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What makes you happy? Minions? Freebies? Well, how about
Minion Freebies?
These free math activities on Educents offers 22 printable pages of math activities for Minion fans. It covers addition, subtraction, measurement, money, and more!
Minion Math Centers Freebie
Minion Addition (to 12)
Minion Subtraction (to 12)
Minions Making Ten
Minion Measurement
Minion Money Match
Missing Minion Numbers
Minion Number Cards
If you're looking for more ways to make math learning fun, check this out:
Early Math Musical DVDs
This DVD set from Rock 'N' Learn is a fun way to boost
math skills for the early
grades. Like the Minions, these DVDs have fun characters your little ones will love to
get to know! Math facts are easy to learn with fun music and exciting animation. Learn
all about counting coins and bills and practice making change. Kids will learn to tell time
to the hour, half hour, and minute using traditional analog clocks. Includes Addition
& Subtraction Rap DVD, Money & Making Change DVD, and the Telling Time
DVD.
I hope this math freebie made by Amy of Teaching in Blue Jeans makes you happy.
Download the Free Minion Math Centers, then go
ahead and do a little dance! :)
I wanted to share our Johnny Appleseed mini-unit, especially since John Chapman's birthday is September 26. We recently did an apple unit study. Our "core" (pun unintended) was the book A is for Musk Ox, and we'll share more about it later - when the Blogging with the Alphabet series starts back up again in a few weeks. (Hey - I'm going to need something that starts with the letter A!)
This was the first time we talked about Johnny Appleseed during lessons, but apparently there was an episode of the cartoon Johnny Test featuring "Johnny Applesauce." I'm actually rather impressed how much
Jude knew about Johnny Appleseed. Not exactly accurate, but for a cartoon lesson, not bad.
We started our (slightly more accurate) lesson with a story about Johnny Appleseed.
Photo: Amazon.com
We learned about how John Chapman grew up very, very, poor, and once was given apple seeds from a cider press. Being poor, he knew that you never said "No, thank you!" to anything for free -- you took it and figured out how to use it. He then started orchards and gave out tree sprouts to everyone he met. Most people didn't know his real name. They knew the man who gave out apple trees as "Johnny Appleseed."
We also watched a short film on Johnny Appleseed.
Legend holds that Johnny wore a saucepan for a hat. Why wear a hat and carry a pot when you could just wear the pan as your hat? We made our own "saucepan" hat, like Johnny's.
Here's how we made it.
Materials needed:
Kraft paper
Gray paint (or black & white paint to mix) & paint brushes
glue
optional: hairdryer, Scotch tape
Johnny Appleseed song printable (see below)
Cut two strips of Kraft paper; one 8" wide strip (the pot) and one 4" wide (the handle)
(We needed a few books to help hold the ends flat.)
Wrap the wider paper around the child's head to measure how big it needs to be for the pot. Allow about 1/2 to overlap ends. Mark and cut. (Yes, I know this is wider than 8" - I purposely cut it wide and then measured the pot once we finished. Jude has a big head!)
Cut the smaller strip to be about 12" long, and fold about 1/2" over from one end.
(This gives you a tab to attach to the pot, but also a "paint free
zone" for kiddos with sensory "I don't want to get my hands dirty"
issues.
Next, paint your saucepan parts gray. You can either use ready-made gray paint, or have a quick lesson on color mixing - black + white = grey!
When you're done painting, allow to dry.
If you are antsy and want to just make the hat now, a hairdryer set on low/warm speeds things along nicely. Make sure to keep it moving, and aim down (not sideways) so your paper doesn't blow away.
Once the paint is dry, assemble your hat.
Re-wrap the wide strip around the child's head, and secure with glue or tape.
Place the handle painted side down. Fold the handle in half, so it is about 6" long and the unpainted side is on the inside. Glue the ends together, and then refold the tab you made earlier. Glue or tape the handle to the pot.
If you like, you can stop here. Or, you can add the words to Johnny's song to the front of your hat.
I really don't know the full history of the song, other than it has long been sung as one of many Grace Before Meals hymns at Girl Scout Camp. I grew up singing it, first at Camporees and then as a counselor. After watching this Disney Melodies video, I tend to think this is the its actual origin and it became popular with campers and passed down through generations. Generally, I am not a superstitious sort, but I can almost guarantee you that if this is sung, it will rain within a few hours. It doesn't matter what time of year, it will pour. Usually campers will practically shout "RAIN!" when they get to "....the sun and the RAIN and the appleseed..." just for fun, but somehow, the louder they yell, the harder it will pour. For the record, we sang this song very quietly, yet on the day we made these, bright sunshine quickly disappeared behind thick clouds that drizzled a bit after I taught this to Jude. I'm not afraid of a little rain - after all, it makes apple trees grow - but it is part of the song's Scouting history (and apparently it doesn't rain only at camp!).
For children who are better at straight-line cutting, cut along the
black frame lines. If you have a student who is adept at curves, try
cutting out the apple and leaf itself.
Jude struggles with coordinating cutting and holding the paper. I thought it was pretty clever how he opted to use his toes to help support things.
Glue the apple to the front of the hat.
Happy Birthday, Johnny Applessed! Thanks for planting apples everywhere!
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Luke 1: 26-28, 38, 46-55
Catholics traditionally consider May the "Month of Mary," and give special honor to her. While on the Cross, He entrusted us to her (John 19:26-27), making her our Mother as well as His. This month, Jude is working on a Mary-themed lapbook. Jude does better with bigger spaces to work with, so we are using folded easel paper, but this could easily be done with the more common file folders. Fold the paper (or folder) in half, and crease. Open the paper flat. Bring the left and right edges to meet at the center fold. Crease. This is the interior of your page. Repeat for each page of the book. Staple or glue the right "wing" of the first page to the left wing of the next, and repeat until all the pages are connected.
We pasted a coloring page picture of the Coronation of Mary to the front "cover."
I started out with a basic idea of what I wanted to teach him. Our book will have three "pages". The first is "Prayers to Mary." We finished that one this week. We included the Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, and the Miraculous Medal novena. Since I could not find lapbook-sized pages, I created a copywork version of the Hail Mary, a copywork cover/printed prayer Hail Holy Queen, and a printed Novena prayer. Hail Mary copy work Hail Holy Queen copywork cover/printed prayer Miraculous Medal Novena prayer
We also added coloring pages of theRosary and the Miraculous Medal. We used the pictures linked here, but did a little resizing so they would fit properly.
Copying the Hail Mary
Practicing the Hail Mary
The Rosary
Next week, we are going to work on the second page of our lapbook. The theme will be "Titles of Mary."
This year, we will just cut the pictures out and write Mary's titles. An older child could write a few sentences about why Mary has been given a particular title, or copy specific devotional prayers asking for our Lady's intercession. Cut a blank page(s) to fit under the picture, write the facts/prayer, staple them together and glue the bottom page into the lapbook.
The third folder in our book will be "The Life of Mary." We are going to include the Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows, and some pictures of Mary's life.
