The S.T.E.A.M. Lab Pumpkin Patch

I submitted a proposal to the PTO a few weeks ago for Pumpkin Week in the S.T.E.A.M. Lab. 

They provided the funding to allow me to purchase two pumpkins for each of my 18 classes. (I wrote about my wonderful husband’s buying adventures here.)

Thanks to a few additional pumpkin donations, we decorated about 45 pumpkins in three days. Each class had one 50 minute class period to complete two pumpkins. I’m still recovering from the craziness of it all!

I’d planned to do a little more on the math and science components, but because I was at the math conference last week and my pumpkin deadline, it didn’t happen to the extent that I’d hoped for this year. That aside, I’m calling it a success! I’ll make changes for next year.

We auctioned off the pumpkins at the school Halloween Howl Friday night. I haven’t seen the final figures, but two of the live auction pumpkins went for $50 each, so it should be a nice ending figure. The rest of the pumpkins were part of a silent auction.

I’m really proud of my students. I figured out that tissue paper was the best way to “paint” the pumpkins. I coated the pumpkin with a glue/water mix using a foam brush and then the students all got to place and flatten a piece of tissue paper on the pumpkin. This way everyone got to take part and the end result was a pumpkin that looked (nearly) perfectly painted.

I took pictures of most of the pumpkins. My own two little ones arrived for the carnival at about the same time I got my pumpkins put out, so I missed a few.

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

I let the 4th and 5th grade carve pumpkins with varying degrees of independence. 

So there you have it! Pumpkin Week in the S.T.E.A.M. Lab. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Week

My husband is amazing. Last night he went to Walmart to buy pumpkins for Pumpkin Week in the STEAM Lab.



Not only did he get them for cheaper than expected, but he managed to load 36 pumpkins into our minivan. Impressive!

Math and Mickey

I found out last month that I would be presenting at the FCTM conference in Orlando. I was going to be the only one from my school going, so I suggested to my husband that he and the kids come along. The hotel is right next to Sea World, so I thought they could spend the day at the park while I was at the math conference.

Then we got a letter in the mail from Disney. We could upgrade the tickets we had from this summer to season passes for about $100 a person. My little guy is still free, so for $300 we could have passes good until June. The offer was too good to pass up. Sea World was out, Disney was in.

The plan was to leave right after work on Wednesday. My daughter was so excited she couldn’t sleep on Tuesday. After finally getting her to sleep, I was up until 2am packing/prepping. Then Wednesday the Irishman and I both ended up working later than planned. By the time we got on the road it was 8:00pm. When we got to Orlando just before midnight, the kids were suddenly wide awake. It was 1am before we got to bed.

My little guy woke up at 5:50am. We were exhausted. The kids were wired. I got them dressed, packed, and ready for the 7:30 bus. Unfortunately that meant that I threw on clothes to check in for the conference and attend the opening session.

I headed back to the room after that for a nice shower and to make the finishing touches on my presentation. I ate lunch and headed to my session.

I was worried that no one would show up. The presentation started at 12:45. By 12:30 it was standing room only. I was so nervous.

I am not a fan of session where you have to get up and move around. I don’t particularly like to chat with my neighbor. I teach that way in my classroom with my students, but it is not my thing at a conference. I decided to try having people backchannel using Todays Meet. It worked! In hindsight I wish I’d have stopped to talk about the comments in the middle, but live and learn. People actually logged in and took part in the discussion.

I am really happy with how the whole thing went. I titled my session “New Ideas in Technology for the Elementary Math Classroom.” I did finish a little early, but then again it started a little early due to the full room, so one seemed to mind. I’ve met some lovely people and had nice comments from others who were in my presentation. All in all, I’m considering it a success!

While I was presenting, my husband sent me this picture:



When the kids got back we had dinner in the room (we brought food) and explored the playground/mini golf. The room only has a shower, so we decided a quick swim in the pool and showering off there would work. (Don’t judge – you wouldn’t want to manage a 2 year old and a 3 year old in the shower here!)

