Snowman Button Races S.T.E.M.

So....I went to the dentist this past week,

and I got poked and prodded and all cleaned up...

nice and purrrrtie.

Have I mentioned...

I.Hate.Going.To.The.Dentist.???
AMEN sista!
I would rather have a mammogram
than go to the dentist.
I.am.not.even.kidding.!

I have to have certain things with me during my visit.

#1.  Socks.

I live in Florida where we all go around flipping

our flip-flops every which way....

but when it's time to go to the dentist,

I pack a pair of socks in my purse.

Once I get there, I kick my flips

to the corner of the room

and climb into my chair with....

#2.  Sunglasses.

Yes.

I have to wear my sunglasses when I'm there.

It's a must.

They are not allowed to touch my teeth,

unless these big, brown eyes are covered.
Ditto!  My eyes are closed the entire time!

This is not meant to emulate movie-star qualities,

although my alter ego may beg to differ.

No.  I just use them to hide.

Like a three year old.

If you can't see me,

I'm not really here.
LOL!

#3. Two sweaters.

Not one sweater.

Two.

Another.Must.Have.

I wear one,

and I cover myself up

with the other one.

Yes.  This big baby

needs a quasi blanket to

go to the dentist.

I have actually considered

a b.y.o.b. dental policy

(bring your own blanket),

but I haven't quite gone

that far over the deep end.

Yet.
They must laugh when they see
you coming!

Anyway,

as I was sitting there...

trying not to think about the buzzing

going on in my mouth,

I had a flashback of last night's

recorded show that was on for 

our viewing pleasure (not mine...I'm anti-this show

but I get sucked into watching it).

 Have you ever seen: The Following?

Terrible.Terrible.Terrible.

Last night it freaked me out so bad...one of the FBI

agents got boxed up alive in a

teeny-tiny, metal box

(about the size of a filing box).
Ok, I was literally starting to feel
like I was suffocating when I read that.

Talk about a STEM experiment gone wrong.  Very.Wrong.

So...I was sitting in the dentist's chair

thinking that I am grateful to be there

rather than is a small, metal box.

Thinking: Go ahead....poke and jab all you want.

I'm grateful. I'm grateful. I'm grateful.
Self-talk at it's best.
I think I can. I think I can.
This could be worse....This could be worse...

And then my brain starts thinking that the

really, bad man on that show
should have had a better STEM

outlet as a child....
and been taught to use

his powers for good rather than evil.

THEN I started thinking about Angela the Snow Person

in our last blog post (March Into March With The Cat In The Hat).

THEN I started thinking...that poor woman 

(Angela...yes, I'm talking about you),
...blush...

I can't believe that it's still cold and snowy up there.
It actually warmed up this weekend.
Although it's back to the 40's later this week.
Boo hiss!

Not to brag.  (I'm not a real sun lover.)

But....

It.Has.Been.Beautiful.In.Florida.
This is when we can no longer be friends.

So there's my bald, snowball friend

frazzled with no recess in sight.
I know right?!

THEN I started to think that maybe people would

like a preview to some simple snowman STEM activities that

I had meant to post on TPT

(back in January when my kiddos did them).

Did that happen?

Uh...no.

I never quite got to that point.
We actually did three really fun activities,
but has anyone outside of my first grade friends seen them?
Nope.
They haven't been posted.
They haven't been pinned. 

Can you say: March?

Snowmen are completely off of any Florida teacher's radar.
Thankfully, they're headed off of our radar too.
Spring officially starts on Saturday.
BRRRRRRiiiiing it on!

Just speaking the truth. 

I do STEM activities every Friday,

but to get them prepped and ready to post for sale

is a completely different hairy mess all together.

Honestly I'm just getting by

with doing them with my own class,

teaching the wack-a-doodle-noodle standards

that we are responsible for, and just having my kids

where they need to be at the moment.
I went through the pics on my camera,
and I've made 10 different STEM activities
that haven't been posted.
I honestly don't know how you do it!!
Not only do you do a STEM every Friday,
but you create them in between Fridays.
Wow...
I just can't quite get them out there.
I finally finished one.
Minus the black and white prints.
Still haven't gotten that far,
but if you're willing to see past the
lack of the b&w prints, I'm more
than willing to share this STEM activity
with you that your kids are going to LOVE.
Seriously.  My kids had so much fun with this!
I called it
Snowman Button Races:

 If you missed this freebie...become a TPT and blog 
follower to  catch future freebies!

Now remember....no complaining
about the prints all being in color,
they'll print just fine on school black and white copiers....
believe me I've used mine that way and it works.
I will take any help with typos, though,

because let's face it: after teaching all day,

being a mom of four, making things for sale on TPT,

and freebies for our blog, dropping off and picking up
my own kids from their activities...I don't always see quite straight

by the end of the day. Truth. My eyes just give out.
Again, over-achiever!

