On Day TPT Bonus Sale for All Teachers!

Did you miss the Teachers Pay Teachers sale on May 5th and 6th?  Well, you now have a second chance to purchase resources, ideas, worksheets, power points, assessments, etc. at discounted prices.

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a one day bonus sale on May 7th.  Most TPT sellers still have the items in their stores discounted anywhere from 5% to 20%. In addition, a TPT discount of 5% will be applied at checkout if you enter the special code of BTSBONUS26. Of course, my store is no exception because many of my resources are still discounted.  

So take advantage of this second chance to purchase the resources you still need for your classroom. Remember, you don't even have to pay shipping costs since the majority of items are digital and available for download immediately after purchase. It's time to grab your on-line shopping cart and rush on over to Teachers Pay Teachers to finish that school shopping.

TPT Two Day Sale to Say Thank You to Teachers

This is Teacher Appreciation Week; so, Teachers Pay Teachers wants to make sure educators feel extra loved and appreciated for all that they do for students. But it just isn't teachers we need to thank. We need to recognize parents, grandparents, caregivers, anyone who has been teaching a child. Thank you for your hard work and trying to meet the changing needs of students.

In appreciation, TPT is having a two day sale. It's a chance for you to purchase those items that you need to finish the school year. The sale starts on Tuesday, May 5th at 12:01 am ET and runs through Wednesday, May 6th at 11:59 pm ET.  During these two days, most TPT sellers will offer discounts anywhere from 5% to 20% off.  Many of the resources in my store will also be discounted. At checkout, you can receive another 5% discount from TPT if the special code THANKYOU26 is entered. Therefore, you save a total of 25% which is 1/4 off the original price.

We understand that we can never fully repay you for the way you have supported and encouraged teachers or for the way you have cared about your child's education, but at least, we can try!

Two Mind-Bending May Crossword Puzzles in which all the Answers Start with "May"!

I love the beautiful month of May. Here in Kansas, the blustery, cold winds are gone, as are the rains of early spring. Thankfully, the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. May is known as the month of transition and holidays like Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. It is also recognized as Military Appreciation Month. Some other dates that hold significance are May 1st and May 5th.

May 1st is May Day, and marks the return of spring by the blossoming branches of the forsythia, or lilacs or daffodils popping their heads out of the ground, or the weather turning warmer. May 5th is Cinco de Mayo (The Fifth of May). This day celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. Did you know that no U.S. president has ever died in the month of May? In every other month of the year, at least one U.S. president has died.

Have you heard about these fun dates in May?

• May 1: School Principals’ Day
• May 2: World Tuna Day
• May 8: No Socks Day
• May 14 (second Wednesday in May): Root Canal Appreciation Day
• May 14: Dance Like a Chicken Day
• May 28: Slugs Return from Capistrano Day

As I thought about May, I discovered that numerous words begin with "MAY".  After much research, I compiled a list of 20 different such words to create two May themed crosswords puzzles perfect for students in grades 7-10. One puzzle includes a word bank for easier solving, while the other offers a more challenging experience without it. Although both puzzles use the same vocabulary, they have unique layouts, providing two distinct challenges for your students. And don't worry, I've included answer keys for both puzzles. 

$3.00

Here are some ideas on how you might use these puzzles.

1. Try giving the students the crossword with NO word bank to see how much they know.
2. Use the crossword with the word bank as a review of May and its traditions.
3. Use either crossword to work in pairs to complete the puzzle. Solving a crossword puzzle together is a great way to connect.
4. Copy it and make it available for those students who finish their work early.

Happy Puzzling!

The Golden Ratio - Another Math Pattern in Nature

 As stated in a previous blog post, we come across Fibonacci numbers almost every day in real life. For instance, my husband and I were at the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri. (If you haven't been, you should go because it is spectacular.) He was noticing how the herrings were swimming counter clockwise and discussing the Coriolis effect with the guide. When we got to the lower levels, where the sharks were, they were all swimming in a counterclockwise direction as well. I asked my rocket scientist husband why this was and again he said, with a straight face, "The Coriolis Effect."

Inside of a Nautilus Shell

I then spied seashells and started talking about Fibonacci numbers and the Golden Ratio. (I know the visitors around us were wondering just who we were!) On the right, you will see a picture of the inside of a Nautilus Shell taken by me! It clearly shows the Golden Ratio. (The Golden Ratio is a special number equal to about 1.6180339887498948482. The Greek letter Phi is used to refer to this ratio. Like Pi, the digits of the Golden Ratio go on forever without repeating.) Many shells, including snail shells and nautilus shells, are perfect examples of the Golden spiral.

Are you still not sure what I am talking about? Have you ever watched the Disney movie entitled Donald in Mathmagic Land? (It's an old one that

The Golden Ratio

you can find on You Tube.) Well, in the movie they talk about the Golden ratio. This is a proportion that is found in nature and in architecture. The proportion creates beauty. And that proportion is the Fibonacci sequence! If you divide consecutive Fibonacci numbers you will always get the Golden ratio. Try it! Start with the big numbers. If you divide 89 by 55, you get 1.61. If you divide 55 by 34, you get 1.61. If you divide 34 by 21, you get 1.61, and so on. You can look up the Golden Ratio and explore it more. It’s fun!

As I close, think about these two questions and try to answer them.

1. Where is the Golden Ratio found in the human body?
2. Why is the golden rectangle important in architecture and art?