Z is for ZOOMED!

Hi Friends!

I'm not sure about any of y'all, but teaching elapsed time to third graders used to rank up there with getting a root canal or cleaning the whole house.  IE-not fun.  At all.  :)  I'd fumble and cross my fingers and kinda hope for the best.  This year was totally different for us.

Emily made this cute little poster for us to introduce the concept.  We did several example problems before we let the class try on their own.  However, they were begging to do it "alone" WAAAAAY faster than in years past!  It was also very helpful when we played Elapsed Time Scoot earlier this week.  

Z is for Zoomed!  How much time has ZOOMED by?

We played Scoot with some pretty tricky task cards and our kids did so much better once we introduced this new strategy.  They simply round to the next whole hour until they reach their final time.  Then add up your zoom lines.  Lots of fun!  If you want to check out our new pack, click here.

Finally, rejoice!  Tomorrow is Friday!  No need for this little ecard, we can do our Friday happy dance! It's also a jeans day for us :)  Enjoy your weekend!

Five for Friday (on a Saturday)

This week flew by!  We are linking up again with Doodlebugs.  Check out her awesome blog (here).

Here are 5 things that made us happy this week:

1.  We finished our Black History Month guided reading units. This is a picture of a new reading response activity that Emily made for non-fiction.  The students have to design a plaque and write an accomplishment for their special person.  This cutie said, "Duke Ellington brought America to life with the beauty of his music."

Be still my teacher heart!!!

2.  We played a little Measurement Bingo today.  Our kids had to cover the most sensible unit of measurement for the clue we read aloud.  For example, if we said...Christmas Tree...they would cover the square marked by 8ft.

3.  We read our South Carolina Studies Weekly about the CSS Hunley (submarine), and then designed our own newspaper headlines.  They turned out really great!

4.  We have an easy way to teach comparing different units of measure.  It is fool-proof!  Since we started teaching it this way, our kids catch-on much faster.  Check out the anchor chart that Emily made:

5.  I have a habit of ending these with something non-teacher related. I am just too darn excited about this new purchase. I am obsessed with shoulder bags!  How could one not be?!  A hands-free bag?  Love 'em!

Anyway, it's perfect for the Charleston ArtWalk tonight.  ArtWalks take place in the French Quarter; it is a public event and tons of fun.  Just stroll through the galleries...check out the art, and enjoy refreshments. It is also the BB&T Charleston Food & Wine Festival this weekend.  There is a lot of fun stuff going on in Charleston this weekend.

I hope yall have a great weekend!  Put your feet up...we made it through February!  Bring on the Lions and Lambs of March...hurry Spring!

Five for Friday!

Hi Sweet Teacher Friends!

Happy Weekend. :)  Today we are linking up with Doodle Bugs for a little Five for Friday linky party.

Post 5 things about our week? This is going to be all sorts of random, but that's how my brain works.  It's perfect.  :)  I can't tell you how many times I tell Emily something and she looks at me like I'm crazy.  You see....I don't actually say half of the things I am thinking.  Or I change the subject mid-sentence.  Or I'll say something like..."You know the thing?  I need that."

My poor boyfriend. But I digress....on to our fun week at school!

We have been studying the Civil War in history.  It's pretty awesome that we learned about the Hunley (a secret submarine mission for the Confederacy) and then we were able to go see it.  It was only found in 1995! It is being restored in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hunley Preservation 

For our persuasive writing unit, we teach how to write a business letter.  The kids can write to request something, complain (in a friendly manner), or express a concern.  This little lovely is writing Taylor Swift.

We had a hilarious coversation about what it means to "never, ever get back together."  No one in the class had a clue.  Aw.  Taylor Swift, write these children back.  They sing your songs, and have no clue about your issues.  ;)

We started a non-fiction unit to celebrate Black History Month.  Our kids are very excited!

We also started a measurement unit in math.  We ended the week by making Metric Monsters.  We adapted the lesson from Mary Carr's store on tpt.  It's a freebie, check it out (here).  Our kids LOVED it.

And finally....Boyfriend Cookies.

I know this isn't school related, but I couldn't resist.  Have yall seen these on pinterest?  Oh my goodness, they are good!  Like...insanely good. Like...I'll do an extra yoga class good.  Do yourself a favor...if you're into elastic waistband pants....find this recipe.  They are ridic!

Thanks for reading.  Enjoy your weekend!