Shells never cease to amaze me.
And the exhilaration of finding a full PERFECT sand dollar....Pure Florida BLISS!
I often think about how far these treasures of the sea travel, how they stay so perfect, and how lucky I am to find them. I don't collect very many shells because I'm never really quite sure what to do with them. Pinterest gives me a few good ideas every now and then, but I just don't think my decor is beachy enough for a shell collection. So until I get a fantastic stroke of Pinterest-ing genius, I'll just leave the shells on the beach (and periodically in my iPhone).
Michelle the Shell Collector Math Center
Michelle the Shell Collector is a Math Center Activity that includes Math story problems relating an unknown addend & unknown difference using a number line.
Students try to reach numbers up to a hundred from a given number using a number line.
These are addition and Subtraction Problem Solving Center Task Cards. Students find the difference between 2 numbers by finding the distance between them on a number line. They then identify the 2 equations (+ & -) that can be used to solve that word problem and the answer within the equation, be that the missing addend or the difference.
This Center Includes:
-Assembly Directions
-Center Sign/Directions
-Number Lines
-Example Poster
-18 Problem Solving Cards
-2 Recording Sheets
This center is Common Core Aligned:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking 2.OA1. Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.
Pick this center up for your kiddos at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store
I recently found this poem that I find appropriate for teachers.
GIFT FROM THE SEA
found on Mesa Public Schools Website
"Students are like sea shells in many ways:
Students, like shells, come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors.
I promise to appreciate and celebrate their differences.
Students, like shells, may be fragile, delicate and easily broken.
I shall handle them with care.
Students, like shells, are beautiful.
Each student in this class has a special beauty;
I will make every effort to discover it and help others to notice and
appreciate it.
Students, like shells, build a hard outer cover to protect themselves from
harm.
I shall attempt to open the hard outer shell to nurture the life within.
Students, like shells, often have pieces chipped away or broken off.
Some students have had difficult experiences that have chipped away
their positive self-images and broken their spirits.
I will strive to rebuild their hope and rekindle their enthusiasm.
Students, like shells, were once very tiny and have been built up one layer
at a time.
Each of the students in this class has a small core of knowledge and
experience.
Some will have many layers built around this core, others have only a few.
I will take them where they are and add carefully to their growth.
Students, like shells, may look plain and rather commonplace.
Sometimes it may seem that there is nothing special about a student.
I will look again and see how each student is unique,
then try to help each student realize his or her importance and worth.
The shell I have in my hand is unique. it was carried to shore by the ocean
just for me.
It is my Gift from the Sea.
Now that it is mine, I will keep it as a reminder
that each child in this class is a unique treasure
and that each one is entrusted to me for this school year.
I solemnly promise to do the best I can to make this year live up to your
expectations."
~Author Unknown
So while I don't have a collection of sea shells, nor might many of you, I know what we all do have are collections of memories of all the students who have entered our classroom doors--the shells on the beaches of our lives as teachers.
