Elf Descriptive Writing

The students created elves out of holiday scrapbook paper. They then wrote to describe their elves. They also wrote one thing they would do if they were an elf.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

We read the How The Grinch Stole Christmas to work on several reading skills. The students first retold the story to a partner and then individually completed a story map to identify the story elements. Then we discussed how the Grinch changed throughout the story. As we discussed the character traits, we talked about better vocabulary to use when discussing emotions. We charted the vocabulary and the students took notes about the Grinch's character traits at the beginning of the story and the end on Deanna Jump's handout from her Grinch unit. The students then created their own Grinch and wrote at least one way they could make the Grinch smile. We have been working on making connections to text as well.

Too Many Tamales

We read Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto. After reading, we discussed the story elements of the book and charted them on the Promethean Board. The students then completed a story map on their own to put the story elements in their own words. They also wrote at least one connection they had to the story and illustrated it.

 

 

Our Class Christmas Tree

Here is our class Christmas tree that the kids decorated. I made the ornaments a few years ago by printing pictures of book covers. I laminated them and hot glued a hook on. The kids loved finding places to hang them on the tree.

Puzzle Wreath Ornaments

The students made these cute puzzle wreath ornaments as a gift for their parents.

Skip Counting Reindeer

As a part of our lessons on coins, we needed to review skip counting by 5s and 10s. So, the kids made these skip counting reindeer. We first counted them by 5s and related this to counting Nickels. They then counted them by 10s and related this to counting Dimes.

Stocking Descriptive Writing

Over the Thanksgiving break the students were given a stocking template to decorate however they chose. When they returned to school, the wrote to describe their stockings. They turned out fantastic!

Auntie Claus

We read one of my favorite Christmas books, Auntie Claus, to analyze character traits. As a class we created a Flow Map to retell the story with an emphasis on how the main character, Sophie Kringle, changed throughout the book. After reading, the students made a connection to the message of the story - that it is better to give than to receive. Each student made a "gift" to write at least three things they can give that do not have to be bought (hugs, affirmations, etc.)

Remember

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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!

Pilgrim Writing

We learned about the Pilgrims' journey by using the Scholastic website and PebbleGo. The students then wrote about what the Pilgrims wear, eat, and can do. After prewriting, writing their first draft and editing, they made a Pilgrim to hold their final draft.

Thanksgiving Alliterations

In reading we have been working on identifying examples of rhymes, alliterations, and sensory details in poetry. As a part of this study, the students wrote their own Thanksgiving alliterations. On a Circle Map they brainstormed words that started with /t/ or /th/ for Thanksgiving, /n/ for Native Americans, and /p/ for Pilgrims. As a class they then came up with the three alliterations which I recorded on the Promethean Board. They then divided into three groups to write and illustrate them on construction paper.

Skip Counting Turkeys

The students worked in small groups to create skip counting turkeys. Each group was given a number to start with and then told if they would skip count by 2s, 5s, or 10s. They discussed the number patterns with their group and then recorded their pattern on the turkey feathers.

Magnetic or Non-Magnetic?

We went to the science lab so the students could explore with magnets. They were given various types of magnets to see what would happen when they put them together. They learned that magnets can push and pull. They were also given various objects to test to see if they were magnetic or non-magnetic. They recorded their findings on a t-chart.

Book Drive for Uganda

As a part of our commitment to Rachel’s Challenge by showing kindness to others, Moseley Elementary partnered with The Kikulu Foundation of Dallas to provide books for children in Uganda. Kikulu is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting education for women and children in communities affected by poverty and oppression. The Kikulu Foundation staff is traveling to Uganda in December and is taking educational resources. Their goal is to take 280 children's books and spiral notebooks. Moseley students and staff have surpassed that goal by collecting over 430 books and 60 spiral notebooks. As a part of the book drive, the upper grade students wrote persuasive essays on why you should give books to the cause and the lower grade students discussed why we should be thankful for what we have. You can learn more about the foundation by visiting their website at http://www.kikulu.org/ or watching their short video at http://vimeo.com/77660697.

Scarecrow Descriptive Writing

The students created and wrote about scarecrows for one of our weekly writing lessons. I'm very proud of how they are adding descriptive language and comparisons to their writing now.

Digraph Show and Tell

During our study of digraphs, the students were asked to bring in an object that started with /ch/, /sh/, /th/, or /wh/. The students brought in whistles, chalk, thimbles, chess pieces, sheets, white paintings, chocolate, and more.

Veterans' Day

One of our first grade teachers, Mrs. Guzman, spoke to all of the first graders on Veterans' Day about here experience in the Navy. She told them some of the details of her career. She also showed them her uniform and awards. We are thankful that she served and shared her knowledge with our students.

Making Connections

We read several books so the students could practice making connections. We read Hallo-wiener, Pumpkin Jack, and It's Pumpkin Time. After reading, the students shared their connections with the class and we charted them on a Circle Map. The students then wrote at least one sentence about what the story reminded them of.

Book Character Parade

On Halloween the students were invited to dress as their favorite book character. For students who did not have a costume, we invited them to wear all black. We read Bats on Parade and Stellaluna in class and created masks to wear. The students who dressed up paraded around the school while others cheered them on.