 So...Angela and anyone else who's still out in the cold....
when the wind blows, and the snow falls, and
you're STILL stuck inside for recess....
try this STEM related poem to get your kids
excited about the Snowman Button Races!

Yes the voice is actually mine.
Rock on with your bad self!
I started with a normal voice,
and then after sitting in the car for over
an hour waiting for one of my sons to finish
up his after school activity....I think I lost my mind
a little and came up with this really goofy, snowman voice.
If you want the pdf file so that you can read it yourself....
I'll share that with you as well.
I think it's super cute!  It's also a great way 
to introduce the STEM activity to the class.
All good sista!


Snowball Button Races Poem

If you missed this freebie...become a TPT and blog 
follower to  catch future freebies!

Be SURE to download the STEM activity
and the pdf with the poem now....
because I'm only leaving them here for free for 48 hours.
This is meant as a "THANK YOU" to all of our blog followers.
If you're coming to this blog after the free posting
has been taken off...I'm so sorry you missed this freebie!
If you would like future freebies,
be sure to follow both of my stores:
Regina Davis
Fairy Tales And Fiction By 2
as well as this blog.

Now I just have to come up with a
S.T.E.M. activity for myself and figure out
how to create a dental chair that will take care of 
all of my dental phobias.
Good luck with that!

Hmmmmmmm.......

March Into March With More Cat In The Hat!

It's March and if you're anything like me,

you're in a teaching frenzy!

Stop right there my Florida friend!
My, "I see the sunshine every time
I open my eyes" friend.
My, "Our students go outside
for recess every day" friend.

For the rest of us unfortunate peeps,
this is what we've been
dealing with...

These are my kids during one
of our "joyous" winter days.
Notice the sky?  Do you see the sun?
Negative!
They're not standing next to a snowman.
That's actually me.
Pale as can be with the lack of sun.
Bald because I've pulled my hair out
over the excessive number of indoor recesses!
"Plump" around the middle because what
else is there to do when you're trapped inside but eat?!
Can.I.get.an.amen?
If you live in the Midwest or out East,
I know you feel my pain.

So what was that again Regina?
Feeling frazzled? Uh, I think we can relate!

So....to calm the frazzled nerves,

I thought I'd share some more

Cat In The Hat freebies

with all of you!
You're cool like that.
Just saying...

I made and used these with my first grade class,

but I decided to include lower level materials for

any Kindergarten teachers out there.

I taught Kindergarten for the past 8 years,

so I know all about March Madness!

Cat In The Hat
Differentiated Instruction:
Addition and Subtraction

My kids really enjoyed
practicing their measurement
skills with this next activity.
I actually used our rulers and
my class measured and 
estimated to the nearest inch.
I added measurement
with paper clips and
unifix cubes as well
so that others of you
who are not using rulers, can use
paper clips or unifix cubes.
Thanks for that!   

Cat In The Hat
Differentiated Instruction: Measurement

 Just have your students estimate
the measurement by rounding up or down.
I hope your kids enjoy as
much as mine did!

My kids have gotten pretty
good at counting their coins
while using this:

Cat In The Hat
Differentiated Instruction: Money

Last, but not least
is some useful clock work practice.
Have your students practice
writing the numbers for digital clocks,
and the clock hands for analog clocks.
Sheesh!  You're a busy girl.
Thanks for sharing!

Cat In The Hat
Differentiated Instruction: Clock Work

May you find time to do all that you need to do.
May calmness overtake your classrooms,

and may all of your Little Cats A-Z

help with all of the cleaning up 

of little and big messes!
...and may you find yourself
OUTSIDE at recess someday soon!
...because rocking in a corner
is no way to spend your planning period!

MLK Parade Of Products!

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I am not walking in our town parade.

I would get some comp time at school for participating...
1.  Cool that you have a town parade.
2.  Very cool that your school acknowledges
your participation.

BUT....I just can't do it.
Well....maybe I can
if I quickly hop in the shower...
 Uhhhhhh....Let me think about it...
Let me wrap my mind around it...
Nope. Not going to do it.
I'm going to stay buried
under my blankets for
a few more hours.

I'm physically wiped. 
Been there, done that.
All.the.time.
I'm getting too old for this gig!

I am staying home in my pajamas.

I want to do SOMETHING though

to show support on MLK Day. 

Hmmmm.....

What to do?

What to do?

What to do?

How about I give our blog followers

free access to my new MLK Bundle????
CHA CHING!

Just for an hour?

