Sunday, November 27, 2011

Easter Activities for the Classroom

!±8± Easter Activities for the Classroom

If you need Easter activities for the classroom, you will find that you have many different activities from which to choose. You may like to have the children create Easter crafts but there are also many other educational Easter activities that are suitable for the classroom. Many of these involve math, reading and writing so the learning doesn't have to stop while the kids have some Easter fun!

Easter Riddle Match

The children can be involved in preparing this Easter activity for the classroom. They can start by finding about 10-15 Easter riddles. Once they have found the riddles, each riddle is written on a separate card and each answer is written on a separate card. These cards can then be used to play a Memory style game with 2 - 4 players. The cards are spread out face down on a table. The players take turns at turning over two cards and reading them both. If they have a matching riddle and answer they get to keep the pair and have another turn. The winner will be the player who has the most pairs when all of the cards have been matched.

Easter Egg Jumble

This is an Easter activity for the classroom that helps kids to practice math. To make this puzzle cut out several large egg shapes. On each egg write the numbers and signs from a mathematical equation putting them in a random order. The children have to rearrange the numbers and signs from each egg to make a true equation. You can use this to practice simple addition equations or more complex equations involving multiplication or division. If 3, 7, x, =, 9 and 2 are on an egg, these would be unjumbled to make 3 x 9 = 27.

Easter Sentence Jumble

To create this Easter activity for the classroom you will start with a few Easter sentences. The teacher can write these or each member of the class can create one sentence. It could be a sentence about Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny or something that children might do at Easter. To play Sentence Jumble you run the words together and then break the letters up into groups of three, four or five letters. The children have to identify what the sentence is and write it correctly. Here is one to try.

thec hild renh unte dforth eea stereg gsth atth eeas terbu nnyh adhi dden

Easter Word Find

One of the simplest Easter activities for the classroom is an Easter puzzle Word Find. Write the words 'Easter Bunny' for the children to see then challenge them to find as many words as possible that use the letters in Easter Bunny. For example they could have east, tree, neat etc. The winner will be the person who finds the most words. You can also use words like 'chocolate' or 'Easter eggs' for this Easter puzzle.

Easter Hangman

The spelling game of Hangman can also be given an Easter twist by using a bunny diagram instead of a Hangman diagram. Choose a bunny picture with about 10 - 14 parts. Play the game in the usual way using Easter words like, chocolate, candy, flowers, basket, chicks, bonnet, parade, decorate, April, search, Sunday, tulips or jellybeans.

As you can see there is a wide variety of Easter activities for the classroom that you can use to entertain and educate children this Easter. This Easter don't limit your Easter activities to craft and art. Instead have a go at some Easter word puzzles and Easter math puzzles.


Easter Activities for the Classroom

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Teaching Latitude and Longitude to Elementary Students Using Technology

!±8± Teaching Latitude and Longitude to Elementary Students Using Technology

Teaching children about latitude and longitude is challenging at best. Asking children to visualize imaginary and invisible lines that only seem to exist on a map is beyond many young minds. When I came across the Confluence Project web site I was ecstatic! Now this was something that younger children could relate to and understand! Alex Jarrett started the Confluence Project in 1996. He became interested in the unique spots on earth where the integer degrees of latitude and longitude intersect. What would be at each unique spot?

I begin my one-hour lesson with the globe. We look at it. Practice saying longitude and latitude while trying to remember which is which. I give a tip that the "flat" lines rhyme with latitude....flatitude, latitude. The long, up and down lines, begin with the word "long." I find that even fourth and fifth graders need review on these terms.

Next we discuss the uses of latitude and longitude in regards to finding locations and absolute location. At this point I like to talk about the various GPS devices that are commonly found in households today including the navigation systems in cars and hand-held GPS units.

Next I share some background information about the fun adventure of geo-caching which is a treasure hunt all over the world using given latitude and longitude. Often I find one child who has heard of this before.

Finally, I discuss the Confluence project. We talk about the term confluence. Most often the term is used to define the meeting place between two rivers or two sections within one river. In the case of the Confluence latitude and longitude project, it is where the whole number latitude and longitude lines meet.

My first lesson on this topic usually focuses on our own state so I give a handout with the web address and the confluences of Michigan with the direction to check out each location. I first show a couple of the locations and share the neat stories that are shared in finding the confluences. And, of course, we find the one closest to our home.

Send your students out to actually "see" where latitude and longitude meet. This makes those invisible lines have meaning! As I've done this lesson over and over during the past I find the adults and parents walking by are even more intrigued by the Confluence Project and the idea of being able to see each meeting place.

Visit http://www.confluence.org Just before sending the students off at the end of class I remind them to share this idea at the dinner table when Mom and Dad ask what they learned in school today! Bet they can stump their parents by mentioning "Confluence" and kids love doing that!


Teaching Latitude and Longitude to Elementary Students Using Technology

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Why is Math the Hardest Subject in School?

