October Activities

It's already November! October was a very busy month. Take a look at what we've been up to! 

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to all parents for really working hard on homework folders this month! Most weeks in October, all students returned their Homework Folders with all pieces of homework completed! Once a month, we'll do homework club during lunch for all the students who do this every week of the month. 

In math, we've been working on connecting number models like 3+7=10 to their meanings and being able to manipulate all the numbers involved to show a deep understanding of the way they're working together rather than a memorization of the fact. (CCSS Operations and Algebraic Thinking A.1: 

Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.

Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.)

Number models seem simple, but there are many abstract concepts involved and we want to make these as concrete as possible right now. So, we have lots of fun ways to show number stories, including some candy corn counters and using our bodies as the numbers! 

We are also thinking about much larger numbers than we see in number stories and focusing on how mathematicians first analyze a problem and then make a plan before starting to solve it. In small groups, our kids counted large piles of pennies after talking to each other and deciding on the most efficient way to complete this challenging task. I was so impressed with the conversations I heard going on here and the ways students justified their reasoning, which is always the goal in math! 

We recently finished our first science unit on Meteorology. We investigated everything from taking the temperature and observing clouds, culminating in several experiments to see the water cycle in action. Our big picture concepts in Science are not so much that our kids necessarily retain all the great vocabulary and facts they learn, but that they become engaged with science as a process and recognize that scientists approach problems in specific ways. We had so much fun during this unit! 

We're now in the middle of a social studies unit examining the terms past, present, and future. It has been so cool to see all the great items your kids are bringing in in their paper bags to share about their own past, present and future! We are also getting some hands on experience with common items from long ago, thanks to Ms. Becca's antique shopping skills! 

In writing, we finished our Small Moments last month and published them. Those were hanging in the hallway for several weeks, and I'll be sending them home soon as well. At the end of each writing unit, we do an Author's Walk around the room so all our students can read each other's work and see how many fantastic writers are in our class! (CCSS Writing 1.3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.)

Now, we're hard at work publishing our How-To's! We spent a lot of time this month making different projects like clay pots, masks, and maracas so we could really experience the importance of giving clear directions. 

There have been so many great and informative How To's from our kiddos! We are really starting to hear voice in students' writing, and it's so much fun! (CCSS Writing 1.3: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.)


It was so fun to see many of you at the Fall Festival! So many great costumes! 

Everyone in the class has now had a chance to hold Stella! We really look forward to having a few minutes at the end of a day to observe her up close. 

Thanks for reading! Next update coming in December! 

September in First Grade

I can't believe we are already into October! We have been busy at work in room 203! Here are some of the things we've been working on.

In Social Studies, students worked hard to practice their listening and speaking skills during discussions. Here are the core standards we worked on for this first social studies unit.  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.A

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.B

Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.

In math, we've been working on this common core standard, (as well as others). 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.1Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

We have lots of games and tools to help us practice manipulating numbers. At this point in first grade, we don't expect students to add and subtract in their head (although it's great if they can!). We talk a lot about strategies for working with numbers, and the number line or number grid are great for this. So is drawing pictures or using real objects to count. 

We are also working hard at collaboratively sharing ideas and discussing our math strategies. This is to help us meet CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. We do this by using sentences stems lie "I agree with _____ because ________" and playing games in partnerships. Our kids are doing so well with this! 

Early in September, we had a great field trip to Wash Park to get us started on our writer's workshop! We walked to three different spots around the park and wrote observations. Anytime kids are writing, we want to encourage them to use vivid details that help paint a picture in the reader's mind. 

Last Monday, we celebrated filling our marble jar for the first time! The class can earn marbles for doing anything well as a whole group. The kids chose to have a popcorn party and watch part of a movie in the afternoon. We are already well on our way to the second full jar! 

In science, we have been exploring meteorology! Last week, we investigated thermometers and temperature, and this week we are focused on clouds! Soon, we'll be talking about the water cycle and doing some really fun experiments to see the cycle in action! 

 

On Monday, we talked about all the items that need to be returned in the homework folder on Fridays. Students have been doing a great job doing homework, but often they are missing just one or two pieces and can't get all their extra recess. Please use the checklist on the Newsletter to make sure you have everything in the folder on Friday morning. Thanks so much for your help at home! 

First Week!

We have had an amazing first week of first grade! The kids were working so hard, and it was so much fun to see them all adjusting back to school and learning all the new routines we have in our classroom. I have already been so impressed with this whole group- they get to work right away and use every drop of time during the day. Many kids come in and immediately ask me, "When are we going to get to read today??? Will we get to write soon?" and those questions are music to a teacher's ears! 

Our first day was great- we did some writing telling about our feelings that morning after reading the book "First Day Jitters". I was so excited to watch every single kid trying their best on the first writing project of the year- whether that was getting one word down on paper or writing a paragraph. 

We also learned one of our most important routines for the year, which we call a movement break. We do movement breaks after every time we have spent sitting on the floor, so usually a few times a day. We watch a Just Dance video and try to follow along with the dancers on the screen. This gives us a chance to move our bodies and get the wiggles out and makes it so much easier to focus on our school work. These kids are great dancers already!

In math, we have been getting familiar with some of the hands on materials we will use all year long, and learning how to take care of these items. 

We have also started two of our literacy stations, where we will spend a large chunk of our morning. The students did a great job in both stations! 

Finally, (as I'm sure you've heard) we have been spending a few minutes at the end of the day holding our ball python, Stella! She is a sweet and gentle snake, and the kids are being equally sweet and gentle to her! 

Thank you for reading our first blog post! Check back soon for more updates!