We're having SUM fun now!

There's a new math post up at Serendipity. The gnomes will be back with another adventure after Christmas. Until then, we're playing with our friend Plus. Lots and lots of ideas there for addition adventures. There's a list of living books for math and suggestions for ways to look at numbers and to represent them in pictures. Later in the week, numbers will go three-dimensional as we build equations out of clay. And when the autumn winds pick up and the air gets downright nasty, consider just hanging out by the fireplace and letting your children loose on the floor with the gemstones. There's no telling where they will go. (Yes, it's a soccer field. Out of gemstones. Apparently, our gnomes got game.)

Trying to Get Organized

There is a master list of all our planned lessons and activities at Faithful Over Little Things.
Not sure it's of any use to anyone but me, but I like the picture on that blog banner and I missed looking at frequently;-)

Gnomes, gnumbers, place value and pumpkins

Our greedy gnomes got to know King Equals today and he taught them a lesson in place value.  We grouped the gemstones, first by ones and then by tens and then by hundreds.
Tomorrow, we will do this lesson again, using pumpkin seeds.

• When you clean out your pumpkin, wash the seeds and let them dry.
• Bake them, if you like.
• Put all the seeds in a large bowl to begin.
• Have the children estimate how many there are and write down all the estimates.
• Then, gather a collection of cups:  small Dixie bathroom cups, larger 8 ounce cups, even larger stadium style cups.
• Count ten pumpkin seeds into each Dixie cup until all the seeds that can be grouped into ten are in small Dixie cups. You will have some single "ones" left over. These leftovers will make the "ones column" (draw it out on poster paper or use your rainbow tray).
• Then explain that the eight ounce cup will have 100 seeds. Count out loud, by tens, pouring from the Dixie cups, until all the seeds are in eight ounce cups.  The leftover Dixie cups with seeds in them will be the "tens column."
• And now, if you have enough, you move on, pouring the eight ounce cup into the stadium cups if you are so lucky to have a thousand pumpkin seeds!
• Show the children how to count and record each column so that you know exactly how many pumpkin seeds you have!

For more pumpkin activities, check these out.

It's "E" Week!

And we have all sorts of Eggceptional plans. We're beginning with that new annual tradition, The Sun and Candlelight Eggnog Taste  Test. (And the tip about Evan Almighty wasn't lost on me, either, as it fits nicely into the theme of the week. My children thank you, Dawn.) This morning, we are off down the alphabet path with Mrs. Applebee to see what's so special about the letter "E". Later, we'll be stopping to discover how the gnomes learn about place value.
We have some crafts planned for the morning and geography for the afternoon (even thought the Red Sox have left Denver, our hearts are still there--M0nday Night Football is in Colorado this week). Lots and lots and lots to do! Many Blessings to you on this excellent autumn day.

Get Ready for "E" Week

Join us at Serendipity for the continuing adventures  of Michael and Mrs. Applebee, our own phonetic fairy tale. During "E" Week, our friends meet the Eyebright Fairy, get to know the Prophet Elijah, and learn about a gentle kitchen saint. We're also adding eggs to the tea time menu and to the picture study plans. There are botany lessons and grammar lessons and a new alphabet review! Whew!