Cornucopia Placemats

The students made cornucopia placemats for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. After coloring, cutting, and gluing the cornucopia and fruit, they listed people and things they are thankful for. After they were printed, they glued them around the cornucopia.

Number Pattern Turkeys

Today we practiced skip counting by twos with both even and odd numbers. The students started by coloring the even numbers of a thirty chart. They quickly discovered that they were skip counting by two. They then colored the odd numbers on the chart. We discussed that this is also skip counting by two. The students then picked a number card from 1-20 and identified if their number was even or odd. We formed two groups based off of the numbers - an even group and an odd group. The students then circled their number on the thirty chart. They then circled the next five numbers in their skip counting pattern. Using feather and turkey body patterns, the students traced and cut out shapes to create their own turkey. They then wrote their skip counting pattern on the turkey's feathers and identified whether their numbers were even or odd. They then shared their number patterns with their table groups.

Pattern Turkeys

As a part of our study on repeating and additive patterns, the students created pattern turkeys. Each student started with the same hexagon pattern block. They then could choose whichever shapes they wanted to add around the edges. They continued adding to the pattern until they were satisfied. The students then recreated their pattern on white paper with paper pattern blocks and added a turkey body. As they worked we talked about how the number of blocks needed gets larger as you go. You can take a closer view of the pattern turkeys by watching the slideshow below.

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Five Fat Turkeys Podcast

This week we are learning more about poetry. In particular, we are learning about the use of rhyming, alliterations, and sensory details. The students practiced reading "Five Fat Turkeys" to identify rhyming words. To help them increase their self-awareness when reading and to increase their fluency, we used Audacity to record their readings. The students would give themselves a rating, a part of our Capturing Kids' Hearts process, and decide if they should record it again. Once they were satisfied with  their reading, we saved the recording. I later uploaded the recording to our podcasting site hosted by PodBean. You can also download Audacity for FREE to use at home. All you need is some kind of microphone input device which can be found at most electronics stores or Walmart/Target for cheap.

You can listen to their podcast of Five Fat Turkeys here. You can download the podcast to any MP3 enabled device.

Mayflower Experiment

After learning about the Mayflower and the Pilgrim's voyage, the students created their own Mayflower using a walnut shell, playdough, a toothpick, and a paper flag. The students then predicted if their boats would sink or float. We created a quick bar graph about their predictions. The students then tested their boats in a container of water. They found that the Mayflowers created with the least amount of playdough were the ones that floated. It was a great way to explore the concept of heavy and light.

Turkey Descriptive Writing

This week the students wrote about turkeys using our Write From the Beginning strategies. This was the first week that I did not model the process for them. I am so proud of how much they have learned and how independent they have become. As the students wrote, they helped each other spell and reminded one another to add details to their sentences.

An Early "Happy Thanksgiving!"

With just two days left in the school week before our amazing holiday break, we want to wish you an early Happy Thanksgiving! The artwork that they are holding is the traditional handprint turkey with the poem "Handy Turkey."

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Pilgrims and Native Americans

To help the students learn about Thanksgiving and the relationship between Pilgrims and Native Americans, we visited the Scholastic website. The website is filled with various articles and interactives for the students to explore and learn from. We then used Deanna Jump's Thanksgiving Unit to compare and contrast Pilgrims and Native Americans. The students placed sentences on a hula hoop Venn Diagram with whoever it identified. They then used the Venn Diagram to help them create a t-chart and write comparative sentences.

Thanksgiving Alliterations

This week we are learning about the different elements of poetry. To help them, we read a Thanksgiving alliteration and then they created their own. They first created three Circle Maps - one for the letter P (Pilgrims), one for the letter N (Native Americans), and one for the letter T (Thanksgiving). They then brainstormed words that they thought related to Thanksgiving and started with one of those letters. They then brainstormed alliteration sentences for each letter. Although the activity was pretty challenging for the students, I think they did a great job!

A Day of Giving Thanks

As a part of our study of Thanksgiving, the students drew or brought a picture from home of something or someone they were thankful for. As homework, they wrote about why they were thankful for that person or thing. In class, the students read their sentences and showed their pictures to their classmates. They did an amazing job! To end our day, the students were treated to a feast of turkey sandwiches and Thanksgiving sweets. Thank you to the parents for providing all of the treats for the students. Each student made a Thanksgiving headband and placemat which set the scene. Enjoy a quick slideshow of the day's events.

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Handy Turkeys

Handy Turkey

This isn't just a turkey,

As anyone can see.

I made it with my hand,

Which is a part of me.

It's made with lots of love

Especially to say,

Hope you have a very

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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Pattern Block Turkeys

In math yesterday the students reviewed patterns by making a new kind of pattern - symmetrical patterns. They turned their symmetrical patterns into turkeys! They started with a yellow hexagon as the center and then built their pattern one level at a time until the circle became larger. After building their patterns with the blocks, they used paper pattern blocks to tranfer their pattern to black paper. The students then added the turkey bodies. Thanks to a fellow blogger, The First Grade Parade, for this great idea! Enjoy a slideshow below of some of the students' work.

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Turkey Descriptive Writing

Using our writing program, Write From the Beginning, the students wrote descriptive pieces about a turkey. They then colored a turkey however they wanted. Below is an example of their writings and turkeys.

Cornucopia Placemats

This week the students created Cornucopia graphic organizers to show what they are thankful for. First we brainstormed as many people, places, or things we were thankful for on a Circle Map. Then each child dot painted several pieces of fruit and a cornucopia. They then glued them onto construction paper. During guided reading, each child told me up to twelve things they were thankful for which I typed. They could use the class Circle Map to help them. Each child cut out their boxes of the things they were thankful for and glued them around the cornucopia likea Bubble Map. Below is an example of the finished product which was laminated and which will be used at our Thanksgiving celebration later this week.

Giving Thanks

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We ended our week of Thanksgiving festitivities with a small celebration. Instead of having traditional turkey and dressing, we had turkey sandwiches and sweet treats. Thank you to all the parents who generously donated items for the feast. Also, thank you to Mrs. Gardner for sharing her photos from our special day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Handy Turkey

This isn’t just a turkey,
As anyone can see.
I made it with my hand,
Which is a part of me.
It’s made with lots of love
Especially to say,
Hope you have a very

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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