As a special treat, we used the projector I brought along for the presentation to show the kids a movie.



They lasted about 15 minutes before falling asleep.



After getting about 5 hours of sleep the night before and then spending the day at Disney, they slept solidly. I can’t remember the last time we all slept to 7:30!

Today was another day of conference for me and Disney for them. I picked up a few new ideas I’ll be trying out soon. It looks like our old Wii may be coming to school with me for some golf subtraction fun! The Irishman and the kids aren’t back yet, but from the pictures I got I’d say it was a good day today, too.

 



I’m excited to get to join them at the park tomorrow after a couple of morning sessions. I’ve questioned our sanity a few times this trip, but in the end it has worked out really well!

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I wrote this on Friday, but the hotel Wi-Fi wasn’t working and this is the first time I’ve had a chance to get online. We had a great time at the park on Saturday and a lazy day around the house today. I was all set for a productive teacher work day tomorrow, but it looks like I will have my little guy with me. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t also plan to purchase 18-36 pumpkins tomorrow for pumpkin week in the STEAM Lab. This could be interesting!

Math Monday: The Pumpkin Project

I’m linking up with A Burst of First for the first Math Monday. I recently downloaded old pictures from my iPad and realized that I never blogged about my favorite math/science activity.

My first year teaching I was introduced to a pumpkin packet of math and science activities. The pages were hand written, but the content was fantastic. My third grade partner had been doing the project for years and she had it down to an art. Students were estimating and measuring height, circumference, and mass with/without the guts.  My students sliced the pumpkins with a ruler while I was out of the room and then tried to attack my teaching assistant. I’ve learned a lot since then!

For years I’ve had each student send in a pumpkin. (Here is a rough idea of the form I send home) I also have parent volunteers come in to help gut the pumpkins. This is the type of project that parents at my school love. I typically start the students whole group. Each student names his/her pumpkin. We find the mass of all the pumpkins and record the information on a table and then a graph.

From here each group works on a different part of the packet. I usually stay inside and help with height, circumference, vertical lines, and classifying/ordering the pumpkins.



I send my fantastic parent volunteers outside. They do the sink/float test before gutting the pumpkins. We don’t carve – just gut them in the name of science. It is amazing to me how many third graders have never seen the inside of a pumpkin.



We find the mass of the gutted pumpkins and record all the data. As you might imagine, I’ve updated the old pumpkin packet. It includes pumpkin life cycle, physical properties, and all the measurements mentioned above.



The packet is available in my TpT store. It really is one of my all time favorite projects. I am still trying to figure out how to adapt the idea in my new role. We’ll see how that goes!

I’m going to leave you with some pumpkin love. Click the picture below to download these fun free pumpkin note cards.

I’m also going to e-mail a free copy of my Pumpkin Packet to anyone who can correctly guess how many pumpkins my little family of four has purchased so far this year.  This offer is good through Sunday, October 20, 2013.

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For more fun Math ideas, check out Math Monday:

Five for Friday: The one with the hashtags

One of the blogs I used to read, back when I had time to read blogs, did a Five for Friday five word hashtag thing. I don’t remember who it was, but I’m going to borrow the idea this week.

 

#newcomputersgreattosee

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#pumpkinspumpkinspumpkinarteverywhere

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#smartboardfinallycomingMonday

#couldntstandtheplainwood

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#inprogressbookpagecollage

#thissuckerisREALLYbig

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#Whoooelselovesaweekend?

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#WhoooolovesaTpTsale? 

This one takes more than 5 words! TeachersPayTeachers is having a FLASH SALE and giving 10% off all purchases if you use the code fb100k.  I am joining in and holding my own 20% off sale in my store.  That means you get a combined savings of 28%. Enjoy!

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Got any hashtag comments for me?

Five for Something–What I’ve Learned

I intended to blog last night, but it was quite a day. My two-year-old was sent home sick 20 minutes after he got to day care. The Irishman picked him up and they had a great day napping at home together.

