Escape to Space Science Review

Class transformation meets NGSS space escape review. I was looking for a way to review before our space unit test and just wanted the lesson to be more engaging than a boring flashcard review. So, I created the space escape! 

Escape to Space

Let me tell you about my goal. I wanted to do a classroom transformation like the ones I have seen on Instagram and Pinterest. When I started hanging the bulletin board paper from the ceiling in order to create a black wall, I realized I was trying to be someone that I am not. I am simple. When I create a lesson, I want it to be easy to prep with a ton of engagement. 

Fast forward...

I took down the bulletin board paper and decided to make a scavenger hunt with my space escape resource! Check it out here. I taped the question on tables, on the wall, and under desks. It took 2 minutes! Next, I turned out the lights and cranked up the Star Wars theme song. I was ready!

Escape to Space

I paired the students up and gave them their decoding packet (part of the escape) to decipher the codes. I handed out 1 flashlight per pair and I was set! Students were running around the room, shining the flashlight to find the questions and were completely engaged in the lesson! This was my kind of classroom transformation: simple and fun! 

Do you have any other ideas for a transformation for me?

ABC End of the Year Bulletin Board

The end of the year is near! It may not feel like it but the end of the school year is closer than it seems. As one of my closure activities for the year, I like to make an ABCs of 5th Grade Bulletin board (but it can be adapted for any grade). Let me show you how it works... 

ABC Bulletin Board

Each student gets a letter and they design and color their letter based on something specific that happens in our classroom. I am lucky and in my classroom this year I have less than 26 students. With the leftover letters, I hand them out to whoever finishes first or a student that wants to make more than one letter. 

ABC Bulletin Board

With each of the letters, I make a bulletin board for this year's class to enjoy and reflect on all the events and fun of 5th grade! The best part is, I leave it up all summer and have a nice welcoming bulletin board for the new 5th graders! The new students love to see what is in store for them this year and the parents love it on Back to School Night! 

ABC Bulletin Board

My favorite part of this bulletin board is that it is so different every year and it really shows the class' personality and creativity. Also, that it saves me time during classroom setup time in the summer - one less bulletin board to set up! 

I included numbers 1-10 for those classes that might have more than 26 students! (1 is for) There is also a bunting banner for every grade! You could make your own or CLICK HERE to check out the one that I have created! 

Happy end of the year! 

What is something unique to your classroom that would be included on your alphabet?

Math Review Baseball Game

Are you looking for a math review game that will engage ALL of your students? Try math baseball! I like to use this game for math because I can come up with countless questions on the same topic. Below I will show you my rules for the game but they can be adapted based on how you would like to play! 

Multiply Decimals Baseball Review

How to play

Preparation:

1. You will need to collect many questions for each of the 3 levels of questions. When I collect my questions, I usually have at least 20 questions per level. Check out my Multiplying Decimal Review if you don't have time to come up with your own questions. 

2. You will designate the bases around the classroom. 

3. You will split the class into teams and create a batting order (if desired). 

4. Have paper or whiteboards for the students to work out the questions. 

5. Teams can choose a team captain that will be the spokesperson for their team. 

Multiply Decimals Baseball Review

Rules: 

1. All students must attempt each problem for review. 

2. Only the student who is batting will get a chance to answer. 

3. The fielding team can work collaboratively to see if the answer is correct. 

4. Good sportsmanship is required! 

Game Play: 

1. One team is up to bat and the other team is playing the field. 

2. The team that is up to bat will roll a dice to determine what type of problem they are attempting. 

• Single - if they roll a 1 or a 4
• Double - if they roll a 2 or a 5
• Triple - if they roll a 3 or a 6

3. The player that is up to bat will answer the question. 

4. The team that is fielding will determine if the answer is correct (only the team captain will speak). 

• If the batter is correct, they go to the base that they rolled. If there is anyone already on base, they force them to go to the next base. 
• If the batter is incorrect, they are out. 

