Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

In reading we have been learning about author's purpose. We have been sorting books into fiction and non-fiction categories, or entertainment and informational categories. After sorting real books for several days, the students worked in small groups to sort pictures of books from a Scholastic Book Fair brochure. They cut out the pictures and glued them onto a construction paper t-chart. This was a quick and engaging way to assess their understanding of the concept.

 

 

Changes Caused by Heat

During science the students have been experimenting with changes caused by heat. They observed what happens to ice and crayons when exposed to heat. They also brainstormed other objects that change when heated. They then chose one thing to illustrate before and after being exposed to heat.

Natural vs. Artificial Sound and Light

In science we have been studying about various sources of sound and light. We recently went to the school garden to experiment with various sources. The students listened for natural and artificial sounds and light and recorded them on construction paper. They then illustrated at least one example of each.

Skip Counting

We spent a few days reviewing and practicing skip counting from Kinder. The students each colored a pair of socks and added it to a clothesline. As a class, we practiced counting them by two. We then did the same thing with handprints and practiced counting them by fives. We discussed which one was faster (counting by fives) because five is a larger number than two. This led to a discussion that counting by tens in place value in faster because ten is a larger number. Fellow teachers, in my class I have a number line in our whole group area. I use garage sale dot stickers of various colors to mark where skip counting patterns. For example, the multiples of 5 all have a pink sticker and the multiples of 10 all have a yellow sticker. We practice counting these at transition times and as we have a spare moment here and there.

Teddy Bear Writing

The students are learning to use Thinking Maps to help organize our thoughts into writing. In this lesson the students wrote words to describe a teddy bear on a Circle Map. They then transferred those words onto a Tree Map. The Tree Map helps the students understand that every sentence must include a noun and a verb. The Tree Map was used to help the students write their sentences. Every week I work with the students to edit their work one-on-one during guided writing. As we read their sentences together, I ask questions such as "What should go at the beginning of the sentence?" and "What should go at the end?" We correct the work together and the they write a final draft of their writing.

The Constitution

For Constitution Day, we used the website www.pebblego.com to learn about the history of the constitution. We then created a Double Bubble Map together to compare The Constitution to our class Social Contract. The Social Contract is a part of our discipline plan through the Capturing Kids' Hearts process. We discussed that The Constitution gives us freedom and rights. The students then wrote at least one thing that freedom means to them.

Physical Properties

In science the students learned about various physical properties. They explored various objects and described them on a graphic organizer based on their color, texture, shape, and size. To further explore the concept, the students glued down various objects onto handprint template to feel various texture.

Shape Attributes

As a part of our study of shapes, the students made shapes on geoboards. We discussed that even if shapes a different sizes, their attributes remain the same. As they made the various triangle, square, and square rectangle shapes, they counted the number of sides and vertices. They also drew pictures of their shapes on a geoboard recording sheet.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

To practice retelling a story in order, our class and Mrs. Francis' class went on a "bear hunt." We went outside to the garden and read "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." After reading, we learned motions to go along with the story and acted out retelling the story.

Bubble Gum Graphs

To reinforce the concept of graphing, I came up with this quick yet fun assessment. The students were each given various number of dot stickers (the kind you use for garage sales). They placed the gumballs on their gumball machine template. They then had to count the number of gumballs for each color and record their findings on a table. Using the data on the table, they created a bar-type graph. On the bar-type graph, they had to label the title, the numbers, and the answer choices. They also had to answer questions based on the results of their graph. Fellow teachers, you can download this lesson my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I forgot to take a picture of their completed products but they turned out great!

 

Real Object Graphs: Apples

In math the students learned about various types of graphs: picture, bar-type, and real object. During one of the lessons, they tasted red, yellow, and green apples. They then decided which one was their favorite to place on a real object graph. After making the graph, they  talked with a knee-neighbor about the results. They then individually used the data from the real object graph to create a bar-type graph. They answered ten questions about the data to find what was the most popular type of apple, the least, etc.