3 Reasons You Should Teach Roman Numerals (Grades 3-5)

Do you teach students how to read Roman Numerals?  It might not be part of your third, fourth, or fifth grade curriculum but it's an important real life skill that uses higher level thinking, is a part of history, and is kind of like solving a mystery.  AND . . . learning about Roman Numerals can be a stand-alone no-prep unit that you can leave with confidence for a substitute teacher that students will have a day full of learning.  Roman Numerals can be taught any time of year, too.

Roman numerals are an important part of history, and we still see Roman numerals in use today. Roman numerals are used for drama and effect, or to make things seem important such as with Kings like Edward the IV. Popes are named using this system as well, for example John Paul II. The most recognized use today is likely sporting events such as Super Bowl XX , and the XXVII Olympic Games. Films, videos and copyrights routinely use Roman numbers for tracking. We also see and use them to mark documents, often adding an air of importance to the work.  They are used in medicine, too.  Did you know that the cranial nerves are labeled with Roman Numerals?

Students find Roman Numerals fun to use and somewhat cryptic, almost like a breaking a secret code. And who doesn’t love a good mystery to get students engaged?   Or how about trying to read the game number for the big football game?

 

The use of Roman numerals helps students critical thinking and mental flexibility. I use them as a fun engaging way to help teach math concepts of addition, subtraction and place value. Students never get enough practice with equalities. Try balancing them Roman style!

Roman Numerals can be confusing for students (and adults). Let's see... if the "I" is before the "V" do I add or subtract? Students need lots of practice to really get this skill, especially when they need to convert large numbers, like figuring out copyright dates of books.

Teach students how to break down large numbers into smaller ones - like using expanded notation with Roman Numerals.  It's easy when you know how!

Here are a few more real life examples to inspire you and your students!

• Roman Numerals are used to number the cranial nerves!  This will inspire those kids who have a dream of working in the field of medicine. 
• Roman numerals are used on old fashion clocks
• They're used in the sport of football to number the Super Bowl!  Those kids who love sports will be intrigued by this one. 
• They're used when someone has the same name for many generations, ex: Robert Griffin III, a football quarterback, Pope Benedict XVI, Kind Edward VII of England.
• They're on old historic buildings.  The history buffs out there will love being able to decipher what the buildings say.
• They are used for film copyright dates.
• They are used to number pages in books, especially on the preliminary pages.
• They number paragraphs in complicated, and long documents. 
• They are used in teaching music and music theory.

If you teach Roman Numerals to grades 3-5, you are going to love a few new items I just finished up. I created a Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook set and a set of Roman Numeral posters, then bundled the two to save you money.  This makes a great math center, too!

Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook

Roman Numeral Poster Set

Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook + Poster Set BUNDLE

      

Do you teach Roman Numerals?  Leave a comment about what grade level you are and how you teach it!

Graphics: 

© Thistle Girl Designs www.thistlegirldesigns.com

JB Design © www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Natasha-Boysal

Teach the Key Words of Math

We need to help students learn the language of math.  Case in point . . . when teaching "fraction-of" problems, students are surprised to learn that "of" means multiply.  They actually think that's cool!  (I love it!)  For example, what is 1/3 of 12 means 1/3 x 12 or put the 12 items into 3 equal groups then count one group.

These math operations posters help students learn the key words for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and equals.  There are 18 pages of choices of wall posters and posters designed to fit into an interactive notebook or math journal.   Check them out!

Figurative Language Cootie Catchers are FUN, FUN, FUN!

Who doesn't love an excuse to play with a Cootie Catcher?  This set is full of figurative language terms, examples and gives an excuse to play while learning about figurative language!

There's four templates that give students practice using and identifying figurative language plus there's an interactive pocket foldable to store the Cootie Catchers in your interactive notebook.  Also included are 8 posters with figurative language definitions and a PPT slideshow.

Play, learn and have fun!

Teach the Figurative Language of Poetry with Interactive Notebooks

Teaching poetry is fun and it just got more fun for students if you're using interactive notebooks!

Students need to learn and use the meanings of alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, and simile.  This brand new set gives students the definitions and examples to glue into their interactive notebooks.  Journal covers are also included in color and black and white.  Also included is a PowerPoint slideshow about figurative language and 8 posters with these definitions.

Interactive Notebook Poetry Figurative Language Set

This new set IS INCLUDED in my 6-week poetry unit and independent poetry project.

Remember that followers get advance notice and HALF OFF for the first 24 hours!  Remember, too, that licenses for teaching buddies are also half off.   Click the green star next to my name on TpT.  You can also follow me on other social media by clicking the buttons at the top of the blog page.

Enjoy teaching poetry this month!

Earth Day Videos that Engage Students to Action

Water covers over 70% of our Earth's surface.  Are our planet's ocean becoming garbage collectors?  Did you know that most plastics never break down?  So, if they never deteriorate, where do they go?  I'm glad you asked!  Think about an item we all know of and probably use . . . plastic bags. Did you know that they use our Earth's oil resources and have been banned in many cities?  Do you know where they end up?  Do you know where their "life cycle" ends?   This blog post is about an issue I love to teach during April.  April 22 is Earth Day.  Here's a great video I like to show and after viewing it, students want to know more and they spring into action.  What teacher wouldn't love that student response? Students taking charge and self-directing their own learning?  Students want to know more... they demand answers.  I love it!

