My Classroom 2012-2013

Here are a few pictures of my classroom setup this year:

Summer Bucket List

The students created a summer bucket list of things they would like to do this summer. I found this idea on Pinterest. I believe the original idea came from TeachWithMe. After creating the buckets and writing their lists, the students visited the computer lab to write a friendly letter to their parents using the Letter Generator from ReadWriteThink to tell them about one thing they would like to do this summer.

End of Year Readers' Theater

As a way to demonstrate their reading accomplishments at the end of the year, we always hold an End of Year Readers' Theater. Each class learned a Readers' Theater from You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman which they read for their families and available staff. The entire grade also read a readers' theater together followed by one with their families. Readers' Theaters are a great way for students to practice and showcase their reading.

Friendly Letters to Kindergarten

In writing the students have been learning to write friendly letters. Using the Letter Generator from ReadWriteThink, the students wrote a class letter to Kindergarten about all of the things they learned and enjoyed in first grade. After modeling how to write a friendly letter, the students wrote letters to Kindergarten on their own. After editing the letters in writing workshop, they wrote their final drafts. Last Thursday the students visited Mrs. Munoz's Kindergarten class to read their letters to her students.

Johnny Appleseed

In Social Studies we have been studying about various American legends, including Johnny Appleseed. After watching a quick video about him on Discovery Streaming and reading several trade books, we created a Circle Map together on the Promethean Board. After discussing his various contributions, the students created their own apple trees out of construction paper as a graphic organizer. Each student added five apples to the tree and wrote "Did you know?" facts on the apples.

Career Day

A few weeks ago we had several professional visit the school to explain their career to the students. We had a Dallas police officer, the Grand Prairie Fire Department, and a care flight paramedic speak to the students.

Making Connections: The Cow Who Clucked

We recently read The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming as a part of our lessons on making connections. After reading, the students wrote at least one connection they had to the story and supported it with text evidence. For example, the students would write "The Cow Who Clucked reminded me of (personal experience) like when (textual evidence) happened in the story." The students wrote their connections on the outline of a person and then colored it to look like themselves.

Place Value: Interactive Hundreds Board

To help the students prepare for their end of year exam and to review place value, we played a game on the Promethean Board using the interactive hundreds board on TeacherLed. I woud call out a clue to a mystery number that they students had to find on the board. For example, I would say "I'm thinking of a number that has seven tens and four ones." They students would highlight the number on the board. Other clues would be "I am thinking of a number that is the same as the expanded notation 40+5." I planned ahead what numbers to use so that the numbers would make a design once we were completed. This added to the students' level of engagement as they tried to figure out what the mystery picture would be. This mini-lesson is inspired by the work of Marcy Cook.