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Calendar
By StephR

I got this idea from Michael Moore so I am going to take no credit for it...but the Calendar Math section of the day that I do is the MOST rewarding and most enriching time of the entire day. I highly encourage all teachers
to do it!!! Here is a basic run down of what I do:
The kids come in from recess and start working in their calendar journals. They work for about 15 minutes (during the time while they are getting their multiplication drill tests). They take their tests and continue working until I tell them to come to the rug and we do the calendar together. When we are together, this is what we do...
1.

Tally of the Day
Add one more tally then count them aloud.

2. Weather Tally
Kids tell me what the weather is, we add one more tally. At times, I construct a graph (bar usually...) to go with the tallies.

3. Big Number
I write the number of the day (ie: today is June 5, 2005. The number of the day is 6,052,005) They read it out loud to me. Then they have to write it in expanded form and word form. They also need to round it to whatever place I specify that day.

4. Odd or Even?
They need to tell me if the number of the day is odd or even and give me at least 2 reasons why (ie: 5 is odd because it is in the odd group of 1,3,5,7,9 and it can not be divided by 2 without a remainder.)

5. Today's Arrays
The kids tell me all of the arrays that can be made with the number. We list and draw them. They then tell me if it is prime or composite and how they know (based on the factors...we draw a factor tree). If it is square they also tell me.

6. How Many Ways Can You Make __ ?
I take one way from each child. This gets really interesting when you teach them parentheses and square numbers. They start to give you equations such as 4 squared + 3 squared = 25 (if the day was 25!) It is amazing what you can get 3rd graders to understand and use!!

7. Problem of the Day
Taken from our math series. (Scott Foresman has a flipchart with one problem per page...we just use that one)

8. Patterns
The calendar numbers are set up in a pattern. The kids have to find at least one of the many different patterns that are up there. (ie: 1/4 turn to the right, 180 degree flip to the left, odds are yellow, all the multiples of 4 are facing down, etc...)

Hope this gives you some idea of what to do. I LOVE the calendar time. It is fabulous!!