It'll be like my own little
MLK Parade Of Products.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Bundle

Does 16 free products seem utterly amazing?!
#awesome

Yup!

I think that's what I'm going to do.

Now, this is just for you guys.

It's already posted on TPT

so unfortunately my followers there

won't be notified of the Flash Freebie.

If you want to be notified of all of my

future Flash Freebies be sure to follow me

here AND on TPT (on both of my stores:

Regina Davis and Fairy Tales And Fiction by 2).

That way, if you're following in all 3 spots...

you won't miss out!

Alright.

What time should I hold my

MLK Parade of Products?

Hmmm....how does 11am-12pm Eastern Time (USA) sound?

That way, I can stay in bed for a little longer. 
Who am I kidding...I can do my WHOLE Flash Freebie
IN BED if I wanted!!!  Bwa-ha-ha! That's the point!

If you do download the freebie....

be sure to leave

feedback so that I can justify

(to my husband King Common Sense)

that it's just fine for me to be giving

my work away to cyber friends.
I'll be there to say thank you!

If you liked that bundle...

Check out my Penguin Bundle

 

and my Polar Bear Bundle.

Ok...Now I feel better.

I've supported MLK,

and I did it in my pj's.

Bliss! 
Enjoy your day my friend!

Kindergarten Fact or Fiction?

Dedicated to Ma Chérie and Long Island:

Have you ever had a day
when your portable cabinet
in your bathroom looked astray,
and after some investigation
behind it you soon found....
seven pairs of underwear
that you knew did not belong there.
But then, upon whose 5 year old bottom
did they belong?
1.  Uh, you lost me at "your bathroom"
as I don't have one of those.
2.  SEVEN pairs of underwear?! 
Did you not receive 7 phone calls from
parents of "underwear less" Kindergarten kids?
Read my sign:

Have you ever had a day

When you took your kids out to play

And you found something suspicious on the ground?

When taking a closer look...

Crossing your fingers and hoping that you mistook...

That brown log for a stick that fell down?

Ewww....don't pick it up!

Oh....no!

Your luck has run out.

And you give out a shout

For all your students to please stay away.

From that spot on the ground

Where to your chagrin you had found....

A long piece of poop that the custodian had to scoop

And remove very carefully on that day.

Custodian=the guy who saves the day!

This was not dog or cat scat...

(I would prefer that)

But no, sadly no....it was not.
Somebody dropped it like it was hot!
literally

Instead it was left

By someone who was adept

At hiding bathroom faux pas.

Remember my sign?

Have you ever had a day

While walking through the hallway

There was another odious looking log.

You thought, "It cannot be!"

But looking you could see...

That someone had left a little "gift" behind their step.
A step with a bit less pep.

So you stood over "_ _it"

Guiding traffic all around "_ _it"

Making sure no one stepped on

The odiforous, brown lump that you found.
"_ _ it" on the ground, "_ _ it" on the ground.
We all have to dance around
because there's "_ _ it" on the ground! 

But then, how strange you did seem
As a member of your team
Came to give a hand and take a look.
There you were standing
Over a foot-long dandy...
Protecting every little Kindergarten foot.
Hmmmm....
Reason 1,000 that Kindergarten teacher
made the top 10 of scariest jobs in the nation.
Not.even.kidding.

Yup. There's that sign again!


Have you ever had a day...
When walking your line
One little Kindergartener
Was not quite stepping in time.
He kept kicking out one leg....
Jiggling...wiggling it as he was led
Down the hall by his Kindergarten friends.

You hurried to see....
just exactly what was he
up to while he jostled his little leg.
And there before your eyes 
Plop, plop, plop...
It would not stop...
Out came little pellets one by one.
The culprit had been found...
The one who liked to leave -it on the ground.
Thank goodness....the madness could now STOP!

Last time for the sign--I promise!


Kindergarten teachers are not paid enough.
That's all I have to say about that.
Girrrrrl, don't even get me started on that one!

Since I can't give you guys a pay raise... 
to make up for your crazy days,
I can at the very least decide to share.
And share you do!
Here are fact family houses for you
Adding and subtracting is what your students will do...
Keep them busy to keep you from pulling out your hair!


FLASH FREEBIE:  For the next 12 hours ONLY!!!
A+ Winter Kids: Fact Family Houses
by Regina Davis

My fact family houses contain
easier math for Kindergarten,

 harder hath for first grade,

 a page where teachers
can insert their own numbers,
 and a page where students
are able to make their own fact family houses.
Whew!
If you missed this flash freebie be sure
to follow both the blog and my 2 TPT stores
to be aware of future flashes! 

May your days be free of unwanted surprises!
...specifically those "bodily function" surprises!