If you need a reason to enjoy eating one (or two), celebrate National S’mores Day on August 10th!

Keep reading to find out s’more about two teaching resources available in my TpT store and a freebie you can download.

Get S’more Practice With 2-Digit Numbers

Do your first or second-grade students need s’more practice with two-digit numbers? Then, this enticing small group math activity, designed for practicing and reviewing 2-digit number skills is just what you need!

With this flexible resource, you can choose the skills that best match your students’ instructional needs. You’ll also have a choice of color or black/ white and one-sided or two-sided activity cards.

You’ll find 6 printable activity mats. Each mat has 10 two-digit numbers. There are a total of 24 different numbers.

There are ten sets of 24 cards, including a set with just the numerals.

The skills covered are:

• the number after or 1 more than
• the number before or 1 less than
• 10 more than
• 10 less than
• number word
• expanded form
• how many tens and ones

Your students will:

• Take turns to pick a card.
• Read the card and determine the corresponding number.
• Cover or color the s’more with that number.

Who can color or cover all their numbers first?

Extend the use of the skill and number cards with the additional matching activities or the open-ended worksheets that are included with this resource.

Head on over to my TpT store to learn more about S’More Numbers 2-Digit Activity. Your students might also enjoy my Fin-tastic Numbers 3-Digit Activity.

Graphing and Data Collection Activity

Next up is an activity that will engage your first, second, and third-grade students in collecting and graphing data.

Your students will work with a partner to:

• Pick and replace the letters in the word s’mores in a paper lunch bag.
• Pick until all the letters have been drawn.
• Keep a tally of their results in a table.
• Use their collected data to complete a bar graph (2 versions, one requires students to label the graph).
• Interpret their results by answering questions.

Find this activity in It’s in the Bag for Summer or It’s in the Bag Year Round Bundle. Be sure to try out the free doughnut-themed version of this activity.

How to Make a S’more

What would a s’more-themed unit be without making (and eating) some?

But alas, this is just a sequencing and writing activity! Still, it would work well as a follow-up to making some!

Do spend some time discussing or experiencing how to make s’mores before having your first, second, or third-grade students write about it.

This activity is easy to prepare. Simply print each page.

You will need copies of both writing pages for each student plus one copy of the picture page for every two students.

Then, add crayons, scissors, glue, and pencils so you’ll be all set.

Your students will:

• Color the pictures (optional).
• Cut out the pictures (6).
• Sequence the pictures.
• Glue the pictures.
• Write a sentence about each picture.

I always tried to check my students’ work after sequencing but before gluing. Hmmm, I wonder why…

Interestingly, most of the clipart I looked at had the marshmallow under the chocolate while most of the recipes I perused had the chocolate under the marshmallow.

So there are many ways to make s’mores. The pictures I chose show roasting the marshmallow and adding the chocolate before the marshmallow.

Click on the highlighted words, How to Make a S’more, to download your free copy of this activity.

Looking For S’More Resources…

Check out these categories in my TpT store!

• Graphing Resources
• Number & Place Value Resources

These blog posts showcase a variety of free writing activities to download.

• Do You Want a New and Awesome Apple Resource?
• Who’s Ready to Ring in a New Year?
• Read to Inspire Kindness and Inclusion
• Back to School with Miss Mingo
• Why is That Scolding Hawk on My Balcony?

Find s’more freebies offered by others.

• Let’s Read Snack Bag Topper (Primary Playground)
• End of the Year Gift Tag (Elementary Adventure Store)
• Solar Science Experiment (Florida Online Academy)
• Open-Ended Game (TLC Talk Shop- Tamatha Cauckwell)
• Bookmarks (Let’s Learn S’more)

Don’t forget the recipes and crafts!

• S’more Treats (Hershey’s)
• Fireside S’mores (Betty Crocker)
• Popsicle Stick S’mores (Glued to My Crafts)

Share your favorite way to make s’mores in the comments below!

Photo in title image by Tiffany and David Photography.

The post You Need to Try These Activities for S’more Fun appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

If you’re thinking about…

• summer
• high-interest activities
• addressing learning loss
• or hands-on engagement

Then, I’ve got a plethora of ways to help meet your instructional needs that will grab your students’ attention.

Whether you need to develop conceptual understanding or focus on practice and review, I have a resource to address it.

Free Resources for Teaching 3 Digit Numbers

Get started by looking through these links for ideas and free resources.

One Free and Refreshing Place Value Activity (2 and 3 digit numbers)

Here’s a free activity to bolster your first, second, and third graders’ understanding of place value concepts. Help students make explicit connections between the standard, expanded, and word forms of two or three-digit numbers using a fun popsicle theme.

One Free Sensational Way to Compare Numbers

Try this free activity to teach, practice, or review comparing three-digit numbers at a concrete, representational, or abstract level. Use this sunglasses-themed resource year-round whenever your students are comparing numbers!

