Holly Garland Number Patterns

To help review number patterns, the students created number lines using Holly leaves and berries. The berries represented the numbers on a number line and the leaves were the spaces in between the numbers. The students used a recording sheet to first identify the skip counting rule for their pattern. They then transferred the pattern to the number line using the strategy of drawing jumping hills. In this strategy, students draw a hill from one number to the next and count how many hills are between two given numbers in a number pattern. Fellow teachers, you can download the templates for this lesson at my TPT store.

Classroom Christmas Tree

The students decorated our classroom Christmas Tree this week. They took such pride in placing the ornaments just right on the tree. The ornaments are copies of our favorite picture books that I printed, laminated, and glued a hook on.

Additive Patterns

The students practiced extending additive patterns by following four step cards. They built their patterns with color tiles and verbally identified how the patterns grew and changed. They then worked in cooperative groups to recreate one of the additive patterns using paper color tiles. Individually the students wrote one or two sentences about how the pattern grew.

 

First Grade Christmas Ideas and Lessons

Math

 

1. Christmas Tree Addition
2. Technology Based Christmas Tree Addition
3. Fact Family Wreaths
4. Chrismtas Lights Addition
5. Holly Berry Number Lines for Number Patterns
6. Gingerbread Cookies Subtraction

Reading

1. Comparing Christmas Stories
2. Christmas Character Traits Identification
3. Christmas Story Elements
4. Snowman Pictures and Story
5. Better to Give Than to Receive Graphic Organizer
6. Auntie Claus Character Traits

Writing

1. Name in Lights Writing
2. Stocking Descriptive Writing
3. Reindeer Application Placemats
4. Writing in Snow
5. "If Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney" Writing
6. To Make the Grinch Smile Writing
7. Affirmation Tree
8. My Elf Self

Miscellaneous

1. Polar Express Day Ornament and Gift
2. Decorating Class Tree with Picture Book Covers
3. Holly Wreath Puzzle Ornaments

First Grade Turkey!

Our Instructional Media Specialist, Ms. Hollingsworth, created a fantastic schoolwide art project for the students. Each student was sent home a turkey feather to decorate in any way that they chose. The feathers were then placed together to create a large grade-level turkey. They turned out amazing!

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

After visiting the library this week, our Instructional Media Specialist read 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving to the students. If you haven't read this book, you should check it out. It's too cute! Thanks Ms. Hollingsworth for taking time to read to our class.

Fall Leaf Writing

In writing the students have been learning to use describing words. Last week the students wrote about fall leaves. Each week I model a writing lesson for the students and then they write their first draft, using Thinking Maps, individually. This is a part of our writing program, Write From the Beginning. On Thursdays, we have one-on-one guided writing sessions where the students work with me to answer questions about how to improve their writing. They then revise and rewrite their writing for a final draft. This week we hung up their work with their fall leaf they created using Tagxedo.

Handy Turkey

Handy Turkey

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!

 

 

Thanksgiving Feast

Thank you to all of the parents who donated goodies for the students' Thanksgiving Feast. The students dressed in either brown or black to represent the clothing worn by Native Americans and Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving Feast. They wore hats that they made to go along with their clothes: headbands, hats, or bonnets. They then munched on modern day treats related  to the first feast such as turkey sandwiches, grapes, and popcorn.

Pattern Block Turkeys

To review repeating patterns, the students creatd pattern block turkeys. They each started with a hexagon and then chose whichever pattern blocks they wanted to create the rest of the pattern.

Number Pattern Turkeys

In math we have been learning about number patterns including odd and even. The students worked in groups to identify even and odd numbers on a 30 chart. Each student was then given a number card. They cirlced their number on their 30 chart and identified if their number was even or odd. They then extended their skip counting pattern five more times. They then created a turkey and wrote their number pattern on the turkey feathers.

Cornucopia Placemats

For our class Thanksgiving Feast, the students created cornucopia placemats. After coloring their cornucopia, they told me at least six people, places, or things they were thankful for which I typed. They then added those words to their placemats.

Word Family Train Sorts

 

 

Fellow teachers, I created a set of Word Family Train Sorts to use during Daily 5. If you are looking for word work ideas, stop over at my TPT store to download this file. Students sort word family train cars behind their matching word family train engine. The set includes 59 word families covering all long and short vowels. Students can record their words on the included recording sheet. The trains can also be placed in pocket charts or on a bulletin board for a weekly phonics focus. This set would be a great addition to your Daily 5 lessons, literacy stations, or hands-on tutoring.

If I Were President...

During Social Studies we have been learning about authority figures. In light of the recent election and to help the students make a connection to the importance of authority figures, they wrote what they would do if they were President.

The Tortoise and the Hare

As a part of our study of fables and making connections to lessons in stories, we read The Tortoise and the Hare. The students discussed the author's purpose for writing and then wrote at least one connection they had to the story or one lesson they learned.

Turkey Writing

As we continued to work on writing to describe objects, the students wrote to describe a turkey. They wrote what a turkey has, looks like, and what it can do.

Scarecrow Writing

As a part of our writing program, Write From the Beginning, the students are learning to write about objects using descriptive language. They recently wrote to describe a scarecrow by first brainstorming on a Circle Map, followed by creating a Tree Map, and then followed by writing sentences. While I worked with students one-on-one on the editing and revising portion of the writing process, the students made their own scarecrow.