Step-by-Step Snowflakes - Part 1

Alright... are you ready for this? I think my iPhone just wanted to retire on me! It's been busy at work with pictures of the snowflakes!! Warning: It's a LONG post! I tried to be as descriptive as possible! 

Well, here goes nothing...

 {supplies: 6 sheets of paper, scissors, tape}

 {step 1: take 1 of the sqaures}

 {step 2: fold diagonally into large triangle}

 {step 3: fold triangle in half to make smaller triangle}

 {step 4: pick up on fold, as if holding the "mouth/point" away from you}

 {step 5: cut strips roughly 1 inch wide, beginning at fold, until about an inch away from ends}

 {step 6: repeat 4 times, stopping about an inch away from the other end (creates 5 sections)}

 {make sure you cut on the fold, and don't cut all the way to the other side}

 {step 7: carefully unfold once}

{step 8: unfold again, all the way}

 {view from back, see how cuts end before the middle fold}

 {get the tape ready!!}

 {step 9: gather 2 middle pieces together}

 {step 10: overlap the corners, do not pinch them together}

 {step 11: place tape over in order to hold together}

 {you're going to flip this over, so the piece you just tape is on the table}

 {now on backside!}

 {step 12: gather the next two pieces in order}

 {bring together}

{step 13: fold them over each other, then tape!}

 {time to flip again}

{get ready to pull together}

  {step 14: once flipped to other side, take next 2 strips, fold together, and tape}

{time to flip once again}

 {step 15: now take these two, fold them together}

{step 16: fold over and tape. then flip back to other side!}

{step 17: now take the last 2 pieces, fold them together}

 

{step 18: fold over and tape!}

{one is complete! now you must repeat 5 more times with the other squares!}

Step-by-Step Snowflakes - Part 2

 {ready?!?!}

 {note my boss in the corner}

 {i cut and fold all of them usually before doing any taping}

{i had the kids do all the folding first, then all the cutting, then all the folding/taping/flipping}

 {so repeat the process 6 times, and you will have 6 of these babies!}

 {gather 3 of them together in this way}

 {pinch them together in the middle at the ends}

 {bring the 3 tips together to staple them}

 {with this big paper i used 3 staples, regular paper only usually needs 1 staple}

 {so now we need to reinforce them in the middles, so we will staple in those parts as well}

 {grab the middles (where you taped the outer sections) and staple them together}

 {yup, right there!}

 {so those are the 3 places where you now have staples!}

 {now repeat with the other 3 sections}

{if you're OCD like me, make sure the pattern of colors is the same!}

 {place them together like shown, so middle pieces meet}

 {bring the two center tips together and overlap them}

 {staple these two together, again with bigger flakes, staple once or twice}

 {see how they overlap?}

 {now 2 more places to staple - the 2 sides where we brought the sections together}

 {all the places where we now have staples!}

 {do you feel successful?}

{fabulous! hang from ceiling with paper clip!}

 

 {this is what my kids had to do before we started. i demonstrated with already square scrapbook paper}

{for regular construction have kids fold it to make a square, then cut off excess piece}

{recycle the excess pieces for bookmarks!}

Now if you can bring yourself to have your kiddos do it, you must go step by step. You must go extremely slow and model each step. I had them all face the same way as me and did it in front of them. About 10 of them will manage to do something incorrect. It takes more patience than you'll have. You'll have 1 who just can't do it correctly no matter what and you'll help him and he'll love you for it. You'll have 4 that look like they did something wrong, but they didn't. You'll have 7 that need you to draw the lines on the folded triangles because they just can't seem to figure out how to make the cuts. You'll need a billion tape dispensers and tape. You'll need even more patience to staple them for all 30 kids. You'll need a nap when you're done. The kids will be beyond words excited. You'll be super amazed at them that they got through it. Your room will look gorgeous. You'll be in awe of how they help each other. You'll be able to brag about how amazing your class is at following directions and creating fabulous things. You'll be exhausted beyond belief, but it will be SO WORTH IT! I promise!

All of these are estimations. But realistic estimations.

Well, now that I've spent an entire evening doing this tutorial I'm going to go give my supervisor some attention, because as you have noticed, he's clearly lacking attention.

Snowflakes Delay, Adorable Winter Craft

I know I said snowball tutorial tonight, but my computer is forever slowing down. I'm in desperate need of more storage, and my age old dilemma of purchasing a new computer! I needed to get my blog design updated, and that took all night, even though it shoulda been a 15 minute job. So anyway the snowflakes are coming tomorrow, as soon as I get home! Promise... that is unless somehow Albert Pujols somehow mysteriously signs with the Cubs overnight, then I'll be partying in the streets of Chicago ;-) {Okay so if you're not a diehard baseball follower like me, that will mean nothing}

But yes, promise it's coming tomorrow. If you absolutely cannot wait, google it, you'll find it! I'll try to post a picture of my space chart that someone asked for a long time ago, as well as the beginnings of my economics chart, and dictionary entries, if my teammate and I miraculously get them hanging in the hallway by tomorrow!

