Okay, SPOILER ALERT. I’m going to talk about Big Brother because I have to. So stop reading if you’re not caught up or skip ahead to the next paragraph if you’re not interested. And, if you’re not interested, you should be. Nothing else is on during the summer and this is on THREE NIGHTS A WEEK. I mean, REALLY! It’s a no brainer.
Yay, yay, yay, A BIG OLE BLINDSIDE for McRanda! Woohoo! I am thrilled. Amanda’s tears about Elissa’s bullying were completely confusing to me. I do not understand her and I truly think she needs to be evicted just so that she can get out of the house and 1) get some perspective and 2) buy a sweater that STAYS UP ON BOTH SHOULDERS.
Alright. Oriental Trading sent me a $25 gift card for no reason. I know. I don’t understand it either. But I gladly accepted it. I bought a couple of things, among them some new foam dice.
The dice were bigger than I expected. But it turned out to be a good thing!
We’ve been studying part/part/whole in Math, as well as finding and recognizing number patterns so I used something I’ve used in the past, but in a totally different way.
I gave each student a dice and a Roll the Dice game I created years ago. I’ve shared it before. But just in case you didn’t grab it then or forgot about it or whatever, here it is again. Click to download.
Click {HERE} to download.
Students worked in pairs. I’m going to pretend here in Bloggy Land that when I said they could pick their own partners that everything went really well and there was a virtual love fest in our room, and no one’s feelings were hurt, and I did not, I repeat, I did NOT give out gold tags to make the process go a little smoother. It was just magical.
Oh, and before I continue, I do not want to have a discussion about die versus dice. I just don’t. Let’s call one dice a dice. Okay? Throughout this post, one dice will be known as a dice from heretofore. No one is going to die. Or be called a die. I do not care. The End.
So Student A rolled her dice to get her part. And then Student B rolled her dice to get her part. And then both students had to put their parts together to get the WHOLE. See? And they recognized number patterns on the dice. That is called Killing Feeding Two Birds With One Dice.
The best part was that even my struggling learners were able to do this activity because the dice were big enough for them to touch the dots as they counted. Oh, and the other best part? The dice are foam. You can’t hear them when they roll.
GENIUS.
Nap time.
My kids loved this activity and asked if they could do it during Fun Friday. So I patted myself on the back and said yeah, buddy.
This is out of nowhere, but when I was in elementary school, I came up with the perfect costume on my way to school. Or, at least that’s how I remember it. My mom might call me later and tell me I have it twisted.
Anywho, I ran home after school (because back then I’m positive I ran to and fro and occasionally had my nose out of a book) and told my parents that I wanted to be a DICE for Halloween! So my dad helped me paint a cardboard box and then I wore black tights (I think) and walked around the neighborhood with two little arms sticking out the sides barely able to hold my Trick or Treat pillowcase in front of me because the dumb box was in the way. Don’t ever wear a costume in which you are trapped inside of a cardboard box. Especially if you are teeny tiny. And especially if you are the teeniest tiniest kid in elementary school so that the one time you went boogie boarding at the beach on summer vacation, the wave carried you up onto the shore, across the sand, and back under the umbrella where your mom was relaxing in the shade because she can’t swim and also doesn’t want to damage her skin.
Really. Don’t.
My parents later went as a PAIR of dice. Or maybe they went like that before me and then I copied them??? I don’t know. I seriously think I’m the one who came up with it first, thinking I could be a Rubik’s cube and then changing it to a dice.
If I lived closer to my mom and if I felt like leaving the house today (I don’t – shocker), I’d look for the picture of me as a dice and show it to you.
I also bought some dry erase sleeves. Did you forget what we were talking about? Was that an okay segue?
(source)
I haven’t had a chance to use these yet, but I know they’ll come in handy and help me save on copies.
If you’re interested in a giveaway, Oriental Trading Company is having a Spooktakular Giveaway right now. Check it out {HERE}.
And there you have it.
