Listen to Our Poems: Set 1

Throughout the year the students have been using the IPad app Hokusai to record themselves reading their weekly poems. We use poems in the class each week to  introduce our phonics focus but to also help with fluency. Below are QR codes to some of the poems they recorded. You can use your smart phone or IPad to scan the codes. I recommend using the app "I-nigma." I like this one because the students do not have to line up the scanner closely on the code. They can get anywhere close to the code and it will work.

A Hunting We Will Go

 Bugs on My Rug

 Crayons

 Drip Drop

 Friends

 Hills, Chills, and Ills

 Hot Dogs

 I Like Jam

I'm a Little Teapot

Edmodo

Our class has been using Edmodo in the computer lab to help learn more technology skills. We have also been using it to practice our content subjects in fun ways. For example, when we were studying space, we used the Earth and Space app to practice putting the planets in order. To review telling time, we used the Time Teacher app. The students have also used Edmodo as a place to take quizzes, polls, and answer questions. The students answered what types of non-fiction subjects they would like to research, where they would like to go on a field trip, and more. Parents, I've sent home login password cards previously along with the permission slip. If you need another set of cards, let me know. There are several resources in our class folder in Edmodo that your child can use to learn at home.

DreamBox Learning

The students have really been enjoying DreamBox Learning in the computer lab. DreamBox is an adaptive online math curriculum and learning game. Students work on math tasks that are at their needed level and rigor. Parents, you can have your child practice this at home as well by visiting our school specific site: https://play.dreambox.com/login/h954/moseleye. The students' login and password are both their school ID number. You can locate it in Skyward Family Access.

Working in the Garden

We recently received potatoes to plant in the school garden. To prepare for the planting, four first grade classes teamed up with a third grade class and a fifth grade class to clean up in the garden. Everyone pulled weeds, picked up trash, added fertilizer, and turned the soil. We cut up the potatoes to let them air dry over the weekend. Early next week we will be planting them.

Living or Non-Living

We recently visited the school garden during science to identify objects as living or non-living. After exploring, they drew pictures of their findings. They circled living objects in red and non-living objects in blue and created a key for their illustration.

Balancing Number Sentences

The students used balance scales and manipulatives to demonstrate different ways to make the same sum. This helps them understand two different number sentences that are equal or to find a missing part of a number sentence.

Number Sentence Match Up

Mrs. Timms, who plans our math, came up with a fun game for the students to play to practice finding equivalent number sentences. The students have a set of cards with number sentences on them. They turn two over at a time, like in a traditional matching game. If the number sentences equal the same total, they get to keep the cards. If they do not, they have to put them back. This is a great game for them to play for additional practice while I work with  small groups.

Taking Math Outdoors

After several weeks of freezing temperatures, we have been loving the warmer weather. So, we decided to take math outside. We have been learning about balanced equations or number sentences. The Students took a dry erase board outside and I called out various number sentences. They wrote the number sentences and then drew circles under each addend. They then counted the number of circles on each side of the equal sign to see if both sides were equal, or balanced.

Guidance Lesson

Our school counselor, Ms. Coffman, visited our class recently to teach a guidance lesson. She teaches the students about various topics including safety, respect for one's self and others, and bullying.

Valentine's Day Party

Thank you the parents who brought in treats for the students' Valentine's Day Party. They had fun passing out their cards and munching on the delicious snacks. After eating, the students read their favorite poems aloud to one another thanks to the great idea of a parent.

Valentine's Day Math

The students have been working on the strategy of "Making Ten" to help them with larger addition problems. But, in order to do that, they need to know what addends make ten quickly first. So, we reviewed by adding dark and milk chocolates. You can find this template on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.