How to Teach 100 Less and More

Use this free animal camouflage-themed activity to target learning at the concrete, representational, and/ or abstract level. Direct your instruction to one level or overlap two levels. Make learning accessible for all your students!

How to Expand Your Kids’ Counting Skills

I created these free, easy-to-prepare Forest Animal Prompt Cards to implement as part of your classroom 3 digit number counting routines. You can use these with the whole class, in small groups, or in an independent math center. All you need is a few minutes here and there.

A New Product to Practice and Review 3 Digit Numbers

Keep going with my newest resource, Fin-tastic Numbers.

Do sharks fascinate your students? Go ahead and snag their interest with this small group math activity, designed for practicing and reviewing 3 digit number skills in second or third grade.

With this flexible resource, you can choose the skills that best match your students’ instructional needs. You’ll also have a choice of color or black/ white.

You’ll find 6 printable activity mats. Each mat has 10 three-digit numerals, with a total of 24 different ones.

There are ten sets of 24 cards, including a set with just the numerals.

The skills covered are:

• the number after and the number before
• 10 more and 10 less than
• 100 more and 100 less than
• number word
• expanded form
• how many hundreds, tens, and ones

Your students will:

• Take turns to pick a card.
• Read the card and determine the corresponding number.
• Cover or color the fin with that number.

Who can color or cover all their numbers first?

Extend the use of the skill and number cards with the additional matching activities or the open-ended worksheets that are included with this resource.

Click on the highlighted words to find out more about Fin-Tastic Numbers- A Shark-Themed 3 Digit Activity, available for purchase in my TpT store.

While you’re there, check out my Collect Them All Bundle of Task Cards for Second Grade Number Skills.

Free Worksheets for Practice and Review

Finish up with this new set of shark-themed free worksheets, perfect for practicing and reviewing 3 digit number skills.

This freebie includes 3 print and go worksheets.

1. Write the numbers that are 1, 10, and 100 more and less than the given number.
2. Round given numbers to the nearest 10 and nearest 100.
3. Complete a quick draw using squares, lines, and dots to represent the hundreds, tens, and ones in a given number. Then, write the number word and the expanded form of that number. (Two choices for writing lines.)

Download your free copy of Fin-tastic Number Worksheets by clicking on the highlighted words.

Did you find what you needed to teach 3 digit numbers? Let me know in the comments below!

Photo in title image by Ramon Carreterro.

The post How to Easily Sharpen Skills for 3 Digit Numbers appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

In my last blog post, I suggested a vertical number line as one way to help your students connect numerals to number words.

Unfortunately, the only ones I had handy to show you were ones to 12 or 20 that I used to teach addition and subtraction strategies.

Eventually, I located the 0 to 100, floor to ceiling, vertical number line I made for my classroom on an old thumb drive. Then it was easy to create a new and improved free version for you based on the old template.

Still wondering about the benefits…

Vertical number lines can help your kindergarten, first, and second-grade students:

1. visualize the pattern of increasing tens and ones in two-digit numbers. They can easily see the sequence and repetition of the digits.
2. understand the value of numbers faster and easier. They are able to see the numbers increasing or decreasing in value. 24 is lower or less than 25 and 48 is higher or more than 38.
3. grasp the concepts of counting up and counting down when adding or subtracting. It is evident that sums increase and differences decrease in value.
4. make a connection between the terms rounding up and rounding down to the nearest ten to what they see.

While I taught rounding with a number line, I never thought to use a vertical one, even with it right there on the wall!

You can also create empty and interactive vertical number lines.

How to Prepare Your Vertical Number Line

Of course, this is technically a number path and not a number line. A number path is an effective counting model as opposed to a length model. Each number is clearly marked with a rectangle. Each rectangle can be counted.

I added stars in rectangles to make counting even easier. The stars are also color-coded for counting by 5’s and 10’s.

This number path is approximately 93 3/8 inches or 7 foot 9 3/8 inches tall.

• Start by choosing color or black/ gray/ white.
• Print the selected pages. Use cardstock and laminate (consider glare) for durability.
• Cut each strip carefully along the outside edge of the solid and dotted black lines.
• Put the strips together with tape. Start with zero and one. Place tape in the blank spaces. Align and overlap the ends of each strip, covering up each blank box.
• Or you can create one that folds up accordion-style for storage. To do this, cut off the empty boxes. Lay the strips face down so the ends abut. Then, tape across the edges.

Now you’re all set to post it on your wall!

More Ideas for Vertical Number Lines

Find ideas and resources for using an interactive vertical number line to develop number sense (Mr. Elementary Math) and using vertical number lines for adding multiples of tens (What I Have Learned).

Looking for More Resources…

• Frog Hopping Count Down (blog post with a freebie that includes a vertical number line to 12)
• Piggy Bank Count Up (a resource to purchase with a vertical number line to 20)
• Candy Bag Count Up (same as above with a different theme)

Click the highlighted words to download your free copy of the vertical number line 0-100.

