Expository vs. Fiction

To help the students understand the difference between expository and fiction texts, we read Scaredy Crow (from ReadingA-Z) and All Kinds of Farms (from WeGiveBooks). The students then  created Double Bubble Maps to record how the books were the same and how they were different.

All Kinds of Farms

The students read All Kinds of Farms using the free books from www.wegivebooks.com. If you haven't used this website before, look it up! It is full of wonderful books and is a great way to give back as well. After reading All Kinds of Farms, the students created a foldable to record the topic, main idea, and supporting details of the story.

Ducks: See How They Grow

In reading, the students have been learning how to compare and contrast the features of fiction and expository texts. During these lessons we read Ducks: See How They Grow. After reading, the students created a four-flap foldable to write the topic, main idea, and two supporting details.

Letters to Kindergarten

The students have been learning how to write friendly letters. This was a great opportunity to have the students write to the Kindergarten students about what to expect when they get to first grade. First, the students brainstormed their favorite things about first grade and we wrote them on a class Circle Map. Then, they learned about the features of a friendly letter using the Letter Generator from ReadWriteThink. Next, the students wrote first drafts of their letters. After revising and editing their letters, they rewrote them and practiced reading them aloud to their classmates. Finally, they got to visit one of the Kindergarten classes to read their letters to a partner. This was their favorite part!

 

Moseley Supports Special Olympics

The students raised money during May to support Special Olympics. Students who donated the first week were invited to participate in a water balloon fight. During the second week, students who donated were invited to throw a pie at one, or both, of our principals. The school raised over $2,000 for the Special Olympics. The Grand Prairie Police Department, who sponsors the fundraiser, visited Moseley on their annual torch run to show their appreciation for what the students had done.

Robots: More Pictures

Here are some close-up pictures of the students with their robots. As you can see by the smiles on their faces, they are very proud of their inventions. Their robots turned out fantastic!

Robots: I Can Be an Inventor, Too!

At the conclusion of our inventors unit, the students had the chance to be an inventor themselves. Using empty boxes covered in foil, the students created their own robots. They added numerous recycled items such as toilet paper tubes, bottles, lids, buttons, and pipe cleaners. They are currently on the revising and editing stages of writing about what their robot can do if he or she were real.

 

 

Mother's Day Gifts

In the computer lab the students brainstormed various words to describe their mother which we recorded on a Circle Map. Then using Tagxedo, the typed in at least ten of the words. They then chose a heart shaped template and a color scheme they thought their mom would like. After saving the files, I printed them for the students in color and used Mod Podge to adhere them to tiles. It was a very simple and easy project for the students to express how they feel about their mothers in a lasting keepsake.

Measuring in the Garden

To review measuring and comparing length, we took our math lesson out to the school garden. Using pop cubes, the students took turns estimating and then measuring the various heights of plants. They compared the pop cube lengths to one another to determine which plant was the longest and which was the shortest. While we were in the garden we reviewed the parts of the plants and how bugs and plants are interdependent upon one another.