Research Posters

The students made posters of flowers to show what they learned through their garden habitat research. They added facts to the middle of each flower. They then presented their facts and posters to their classmates.

Planet Research

The students worked in small groups to research a specific planet. Each group was responsible for finding three important facts about their planet using a text source from the library. They then worked with me at the Promethean to find three additional facts from PebbleGo. After finding their facts, they worked with their groups to create posters about their planet. They presented their findings and posters to the class. The students were highly engaged because they got to become the "experts" on their planet and teach the other students.

Space Research

The students used their questions they had about space from a previous lesson and then worked in small groups to find answers using a variety of sources. They recorded their answers on a Circle Map. They then used the Circle Map to  help them write about the facts they found on a non-fiction text feature template. They wrote details and drew pictures including captions.

Space Questions

As a part of our lessons on non-fiction texts and features, we began to research space. The students first had to brainstorm questions they had about space. They worked in small groups to record their questions on a Circle Map and then we added all of their questions to a t-chart on the Promethean board. We then used various non-fiction sources to find answers to those questions.

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.

Garden Research: Non-Fiction Texts

In reading the students have been researching the garden habitat. The study goes along with our science lessons over the interdependence of animals and plants as well as the study of plant parts and functions. The students worked in small groups to answer various questions they had about either bugs in the garden habitat or plants in the garden habitat. They had to find answers using various non-fiction texts such as dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Main Idea: Snow Camping

In reading the students have been learning how to identify the main idea and topic of a story using details from the text. Because we were learning about camping, we read Snow Camping from Reading A-Z. Using a triangle graphic organizer, the students wrote down key facts about snow camping on the bottom portion of the triangle. After this, they decided what all of the facts had in common to determine the main idea (middle section) and the topic (top section). The triangle graphic organizer can also be used by starting with the details on top.

Space Facts

As a part of our space research, the students wrote and illustrated at least one fact they found independently from an informational text.

Space Research Papers

After researching space from various informational texts, the students used their Circle Maps to independently write research papers. Before beginning, we had a mini-lesson on how authors often use a "hook" or something catchy to get a reader's attention. One of the ways we discussed is that author's sometimes ask a question to actually state a fact about their topic. The students all started their papers by ask a "Did you know?" question by stating their most interesting fact. They then wrote at least four more related facts about their topic. They glued their Circle Map and final draft (we always edit writing together) on a black piece of construction paper.

Space Research

In reading we have been learning about informational texts. As a part of those lessons, the students have been using various non-fiction sources to research space. The students were divided into groups. In their groups they chose a specific topic about space: astronauts, space shutttles, stars, the sun, or the solar system as a whole. They worked in small groups with me to research using PebbleGo. They recorded important information on a Circle Map. They then worked together to find book sources to record addtional important information.