Watch me Minus!!

We have begun subtraction.
I plan on starting my Monster Problems for First Grade Soon. 
Hoping they will remember when to subtract.
 

Every year, my class reverts to adding even though we need to take away.
I happened to be watching the Jimmy Fallon / Ellen Degeneres Lip Sync battle one morning and had the Whip and Nae Nae stuck in my head. As I was checking homework I began changing the words in my head.
"Watch me Teach, teach.
(students) Now watch me Listen.
Watch me Teach, teach.
(students) Now watch me listen."

I began teaching Math, and several children were drawing plus signs and adding.

I always use arm motions to help my children learn, (even before WBT told you to, lol) I put 2 arms up in a plus for adding and 1 arm up across for minus. 2 arms up, parallel for  equal.
Then the song popped back into my head.

"Now watch me minus (minus sign with arm)
Now watch me take away (super man move)
Now watch me minus (minus sign with arm)
Now watch me take away (super man move)
Subtract, subtract (stinky leg move)
Subtract, subtract (stinky leg)
Now Break apart...(break your legs move)
Now Break apart...(break your legs)

The video below, shows this verse.
We have added the following lines (video hopefully to come soon)

We find the difference,
No, not the sum
When we subtract (minus sign)
All our Numbers (hashtag sign, 2 fingers across, 2 fingers down)
Repeat

Hope you like this little song and dance and that it will help your kiddos learn subtraction. If you have never heard this song, it is now on www.gonoodle.com. My class loves this song for brain breaks as well.

Apples and Monsters

 Apples, apples, apples.  We are officially having our apple taste test--or Apple Day on Friday.  However, our fridge at school was on the fritz, so I decided to have our basic Apple taste Test on Monday, before the apples went bad.
I used the Apple shape book from Kathryn Robinson's Just Write all year Long for first grade.
She has great science/writing integration ideas! We used our new method of writing and planning--Circle Map, Tree Map, Sentences.  They are really getting good at using multiple adjectives and connecting words. We read several books about apples this week, so we can emerge ourselves in apple words and vocabulary.  Can't wait for Apple Pie on Friday!  yummm :)
Here are 2 of my two new Monster Problems fro 1st and 2nd grade--Trying to increase the Rigor in my Room.  Check it out!

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Now that my work for today is done it's time to go have some fun. Today is the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur.  We have a day off, so I am spending the day with my kids. First a quick trip to the Dr. for my daughter, then off to the Children's Museum, to play in a life size Pirate Ship!!! Can't wait.  
Have  a great day everyone,