Here is a sneak peek at what we've been working on...
Math Each week, students are learning new math games to help strengthen their number sense, become more fluent with their combinations to 10 and use math tools to help enhance their problem-solving skills. In the pictures above, students are playing a game called Build It, where they draw a primary number card, build it on a tens frame using pennies, and record their answers on their recording sheet.
Stamina Building The first graders are working very hard building their stamina during reader's workshop! They are practicing the 3 ways to read a book using their very own book bags- reading the pictures, reading the words, and retelling the story! Students have also been working on "choosing a perfect reading spot" around our classroom.
Buddy Reading Students are working hard to "Build Good Reading Habits" here in Room 8! Today, the firsties used their spoon to practice reading with their eyes instead of their fingers, by scooping up their words in phrases !
Pajama Day! To celebrate their hard work and success in reaching 20 minutes of reading stamina, the firsties chose a pajama/movie party as their special treat!
Reader's Workshop The firsties have become experts at practicing their Good Reading Habits! Today, they became reporters of the Picarde Press and used microphones to interview one another on some of the reading strategies they've picked up: rereading to see more, taking a sneak peek, scooping up the words, using the pictures to help them decode, etc.
Social Studies The firsties are loving their new unit on Maps in Social Studies! In the photos above, students are working together on a Map Scavenger Hunt- finding places all over the world that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
Fall Walk Today we took advantage of the beautiful October weather and went for a "fall walk" outside. Students wrote about how they experienced fall through their senses- what they feel, see, hear and smell!
Math We have just begun our Geometry unit in Math! Students are learning about different shapes, their attributes, and how they fit together to make other shapes. In the partner game pictured above, Students use the spinner to fill the Hexagons by using smaller shapes.
FLASHLIGHT FRIDAY!
Halloween Party!
Science We are kicking off our new science unit on Air and Weather this week! Today, students used different tools to explore the question, "What Can Air Do?"
Word Detectives These word-detectives-in-training received very special magnifying lenses from the Super Secret Detective Agency! They are completing Mission #2: looking CLOSELY from the start to the end of those tricky words.
OFFICIAL WORD DETECTIVES!!! The Super Secret Detective Agency has sent the firsties their very own Word Detective badges to congratulate them on successfully completing all of their missions in reading!! They are VERY excited about this honorable title and are eager to complete their next top secret assignment!
Science The firsties made their own parachutes using napkins, string, stickers and paperclips. We explored the focus question of "How do parachutes interact with air?"
Writer's Workshop Students were paired with their very own writing partner today! We practiced listening to our partner's small moment story, offering suggestions for how to add detail and then working together to edit our writing pieces.
Reader's Workshop The first graders are thrilled to begin our new reading unit on Nonfiction! Today, students explored their new books and started learning all about outerspace, weather, penguins, insects, trains, superstorms, spiders, and more!
Holiday Cards The firsties and I have been talking a lot about how to "give back" during this time of the year. Today, we wrote a bundle of holiday cards and get well wishes to a little boy named Carlos, who will be spending the holidays in Boston Children's Hospital. He hopes to use the cards to decorate his room during the month of December. They are very excited for their mail to be delivered to our friend Carlos, and hopefully put a big smile on his face!
WINTER PARTY!
Nonstandard Measurement We have just begun our unit on Nonstandard Measurement in Math! In the pictures above, students are tracing their footprints and measuring the area using colored tiles. Tomorrow, they will measure the area of their footprint using pennies!
More Nonstandard Measurement and Counting Strips!
Science We have started our new unit on Sound & Light in Science! Today, students explored the focus question: What makes loud and soft sounds? Students used a wooden mallet and different sized xylophones to create different sounds, discovering how sound starts with vibration.
Science The firsties were VERY lucky to have Hoyo and Ms. Huber come in to teach a big lesson on sound yesterday! Students worked with small groups to drop different materials into the sound chamber, and were asked to match the object to the sound.
FLASHLIGHT FRIDAY!
Opinion Writing Students brought in their very own collections to write about during our new Opinion unit! The firsties were asked to choose their "Best in Show" and are working on using persuasive language to explain their reasoning.
Reader's Workshop This week, students are learning to respond to their reading by using different symbols- a heart for their favorite part, an LOL represents a funny part, a star represents the most important part, a sad face represents an upsetting part, etc. Students have been marking their pages using these symbols and chatting with their buddies about their reasoning behind each sticky- they are loving this new reading routine!
Writer's Workshop *Reporting LIVE from Ms. Picarde's Class*: Students became news reporters as they interviewed their work buddies on their "Best in Show" choice. Students were asked to report their reasons for why that item was the winner of their collection.
Happy Groundhog Day!
Writer's Workshop In the photos above, students are doing a "museum walk" to judge their classmates' collections. Following the museum walk, students practiced using agreeing and disagreeing opinion language to discuss their stance on their classmates' choice of best in show.
Kindness Month To kick off Kindness Month, our firsties wrote the sweetest, most encouraging handmade cards as a sweet surprise for kids in pediatric hospitals out in Chicago.
DISCOVERY MUSEUM FIELD TRIP!!
Kindness Notes The firsties left sweet surprise stickies on other student's lockers as a little way to put a smile on their faces!
ROCKING THE 100th DAY OF SCHOOL!!!
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Writer's Workshop The firsties became writing doctors today! They read through their partner's review and wrote a "prescription" for things they needed to fix up: finger-spacing, spelling, ending, punctuation, etc.
Reader's Workshop We have just begun our 'Meet the Characters' unit and students are off on their adventures with the characters from their books! The firsties packed their suitcases full of good strategies to take with them on their reading adventures!