Comparing Stories

As a part of our story of fairy tales and recurring phrases we read Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. After reading, the students compared and contrasted the two stories and we charted their comparisons on a Double Bubble Map.

Alliterations

The students worked in small groups to brainstorm words that began with the same letter as their name. They recorded their words on a Circle Map. They then used the Circle Maps to help them write their own silly sentences using alliterations.

Alliterations and Rymes

The students worked in small groups to brainstorm alliterations and rhymes about school on Circle Maps. After deciding on their group's sentence, they wrote them on chart paper and illustrated them.

Inventors: Garrett Morgan

In Social Studies, we have been researching various inventors. One of the inventors that we studied was Garrett Morgan. Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light. We began our study by reading about him on Reading A-Z. We then discussed why he invented the traffic light which led into a discussion about how inventors first identify a problem, then find brainstorm a solution, and finally create a plan to put that solution into action. We then created a class Circle Map to record facts learned about Garrett Morgan. The students then created a traffic light out of construction paper to write "Did you know?" facts about Garrett Morgan on each "light."

David Shannon: Comparing Stories

After reading Toy Many Toys and A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, we discussed how the books were the same and different. We charted the student responses on a Double Bubble Map. The students then completed a Venn Diagram independently to compare the stories.

Using the Venn Diagram for help, the students created a four-tier foldable to identify one way that the two stories were the same and then something that was different yet related.

Eric Carle: Comparing Stories

After reading The Mixed-Up Chameleon and The Foolish Tortoise, both written and illusrtated by Eric Carle, we created a class Double-Bubble Map to compare the two stories. The students then used the class chart to help them create their own Venn Diagram independently. The next day, the students created a foldable to write sentences: one thing that was unique, or different, about each story, and one thing that was the same about the stories.

The Little Red Hen Sequencing and Planting a Garden

On Tuesdays and Thursdays our class is fortunate to have an intern, Mrs. Sanford, from Dallas Baptist University assist in our class for a few hours as a part of her coursework. Today she taught a fantastic integrated Language Arts and Science lesson to the students. Mrs. Sanford started her lesson by greeting the students at the door and having them choose an animal card. The animal cards correlated to the book she was going to read during her lesson. She red The Little Red Hen by Byron Barton and as she read, the students sequenced the events in the story using picture cards and the Follow the Yellow Brick Road Retelling cards from The First Grade Parade.

Mrs. Sanford then had the students transition to the Promethean Board where they reviewed, wrote, and repeated the defition of sequencing. At the board, they reviewed various transition words that can be used to make writing more interesting. They then decided which transition words to use on the class Flow Map. After deciding this, students built their own garden in a large container. Mrs. Sanford explained how to plant seeds and the needs of plants. As she explained the steps, the students followed the multi-step directions. With each step, the students used interactive writing to record the steps they took on a Flow Map on the Promethan Board.

After planting the miniature garden and sequencing the events on a Flow Map, the students wrote the events using complete sentences on a flower template. On the petals of the flower, the students wrote transition words. The students were engaged the entire lesson. Mrs. Sanford and the students did an excellent job!

Research: Broad to Narrow Topic

This week we began a new research project. The students are learning more about how to use a variety of sources to find factual answers to questions. To begin, the students brainstormed a variety of research topics which we added to a Circle Map on our Promethean Board. We then talked about how some of the research topics could go in the same categories. The students then worked in small groups to write down at least 12 of the topics on notecards which they then sorted into conceptual categories. They then went on a gallery walk to see how each group sorted their cards. Back on the class Circle Map, we highlighted the topics that we thought went together. To go along with our science unit over plants and since it is Spring, we decided to research the garden habitat. Using the topics that we grouped together under the conceptual category of gardens, we discussed how you could have a broad topic about the garden or choose one specific part of the garden habitat to research.

The next day, we reviewed the various question words. In small groups, the students brainstormed questions they had about the garden habitat. We added them to a flipchart on our Promethean Board. If more than one group had the same or a similar question, we placed a check mark next to the question. This let us know which questions our class found the most important. After finding the questions our class found the most important, the students then voted on which was their favorite question that they would like to ask our garden expert. We will be having a garden expert visit our school next week and we will be emailing questions to another local plant expert.

On the third day, the students chose six questions that they felt were related and wrote them on a their research plan handout. Noticing that most of the questions they had brainstormed were about either the plants in a garden or the insects in a garden, they were then able to narrow down their broad topic of garden habitat to one of two more narrow topics: Plants in the Garden and Insects in the Garden. Of course this could be narrowed down more but for first grade, this is sufficient. Next week the students will be using a variety of sources to find answers to their research questions and then they will create a visual display based on their findings.

Dory Story: An Ocean Food Chain

To teach the students the concept of a food chain, we read Dory Story by Jerry Pallotta. In this book, we follow the adventures of a little boy who is "lost" in the ocean in his little red boat. Only to find out that there is a surprise in the end...I wish you could have seen the kids' faces when they got to the end of the story! As we follow the little boy on his ocean adventure, we learn about the different ocean animals and what they eat. As we read, we charted what each animal ate on a Flow Map. We then discussed what would happen if a piece of that food chain wa missing. The students were able to discuss on the animals are dependent upon one another for survival. The students then wrote their own Flow Map based on the class Flow Map and illustrated their favorite part of the story.

Beluga Whale Research

Did you know Beluga Whales are often called the "canaries of the sea?" As a part of our oceans unit, each first grade class chose a different whale to research. Our class chose the Beluga Whale. We used a variety of sources to find interesting facts about the whale but our favorite was PebbleGo because the online source includes actual videos and sound clips of the Beluga Whale. The students used interactive writing to chart their research findings on a Circle Map using our Promethean Board. They then used their finished Circle Map to help them write a shared research paper. Before writing, we discussed that good writing should include a "hook" to get the reader interested followed by the important facts including what the whale looks like, where it lives, what it eats, special adaptations it may have, and any other interesting facts that want to share. Each student took a turn writing a phrase or sentence while the other students provided spelling and grammar support.

The Main Idea: Transportation

As a part of our lessons on how to identify the main idea of texts, we read several books from We Give Books and Reading A-Z about various forms of transportation. Each day we read a new expository text and the students had to verbally identify the main idea of the text. We used Multi-Flow Maps to help chart the details that lead up to the main idea. (Sorry... I did not take a picture of these charts.) After reading about the various types of transporation, the students created a Circle Map of as many examples as they could think of. We then discussed how those examples could be divided into conceptual categories. So, we then created a spider web graphic organizer to sort the examples into the categories of land, air, and water. The students then created a three part foldable to illusrtate one example of transportation from each category. They then wrote at least one fact they learned about that mode of transportation under the flap.

Cinderella and Prince Cinders

As a part of our study of fairy tales, we read Prince Cinders by Babette Cole. Prince Cinders is a funny and modern twist to the classic Cinderella story. After reading, the students discussed with a partner events that were similar and different from the two stories. We then created a class Double Bubble map to chart their findings. The students then took notes on their own Double Bubble map. They then created a foldable to describe two events in the story that are similar, but not exact, along with the main idea that makes them similar. For example, in Cinderella, she goes to a ball. In Prince Cinders, he goes to a disco. In both, they go to a party.