-3=2....good ol' fact families!

Any other suggestions besides games and flash cards?  Any magic fluency fairies out there????

Math Investigations Questions

Okay, so I am taking this online course about Math Investigations.  I am soooo trying to stay positive.  I am not a big fan of "scripted" courses.  Granted, I feel that some teachers who are starting out, it can be a big help!  However, being that I seem to always have a different set of learners each  year, I feel that sometimes Investigations makes it a "one size fits all."

Don't get me wrong.  There are some good things about the program.  For those of you who have been following me for awhile, you know I am a big fan of students being able to explain their thinking, having different methods of finding solutions, and using manipulatives!  Investigations does go along with that.

But there are things they are sorely lacking in their program.  Not to mention, they only have second graders going to tens and ones places with Place Value (our standards go through hundreds and sometimes, I even approach the thousands, depending on my group!).  There are a few other things I could nitpick, but I guess my question to you is this:  Does your school use it?  How do you implement it?

I force mine into small groups, which means I have "math workshop" everyday (sort of) with my BUILD centers.  I pick and choose some activities and frankly, if it seems to complicated, I modify it or completely change it to something I've done before the program. 

Do you send home the math games for your students and families to practice?  How do your students do with math fluency?  I realize part of the series emphasis on fluency is by gaming...but my kids simply aren't learning it that way.  

If you don't use Investigations, is there another series you use?  I've heard of "Singapore Math," but frankly, I have no idea what it's like.  I think "Saxon Math" has fallen by the wayside, but maybe there are some out there that use it as well.

For now, I'm trying to be positive with my class.  I am trying to get my answers without being too negative (and it's only been 2 sessions!).  It's through Moodle, which is a new experience for me (I've previously used Blackboard).

Okay, well, on a happier note....I used Place Value War (Star Wars Edition) with my class and they absolutely LOVED it!!!!  It's now been put into one of our BUILD centers and I have a feeling it might stay there awhile.  Funny how a lot of my kids rooted for the "bad guys" to win!

So, that inspired me to make another game...this time to emphasize fact fluency since our school is emphasizing this right now with another program.  It's one our correlate came up with, and it'll be interesting to see the results.  We did a benchmark with the kids last week where they had facts flash up on a powerpoint for a few seconds before another came.  Some of my kids did okay.  Others just stared at the screen and said nothing.  The whole time.  I felt so bad for them!

So, since Star Wars motivated my kids to learn their ones, tens, and hundreds, I'm hoping maybe some more characters might help them with some of the facts I remember struggling with as a kid (like 9+6 and 8+7).  So, here it is:

 The students have to find the planet/city/bank robbery, etc. with the sum so they can find out where the superhero will save the day!  I hope they like it!  I figure I'll make a few more, with subtraction and other things we've learned, as soon as I find time.  Nothing like having the kids give you their honest opinions!

If you're interested, you can click {here} for TpT and {here} for Teacher's Notebook (it's on sale at TN!).  I'll let you know my students' reviews next week! :)