Day 61- Take the Box!

Does anyone else remember that show? The contestants can choose what's behind the curtain, or choose what's in the box. That box could hold anything from cash to a dozen eggs, but contestants wanted that box so badly they were willing to risk everything to get it.

Now, I don't ask my students to risk much, if anything really, but they do understand the power of the box.  We've been learning about Fact Families for a while now, but the concept never really sank in until now. What changed? We added boxes.

The boxes in the addition problems are for the answer. Students understand that the answer, which is the biggest number, goes into the box. What students also know, is that the "biggest number goes on top!" when they subtract. So, the answer from the addition becomes the first number in the subtraction problem.

During the math game today, students had to look at a domino and fill in all of the addition and subtraction facts to win. Here's an example.

I have 3 ladies in my class that you can tell go home and studies their math facts. They earn lots of tickets in this game! Since there are no helpful boxes on The Test in April, we will eventually get rid of them. For now, they are a helpful tool.

I found a brilliant book for whole group today. It's by Bob Shea and Lane Smith, and they are wonderful authors! I have quite a few of Lane Smith's books in my classroom. This one is all about a boy who has...

That's right! BIG PLANS, I say!
When I read this book to the kids, for some reason I pulled out my deep Texas, Fog-horn Leg-horn voice. It just seemed appropriate. My students LOVED this book! After it was finished, they all yelled, "Read it again!" But, after doing it one time, I was pretty sure that Mrs. O would come out of her office and ask us (me) to keep it down if I read it again.

The book is about a boy who got in trouble in class and has to sit in the corner. However, the boy doesn't let his present situation stop him from dreaming of his BIG PLANS. It's really very heartwarming when you think about it. After the story, we came up with a class list of BIG PLANS that my students would like to fulfill.

My favorite: my students that wants to change her brother into a frog.
We were about to do a writing activity, but we had a fire drill. I guess I'll have to read it again Monday to refresh our memories! ;)

Literacy center pictures:

 Spelling texters, Read, Build, Write cards

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