Ipod photos

We had great fun practicing double facts with our ipods!

Doubles Ipod

Our Doubles Ipod

I'm loving Heidi Samuelson's idea @ Swamp Frog First Graders of a doubles ipod.  I've uploaded a template for one that I printed on #10 business envelopes.  The students will store their doubles flashcards in the bottom part of the envelope ipod.  Searching for a catchy doubles song I found "Addition Rock" by Alabama Axeman on YouTube.  We'll try it out tomorrow and upload a few decorated ipods.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!!

Wow!  I've got my very own coconut tree!  Kristen at First Grade Teaching posted great directions for this.  I plan to use it in our Word Center for the first part of the year.  Believe it or not - the trunk is magnetic!  A big "Thank You" to my dad (who applied 3 coats of magnetic primer and a top coat of brown and made the base) and my husband (who stripped the umbrella and helped with the leaves). Can't wait to see the kids under the coconut tree!

Behavior Rewards

I just love Sarah Cooley's ideas about behavior rewards.  I borrowed many of her 'bee'-autiful ideas and added a few others. Please visit Sarah's site to read more about her plan.

Parent Communication Binders

I love the idea of a communication folder/binder for first graders. The acronym ideas are so cute.  I've created some F.R.O.G. (Fully Responsible, Organized and Growing) documents to match my room theme. I'm thinking of using this as the cover in a 1"binder.

I intend to use a parent letter explaining the use of the binder and a communication log.

I think labels for a homework pocket and a money pouch might be helpful.

The Frog Pouch labels are available to print, too!

Graphics are from Scrappin' Doodles  - and labels are set for Avery 8163 shipping labels. :)



Pirates - r-controlled vowel /ar/

After purchasing the marvelous unit from The Inspired Apple, we used Kim Saylor's idea at Saylor's Log and let the students create their own treasure maps using words from the Pirate Mark listening activity.   These /ar/ pirate activities sparked us to schedule a Pirate Day.  So more to follow . . . .

Message in a Bottle

Arghh Parents!

Our 1st Grade Pirate Day was a ton of fun.  One of the activities students were a part of was creating messages in a bottle.  Students wrote out their message on worn tea stained paper, and added it to their bottles. 

Field Trip

The field trip to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh was amazing!  The Art Studio, The Attic and The Garage always provide so many fun learning activities for the kids.  This year Whoosh! was the temporary exhibit.  It was all about air and it blew us away!  The rockets, parachutes, orange airplane, and especially the whirlwind room captured the attention of all the students.  Thanks to the chaperones and the PTA for making our trip possible.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! Make it a special one!  Our first graders painted jars to use as a vase for Mother's Day flowers.  We adapted Kim Saylor's poem on Saylor's Log (typed on a Stampin' Up scallop die cut) and tied them to the top of jar.  We made cards designed as purses, too.  The kids were so excited!

~ We had also put green tissue paper in the jar ~

Fraction Fun

 

After practicing fractional parts 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 - we made our favorite pizzas to share with one, two, or three friends.  Yum!!  We used patterns to trace the pizza and fracional parts. We even remembered to cut a bite!

Easter Treats

Before our spring recess, some Easter treats appeared filled with goodies.  I enjoy spending time stamping and punching paper crafts for school, family and friends.  I'm lucky to have a room parent who is a Stampin' Up consultant. :) It's pretty convenient to order new supplies when I need them.  You can find the
tutorials here!

Word Sort for /er/ Spelled er~ir~ur

Getting ready for the last theme in Reading, I created a Word Sort for the /er/ sound.  Like Babbling Abby's (The Inspired Apple) class, my kids love a scavenger hunt idea. I intend to use the words in the same way.  I'll place words around the room before the class arrives.  We'll partner up during the lesson to hunt for the words.  Each pair will copy words onto the recording sheet.  Together they'll complete the activity by writing three sentences using the new words and illustrating each one.

                                                             

Wild About Weather

A First Grade Wind Chart

After a few introductory lessons on Weather in Science, we kicked off our unit with a Weather Parade.  Students were asked to dress for their favorite weather.  We had snow pants and ski goggles, flip flops and shorts, and we even had a tornado!!

~ Hot, sunny weather was a class favorite ~

~ It's a TORNADO ~

Making Our Own Patterns

 

After working with patterns last week, students used what they learned to create their own patterns with sentence strips and stickers like the ones below!

Practice with Patterns

We have been extending and making patterns in Math. Today we rotated through stations using different manipulatives.

Literature Circles

This year our team worked together to implement Literature Circles as part of our Language Arts program.  We adapted Dr. Katherine Schlik Noe's ideas presented on her website.  In preparation for our literature circle groups, some teachers send home the book to read.  Students are instructed to read the book twice and discuss it. During the second rereading, students use  post-it notes to mark any pages they'd like to share and talk about in our groups. When groups meet at school, a packet is provided for each of the six roles in each group.  Our groups are comprised of a Summarizer, Discussion Leader, Word Wizard, Story Connector, Real-life Connector and Illustrator. 

The Summarizer begins the meeting having written down the main points of the book to share with the group.  The student will think about what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story and may want to explain what was learned.  The Summarizer will read the summary to the group.  He/she will have each person tell about their favorite part.  You can view the page from the Summarizer's packet here.

The Discussion Leader follows the Summarizer and guides the discussion of the book.  This person tries to think of open ended questions which will get the group talking about what they have read.  After everyone has answered, the Discussion Leader will share his/her answers.  Click here for the page from the Discussion Leader's packet.

The Word Wizard looks for special words in the book.  A word can be chosen for a variety of reasons - it's a new word for the week, a spelling word, or it is unknown.  In this role, the student writes down the word and the page where it is found.  If the student does not know a word, it will be identified in our circle.  The Word Wizard will ask members of the group to use the words in a sentence as he/she reads them.  The Word Wizard page can be viewed here.

The Story Connector tries to find connections between the book and another story we have read.  After the Story Connector shares, he/she will ask members of the group for other story connections.  You can view the page from the Story Connector's packet here.

The Illustrator is to draw anything about the story.  It can be a character, setting, a prediction of what will happen, or anything else.  When the picture is brought to the group, the group will talk about the drawing first.  Then the Illustrator will tell the group about the picture.

The Real-Life Connector finds parts from the story that remind him/her of things that happened to him/her or someone else in real life.  It can be an event at school, home, or in the neighborhood.  After the Real-Life Connector shares, other memebers of the group can tell about a connection they can make with the story.  Click here for the page from the Real-Life Connector's packet.

Literacy Work Stations/Centers

A part of our day includes Literacy Centers or Work Stations. A center is an area within the classroom where students work alone or with others using instructional materials to expand their literacy. During this time, teachers are able to meet with small groups, meeting the needs of all students.



~Hard at work at the Computer Center and Post Office~




~Stamping Spelling Words at the Letter Center~



~Reading together at the Big Book Center~

~Sharing a book at the Listening Center~

~Making butterflies at the Copy Cat Center~

~Writing stories at the Sticker Story Center~


 
 


Johnny Appleseed

After reading Johnny Appleseed, we wrote three facts that we learned from the story.



Now we can eat apples, all thanks to Johnny Appleseed.

 

Johnny Appleseed was not afraid to sleep outside by himself.

Johnny Appleseed was friends with the animals.