How cute is this?!?!

My head party mom {who I absolutely love! I had her daughter in 1st grade 2 years ago} e-mailed me the whole party agenda before I even picked her as the room mom! I can't ask for anything better... can I have her do the V-Day party too? Anyway this is the craft she is doing! I wish I could find all sorts of cheap crazy bottles like this, but water bottles will have to do! Maybe I'll go out and buy a huge expensive box of smart water... it'll be my excuse... I ummm... need those tall skinny bottles. Yea, that's it!

Anyway here's the link if you find yourself wanting some little snowmen kiddos of your own.

Snowflakes

I'm sure you can google the snowflakes, but I'll post a step-by-step tomorrow.

Bring your patience ;-) Night ya'll!!

Happy Monday Ya'll!!

Surprisingly enough, it's Monday and I'm in a great mood!! Today was extremely successful at school... I think the change of pace for Math (we moved from multiplication, addition, etc. to doing patterns - a bit more interesting) helped save my day. We started our economics unit today and the kids really seemed to love making their own stores. Plus we made our snowglobes, which they also seemed to love, especially once they learned they would get to put glitter on top of them! I'll have to get my camera ready to take pictures of them! Plus we'll be working on our class dictionaries this week which should be fun!! I'll be sure to post pictures once those are finished as well.

For now, here's our winter wonderland. The snowflakes, although a headache, turned out amazing!!

There's our winter wonderland!! I just needed to share!! I'll be sure to show the projects we're working on. Hopefully I can give some ideas to everyone out there!!

Economics Unit

Just in case anyone else is studying economics... I created a unit that I also put in my Teacher's Notebook store. I figured I spent almost an entire afternoon/evening working on this exhausting unit I may as well let others benefit from it. So much stuff I tried to find on these topics were either to basic, or too advanced. I made this to get me through the next 2 weeks! If you are interested and have any questions let me know! :)

Economics Unit

G'Night Ya'll :)

December Already?

I feel like my mind is buzzing with all of the millions of things I need to do within the next 3 weeks before it's winter break. I can't believe it's December already. Last Monday all I kept thinking is "Omiword, there are still 4 weeks left of this madness!" Now just a week later, I'm panicking because "Omiword, there are only 3 weeks left of this madness!" Plus add in some testing, the party day, and a few other random events and it probably takes it down to only 2 weeks. I need to get in all the projects and assignments before break, also for the first time our 2nd quarter is ending before break. That's never happened. I'm loving it, but still it's a lot more pressure to get everything done. My goal is to have report cards dunzo within the first few days of break so I can enjoy the rest of the time with myself and my own creativity! 

Prioritizing:

Print, laminate and get this sign up outside of my room. ASAP!!

Redo my recipe project for my 3rd graders! Although a bit of controversy came with this project last year (don't ask!) it was a HUGE hit! This year I think I'll have the kids write out the recipes instead of me typing them all. Maybe I'll have the kids type them. We shall see! I need them in by this week though! So I better get on top of writing the letter out!

Somehow incorporate this fine little lady into something I do?!? I've successfully managed to take the snow globe project that I got from Mrs. Jump's Kindergarten into my room, by making the kids write more. But now, how to incorporate this glyph into my room!! {Sheesh! What in the world is wrong with her arm/hand! I did a horrible job on that! Didn't notice until now!}

I also must get the raining cats and dogs idiom board done outside my classroom. The poor umbrella has been sitting there in it's lonesome. I must get the cats and dogs done tomorrow, as well as hang them raindrops around them. The idioms ended up fantastic. The kids had tons of fun with them!

I also am beyond excited to show everyone the winter wonderland that is now my room! My kids did SO AMAZING on their snowflakes! I thought I didn't have my cell with me in my bag at school on Friday so I didn't take a picture, but believe me, it will be taken tomorrow!

What kids of projects does everyone do with their third graders to take home? I did the ornaments with the handprints with my first graders, but I wasn't sure if that was too kid-ish... I think it's awesome to have the ornament to put on the tree though! Maybe I'll still do it... I am making picture frames for all of my parents. I somehow have to get a cute picture of them maybe with a santa hat?! We shall see what happens!

My kids have 1 more week to get their space project done. They had to choose a planet (well 3, then I narrowed it down so we have every planet represented) then make some sort of project about it. It could be a poster, model, etc. I originally was going to have them do that, plus write a paper on the planet too. I thought I'd only worry about the presentation and the project this time though because we have so much going on. I'm excited to see how they all turned out.

I'm slowly getting to my 100 e-mails that have been sitting in my inbox since school started. If you e-mailed me and have a question... and still have the question, send me another e-mail and I'll make sure I prioritize the new ones. To anyone still out there reading sir bloggy, thanks for sticking with me again :)