Second Grade Math and the Cup Song

Lily’s homework last week was double- and triple-digit subtraction. She got stuck.

Since I taught second grade for 12 years, I knew how to get her un-stuck. Take a break.

subtraction

Even though I prefer the term “borrowing,” I also know how to explain “regrouping” or “decide if you need to ungroup,” but in this case Lily just needed a break. She was all mixed up and frustrated. When she tackled her math problems later, she was able to focus on her mistakes and fix them.

One of Mama Kat’s vlogging prompts for today was to learn a YouTube viral trend: The Cup Song. Jen from Buried with Children contributed this idea. I don’t know whether to thank them or curse them, because I became obsessed. I practiced over and over again and still couldn’t get it. I got stuck.

I had to take a break, which was really hard because that d*mn song was in my head, constantly. Plus, my hands hurt from banging that stupid cup.

I took a much needed break and tried The Cup Song again…later. I focused on fixing my mistakes.

It didn’t work. Here is my imperfect remake of The Cup Song, recorded in my kitchen with a Live Audience and a new title.

Presenting: The Sippy Cup Song!

Sippy Cup Song


See the videos here.

See the original song You’re Gonna Miss Me here.

Mama Kat and Mom Pulse

signature

Wacky Wednesday!

Emmy’s Kindergarten class is celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday by having a Wacky Wednesday!

Wacky Wednesday

She wore purple pants with a red, backwards shirt, unmatched socks, and a wacky hairdo. Here she is, in all her wackiness!

Wacky Emmy

One of our favorite books Dr. Seuss books here at home is Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck

After reading about oobleck, make some oobleck!

How to make oobleck

Pour a cup of cornstarch into a medium sized bowl. In a 2 C. measuring cup, add a couple drops of green food coloring to one cup of water and stir. Add about 3/4 cup of water to the cornstarch and stir. Have your kids mix it up with their fingers! Depending on the consistency you want, add more water or more cornstarch. Pour onto a cookie sheet with edges to contain the mess. You might be surprised how much YOU like playing with oobleck!

If you get the oobleck to the right consistency, it acts like a solid when you are playing with it, and then melts to a liquid when you let it stand. Emmy and I experimented with adding water and adding cornstarch to see what would happen. In this video of Emmy, the ooleck (otherwise known as green slime) is a little more liquid-y.

Since the oobleck is just cornstarch and water, clean-up is so easy–trust me! As a preschool teacher who has had to clean up play dough tables every day before snack time, I can tell you that play dough is much stickier to clean up. Plus, cornstarch is much safer for preschoolers, unlike the recipe for slime that uses glue and Borax. If you wait for the cornstarch to dry, it vacuums up very easily.

There’s Just One Mommy has a great Dr. Seuss activity link-up. Click the button below for more ideas on how to use Dr. Seuss books!

TheresJustOneMommy

Wednesdays are also the day I vlog using Mama Kat’s vlogging prompt. My vlog is below; you can also watch it on my YouTube Channel.

 

Hoping you have a Wacky Wednesday!

signature