Five for Friday on Saturday - A Hurricane, a Show, Mom, and Some Math

I'm sitting on the couch still in my pajamas on this rain-soaked Saturday. In Charlotte, we're just seeing the peripheral effects of Hurricane Matthew. That's not the case for my friends and family in Florida. Here are a few pictures of what they've been dealing with. Thankfully, everyone was able to evacuate or lived far enough away from the coast to avoid the storm surge. No one I know was hurt. Too bad I can't say the same for my niece's house. She lives near the beach and her home was flooded. Much of the roof is gone. They're still assessing the damage. My nephew has roof damage, too and they've lost part of their fence.  So thankful it wasn't worse. Houses and things can be fixed or replaced. Lives can't.

Photo by Jerrad Hillis

Photo by Jerrad Hillis

My niece's house sustained a lot of damage from the high winds and flood waters. Thankfully, the family had evacuated by the time the storm hit. 

Photo by Jerrad Hillis

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

Photo by Cassandra Bailey

On Tuesday, my friend Patty and I went to see a great new show at the Booth Theater. We were excited to have our seats upgraded to directly in front of the stage. The show, First Date, was hilarious and showcased the challenges of modern dating life.

Patty and I used to work at the same school and I miss my teacher BFF. Thankfully, we are able to get together on a regular basis through the Teacher's Lounge receptions and shows hosted by the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

One of Mom's rose bushes is in bloom. Such a nice fall surprise. It made me miss her, of course, but also brought back some nice memories. She loved yellow roses and always got such a kick out of seeing them bloom. Sometimes when I see a yellow rose bloom, it feels like she paid me a visit. 

Math Workshop is getting closer to full operation. The students are working well together and they love playing the games. I asked the kids what was going well in our small groups and one of them said, "We were all collaborating and having fun." 

Mission accomplished. :)

Just in case I think things are going too well, I always get a reality check when I give assessments. 

After days of talking about word form, standard form, place value, and expanded form...

After days of writing today's number in different ways...

After days of talking about different ways to write or show a number...

This is what I get. 

Face. Palm. 

I couldn't help but laugh.

To be fair, they do look different. 

On that note, this concludes my Five for Friday (Saturday edition). Thanks to Doodle Bugs Teaching for hosting!

I hope everyone who was or is in the path of Hurricane Matthew is safe and well. Hug your loved ones close and be grateful for what you have.

Until next time, 

Exploring Number Patterns Using Hundred Charts

First Graders need to become familiar with the counting sequence, to understand tens and ones, and to fluently add and subtract multiples of ten.  One of the ways I help my students become familiar with all of these concepts is to work with hundred charts or one hundred twenty charts in a variety of ways.  This week, my students were hard at work learning these concepts.

Students used hundred chart puzzles to reinforce knowledge of number patterns. 

I copied a hundred chart onto ten different colors of cardstock.  Using the different colors helps with organization and prevents pieces of different puzzles getting mixed together.  You could also use construction paper, but I've found that cardstock lasts longer.

Next, I cut away the excess border and then cut the hundred board into various sized pieces, keeping all of the numbers intact.
I don't laminate these.  Laminating would make them last longer, but they actually make it harder for the students to work with.  Once the puzzle pieces start looking worn, I just make new sets.

After cutting out the pieces, I place each puzzle into a plastic baggie. Then I place them in a center for students to put together.


My students love these. As soon as they are done with one puzzle, they quickly grab another.  Since the level of difficulty varies with each puzzle, students find some puzzles more difficult than others.  I always have them check their work by counting to 100.



We also use commercially created hundred chart activities.

Students practice the counting sequence when they have to refill a pocket chart and put the numbers in the correct pockets.

These hundred boards help my students practice counting as well as matching two-digit numbers.  Yesterday, one of my students turned over all the tiles so that only the white side was showing.  (I'm sorry I didn't grab a picture of that one.) She asked the other students in the group to identify what number was on the other side of the tile.  The students had to use their knowledge of numbers and number patterns to guess the right number.  I love it when students make up their own math games.

 Students used the hundred chart or their 120 Chart to help them solve problems on task cards.  They were adding and subtracting multiples of ten.  They recorded their answers in their math journals.  It was easy to check for understanding as I walked by this group.

During morning work time, all students filled out their own 120 Chart. They were able to save these as a resource in their math notebooks.  I loved seeing the students help each other find and fix mistakes before we put them away.

 Now that they've been working with numbers up to 120 by using these charts, I see my students becoming more and more comfortable with number patterns.  One of my mini-lessons this week involved adding multiples of ten using a number line.  Several students immediately made the connection between the number line and counting by tens "off the decade."  It's great when you see that deep understanding of a concept!

How do you help your students with these concepts?  Please share your ideas and resources in the comments.

You can get my One Hundred Twenty Charts: Winter Theme in my TPT store.