While learning about different kinds of angles, I had asked my students to find examples around the classroom. We then thought, ” Where else we might find them ‘in real-life’ ?” The obvious next step was to look outside. I like to have students use non-standard measuring tools to estimate dimensions (something many of us… [Read More]
With Teamwork and Sticks!
We have been learning about what arrays are and how to use them to represent multiplication equations. Last week, my class went into the woods to take on the challenge of creating arrays themselves with the help of the natural resources around them. Students worked in teams of two to use natural objects to create… [Read More]
Building Arrays in Nature
When learning about multiplication you have to understand the concept of equal groups. When you have equal groups it has the same number of items as all of the other groups. In order for the students to understand what I meant, I had the students arrange themselves into equal groups. However, they could only have… [Read More]
Leaves and Ten Frames
Kindergarten brought their collecting baskets to the woods, ready to embark on a nature adventure. The closer we got to our outdoor classroom, their excitement grew and grew. Once there, children moved freely around the forest, collecting small, medium, and large leaves of various colors and types. Children shared about their own leaf collections, and… [Read More]
Rainy Day Math
“The only way to learn math is to do math.” Paul Halmos On a rainy Friday afternoon when you have been stuck inside for days, it is hard to hook your students into a lesson of any sort. What is a teacher to do! We haven’t had recess, no woods day, no fresh air inside… [Read More]
Collecting for Fact Families
This week, first graders went to the woods with collecting on their mind. Sitting in the outdoor classroom in the crisp air students were asked to work in teams to gather natural objects that we could use as manipulative’s for math time. Some groups chose to collect leaves, some groups chose to collect sticks, and… [Read More]
Measuring What’s Wild
This week our 4th graders headed out into the woods at our Principal’s home to explore and learn about Maine’s natural environment. Seeing the kids outside was energizing. They came alive, running, hopping, and skipping. They wanted to inspect at everything!! They were fascinated with mushrooms and different tree varieties, and crossing a rushing brook… [Read More]
Millions of Leaves, Thousands of Leaves, ONE HUNDRED LEAVES
It’s autumn, the colorful leaves are falling in the outdoor classroom, and 2nd graders need practice with skip counting, flexible addition/subtraction strategies, and using models to show their work. I had noticed that the concept of 100 was not yet solid. Students were using millions and thousands to describe much smaller amounts. To address their… [Read More]
Windows and Wondering
Oscar Wilde once said, “Two men look out a window. One sees mud, the other sees the stars.” What do you think a class of curious Kindergarteners sees when they look through a window in the woods? Can you imagine what kinds of math opportunities a window can provide? I put 4 meter sticks down… [Read More]