Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Knock, Knock...Who's There? *Freebie*

...ME!  I'm back!  I must tell you, there's no reason other than I've been sucked into two things - the game "Draw Something" and Catching Fire.  I just can't pull myself away from either one long enough to do more than a little blog stalking and a few comments.  By the time I decide to blog I'm too tuckered to type more than a few lines...

I just can't do it all friends, I just can't do it all...

Today I was visited by three teachers from England during Daily 5.  Man did my kids knock it out of the ballpark.  I think our new British friends were quite impressed with what they saw.  One of our third grade teachers swapped classes with a teacher from England a couple of years ago.  It was before I started teaching at this school - I so wish I had been there to pick her brain about teaching-life and life in general in England.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to debrief with them.  I'm curious if my teaching style and classroom management seemed worlds different from what they are accustomed to? I told them about my blog so maybe we'll see them around!

This afternoon we explored 3D shapes.  For some reason the kids found great humor in the word "polyhedra" {either that or it was just the aftershock of one cutie paTOOTie's "fluffer" that was blown with perfect timing...we were in the middle of talking about "gases"...admittedly, even I giggled - I mean really, couldn't have timed a toot more perfectly}. 

We started off by talking about various 3D shapes, noticing and indentifying faces, edges and vertices.  We closed the door a few times for dramatic flair.  You know you've gotta do it when teaching your kiddos big FIFTH GRADE WORDS...a hush comes over the room whenever I tell them we've got some big kid words to learn.  Inevitably somebody offers to close the door so our principal can't hear - likewise, somebody always lets the cat out of the bag and rats us out and tells another teacher or our principal that we learned the big words, but shhhhh, don't tell.

Then the kids were given a challenge:  To see which shapes they could make using these guys...

They came with our math program, Bridges, and they are called polydrons.  LOVE these things.  The kids love them too.  It was really interesting to hear some kids excitedly predict that they were SURE they'd be able to make a sphere while others just knew it wasn't possible but here they are discovering!!!






We didn't get any spheres but we did find out that there are triangular pyramids and square pyramids thanks to some fourth grade experts that helped us figure out the difference {I sent some first grade friends on a math journey to find the answer...Mrs. W. teaches first grade for a reason, and sometimes it feels like the math I'm teaching is NOT first grade stuff!!!!}.



After we figured out which shapes we were able to make with square and triangle shaped polydrons...


We went on a shape hunt around the classroom to find every day objects that are shaped similarly...


Note: cute coffee cozy on the Starbucks coffee...Staci!



We also recorded our findings here...


Believe it or not I'm not a countdown to the last day of school kinda girl.  Not that there's anything wrong with that - I'm one of those strange birds that never knows how many days are left.  I did, however, hear through the grapevine that we have 40 some odd days left.  Are you kidding me?!?!  I still have sooooooo much to teach!!!!!!  Unbelievable!

Gotta get rid of these shakes.  Must. Read. Book.  Must. Draw. Something. Now.

Toodles!

15 comments:

  1. Love those polydron thingamajigs!!
    I completely understand Draw Something and Catching Fire. I got you.
    http://www.ateenytinyteacher.blogspot.com/2012/04/upheaval.html

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    Replies
    1. We just finished this unit but will love using it next year with my first graders. Thanks, Jackie
      jackie@acsnet.com

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  2. I want some of those polydron toys! My kids would LOVE them! I should be finishing two grants, but I just can't find the enthusiasm to write about pricing and all that. I would much rather read blogs!
    Rowdy in First Grade

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  3. I am the slowest blogger lately! My kids have me running like a mad woman!!! Trying to catch up in blog land! It sure is hard to read and blog (I can only do one or the other and lately it has been reading everyone's cute blogs!) Have a super week Holly! :)
    Cheryl
    Crayons and Curls

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  4. Wow! Visitors from England??? Chickadees 3rd grade teacher is British and I LOVED listening to her....and now, I work with her...I could listen to her for hours......that's some "hot" coffee you got there...
    Staci

    Going Nutty!

    misssquirrels@yahoo.com

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  5. LOVE Draw Something and those polydrons are cool!
    ❤Traci❤
    Dragonflies in First

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  6. I love those polydrons! It looks like so much fun!
    -Megan

    First Grade Magic

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  7. What's your draw something username?! Email it to me!!!
    Jealous of your cozy...SO jealous.
    Just put our polydrons away. We are only a week apart in bridges right now. How cool is that! But we are taking these two weeks off to do fractions. My polydrons have gotten a tad broken. (the little connecting tabs) It's been 5 years and sometimes they pry the shapes open with their scissors so I can understand why. Are yours doing that?
    also I love your rug! ha!

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    Replies
    1. I've only been using mine for two years so they are still in pretty good shape - that, and I'm the polydron po-po and incarserate anybody who decides to manhandle the goods.

      HA!

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    2. Holly,

      I am the polydron po-po too!

      Okay chicas, what do y'all think of The Farm Unit????


      Heather
      Heather's Heart

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  8. Those 3-D shape thingies are awesome! I would love a set of those for my class!

    And as to the toots thing- is it bad that I sometimes get the giggles worse than my students when somebody lets one go? Gas never gets old!

    We're your newest followrs, love your blog, and your writing style!

    Halle
    Across the Hall in 2nd Grade

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  9. I'm starting to think we are twins separated at birth. I'm addicted to Catching Fire and Draw Something too!!!!!!
    And those polydron thingys you have- AWESOME! I've gotta get my hands on some of those!! :)


    -Staci
    Let's Teach Something

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  10. I want those shapes! I wonder if I can get them online?? I hope you have a great weekend Miss Holly!!

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