Angle Types Foldable & Transparent Protractors for INB

As I was working on Geometry unit plans today, I came up with an activity.  This activity was designed as a vocabulary printable/foldable to be cut out and glued into an Interactive Notebook.  It features mini file folders with vocabulary words printed on the front.

There are 6 pages in the file.  There is a page for each of the 5 angles (acute, right, obtuse, straight and reflex), as well as a page of blank ones.  On each page, there are 6 labeled file folders with 2 extra blank ones at the bottom (didn't want to waste space!). The last page can be printed and used for any lesson in any subject.

I printed mine on different colors of paper, so each student would get one of each color.

You can download the file on my TpT site.

Here are some pics...

I have also been tossing around the idea to print protractors onto transparencies for each student.  Well, I stuck one of the transparencies for copiers in my laser printer and printed out 10 business card-sized protractors. I made a pocket foldable, typed "Protractor" on the front and "glue into INB" on the back, put 4 on a page and printed them out on colored paper.

You can download the file on my TpT site.

Here are some pics...

Standards for Mathematical Practices Bulletin Board

Everyone had his/her own version of a Standards for Mathematical Practices bulletin board/display. Sarah at EverybodyIsAGenius posted her kid-friendly version of the MPs.  I took her idea and made it into a bulletin board.

A month or so back, I made 5 multi-colored owls on my Cameo and wanted to use them in some way to decorate my room.  I modeled them after an owl border I bought at Dollar Tree.  Sunday, I made 3 more and decided they would go on a MP bulletin board.

I used Sarah's version, chose a cute font (HelloQueenie) and printed them out on colored scrapbook paper that matched the bellies of my owls. I decided to use the purple background owl duct tape as my border.

While at school on Sunday, I completed one bulletin board and started three more.  I have been waiting for our laminating film to come in to laminate all my decorations, but it's not looking like we will have if before our first week back.  So, I went ahead and started on my boards.

Once I get my room ideas done, I can get back on the reorganization/planning of my classes.  After attending a Common Core training last week, I need to get busy before I forget what I learned.  Watch for a post on my progress...

Here's the bulletin board...

Trip to Target Dollar Deals Section & Dollar Tree

Today, my daughter and I went to Target.  Of course, I couldn't resist stopping by the Dollar Deals Section!  Here's what I found...

* red and yellow dry erase pockets for $1
* turquoise and yellow pocket charts
* yellow bulletin board border storage/pocket chart

Here is a close-up of the bulletin board border storage/pocket chart.  (Border not included)












This is what it looks like closed with its velcro straps.













A few days ago, I stopped by to check out all the new teacher stuff at Dollar Tree and look what I found...their teacher stuff wasn't in yet...

The paw print kraft paper is for a bulletin board background.

The tissue paper will be used for bulletin board borders.

A to Z Rules & Expectations

I found this document at School of Fisher and printed it out to post in my classroom.

A few weeks later I came across it and had an inspiration.  I modified some of the expectations and typed them into a business card template I created in Excel.  On the first day of school, I will hand each student a card as they walk into my room (more than one if it's a small class).

As a break in my "first day speech", I will ask the students to read their card, starting with A.  This will help the students take ownership of the class expectations.  If we have extra time, I can have them read them again and again, trying to read them faster each time!

This is what they look like... You can download the Excel file here, but you will need to download the font RowdyFunky for it to look the same.

 

Student INB Calendar

In my quest to design an awesome interactive notebook for my Geometry students, I thought it wouldn't be complete without a calendar that students can use to write down assignments and due dates.  I created 16 pages which will be copied 2 to a page and front/back.  On each of these 4 pages, there is a page that has "glue to your INB" and 3 calendar months...see below...

Pages will be copied upside down from each other so that when you fold and flip August up, you will see September and October inside facing the correct direction.

I have taped them onto notebook paper and put them in a 3-ring binder.  Since I'm still designing the INB, I want to have the flexibility to move pages around and add them as needed.  My calendar pages will be at the back of the INB.

The calendar is Monday thru Friday, August to June.  I made it only weekdays to allow more space for each day.  You can get a zip file from my TpT site.  The file contains an Excel version (so that you can customize your events prior to printing), a pdf version (to print and allow students to write in all events) and a Word doc (explaining the printing, photocopying and gluing).

Word Wall Pocket Chart

A couple of years ago, I found these online and asked my school to buy a couple for my classroom.  Well, apparently, they liked my idea of using them as a word wall so much that they bought several and gave them out to anyone that wanted them for their classroom.

At the beginning of last school year, I bought a pocket chart stand to hang it since the Command hooks wouldn't hold it on my freshly painted walls.  I used butterfly duct tape to divide it into 3 subjects.  That summer, I had bought a lot of word strips from Dollar Tree, so an idea was born.  I put them in "rainbow order" because that's what I do...I know, OCD!  (I passed it on to my girls, too!  They always put their crayons, colored pencils or markers in rainbow order before they could start coloring!!  Hope they pass it on to my grandchildren, too!)

On the right in the pic, is a lime green shoe organizer from Walmart.

Close-up of shoe organizer with trays of word strips.  The letter sticker on the end is for the subject.

Close-up of tray of word strips organized by subject and section.

Close-up of words on the word strips for the first section of Geometry.

Here are 9 more handled trays for other miscellaneous items.  Three fit perfectly into each plastic magazine holder.

 Another angle...

I got these from Big Lots with no particular plan in mind for (I think) $1.80 each.  I found them on the same aisle as the hotdog containers, cracker containers, etc.

There are even 2 of them in my medicine cabinet at home.  I look for more every time I go into Big Lots, but haven't found any lately.

Small Pocket Chart Idea

Before I had a chance to start this post, I saw this on Pinterest using a small pocket chart to hold journal prompts.  Last year, I bought 4 small pocket charts from either the Target Dollar Deals or Dollar Tree.  I shop at both frequently and many times my purchases become a blur!

The ones I bought are purple, blue, green and red (wish they had yellow because my subject colors are purple, yellow and green).  You can see 2 of them below hanging on awesomely strong magnet hooks from Lakeshore Learning in Tampa.

My plan is to create challenge problems (or take some from here) and print them on business cards (numbered).  The problems can be used as a station or whole-class.  The charts will hold 3 business cards on each row.  I will definitely use the purple (Geometry), but not sure about other colors yet.

Composition Books

Last summer, I found a pin on Pinterest that said teachers can get composition books cut in half at Home Depot or Lowe's for cheap to no cost.

Well, while shopping at Walmart today, I had to peruse the school supplies (daughter rolls eyes and smiles knowingly) as they were being freshly stocked.  Then, I found this and had to take a picture... Cute, huh?  They come in lime, black, purple, pink and aqua.

Now in the next pic, you will notice the price!

Halfway down and across that aisle are regular sized composition books, both wide and college ruled.  They cost either $0.50 for plain marble ones or $0.97 for a little fancier ones.  The ones cut in half, which are the same number of pages, are $1.97!!!  Unbelievable!!  This is one of those instances that I would use to teach my students real-world lessons...are you getting the most bang for your buck, or buck ninety seven?!?!?!  I think NOT!!