Jim Dine vs. Peter Max Comparisons

Matisse vs. Marisol Artist Comparisons

Comparing David Shannon Stories

After reading A Bad Case of Stripes and Too Many Toys by David Shannon, the students created Venn Diagrams to compare the stories. After creating their diagrams in small groups, they independently created foldables to show their understanding. On the top flap, they wrote the title "Comparing Stories by David Shannon." On the second flap, they wrote one thing that was the same for both of the stories. On the third and fourth flaps, they wrote how the two stories were different. But, the things that they chose as different had to relate back to how they were both the same. For example, if they chose that they both had a setting, they had to then explain how the settings were different from one another. If they chose that both books had problems, they had to explain the problems for both books. The purpose of this lesson was to build a deeper understanding of the elements that make up fiction stories.

Comparing Stories by Eric Carle

As a part of our lessons on fiction story elements and our author study of Eric Carle, we compared the stories The Mixed-Up Chameleon and The Foolish Tortoise. Using a Double Bubble Map, we started with how the two stories are the same: author, problems, solutions, setting, animals, reptiles, etc. We then talked about how those things are the same, there are differences between them. We color coded the parts to show how although they have elements that are the same, the author used them differently to create two unique stories.

Place Value Posters

The students used Pixie 2 to create place value posters in the computer lab. They first learned how to create lines to divide the paper in fourths. We have been working on the skill of "click, hold, and drag." They then chose a larger number to model. They then learned to use text boxes to type in various ways to model the number. For example, they typed the number in standard form, expanded notation, and written form. They also drew the tens and ones as a pictorial model. Once they were printed, the students worked in partners to determine which number was the greatest and/or least. They then worked together to type the comparison sentence.

 

Place Value Comparisons

The students were each given four number cards to model in a drawing as tens and ones on a foldable. They then wrote comparison sentences to determine which number was the greatest and which was the least.

 



Holidays Around the World

In writing we researched and compared the role Santa Claus plays in The United States, Germany, France, and Mexico. As a whole group, we charted our findings on a grid for who the gift giver is, what he looks like, how he travels, when he comes, and where he leaves gifts. The students then took notes on their own copy of the grid. Using their notes, they chose to countries, and their version of Santa Claus, to compare on a Venn Diagram. After completing the Venn Diagram, they added heads, hats, legs, and arms to the Venn Diagram to look like Santa. Later in Social Studies we compared even more of the traditions of each country. We also looked at the traditions of Hanukkah in Israel as a part of our Social Studies lessons.

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.

Comparing Stories by David Shannon

As a part of our study over David Shannon books, we read Too Many Toys and A Bad Case of Stripes. As you can read about in previous posts, the students analyzed the characters, wrote about the beginning, middle, and end as well as the story elements. In this lesson, the students created a Double Bubble Map to compare the two stories. They then wrote at least one way the two stories were the same and two ways they were different on a four-tiered foldable. The foldables were displayed along with artwork they created for A Bad Case of Stripes. The students traced their hand and arm and then colored it with stripes.

Comparing Eric Carle Books

In addition to reading The Mixed Up Chameleon, we also read The Grouchy Ladybug. The students created three-flap foldables for this book as well to write the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They also created Story Maps for the book. As a class we compared The Mixed Up Chameleon and The Grouchy Ladybug on a Double Bubble Map. The students then created their own Double Bubble Maps. They used their own Double Bubble Map to create a four-tiered foldable to write one way the books were the same and two ways they were different.

Measuring Length

The students worked in small groups to measure a lizard family with various non-standard units. They used pop cubes, paper clips, beans, etc. They then ordered the lizards from longest to shortest and compared their findings with other groups.

Rosie Sprout's Time to Shine

In reading we read Rosie Sprout's Time to Shine to work on comparing character traits. After reading the book the class created a Double Bubble Map to compare the two main character's traits and then they created a graphic organizer for one of the characters.

Whale Research

Ms. Willemin, our student teacher, taught the students a Social Studies lesson on the different types of whales and their habitats. She taught them about the similarities and differences between toothed and baleen whales as well as their migration patterns. The students then created a whale booklet to sort examples of toothed and baleen whales.

Family Math Night

Our school recently had Family Math Night as a way to teach students and parents games they can play at home to reinforce basic math skills. At the first grade table, students played "Place Value War." In this game, each player takes two cards from the top of the stack. They then determine who can build the largest number with their two cards. For example, if I drew a 6 and a 4, I could make 64. Whoever built the largest number, keeps the cards. The player with the most cards at the end wins. You could also play this by adding the two numbers and whoever has the greatest sum wins.

Comparing Larger Numbers

When possible, I think students should be able to work together in small groups. It not only adds to their engagement and motivation, it gives them an opportunity to explain how they did their work and why they think something. Recently the students worked in small groups to build various larger numbers with Base Ten Blocks. As they built, they checked one another's work. Once all group members had built the correct number, they drew a model of the number with sticks (tens) and dots (ones). They again checked one another's work and then proceeded to the next part. They identified how many tens and ones, the expanded notation, and then ordereed the numbers from least to greatest and/or greatest to least.

Living and Non-Living

In science the students have been learning how to differentiate between living and non-living objects. They have brainstormed various objects, illustrated them, and sorted them according to their categories. They have also created a Circle Map to identify the needs of living organisms. They then worked in small groups to cut out various pictures from magazines. In their small groups, they sorted the pictures into living and non-living categories. They then created collages in larger groups of living and non-living.

100th Day Collections

The students were asked to bring in 100 items that were all the same in a bag. They shared with their friends what they brought in. We then discussed how some items filled the bags and some only took a little bit of space. We talked about how although they were all the same amount, they were different sizes which is why some looked like more.