Our fourth grade environments curriculum is the perfect way to tie in this important concept.  Begin the lesson by asking students what is important about April (besides it being poetry month)?  Yes, it's Earth month. Then tell them you are going to show them a "mockumentary.  Make sure to teach students what it means to "mock" (see image, below) so they "get" the sarcasm in this video.   Then show the YouTube video (3:59) called "The Majestic Plastic Bag - a Mockumentary."   You will be asked to show it again, so plan for that!

This movie sparks tons of questions from students.  The video clip shows what happens to plastic bags i.e: their "life cycle" and ultimately where a plastic bag ends its "life" - it ends up in our oceans as trash.  Students are glued to every word, thinking the video is funny but they soon learn that this topic is sad at the same time.  This video really gets students thinking.  It is a great jumping off place that will lead students to pose questions about our planet, healthy oceans, recycling, reusing, reducing waste, plastics and oil use, animal impact, consumerism, and more.  This lesson is self-directed learning at its finest!

Here is a video note taking sheet you can download {FREE} from my TpT store.

Next, your students will be asking to learn more about this "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" they just learned about during the plastic bag movie.  This is another YouTube video from 2009 narrated by Oprah (1:20).  The video clip is grainy, but it's definitely worth a watch.  NOTE:  Teachers, be sure to preview these videos before you show it to students to make sure they are appropriate for showing to your students.   The video clip is shocking and very sad, but addresses very real issues we all should know about for the health of our planet.

And here's another video "Secrets of the Deep:  The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Good Morning America" show (4:30) that offers even more information on this issue.  It, too, is grainy but has good content.

Here's yet another video that is interesting about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch (3:34).  this one has some profanity so before showing to students, you will want to mute the sound and show the images in spots.

Here's some vocabulary you may encounter:  buoyant, indefinitely, coexist, decompose, indigenous, closed system, biodegradable, plankton, currents, food chain, debris.

Ask students to come up possible questions.  Some example might be:
  * What are plastic bags made of?       Plastics infographic
  * Why are they banned in some cities and states?
  * How many sea creatures have been injured by plastic bags and other plastic trash?
  * How much oil does it take to make a plastic bag?
  * How long does it take for items to decompose?      Great visual - poster
  * How long does it take marine debris to break down?       Great visual - poster
  * How long do other products take to degrade in a landfill?
  * Is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch real?
  * How can we reduce the amount of trash we create?
  * What happens to sea creatures that get tangled in the trash?
  * When debris gets into our oceans, where do the currents take them?

  * What can we do about this and where does this end?

For a literacy lesson, you can use this Oprah.com website link to do a close read on the topic.  Be sure to click the numbers 2, 3, and 4 at the bottom of each page to advance to the next page.  Much discussion will occur.

To enhance your teacher background knowledge, watch this TED Talk video (4:41) about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Here's another video about plastics and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (4:56).

Happy Earth Day!  YOU can make a difference in the world.  What ideas do YOU have for Earth Day?  Please share your ideas!

5th Grade Math Journal with 130 Prompts: Show Student Thinking

Hi friends.  Jamie Sears and I have just finished a collaborative math project that we know 5th grade teachers are going to love!

It's a math journal that has five different prompts for each of the CCSS-M standards for a total of 130 prompts.  The set comes with and without clip art and has a journal cover all ready to print and use.  Best of all, it's on SALE until Monday!

Enjoy everything math!

Powerful Poetry

It's April, do you know what that means?  Yes it's the month of April Fool's Jokes, Taxes, Earth Day, and Easter, but did you know that April also happens to be National Poetry month?!  I promise, it's a real thing.  With it being National Poetry month, it's a great time to introduce your students to poetry and encourage them try their hand at creating their very own poems.

My love for poetry began long ago.  As a kid, I remember my dad reciting (by heart) a Lewis Carroll poem, The Walrus and the Carpenter.  I was enthralled listening to his intonation and the voices he used as he recited the poem by heart.  Each night I looked forward to bedtime just so I could hear my dad read poems and stories to me.  Maybe that's where I developed a love of poetry!

You may be asking yourself, how do I help foster student learning and inquiry about poetry when they have little to no previous exposure? Years ago I created a wildly popular independent poetry unit that gives students the opportunity to read poetry from other poets and to try their hand at writing 11 different forms of poetry.  I love it because in our pre-unit reflection, many students (especially the boys) aren't looking forward to writing poetry, some even groan and complain, and at the end they think writing poetry is pretty cool.

Poetry Unit Details On TpT

The unit is designed so that students are in control of the amount of points they earn through writing poems.  In this unit, it's all about effort and trying new things.  It's super easy for the teacher to implement and I've added a ton of other things to the set.

My best advice is to read poetry to your students every day!  You can also do Reader's Theaters with poems.  Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer makes a great Reader's Theater.  Read all kinds of different poems from an array of authors.  They will soon be asking you, "When can we write our own poems?"

I have selected a few classroom favorites by Shel Silverstein to share with you to give you a jump start on poetry inspiration.  I love poems that are funny to get students in grades 3-5 laughing and seeing how fun writing poetry is.

Sick

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout 

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too - scroll down and click the animation of this fun poem

Backward Bill and Eight Balloons - two animations to show your students

The Toy-Eater - animation

The Giving Tree - animation

Read and write on!