We’d planned a trip to the pumpkin patch and to the library this afternoon, but we decided to keep the little guy home for a good nap. He still isn’t quite 100%. My almost-four-year old headed off dressed up in her Ariel outfit for an afternoon of fun with her Daddy. My husband is a fantastic father!

During this nap time I was trying to decide the best way to update the blog. I’ve decided to share five things I’ve learned since moving from third grade to the STEAM lab.

1

When ordering giant computer tables, 2 bases and 2 sides means you ordered one table. I got the e-mail saying that the table we ordered August 5th would be delivered Tuesday. The singular “table” concerned me. Our purchasing director looked at the quote and tried to reassure me that it was two tables. Then she called to check.



My ONE table was delivered on Thursday. In the middle of class. I had to make of last minute plan changes. Twice. It took longer than they thought to put it together. (The picture was taken after school on Friday, so the stools were already on the old tables so that they can clean the floors.)

The table is lovely. It should have 12 iMacs on it in the next week or so. My only complaint is that there is only one table. They are ordering a second one. I’m hoping it gets here before Christmas!

2

When ordering a SMART board, I’ve learned to pay attention to the size of the wall.
I’d barely recovered from the table-installation while trying to paint in the room episode when they told me the SMART board would be installed Friday.

They wheeled in the giant board and all the equipment at 9am during my planning period on Friday. They took a look at the wall and said it wouldn’t work.I watched as the equipment I’ve waited months for was wheeled back out of my classroom.



Two hours later, in the middle of my first grade painting project the electrician showed up and removed a light bulb. He is going to come back next week to remove the light fixture so that the SMART board will fit. They will try again to install the SMART board a week from Monday.

Fingers crossed!

3

On the plus side, I’m learning how to organize things. I have six classes a day (one each for grades K-5) for 50 minutes each. There are two minutes between classes. My days fly!

I got this “Tasty Toppers” set from Really Good Stuff years ago. (I think it has been discontinued – I bought it on clearance) I used it when I taught third grade, but it has been a life saver in the lab!



Now that I’ve explained the “May Do” options, they know exactly what they can do without me having to give instructions again.

4

LEGOs have saved me. In my third grade class, my students had a book in their desk. I had other activities for early finishers, but there was always that one to fall back on. After about a week I knew I needed to figure something out.



All my classes, kindergarten through fifth grade, beg to play with the LEGOs. These three tubs belong to one of the middle school teachers. Her son is now in college, but his collection is still getting much love!

I’ve gotten wooden blocks and LEGOs from teachers with college age kids who have long outgrown them. My next project for tonight is to create a poster to ask for donations of old building toys.  We are a K-12 school. Our high school is a dual enrollment program with some amazing students. I suspect that there are more than a few of those kids with old collections of K’NEX or LEGOs or gears that my students would be thrilled to use. If that doesn’t work, I’ve started researching ideas for a Donor’s Choose project.

5

I’m spending hours researching art projects. Until my computers are set up, I’ve been a little more art heavy on the STEAM than I’d expected to be. I’ve learned to use Pinterest in ways I never expected. I’ve even surprised myself and created several of my own projects.

For example, I looked at looked for something to do with cutting practice with kindergarten. We spent time practicing with lines. The final activity was to cut on the lines and to turn the finished product into a rug.




Right now I’m working on a collaborative project with all 18 classes using old book pages. After 10 years of teaching I have a box of books with pages falling out. I couldn’t part with them, but now I’ve found a use for them.

Each grade level is working on a different part. K and 1 painted blue sheets for the background. Second grade painted colorful half sheets for the board border. My third, fourth, and fifth grade classes have all painted fall leaves.



I’ve painted “Fall into Learning” letters and a tree trunk. I hope to have it all put together this week. Expect pictures!

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So there you have it. Five things I’ve learned so far this year. I’m enjoying the change, but I will be thrilled when all my technology is in place.

Enjoy your weekend!