Ice Cream in a Bag

First grade decided to make ice cream in a bag as a special treat. Using half and half cream, sugar, and vanilla in one bag, with rock salt and ice in another bag around it, they shook their bags until the ice cream formed. They then enjoyed their homemade snack!

How to Make S'mores

During our camping theme, the students made s'mores. Since we obviously cannot build a fire, we made them in the microwave. After making and eating the s'mores, the students used a Flow Map to write the steps they took to make them. They used the Flow Map to write sentences using transition words. They then made paper s'mores to hang with their writing.

Baking Cookies: Fiction or Non-Fiction?

We made cookies to assess the students' understanding of fiction and non-fiction with all of the first grade teachers team teaching. We chose to make chocolate chip cookies because we were also learning the /ch/ sound in word work. First we read and followed the recipe for making the cookies in both English and Spanish. The students identified that the author's purpose for writing the recipe was for information. The recipe was non-fiction. While waiting for the cookies to bake, we read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. The students identified that this book is for entertainment. Then, the cookies were enjoyed by all.

Making Ice Cream

We had quite the adventure making ice cream during the last week of school. Using a recipe from Pinterest, the students combined Half and Half cream, vanilla, and sugar in a plastic baggy. They then added the baggy to a larger baggy filled with ice and rock salt. They then shook the bags continually until the cream mixture hardened. The kids loved it and they said it tasted great. And, thankfully, our awesome custodian didn't get the least bit upset when we had water and ice everywhere from the leaking bags. It is all about the experience anyway, right?

Ch-Ch-Chocolate Chip Cookies!

To help the students learn about the purpose of informational versus entertainment texts and to make a real world connection to the digraph /ch/, all of the first grade teachers and classes joined together to make chocolate chip cookies. We read the recipe, in both English and Spanish to the students. As we read, the students took turns following the steps. As we made the cookies we discussed that recipes are meant to inform or teach you something. Then while the cookies baked, we read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins and Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar by Viviana Garofoli. As we read these books we discussed their purpose: entertainment. And, of course, the students then enjoyed eating the cookies.

 

 

How To Bake Cupcakes

This is the writing examples to go along with the "How To" writing lesson I wrote about in the Cake: Long A post. The students used a Circle Map followed by a Flow Map to explain how to bake cupcakes. After writing, the students worked with me in small groups to edit and rewrite their text. While I worked with small groups, the other students created paper cupcakes to go along with their writing.

Cake: Long A Words

Last Friday the first grade teachers taught a joint lesson on how to bake cupcakes. I was out on this day so I do not have pictures but the students told me they had a blast! I am thankful for amazing teammates! As a part of the lesson, the students wrote various long /a/ words on a cake pattern and decorated it. This week we are currently working on writing about how to make cupcakes. Once they are finished, I will post their writing.