Flash Freebie! STEM Activity

Are you looking to incorporate more STEM activities into your classroom?

I am making my popular "Alien Airlines" STEM product is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop for a limited time (now through March 20th).   

Try out a fun STEM activity that teaches about the science of flight for free!  

Click on the image above if you would like to download this resource.

Lines and Angles Unit Project - Angle City

I am always looking for a way to add some art and creativity into my math class, my class this year LOVES to draw so I knew they would love an opportunity to draw and be creative in math class.

We just finished a unit on angles and lines. We studied all the classifications of angles (acute, straight, right, obtuse, reflex) and worked with measures of complementary angles, supplementary angles, angles formed when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, angles around a point and more!

For their end of unit project they had to create their own city map using a variety of angles.  I gave the kids a checklist with everything they needed to include.  They had to plan where to place the specifics I laid out in the project:  the types and amount of angles formed by the roads, what buildings needed to be located on different angle intersections, all the buildings that they must include, etc..

First I had them sketch out a rough draft so they could easily move streets/buildings around to get everything to meet the exact specifications required.

Once they were happy with their draft they transferred their map to a 11 x 17 piece of white paper.  For their final copy they had to include color, a city name, the city population, street names, building labels, and it needed to be neat and organized.  

They totally got into this project!  It was so fun to see them figuring out how to make the roads meet to form obtuse angles, and where to place buildings.  Many of them also got very creative and based their city name and street names around a theme (space, the ocean etc..)

I was very impressed with the final projects they turned in!  Here are some pictures of some of their finished designs.

Do you do any fun and creative projects in your math class?  I would love to hear about them!

It's a Pi Day Sale!

This years Pi Day is epic!  3-14-15!  

To celebrate Pi Day several teachers are throwing sales in their Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Everything in my store will be 20% off on Saturday, March 14th.  Save on some great math resources, science resources, STEM resources and more! 

Health - First Aid

Whenever I tell my 5th graders that we will be starting a new health unit, they groan and look away in dread.  To them, health equals "that unit", the one they all want to ignore and never get to.....human growth and development.

So, they were pleasantly surprised when I told them that we wouldn't be doing "that unit" but that we would be learning about first aid.

We started by discussing why it is important for them to know basic first aid skills.  I told them that how now that they are getting older they might be given more independence and more responsibilities.  They might babysit younger siblings and/or neighbors.  They may even go for bike rides or walks further from their homes than they were allowed when they were younger.  (By now they are all feeling like VERY mature and independent 5th graders!)

We acted out several scenarios, going through the steps they would take if it was a real situation.  We discussed all the possible options they had for different first aid situations and how to make a decision about what the best option is.

I wanted to have them create something that would be useful, so I had them each make a small poster that included 10 first aid situations they may encounter and the steps they should take for each.



I told them that when their posters were complete, they should take them home and put them in a spot where their family keeps first Aid supplies.  Then, if needed, the steps to take are right there with the supplies needed.  They thought this was pretty cool.

All of the posters were SO different, and showed the kids personalities.  They took this project very seriously, and wanted their poster to be neat and clear so that if it was ever needed it would be easy to use.

My 5th graders LOVED the first aid unit!  They gained practical skills and created an end project that can be used as a resource for their whole family!