I’d love to hear your ideas for using vertical number lines in the comments below!

Photo in title image by Coffee Beans and Children’s Dreams.

The post 4 Beneficial Reasons for Using a Vertical Number Line appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

You’d think it would be easy peasy after your students learn to identify the numerals 0 to 10.

But then, along come the tricky teens, particularly eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fifteen. And quickly following on their heels some thorny tens, mainly twenty, thirty, and fifty.

What Makes Identifying These Numerals So Confusing?

Well surprisingly, it seems to be the irregularities of the English language!

It starts with the teen number words. Instead of saying one ten, we say teen.

Eleven and twelve don’t even include the syllable teen even though they represent one ten and some more.

For the teens, we say number words that reverse the order of the digits we see. We don’t say ten four when we see 14, we say fourteen.

In place of three-teen and five-teen, we have thirteen and fifteen.

Moving to the twenties and beyond…

Now, at least, the order of the number words we say matches the place of the digits we see (forty-two and 42). Ten is now represented with the suffix -ty. In place of four tens, we say forty. That’s easy enough!

But then (you know there’s got to be a but), two tens becomes twenty.

At least thirteen, thirty, and third are consistent as are fifteen, fifty, and fifth. But goodness gracious, twelve, and twenty are only left with the “tw” in common. And the word second will leave you scratching your head.

Ways to Help Students Connect Numerals to Number Words

Make explicit language connections. Your students need to know that teen and -ty mean the same as ten.

Play with the language.

Two tens ought to be two-ty. But oh, no it’s not. It’s twenty.

Three tens ought to be three-ty. But oh no it’s not. It’s thirty.

Five tens ought to be five-ty. But oh no it’s not. It’s fifty.

(I couldn’t find one but surely there’s a teacher who has created a catchy poem or song for this!)

Demonstrate the consistent visual patterns of numerals. The pattern of increasing tens and ones can best be illustrated with a vertical number line. I had one with 0 to 100, floor to ceiling, on a classroom wall.

The photo only shows vertical number lines to 12 or 20. They were all I had handy. I also used them for teaching addition and subtraction strategies.

Provide plenty of opportunities for your students to count and group objects beyond ten. Be explicit. Show the relationships between the objects we count to the words we say to the numerals we write.

Check out my free treasure report recording sheets and this blog post about place value, for ideas. Be sure to count and group objects by tens before moving on to tens and ones.

After all the concept development, your students will be ready for this spring-themed resource with numbers in the twenties and thirties. Try it with small groups of 2 to 4 students. (You can adapt it for a single student or a large group.)

Use this activity for morning work, in a math center, or with your small instructional groups.

Get “Flowers in Bloom For Numerals 20-39” Prepared

There are 4 different activity mats. Each mat has a garden with 10 tulips. Each tulip has a numeral (20-39) on it.

There are 18 cards with the numbers 20-39 represented by wormy ten frames and extra ones.

YOU WILL NEED:

• One copy of the activity mat for each participating student
• One or more sets of the cards
• Crayons or counters

Choose color or black/ white. Print the black/ white mats on paper to use with crayons.

The color or black/ white mats can be printed on card stock and laminated for reuse. Use counters to cover. Try erasers, buttons, gems, or any one-inch or so counters that you have handy.

You can also use one and two-inch-sized Measuring Worms^TM.

Print the cards on card stock and laminate for durability. Prepare one or two sets for 2 students and two sets for 3 to 4 students. Cut out the cards.

Get “Em” Engaged With “Flowers in Bloom”

Shuffle the cards. Place them in a stack, a messy pile, or a decorative container. A flower pot fits perfectly with the theme!

STUDENTS WILL:

• Draw a card.
• Determine the number. Say the number word.
• Look for the corresponding numeral on their mat.
• If the numeral is on the mat, color or place a counter on that tulip.
• If the numeral is already colored or covered, you lose your turn.
• Discard your card.
• Take turns.
• Reshuffle the discarded cards, as needed.

Who can be the first one to color or cover all your tulips?

Click on the highlighted words to download your free copy of Flowers in Bloom for Numerals 20-39.

Do you have any helpful ideas for teaching these thorny tens? Be sure to share in the comments below!

LOOKING FOR MORE RESOURCES…

If you’re teaching about gardens and plants, you’re going to want…

Oreo Dirt Cups Recipe (Modern Meal Makeover)

Books About Worms (Growing Book By Book)

Books About Seeds (Gift of Curiosity)

Paper Plate & Paint Splat Tulip (Glued To My Crafts)

Plastic Cup Greenhouses (Mama.Papa.Bubba.)

Seed Experiments (Gift of Curiosity) (Scroll down in this post to click on more seed experiments.)

Be sure to check out all my resources for kindergarten and first grade in my TpT store!

Photo in title image by Cherkas Photography.

