How to Draw a Tent

To practice following multi-step directions, the students learned how to draw a tent as a part of our camping theme. The students were given step by step oral directions accompanied by picture cues. They followed the steps one at a time and then colored their pictures. I love how they are all unique yet similar at the same time. After they drew their pictures, we brainstormed as a class the things that they would need to do to go camping. The students then put the steps in order on a Flow Map. They used the Flow Map to help them write a How To paper on camping.

Living and Non-Living

The students visited the garden to determine various living and non-living objects. They then drew pictures to show their understanding.

Balanced Equations

My teammate, Mrs. Guzman, had a great way of having the students show their understanding of equal, or balanced, number sentences. Each student was given a sum to show with paper color tiles in two different ways on a student drawn balance scale. The students then wrote to explain the number sentences and how they were equal.

Signs and Symbols

While studying signs and symbols, we took a walk around the school to see different examples. The students discussed what the signs meant and how they are useful.

Listen to Our Poems: Set 2

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.

It Began with a Frog

 It Must Be a Whale

 Jack and Jill

Miss Mary Mack 

 Money

 My Cat

 My Dog, Tag

 Spinning Spider

 Ted

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.