5. Once the batting team has 3 outs, the fielding team will be up to bat. 

6. The game ends when both teams have been up the same amount of times. 

7. The winning team will be the team with the most runs into home plate. 

This is one of my favorite ways to review because all students can get involved in the game regardless of whether they are "up to bat" or not. Students love the change of pace from a boring test review too! This would also make a great classroom transformation which may be in my future... 

I also have a 4th grade review that I use at the beginning of the year. Click here to see more! 

What other questions do you have about Math Baseball? Let me know in the comments! 

Mindfulness in Math? Why Not!?

Some students LOVE math and some students just do not. For the students who don't love math, it can be a very stressful subject! The anxiety of coming in to class and feeling overwhelmed by another day of content driven instruction can just be too much for them. I wanted to create a way for students to feel successful while reducing their stress so I created math color by code craftivities!

Let's be Franco

Fraction Division

The last unit the students were working on was fraction division. Instead of doing another worksheet or book review, I wanted the students to practice word problems and end the lesson less stressed than they came in to class!

First, students worked through problem solving task cards and recorded them on their recording sheets.

Bakery Divide Fractions

Then, they used their answers to determine how to color that portion of the picture.

Bakery Divide Fractions 

Last, the students were to color and relax before test day! Sometimes students don’t finish the coloring in one day and then it is a bonus for them to relax and color after a test. The students were so proud of their finished products!

Bakery Divide Fractions

BONUS: The coloring activity ends up in a bulletin board for you! I love a multipurpose product :)

Try a coloring set for each of your math units! Click here to see them all!

Football Conversions

Treasure Adding and Subtracting Fractions

These could also make great additions to a room transformation! What coloring picture would you like to see next?

Let's be Franco Classroom Tour

One of my favorite times of year is classroom set up time! All the materials are set up and organized, ready to start the year. Bulletin board are up and don't have that "I have been stapled too many times" faded look that they get as student work gets put up and down each month (well some months...). 

Here is a glimpse into my classroom! 

Let's be Franco

Let's talk bulletin boards. I love setting up bulletin boards inside the classroom that can stay up for all or most of the year. This year I decided to set up reference bulletin boards for math and science.

Engineering Bulletin Board

We follow the NGSS science standards and started off the year with an engineering design unit. As the year continues, I will be changing this bulletin board based on the 4 other units we study. 

Math Talk Posters

I want to remind my students that talking about math and understanding the why is just as important as finding the correct answer. I use this Math Talk display as a reminder!

Project Morning Menus and Posters

Project Morning Bulletin Board

Project Morning may be my favorite part about the morning. This is a time designated for the students to enjoy their passions and start the day on a positive note. The students have their choice of 11 different menus including Math, Engineering, Mindfulness, and more. The bulletin board displays the sign up sheets for the week. The students choose the menu they will be working on for the week and sign up on the bulletin board papers. If you want more information on this morning work, click here.

My Number Story

Ok, I confess, I did this activity after the school year started. This was my first math lesson of the year and the way I like to get to know my students. My Number Story tells the story of each student using numbers! They go around to different stations and write the answers on this banner. It makes a great bulletin board for Back to School Night.

Math Bulletin Board Display

My math reference bulletin board is a new addition this year! I love having all math reference information in one place. It is like a permanent anchor chart! 

Inspirational Posters

Inspirational Posters

Here are a few of my inspirational quotes that I have around the room. I just love the growth mindset reminders. I put them in a simple dollar store frame to make them stand out. 

I love walking in to my classroom and loving the decor. I feel like it immediately brightens my day. I was surrounded by flowers my whole life and I wanted to bring the floral inside with my decor this year. If you want a closer look at any of the items displayed in my classroom, click the pictures or check out my TpT store. 

What is your favorite part of your classroom? What is one thing you would change in your classroom for next year?

A Day in the Life of a 5th Grade Valentine

Let's be Franco

What do you celebrate Valentine's Day in your classroom? 

Here is a glimpse into my Valentine's Day! 