The post How to Make Important Connections Between Numerals and Number Words appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Of course, you don’t need a leprechaun to tell you that a solid foundation in number sense is worth its weight in gold!

Hands-On Ways to Develop Understanding of Teen Numbers

Help your students make sense of these numbers by providing numerous opportunities for them to show, see, and feel that a teen number is a ten plus some more. Get out those double ten frames with counters, popsicle sticks, interlocking cubes, and base ten blocks.

Create those teen numbers with concrete objects in as many ways as possible!

Show them on double ten frames. Use a variety of counters to keep it fresh.

Construct tally marks with popsicle sticks. Or make a bundle of ten and some extra ones with those popsicle sticks.

Build a stick of ten with interlocking cubes. Show that teen number as a ten plus some extra (loose) ones. Once your students grasp the concept, bring out the base ten blocks.

Practice recording “_ is ten and _ more” or “10 + _ = _” with these activities.

Here’s a free set of folding Expanded Form Cards (Number Sense Guy) to help your students visualize the standard and expanded forms of teen numbers (and beyond).

Keep emphasizing the words teen and ten and the relationship (a teen number has one ten) between them.

After all the hands-on concept development, your students will be ready for this St. Patrick’s Day-themed resource for teen numbers. Use it with small groups of 2 to 4 students. (You can adapt it for a single student or a large group.)

Try it for morning work, in a math center, or with your small instructional groups.

Let your students match double ten frames, tally marks, base ten blocks, and expanded form with the corresponding teen number whilst having a little mischievous fun!

Get “A Pot of Gold for Teen Numbers” Prepared

There are 4 different activity mats. Each mat has a pot of gold with 10 gold coins. Each coin has a numeral (11-19) on it. One numeral appears twice on each mat.

There are 4 sets of 9 cards with representations (double ten frames, tally marks, base ten blocks, and expanded form) for each number.

You will need:

• One copy of the activity mat for each participating student
• Two or more sets of cards
• Crayons or counters

Choose color or black/ white. Print the black/ white mats on paper to use with crayons.

The color or black/ white mats can be printed on card stock and laminated for reuse. Use counters to cover. Try gold coins, erasers, buttons, gems, or any one-inch or smaller counters that you have handy.

I had two sizes of plastic gold coins in my stash. The smaller ones (about 1.25 inches) will work with some overlap.

Print the cards on card stock and laminate for durability. Prepare at least two sets for 2 students and at least three sets for 3 to 4 students. Cut out the cards.

Get ‘Em Engaged With “A Pot of Gold for Teen Numbers”

Shuffle the cards. Place them in a stack, a messy pile, or a decorative container.

Students will:

• Draw a card.
• Determine the teen number.
• Look for the corresponding numeral on their mat.
• If the numeral is on the mat, color or place a counter on that gold coin.
• If the numeral is already colored or covered, you lose your turn.
• Discard your card.
• Take turns.
• Reshuffle the discarded cards, as needed.

Who can be the first one to color or cover all your gold coins?

Click on the highlighted words to download your free copy of A Pot of Gold for Teen Numbers.

Do you have a favorite tip for teaching teen numbers? Be sure to share in the comments below!

Looking for more resources…

Here are a few links for recipes and crafts, plus a bit of science and math that continue the pot of gold theme!

• Pot of Gold Addition (Recipe for Teaching)
• Sink the Pot Leprechaun Science (Little Bins for Little Hands)
• Easy Pot of Gold Card Craft (Simple Everyday Mom)
• Pot of Gold Paper Plate Craft (The Simple Parent)
• Hidden Pot of Gold Brownie Cups (Pizzazzerie)

Check out some of my other number sense blog posts along with these two St. Patrick’s Day-themed posts.

• Roll-a-Rainbow (practice or review reading CVC or high-frequency words)
• Give and Take Make Ten (a game for learning, reviewing, and retaining the Make Ten number combinations)

Finally, be sure to sneak on over to TpT and check out some of my number sense and St. Patrick’s Day resources.

Photo in title image by Grafvision photography.

The post How to Make Sense of Those Tricky Teen Numbers appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Here are 6 math resources, great for first and second grades, which include those amazing birds.

Dress a Penguin

Let’s start with an easy to prepare freebie!

Here’s a color, cut, and glue activity for applying mental computation strategies to the basic addition and subtraction facts. Try it for morning work or as a math station.

Your students need to be familiar with the strategies. They will look at equations and determine the best of two strategies to apply. The two strategies for addition are Make 10 and Doubles Plus One while the two for subtraction are Count Back and Count Up To.

There is one set of pages for addition and one for subtraction. The first page in each set has two penguins, each labeled with a strategy. The second page has items of clothing with equations on them.

Select and print a set of pages. Add crayons, scissors, and glue. Now, you’re all set!

Your students will:

• Look at each equation.
• Choose the best strategy.
• Apply the strategy.
• Write the sum or difference.
• Color the clothing.
• Cut out the clothing.
• Sort the clothing by strategy.
• Dress each penguin in the correct clothing.
• Glue the clothing on the penguins.
• Color the penguins.