!±8± Why is Math the Hardest Subject in School?

Most children consider math to be the hardest subject in school. Their case may be merely an emotional one. However, we have to investigate the reasons behind this widespread hatred of math in children. If your child does not like math, these can be the following reasons for your child's dislike; (1) inability to comprehend the basics of math, (2) natural aptitude against math, (3) boring material and syllabus for math classes, (4) uninspiring teaching methods, (5) no interest of the parents. Any one or all of these reasons can make math the hardest subject for a child.

If you do not develop a liking in your child for math during pre-school , your child may not be able to develop a natural aptitude for math. Kids like to play with toys, play various interesting little games and making paintings or the like. Parents should try to teach the child about counting things and the basic concepts in their routine activities. This does not make it a boring task and your child develops a natural aptitude for math. This will solve another problem for your child as well. This will develop a very strong base for math in your child and when he will go to school he will not be behind the other students. Having developed an aptitude for math, your child will perform better in his subject.

Another problem that makes math the hardest subject in school is an inefficient and boring math syllabus. The syllabus should be developed while keeping the level and the liking of children. They find math to be boring and disgusting because syllabus books present it in a dry and boring manner. The next cause that makes math the hardest subject in school is the teaching method. If the teacher himself or herself does not like math, how could she be able to generate an interest in the subject for your child? Teachers do not give examples from every day life. The children start to assume that math does not have any importance in their lives. Then why should they study a subject that has no utility in real life? This is why children start loosing interest in math. To make math an interesting subject, teachers have to make it a living subject with examples from the every day life of children.

Most of the teachers focus all their energies to prevent mistakes and the creative abilities of children go unnoticed for the most part. This method creates a negative impression about math. If we take away inventiveness from the subject then boring addition or multiplication makes math the hardest subject in school. Children may develop a distaste for math in the long run.

There is another major factor that makes math the hardest subject for your child. Mostly parents do not give proper attention and encouragement to children. You may not be able to solve syllabus or teaching method problems. However you can save your child from failure in math at your own home. Schools can not give attention to each child; the teachers have to teach to the whole class. Parents can give attention to their child's problems. You can make math an interesting subject for your child by playing math games or assigning amusing math tasks. The homework routine should be made fun for the child. You must take interest in your child's homework and help her wherever she needs it. If you find it difficult to give the necessary help to your child, you can hire someone who can make math an interesting subject for your child.


Why is Math the Hardest Subject in School?

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fun Math Cards Games - Three Simple Ways to Adapt Go Fish To Make Math More Fun

!±8± Fun Math Cards Games - Three Simple Ways to Adapt Go Fish To Make Math More Fun

Go Fish! is arguably the absolute most common card game children play. Take this game, with rules well ingrained and turn it into some fun math card games, and your child may never even know you are making them do extra math work at home!

Review the rules: Use a standard deck of cards. Deal out five cards, spread the rest on the table. Take turns asking, "Do you have an _____?" If they have it, you get an extra turn, if not, you pick from the cards on the table. If you pick up what you asked for, show it and get another turn. A book all four cards the same number. Anytime you make a book, place it on the table and get another turn. Scoring is five points for each number card, ten points for each face card and fifteen for an ace.

For these Go Fish! fun math games, an ace is counted as a one. Decide about the face cards depending on the age of the child. When they are ready for multiplying by 11, 12 and 13 that is fine. Otherwise they can used as bonus cards where they do not have to do any math. Make adjustments the best way you can to make math more fun while playing.

Variation 1: When they put the book down they have to do something with the numbers. At first it will be counting them, then as they get older add them together. Then it can be a mixture of adding and subtracting. Finally once they are older it can be a combination of the four operations. Teacher supply stores have blank spinners and blank dice where you write whatever you want on them. Write the different operations and a wild for "choose your own operation." For this math card game a free turn does not work, so the last one could be roll or spin again.

Variation 2: Review multiplication facts by designating a game as "3 tables day" or "6 tables day" and so forth. Every time someone asks for a number they must multiply that number by the designated game number. On six table day, when they put a book down they will also say, "I have a book of sixes; and six times six is thirty-six."

Variation 3: This variation is just with scoring. Play the game as usual. When finished, add up the points as usual. Then have them spread all their cards on the table and see how many math family groupings they can create, give 5 bonus points for each grouping. For this the Jack is 11, Queen 12 and King is 13. So, 2,3,5 is a group 9.3,Q is a group. They state the group and all the facts that can be made with them, 2+3=5; 3+2=5; 5-2=3; 5-3=2 There might even be some advanced grouping based on factors, 2,3,4,6,8 Q group are all factors of 24.

Taking a common card game and adapting it to give extra math practice and making math more fun for your child is easy to do! Children in one family at different levels can play the same fun math card game with different expectations based on ability.


Fun Math Cards Games - Three Simple Ways to Adapt Go Fish To Make Math More Fun

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