Friday, April 26, 2013

Almost May???

Where has the past month gone?  I can't believe that it is almost May and the end of the school year is fast approaching.  I haven't posted for quite a while because life has become CRAZY!  First we decided to sign our son up for soccer.  We were always hesitant about getting sports started because of the scheduling of practices and games.  I think I am officially a soccer mom, but I couldn't be more proud of my son!  I have also accepted a new teaching position for next year.  Making this decision required taking time to update my resume', fill out the application, attending an interview and TONS of praying!  I was offered the position as a reading specialist in the same school that my son attends!  I am so excited to be closer to him to see the new challenges and rewards this postion will bring!   I am REALLY going to miss teaching kindergarten!  I will always have a heart for those kinder kids so I plan to continue creating things for my fellow kinder teaching friends but I also hope to expand the things I create to other grade levels as well!

Now that I have all of that out in the open...here is what my kinders have been working on!  I always get super excited about teaching the concept of whole and half.  Years ago I found this cute idea in a Mailbox magazine and the kids always love it!  I call it the magic pizza!

To make it, each student will need two plates.  Students will decorate one plate with a crust and all their favorite toppings!  Then I cut a slit half way into the two plates!
Join the two plates together!
The plates can be rotated to show whole, half or any other fraction!  The kids really think it is magic!
Here the pizza shows 3/4!

 I decided to create some other activities to work on the concept half and whole and also teaching students to share groups equally.  I had students work on the promethean board to divide pictures into two equal groups.  The next day, students were given two plates and a page of food graphics.

 Students were told to divide the lunch with someone...most students chose their mom!!  Here are some examples of students working on the activity!
Getting the carrot sticks glued on!  Students had to make sure each plate had half of the carrot sticks!
Another activity nearly complete. 
 
You can get this activity in my Whole/Half and Dividing Groups Set.  The set also includes 3 other activities for practice.
Sharing the coins!  Students will trace their hand and a friend's hand and then cut and glue the coins so each hand has half!
 
To see more of this set click on the picture below!