Life Cycle of a Chicken

In Science we began the unit,  Life Cycle of a Chicken.  To start, we created a KWL chart using the app, WeKWL.   Once information was recorded, I read the story 'Chickens Aren't the Only Ones'.  While reading this non-fiction book we learned about oviparous animals (animals that hatch from eggs) and discussed the difference between a fertilized and unfertilized egg as well as matched pictures of animals to their eggs.  I also brought in unfertilized eggs.  I cracked each one open, placed them on paper plates and slipped them in ziplock bags.  Students were then asked to take a picture, identify and label the egg parts using the app Skitch, then post to their blog.  We also compared a raw egg to hard boiled and completed a Double Bubble Thinking Map.
......Later this week we are to receive a new incubator and eggs!!......

 Mrs. Moloughney brought her chickens to share with our first graders. We were so lucky to have her come and visit.  We learned so much from her!  The students LOVED it!  Thank you!

Roll and Add

Adding 3 numbers together can be challenging for first graders.  However, when students use 3 large number dice to practice this skill they love it!  Great fun!  Thank you Mrs. Fowler!

D.E.A.R. Time

                  One of our most favorite times of the day!!!

Pattern Block Fill In

 Students were busy challenging each other at their table to see who could cover their shape using the most/fewest pattern blocks possible.  Then for fun I had students reach in the tub and count out 20 blocks. They were to create something using just the blocks they pulled (no trading allowed)!    What creative thinkers we have in our class!

Food Chain

       







 In science, we have been discussing food chains and how organisms rely on other organisms to survive.  As a formative assessment, I had students create food chains using picture cards to quickly assess who understood this concept.  After great results, the class was ready to take what they had learned and create their own chain using 'real world' pictures.
The class went on a walk outside the building.  Using iPads, the challenge was to snap pictures of plants, insects, animals (and draw a picture of the sun), create a chain using the pictures and their favorite app then upload their final product to their blog.  Amazing!

Happy Numbers

Students love practicing their math skills using the program 'Happy Numbers'. 

Liam the Leprechaun

Oh my goodness, did Liam visit your classroom on St. Patrick's Day this year?  Well, he sure visited us!!!

We spent the day doing a variety of St. Patrick Day activities in reading, writing and math but the class favorite was when they created a leprechaun trap. 
I read The Leprechaun Trap: A Family Tradition to the class.  This story is about a naughty Leprechaun that comes to visit a family every year on St. Patrick's Day and the damage he causes when the children try to trap him and get his gold.  I decided not to finish reading the last few pages because I wanted students to predict if Liam got caught.  After sharing predictions with their partner, students created their own trap, either by themselves or with a buddy.   Before leaving for the day, traps were set and the anticipation as to whether or not their trap was going to work was building.  

Well, Liam DID visit our class and boy did he make a MESS!  Chairs turned on their side, crayons and pencils all over the place, crepe paper hanging from the ceiling, headphones on lampshades,  gold glitter sprinkled all around...just a MESS!

Unfortunately, Liam didn't get trapped but the students sure had great stories to write about their trap and the mess he left!!  Oh, I did finish reading the story and those children didn't catch him either.  Well, maybe next year!

Learning from Others

There is nothing better then to have a student ask if they could teach others in our class about something they know a lot about---

One of my students plays the mandolin and was talking about the instrument with a group of classmates.  Students became very interested in learning about this 'unknown' instrument. They were asking her so many questions, that she finally asked if she could bring the instrument to school...  YES!!
Students were so curious and listened attentively as she explained all about it.  She even offered to play for us.  Now, how awesome is that???

Camp Read

Camp Read was a blast!  Students brought blankets, flashlights and their favorite books.  Our day was filled with reading, math 'star gazing' and writing activities.  What a great way to end our week before Spring Break!

Read Across America

Read Across America is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on or near March 2nd (Dr. Suess' birthday).  Because it fell on a Sunday this year, our school decided to celebrate on Monday, March 3rd.  Unfortunately, due to inclement weather school was cancelled and our RAA was postponed. 
On our RAA day, some favorite book characters came to visit.  They stopped by each class and handed out bookmarks to each student.  What a great way to share the love of reading with those around you!

Roll and Record

Roll and Record has been a class favorite when practicing addition facts.   Roll and Record Subtraction is played the same way but instead of adding the 2 addends together, the student subtracts.

Inventors

 

To start our unit on inventors, I divided students into groups of four and gave them a photograph to examine.  Their job was to record things they noticed about the picture.  After a few minutes we came back together as a class and compared our findings.  We came to the conclusion that roads in the past were very confusing.  People drove in different directions, which in return was very dangerous for all drivers because stoplights were missing from the picture.  Yay!  This is the same problem an inventor, Garrett Morgan discovered! 
As students continued researching inventors (Pebble Go was their favorite online resource) they learned about Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few. Students also worked together on a tree map identifying characteristics of the inventors and then created their own Popplet. 
Following all their research, students then had the opportunity to create an invention of their own!  They identified a problem and wrote how their invention would solve it.  Then using a variety of misc. supplies (empty cartons, boxes tubes etc.) student got right to work.  THEY LOVED IT!  I think we have some future inventors in our class!