Be sure your students have the background knowledge and the fine motor skills required for this task. You want it to be fun and relaxing, not frustrating.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to download your free copy.

Featured next are my newest resources.

Winter Cover-Up Addition and Subtraction Facts to 20

While penguins are included in these resources, there are polar bears and snowmen too. I just couldn’t resist this adorable clipart created by Violet and Thistle!

You’ll love this winter-themed activity, with both digital (for use with Google Slides^TM) and print versions, that is designed to help your first and second-grade students practice, review, and develop fluency with the basic addition and subtraction facts to 20.

Use this engaging resource to support your instruction in mental computation strategies. Assign one or two slides/ mats at a time. Give the same ones to all students or assign them to individual students based on instructional needs. Try them with your small instructional groups, as a math center, or as a virtual activity.

Give Me the Details

There are 16 addition fact activity slides/ mats and 18 subtraction fact slides/ mats, sequentially organized by mental fact strategies. These activity slides/ mats coordinate perfectly with my other addition and subtraction fact resources.

The slides/ mats alternate between ones, generally, focusing on a single strategy with ones providing a cumulative review.

The print and digital versions follow the same sequence and have the same format. However, the equations in each grid are in random order so you can use both versions with the same students.

Each slide/ mat has 9 addition or subtraction equations. Students look at each equation and apply a fact strategy to determine the sum or difference.

With the printed format, students will place number tiles on top of the equations. In the version for use with Google Slides^TM, they will drag and drop a snowball or snowflake number on top of the equations.

Where Can I Find Out More?

Click on any of the highlighted words to waddle on over to my TpT store. Read the descriptions and check out the previews for more information. You’ll find three options for purchasing Winter Cover-Up; to print, for use with Google Slides^TM, or as a bundle.

Find more blog posts about teaching addition and subtraction facts. You’ll discover more information and yes, freebies!

More Penguin Themed Math Resources From My Store

Get up and moving on a cold, winter day with these two roam the room activities.

Telling Time With Playful Penguins

Here’s a set of 72 task cards for telling time to the hour, half-hour, hour and half-hour, quarter-hour, five-minute intervals, and one-minute intervals. You can easily mix and match sets to meet the instructional needs of your kindergarten, first, second, and third-grade students.

Penguins at Play Tens and Ones

Use this place value activity for first and second-graders to reinforce representing two-digit numbers in different forms; base ten, standard form, expanded form, and number word.

And finally, spend some time playing a game or collecting some data.

Make Ten Waddling Penguins

Get set to play three small group games (penguin collection game, memory match, and go fish) for learning the Make 10 addition facts with this resource that’s ideal for kindergarten, first, and second grades.

Play these games after you have introduced the Make 10 addition fact strategy, for either further development of the concept or to help acquire fluency with the facts.

It’s in the Bag for Winter – A Data Collection and Graphing Activity

Engage your first, second, and third-grade students with this seasonal activity. They’ll collect data by picking and replacing the letters of a word in a paper lunch bag until all the letters have been picked. Afterward, they’ll use their data to complete a bar graph and answer questions.

And of course, one of the words included in this set is penguin!

Click on the highlighted titles above to learn more about each resource.

Focus on Penguin Facts

Here are a few links to get you started with facts about penguins.

10 Facts About Emperor Penguins (National Geographic Kids)

5 Fun Facts About Penguins (CBC Kids)

Macaroni Penguins (Folly Farm) (They also want you to visit!)

African Penguin (San Diego Zoo) (Click the link for more detailed information.)

Click the highlighted words to download your free copy of Dress a Penguin.

I’d love to hear about your favorite fiction or nonfiction book about penguins in the comments below!

Photo credits: Volodymyr.Goinyk and Coffee Beans and Children’s Dreams

The post 6 Cool Penguin Resources to Energize Your Math appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

To help you with that December challenge, I have two new number activities featuring stockings (including a freebie) to share with you.

Stockings in Order 0-120

Are you looking for an engaging activity for sequencing the numbers 0 – 120? This Christmas-themed resource will give your students plenty of practice with ordering consecutive and non-consecutive numbers and with counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to 120.

Use this whimsical resource for Google Slides^TM to provide individualized practice or review for your kindergarten, first, and second-grade students. Try it as a math center or as a virtual assignment.

Those rascals, Cat and Dog have mixed up all the stockings. Your students will need to drag and drop to reorder them.

Cat and Dog also forgot to finish the count by sequences. Your students will need to be able to click on a question mark in a text box, delete the question mark (but not the text box), and type in a number.

