The Brown Bag Teacher

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Place Value Bootcamp

Place Value Bootcamp is a high-energy and challenging way to ‘hook’ your young mathematicians. This is my third year doing Bootcamp and every years it looks different!

While doing calendar, I told my friends that I had a school meeting and they would have a Guest Teacher for the afternoon. As students wrapped-up calendar, I stepped outside our classroom door and put on my military accessories (green vest, aviators, camo bandana from Walmart, and a whistle). I already had on a black shirt and khaki pants, so I was ready to go!
Barging into the classroom, I started shouting commands at my new cadets introducing myself “My name is Sgt. W and I am your guest teacher. Get on your feet! Come on cadets, stand behind your chair. Hands by your side. The answer is “Yes, Sergeant!” Part of transforming your classroom is setting-up the environment and stage for the learning. 

I told my Cadets that they would be participating in Place Value Bootcamp. For the first five minutes, we participated in Basic Training. We learned how to march, how to respond when Sgt. W asks you a question, and how to stand at attention. 

Since Place Value Bootcamp was the last day of our Place Value unit before assessment, we quickly reviewed all that we had been doing in math. Then, I taught the Cadets the Place Value Song from Teacher Tipster. (Note – I would definitely not show this video in class. Rather, learn the song and teach it to your cadets.)

After Basic Training, I called each cadet forward and they received their new name for the day. After students received their numbers, they drew the Base 10 pieces on the tag. (Note – Last year I used Plastic Dog Tags from Party City. I liked the look of the dog tags better but they were SO hard to put on and the string was too short making them chokers. This year, I opted for plastic name tags!)
Then, I would call one cadet forward to share his/her number with the class and write it on the SMART Board. I underlined one of the digits from the number. Then, I would give students 3 seconds of think time – “Is this digit in the tens place or the ones place?” Then, on the count of three, students had to stand at attention for tens or hit the ground to tell me it was in the ones place.
At this point, students needed to move and so they were ordered to give the same number of push-ups as the digit in the tens place in 54, Do the same number of jumping jacks as the digit in the ones place in 85. This was a blast and a great way to focus us after each number!
Then, I called the needed number of cadets to represent the number of talls (tens) and smalls (ones). We would sing each verse of the song “First you count up all the tens…” then count the talls/tens standing and “Then, you add the ones to the end…” then we added the ones to the number.” 

At their desks, the other cadets wrote the numbers on their tables representing the numbers in at least 4 ways (numeral, tens/ones, expanded form, base ten pieces).

To cap off Place Value Boot Camp, we enjoyed a Place Value solve-the-room by Susan at Thank God it’s First Grade. It was the perfect chance for students to practice counting tens/one, as well as, for me to meet with a small-group of friends who needed extra practice. Students drew the base-ten model, wrote the expanded form, as well as, the final number. You can grab the hunt from Susan here and the recording sheet I adapted here.

The afternoon was a BLAST and it was the perfect review of all of our Place Value learning. Over the next week, I saw some fabulous narratives about “Sgt. W” and “Place Value Bootcamp”. This sweet little wrote one of my favorites narratives –

“Sgt. W came in yelling at us. “Get in your places!” Sgt. W made me do ten pushups. We felt tired…really, really tired. I am three times sure that it was Ms. W not Sgt. W. I am still asking my Mom why she signed me up.”

Friends, 1st grade is the best and learning should be engaging, challenging, and fun! As you are learning about Place Value, grab your bandana, sunglasses, and whistle. Your friends will thank you for it…even if the push-ups make them tired. 😉

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  7. Oh boy!!! Tomorrow is our Boot Camp. I am a real Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves so this is going to be AWESOME!!! I have read this post 100 times. Thank you so much for sharing!

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