Class Meeting: 

In my class, around this time of year, the tensions tend to rise. The students have been with each other for months and their personalities start to get on each other's nerves. I don't know if this happens in any other classroom but mine... 

To refocus the students' attention on being positive towards one another, we focus on what we love about each other! Out of construction paper, I cut out enough hearts for each student and put their name on top. Before we start the activity, I remind the students that we are all different and that is what makes us special! I ask them to think about what makes each person in the class special! We leave our hearts on our desk and I turn on some classical music to set the mood. The students and I go around to every desk and write something unique that they love about each other. I ask them to try to think of something original. For example: "Yes, we know Anthony is funny so that would be something we might want to write, but that is not all we love about Anthony, we also love..... Try to think of something different then all the other comments!"

When the students get to read their own at the end of class, their faces light up! I really think it makes a huge difference in their self-esteem, even if just for a moment. 

Math: 

How can I have fun on a day where the students are full of sugar and excitement? Well, I came up with an escape for Valentine's Day! The students will apply their problem solving skills and a little bit of logic to help Cupid escape before the students come to school and see him! I am one-to-one with Chromebooks so I made the escape easily accessible for Google Classroom users (and to save ink and copying time, because let's be real, who has time for that?). The students will complete a series of problems involving multiplying and dividing fractions all relating to Valentine's Day! I love these activities because the students can be very independent and leave me free to work with students that need reinforcement or extra help. 

Cupid's Candy Mystery

Reading/Class Meeting: 

Ok, maybe this doesn't have to do with reading necessarily BUT I think it is worth it to Spread the Love. We took 52 Kindness task cards that are focused on spreading love around the school. I gave the students the challenge at the start of February to finish by Valentine's Day! Each day, in our class meeting, we talked about what task cards they finished and how it made them feel! 

Share the Love

Writing: 

Poems! I mean who doesn't want to write a poem for Valentine's Day, right? I teach similes and metaphors and then have the students write a poem using them! They can focus on all the things they love! "Love is the steaming hot coffee that welcomes me into the day" (well that would be my first line at least ;) )

Share the Love

 The students get to decorate the cover for their poem to add to our "Share the Love" bulletin board! 

Share the Love Poem

Share the Love Poem

Grab all of these in 1 bundle! 

Let's be Franco

What fun things can I add to my day? What are your go-to Valentine's Day activities?

Problem Solving made easy with Google Forms

Let's be Franco

Have you ever felt like you are trying to be in 22 (or more) places at once when you are teaching math? I walk around the room with my thoughts interrupted every 5 seconds with, "Mrs. Franco, is this right?" This year, I started to search for a solution and I found it with Google Forms! 

Here is how it works- 

1. I create a Google Form by opening my Google drive and clicking "New" then "Google Forms"

2. I type in the title and the name of the problem solving lesson that I am working on. 

3. The first question I add is "Name" and make it a required question.

4. The next question, I will start to type in my first problem. There are a few steps here that you will repeat for every question that you create. 

• Type in the question or upload a picture with the question on it! 
• Make it a short answer question using the list on the side.This is what your screen would look like at this point. 
  

• Make the question a "Required Question" at the bottom right of the question's box.
• Use the 3 dots that are on top of each other next to the "Required Question" and click "Response Validation.

• After that, I click "text"  instead of "number" and then I put my answer in the"text" space. In the "custom error text," I type "try again!" and it should look something like this... 
  
• You can make a new question and repeat the steps! 

After you finish typing in all the questions you want the students to answer, you can press, "Send" and then click the "link" option. I copy the link and paste into my Google Classroom. 

The benefits of using Google Forms for problem solving lessons are:

1. The students are independently checking their problem solving by typing in the correct answer. 
2. The teacher is free to help those students that have tried multiple times to answer a question and needs a little assistance. 

Although, I admit it is a little more prep work, it makes problem solving lessons very easy to manage! Also, the students are excited to use a computer to check their answers! 

Check this out! I made you a freebie to show what a finished lesson looks like! 

Let's be Franco