Your students will practice ordering:

• Consecutive Numbers 0-10
• Non-Consecutive Numbers 0-10
• Consecutive Numbers 7-20
• Non-Consecutive Numbers 11-20
• Non-Consecutive Numbers 0-20
• Consecutive Numbers Within a Decade 21-120
• Consecutive Numbers Across a Decade 11-120
• Non-Consecutive Numbers Within a Decade 21-120
• Non-Consecutive Numbers 21-120
• Count By 10’s to 120
• 5’s to 120
• 2’s to 20
• 2’s to 120
• Count by 10’s Off the Decade

Choose one set for all your students or choose different sets for individual students. Use as a one-time assignment or multiple assignments across time.

You can delete, copy, and rearrange the slides to meet your needs.

Skip on over to my TpT store to take a closer look at Stockings in Order 0-120.

Not sure if your students can drag and drop or delete and type? Check out these Try It Before You Buy It slides. Be sure they are the right choice for you, your learning platform, your students, and their devices!

I also offer a similar print resource, Christmas Lights in Order 0-120, which is very popular this time of year.

Hang the Stockings- Comparing Two or Three-Digit Numbers

You’ll love this free and easy to prepare greater than and less than Christmas math activity. Your first, second, and third-grade students will have fun while getting practice with comparing two or three-digit numbers against a benchmark number.

Choose two-digit or three-digit numbers.

Your students will need:

• one page with two fireplaces and one set of stockings
• crayons
• scissors
• glue
• optional construction paper (9″ x 12″ or 6″ x 18″)

Your students will:

• Color the fireplaces.
• Cut the page in half on the dotted line.
• Glue the fireplaces onto construction paper (optional).
• Color the stockings.
• Cut them out.
• Sort them by numbers less than or greater than 55 or 550.
• Hang the stockings on the correct fireplace.
• Glue them in place.

You will:

• Sit back and relax with your favorite hot beverage.
• Enjoy the quiet calm for a few moments.
• Use your students’ creations for an attractive holiday display!

To make it easier, I recommend students loosely cut around the stockings or cut them as rectangles.

Students may also glue the fireplaces in a notebook or simply keep the fireplace page intact.

Visit my TpT store to download your free copy of Hang the Stockings Comparing Numbers.

Curious About the Origins of Stockings…

I discovered this article, The Legend of the Christmas Stocking, in the Smithsonian Magazine. It’s an interesting read if you’re not familiar with the legend.

Looking For More Resources…

Check out these blog posts for more free number activities, perfect for the season.

• How to Easily Stuff a Little Learning into December (preschool and kindergarten numeral recognition)
• One Way to Keep ‘Em Busy This Holiday Season (rounding two and three-digit numbers)

Click on the categories below to see more resources in my TpT store.

• Christmas
• Numbers & Number Sense
• Numbers & Place Value
• For Use With Google Slides^TM

I’d love to hear about the kinds of activities you find are best to engage your wiggly, distracted students this time of year! Please share in the comments below.

Photos in images by Coffee Beans and Children’s Dreams and LiliGraphie.

The post How to Put a Little Festive Learning in Their Stockings appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Count On Turkeys

This engaging activity is easy to prepare and requires minimal materials; making it perfect for the season and these crazy times!

Provide practice or review with the count on strategy for addition in kindergarten, first, or second grades. Frequent practice and review also help to develop fluency with these facts.

Try it in the classroom or send it home.

Although this activity is designed to be completed with a partner or in a small group, each student uses his/ her own materials and can engage from a distance. While not quite as much fun, you can also complete it individually.

Get It Prepared

There are three separate count on and color sheets. There is one each for counting on one, counting on two, and counting on three. Directions are provided on each sheet.

Choose the one(s) that best fits your instructional needs. Assign the same one to all of your students or assign them based on individual needs.

Everything is black and white. Just print it on paper.

You will need:

• one copy of Count Up and Color for each student
• one copy of the optional recording sheet for each student
• a pencil and a paper clip for each student
• crayons

Get ‘Em Engaged With Count On Turkeys

Decide if you want your students to record the equations. Do you want them to record each equation or just the unique ones?

They can write the equations on the optional recording sheet, a whiteboard, or a piece of paper.

Use a pencil and a paper clip to spin.

Play with a partner or in a small group. Take turns.

• Spin. (ex. 9)
• Add 1, 2, or 3 to your number. (depends on the sheet you have)
• Record the addition equation. (ex. 9 + 2 = 11)
• Find the space on your turkey with the sum. (i.e. 11)
• Color that space. If the numbered space is part of a feather, color the entire feather.
• If all the spaces with that number are colored, you lose your turn.
• Who can be the first to finish coloring all the numbered spaces?

Based on experience, I know the trickiest part for your students will be to color the sum of the equation and not the number they spin! Just something you’ll want to keep an eye out for.

Click on the highlighted words, Count On Turkeys, to download your free copy.

Looking For More Resources…

Check out these turkey-themed blog posts. You’ll find a link to a freebie in each one.

