The Shape of Things

We recently read The Shape of Things to review shapes. After reading, the students were given a 2D shape and asked to turn that shape into a picture, like the examples in the book. The students then wrote sentences (with my help on the typing) about their pictures following the format of the book. Their work will be bound together as a classroom book. The students love reading what their friends write.

Physical Properties: Texture

In science the students explored a variety of textures. They created handprint with various objects glued on it to represent the textures of rough, bumpy, smooth, hard, and soft.

Shape Clowns

The students created clowns using a variety of 2D shapes. As they worked we discussed the attributes of each shape.

Entertainment vs. Informational Texts

We have been studying Author's Purpose through a variety of texts. To assess the students' understanding, they worked in groups to sort pictures of books on a t-chart. The pictures of books came from Scholastic Book Club mail outs. The students could cut out as many books as they wanted to sort.

Shapes Around Us

After charting the attributes of 2D shapes, the students created posters to draw real-life objects that were in the same shapes.

More Repeating Patterns

To review repeating patterns the students worked together to create, extend, and label repeating patterns with magnetic pattern blocks.

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.

Gumball Graphing

***UPDATE: The templates for this lesson are now available for download at my TPT store.***

As a way to assess the students' understanding of graphing, they each created a gumball machine using dot stickers for the gumballs. Each student was given a different amount of stickers and they had to count, tally, and chart how many of each color gumball that was in their machine. They then graphed their totals on a bar-type graph and answered questions about their data.

A Visit From Aunt Rose

After reading A Visit From Aunt Rose by Patrsy Bevcar, the students retold the beginning, middle, and end of the story on a foldable.

Blueberries for Sal

In reading we are working on retelling stories including the beginning, middle, and end. We recently read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. As a group we summarized and charted what happened in the story. The students then created a three flap foldable to illustrate and write to retell the story.

Repeating Patterns

The students practiced making repeating patterns with pattern  blocks. They were each given a pattern written in letter form in which they had to recreate. They marked the repeating sections with popsicle sticks. After they were finished creating their pattern, they turned the letter card over. All of the students went on a "gallery walk" to practice identifying and labeling the patterns that their classmates created.

It's Library Time!

Our class visits the library each Friday after lunch. The students may choose up to three books to take home. After choosing their books, the students read independently. After all students are finished, our Instructional Media Specialist reads the students a story.

Independent Reading

For morning work before announcements the students may choose books from the classroom library or their book boxes to read from independently. Their book boxes are a part of our Guided Reading/Daily 5 lessons and include on-level, "just right" books for them. As you can see by the pictures below, the students are free to get comfortable to enjoy reading.

Attributes of 2D Shapes

As we learned about the attributes of 2D shapes the students worked in cooperative groups to show examples and non-examples of circles, triangles, squares, and square rectangles. When sorting they had to verbally justify how they knew what were examples and what were non-examples by explaining the specific shape's attributes such as how many sides and vertices the shape has. The students then went on "gallery walks" to see how their classmates had sorted their shapes.

Properties and Energy Science Lab

Several weeks ago we visited the science lab to explore physical properties and sources of energy. The students rotated between stations to sort objects by size, shape, color, and texture. They also rotated to stations to explore objects that produce light and sound energy.