centers

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2004 : September : 27

centers
By lisa

These are some centers I do in my class.

Money Tree - Make a tree and actually staple pictures of money (dollars and coins) to it.

Clock Tower - Using a standard laminated clock, draw the hands and ask questions
related to actual time and elapsed time. Later in the year, I extend it to show angles and degrees.
Measure Mania - Students use rulers, balances, and units of capacity to solve problems. (weekly)
Big Words - Students try to find the longest word possible using a small blackboard (16x16)with 12 squares painted on it with silver permanent marker. I use chalk to fill in the 12 letters.

It's based on the game "Boggle" where each letter must touch the next. (weekly)

I start one center off at a time and add one each day until I have them all set into a routine. As someone else mentioned, it is really a matter of establishing behavior and responsibility guidelines during center time that will help them run smoothly. Set your rules up, stick to your guns, and be patient - if your students enjoy the centers and find them challenging, they usually end up following the rules to participate.