I don’t have any big plans on the agenda for today. And that, my friends, feels so good! What are your plans?
This
review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or
experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of
charge by the company or PR agency and I provided my honest opinion. No other
type of compensation was received for this review.
review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or
experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of
charge by the company or PR agency and I provided my honest opinion. No other
type of compensation was received for this review.
The image of you, a wave, a boogie board, and an umbrella are going to be in my mind ALL DAY!
It's my last day of summer break today!! I am getting bags ready and packing lunches and getting to bed on time and probably having crazy dreams tonight! Oh, first day of school joys!!
Jill
ABCs and Polkadots
I totally get your boogie board story. I vividly remember watching my brother get carried by a wave and under a CAR! At the time, it was horrifying, but now its a great story and kind of comical!
Mrs. Johnson
When I was a child my sister and I went as a pair of dice one year too!!! My dad painted cardboard boxes and we wore black tights! I also remember having the hardest time holding my trick or treat bag.. like a T Rex! HAHAHAHA!!!
I was also teeny tiny as a child. (Well, lets face it, I'm still really short, but whatever.) Anyway, I decided I wanted to be a present one year, so I wore a box as well. Except we lived in the middle of nowhere, and the houses were all far apart so we had to drive and I couldn't get in and out of the car in the box, so I kept having to take it off. Eventually I just decided I'd be a nerd and left the box in the car.
I love using the foam dice! I'm getting anxious about starting centers in 2 weeks! EEEKKK!!!! But lucky for me {and you and other P's} I'll be all set as far as great materials!
Megan
Mrs. Wheeler’s First Grade
Mrs. Wheeler TpT
Big Brother yesterday just made my week! I was so happy by the blindside. That crazy girl needs to go! To think at one point I thought she was funny? Now she's just pathetic!
Boy oh boy you are getting all kinds of fancy up on here with your pictures! You are shattering your lazy girl image here haha!
I was waiting for the infamous bear to make a surprise appearance in this post somewhere! I can't wait to hear more about your adventures in first grade!
ThePolishedTeacher
I.CANT.BREATHE!!!!!!!
I too was very pleased with Macranda being on the block this week! My husband and I couldn't figure out what she was talking about when she kept complaining about Elissa being mean to her. It was all Amanda! Yikes! I hope she stays on the block after the veto competition and gets voted outta there!
Mrs. Jones Teaches :o)
You are too funny … I always laugh out loud when I read your posts 🙂 And yeah, referring to one DICE as a die just doesn't roll of the tongue. I totally approve of "a dice"!
Amanda
Let's Get Fancy in First
Love the foam dice and would love it even more if I saw a picture of you as a dice. What I'm imagining in my head is pretty great…
Rambling About Reading
Yes, foam dice are genius. I made the mistake of using real dice once. ONCE. The noise reverberated in my ears for days so I went out and bought some foam ones. Yours are better though! I like that size.
Alicia @ Today's Objective
Thanks for another great idea! I too love those foam dice.I'm using your Gold Tags & Fun Friday!It is working out really well. 😀 Did I mention you are saving my life. I still need to get that music box with the caterpillar. so cute.
My class picks partners just like yours…well maybe not exactly. he he he LOL
My 2nd time in first grade, but my 16th year teaching!!!
Have I told you lately that I love you? Well I really don't know YOU, but I love the brilliant you that always rescues me from the, " How on Earth am I EVER gonna get 33 chickadees to understand that concept" blues. So I am grateful and I stalk your blog daily. We should be best friends cause I am kinda funny too, I live in So. Cal, I teach first grade, I am in love with my furry baby (OK she's a dog but don't tell her that!) Really, we are like Siamese twins only you are slightly more brilliantly creative than I am. Maybe if we were be sties, you would rub off on me! lol. Thanks for another great idea.
I used my dry erase sleeves every morning in K. The students practiced their names and sentences. Some traced and others copied. They just had to make sure to put the caps on the markers!