• Encourage Engagement With High-Frequency Words (includes a freebie for pre-primer words)
• Have a Little Turkey Fun (a free activity for preschool, kindergarten, and early first grade)
• A Rafter of Timely and Terrific Turkey Resources (free Turkey Feathers Even & Odd Numbers activity for 1st and 2nd grades)

Find some thematic or skill-related resources in my TpT store.

• Turkey-Themed Resources
• Addition Fact Strategy Resources

Keep Calm and Carry On

We think of Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks. However, the experts tell us to practice gratitude every day. Why?

We’ll find meaning through giving thanks. This can have a positive effect on both our mental and physical health.

It can be akin to exercise, though, particularly during these trying times. You might be reluctant to get started and exert the effort today, but it will pay off in the end.

While reading about gratitude during a pandemic, I encountered an interesting tidbit in this article from Psychology Today about the saying “Keep Calm and Carry On”. It actually originated during World War II in Britain. Who knew?

This expression was one of three key wartime messages created (but never implemented) by their Ministry of Information in 1939. Satisfy your curiosity by reading more about its history at the University of London and Keep Calm and Carry On sites.

This year, I am grateful that…

• My friends and family are all safe and finding ways to cope.
• I can step out my door and go for a walk, encountering few (if any) neighbors, all at a safe distance and offering friendly greetings.
• My new range has been installed, at last! I can cook a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner, even if it will only be for my husband and me instead of the usual gathering of friends and family.

And finally, find a Thanksgiving Gratitude Game from Happy Go Lucky that is perfect for adults or kids, at home or at school, and even by Zoom. It caught my attention because it requires M & M’s!

Take time to think, write in a journal, or share in the comments below what you are thankful for and/ or ways to express your gratitude.

Photo in title image by NataPhoto.

The post Who Wants a Free and Easy Count On Turkey Activity? appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Nonetheless, spiders are a great classroom theme this time of year. They are fascinating creatures to learn about even if you’d prefer to avoid face to face encounters.

Here’s a free spider-themed number forms and place value activity to help bolster your instruction in first and second grade.

Spider-rific Numbers

Use this engaging activity to provide practice with the standard, word, expanded, and place value forms of two-digit numbers. Try it with a small group (2 to 4 students) or adapt it for use with a large group.

How to Prepare Spider-rific Numbers

You will need:

• one coloring sheet for each participant
• two crayons for each participant
• one set of activity cards for each small or large group

There are four different coloring sheets. Each sheet has 16 numbers. There are a total of 24 unique numbers.

With a group of four or fewer students, each should have a different sheet. For larger groups, some students will have the same one. Print one on paper for each participant.

There are six pages of activity cards with base ten, number word, and expanded form for the 24 numbers. Use one, two, or all three sets.

A complete set of the base ten cards is in place value order (i.e. tens and ones). A second partial set has the order mixed (i.e. ones and tens). Use the complete ordered set or substitute the mixed set. Either way, use only one, not both, cards for each number.

Print the activity cards on one side or two-sided with a spider back. Directions for printing two-sided will vary, depending on your printer.

Print them on cardstock and laminate for durability. Cut out the cards.

How to Use Spider-rific Numbers

Place the cards face down in a stack or a messy pile. You can also put them in a decorative, seasonal container.

Take turns to pick a card.

Find the corresponding standard form of the number on your coloring sheet. Color the space with the number. If you find the number is already marked or not on your sheet, you lose your turn. Stick with one color crayon to color the numbered spaces.

Create a discard pile. Shuffle and reuse the cards, as needed.

Who can be the first to color all the numbered spaces?

To complete your sheet, color the background with a second color crayon after all your spider spaces are colored.

To adapt this activity for use with a large group, project random cards, or have individual students pick a card and read it aloud to everyone. Multiple students will finish at the same time.

Click the highlighted words to download your free copy of Spider-rific Numbers.

Looking For More Resources…

Sugar- Crazed Spiders

If you’re looking for another spider-themed resource, I recently added Tens & Ones With Sugar-Crazed Spiders to my TpT store. Even though these spiders have been busy indulging, your students can complete this activity without any candy!

This place value activity, for use with Google Slides™, is the perfect supplement to your first and second-grade math instruction.

It reinforces representing two-digit numbers in different forms; base ten, standard form, expanded form, and number word. It also provides practice with rounding to the nearest ten and ten less/ ten more than a number.

This resource includes five sets of ten slides. The numbers in each set are different. Choose one set for all your students or choose different sets for individual students. Use as a one-time assignment or multiple assignments across time.

In the first set, students drag and drop base ten blocks to build a given number. In the other sets, students are shown the base ten blocks and type their responses to the given prompts.

To learn more about Tens & Ones with Sugar-Crazed Spiders, click the highlighted words.

Blog Posts

Check out this sampling of blog posts with place value or October themes.

• Are You Absolutely Batty About Number Forms?
• Warm Up With a Free Hot Cocoa Number Activity
• Perfect Ways to Celebrate National Pumpkin Day
• One Free and Refreshing Place Value Activity

In My TpT Store

Skitter on over and start perusing.

• Batty Tens and Ones
• Little Ghosties Even and Odd Numbers (Freebie)
• Five Little Pumpkins Ordering Numbers 0-120
• Fall Theme Treasure Reports (Freebie)

Spider Treats

My 26-year-old oven burned out in stages over the summer. I’ve discovered you don’t want to replace your appliances during a pandemic! (I am also grateful that what I’m dealing with is just a temporary inconvenience.) I have ordered a new range but of course, it is back-ordered. So, I dream about ooey-gooey chocolate baked goods! A few spider goodies caught my attention. Thankfully, Pinterest decided I also needed to view some healthier choices in my feed.

• Brownies (Premeditated Leftovers)
• Cookies (hazel fisher creations)
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (Crafty Morning)
• Ritz Crackers (one little project)
• Chocolate Covered Apple Slices (The Keeper of the Cheerios)
• Spiders on a Log (Super Healthy Kids)
• Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwich (Mrs. Plemons’ Kindergarten)

Let me know about your favorite spider-themed activities or treats in the comments below.

Photo Credits:
Lifemorning
Ekaterina_Markelova
Layer-Lab

The post You’ll Want This Free Spider Place Value Activity appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

During a typical fall, school kids in my part of Virginia take field trips to the local orchard.

For this not so typical fall, here’s a free apple tree life cycle resource along with a new apple tree-themed product for use with Google Slides^TM to support your instructional needs.

Apple Tree Life Cycle Resource

This free printable resource, for first and second grades, makes a great addition to your apple unit of instruction.

It includes:

• picture vocabulary cards
• a cut and paste life cycle activity
• writing paper with a picture word bank

To start, I suggest sharing books about apple trees. If you don’t have any handy, here’s a selection of ones about the apple tree life cycle listed on Amazon. How to Grow an Apple Pie (Charles, 2020) is a tempting choice.

Print the picture vocabulary cards. Choose color or black and white. Print on cardstock and laminate for durability.

Use these cards as part of your instruction, as a center activity, or as visual support for reading and writing activities.

Follow-up your direct instruction with the cut and paste activity. Print one copy of the life cycle page for each student and one copy of the pictures for every three students.

Students will:

• Color the life cycle pictures.
• Cut out the circles.
• Sequence the pictures.
• Glue the pictures on the life cycle page.

As a final activity, your students can write about the life cycle. Make one copy of the first page for each student and copies of the second page as needed. The word bank includes pictures and labels to support their writing. This is open-ended so you can add your own directions and expectations.

Download this free Apple Tree Life Cycle Resource by clicking on the highlighted words!

I recently added a version of one of my favorite resources to use with Google Slides^TM. 

Apples on My Tree Fact Families for Addition and Subtraction

This flexible resource, for use with Google Slides^TM, is designed to help your first and second-grade math students develop or extend an understanding of addition and subtraction fact families. There are 61 apple tree slides, each with a set of red and yellow apples to visually represent the two parts of a whole.

There are 32 fact families with sums to 10 and an additional 29 fact families with sums 11 to 20. All of the facts for Make 5, Make 10 (no flip-flops) and the doubles are included, along with a balanced representation of other facts (a few flip-flops included) to support your instruction in mental computation strategies.

Use these slides with your whole class or a small group or assign them as an independent task.

Learn more about these Addition and Subtraction Fact Family Slides by heading on over to my TpT store. Check out the print version of Apples on My Tree Fact Families +/- while you’re there.

Looking For More Resources…

Yes, you can grow apple trees from seeds! Learn more by visiting these sites.

• How to Grow Apple Trees From Seed (Practical Self Reliance)
• Growing Fruit Tree Plants From Seed (Penn State Extension)

Peruse these blog posts for related teaching ideas and resources.

• Toss It! How to Actively Engage Your Students– Addition and Subtraction Facts and Multiples of Ten
• How to Teach Fact Families With Animal Crackers– A Hands-on Freebie

Browse for more first and second-grade apple-themed products in my TpT store.

• Make Ten Addition Fact Strategy Game With Fall Themes
• Apples in My Basket- Place Value Activity For Tens and Ones
• It’s in the Bag for Autumn- A Data Collection and Graphing Activity
• Roll, Read, and Collect CVC Word Game

If you’re looking for a mouth-watering apple side dish that’s a perfect fall accompaniment for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner, try this recipe for stewed apples. They’re one of my favorites and easy to make. I’ve never actually used a recipe. I make mine with a little bit of water, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I’ve also used apple juice and cinnamon instead. Multiply the ingredients in this one, as needed.

• Easy Stewed Apples Recipe (Sunday Supper Movement)

I’d love to hear about your favorite apple recipe or the ways you incorporate apples into your lessons!

Photos by dmitryersler and Coffee Beans and Children’s Dreams.

The post Do You Want a New and Awesome Apple Resource? appeared first on Just Ask Judy.