Thank you for volunteering and returning the "Mystery Reader" sheet last week! I am currently working on a schedule and will be posting that soon so you know your date and time. Remember, it's a secret so don't tell your first grader you are coming!
Don't forget! Your first grader's homework is to read to you or listen to you read every day for 15 minutes! If you are getting tired of the same books I have set up our first Scholastic Book Order of the year! More information and the chance to purchase books will be in the "Upcoming Events" portion of the post.
Don't forget! Your first grader's homework is to read to you or listen to you read every day for 15 minutes! If you are getting tired of the same books I have set up our first Scholastic Book Order of the year! More information and the chance to purchase books will be in the "Upcoming Events" portion of the post.
Literacy
This week first graders were excited to wrap up our anchor text of Stellaluna with one last activity of learning about the story element of genre. Students learned that it describes the type of text they are reading. Stellaluna has a "Bat Facts" section at the end of the story and students compared that section to the actual story to better understand the difference between literary texts and information texts. To reinforce this skill at home ask your child what genre the story you are reading each night is and how they can tell. Below is an image of the flip chart we made together as a class as we made these comparisons.
This week first graders were excited to wrap up our anchor text of Stellaluna with one last activity of learning about the story element of genre. Students learned that it describes the type of text they are reading. Stellaluna has a "Bat Facts" section at the end of the story and students compared that section to the actual story to better understand the difference between literary texts and information texts. To reinforce this skill at home ask your child what genre the story you are reading each night is and how they can tell. Below is an image of the flip chart we made together as a class as we made these comparisons.
After finishing up using Stellaluna as our anchor text this week students were eager and excited to engage in our new anchor text: A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech. There is a lot of depth to this new anchor text and the first graders were excited to dive into answering some close reading questions this week with a new system. We worked with our "shoulder partner" to beat the clock and find text evidence for our answers to several questions about the story. If the partners were called on and had a correct answer with evidence they earned a sticker! Here is an image of our page we are using to help us keep track of our close reading:
Additionally, I have finally finished reading individually with each student to learn more about their reading strengths and needs. This assessment process is timely but allows me to make informed instructional decisions that will best support your child in reading. At the end of the week I was able to begin working with students to set reading goals and begin reading "good fit" books. If you didn't see a "good fit" book come home last week, not to worry, I probably didn't get to your child's reading group and they will be first up this week! These books are meant to reinforce skills being taught at school, improve fluency and sight word recognition by rereading text, provide opportunities for close reading questions at home and to communicate what a "good fit" book looks like for your first grader.
Writing
This week we launched opinion writing in our class by learning about the difference between an fact and opinion. First graders always have opinions and arguments about various topics so they are already excited I'm going to give them the chance to "argue" their opinions in writing. Students were given opportunities to share a fact about a topic and an opinion about the same topic the begin to learn the differences between facts and opinions. Here are some of the examples our class came up with:
Candy
Fact: Usually has sugar in it.
Opinion: It's delicious
School
Fact: We learn math in school.
Opinion: School is fun.
Pizza
Fact: There are different kinds of pizza (deep dish, thin crust, hand tossed...)
Opinion: Pizza is the best food in the world.
Students are also beginning to understand that good writers support their opinion using facts. To reinforce this skill at home have your child practice sharing facts and opinions about a few topics.
This week we launched opinion writing in our class by learning about the difference between an fact and opinion. First graders always have opinions and arguments about various topics so they are already excited I'm going to give them the chance to "argue" their opinions in writing. Students were given opportunities to share a fact about a topic and an opinion about the same topic the begin to learn the differences between facts and opinions. Here are some of the examples our class came up with:
Candy
Fact: Usually has sugar in it.
Opinion: It's delicious
School
Fact: We learn math in school.
Opinion: School is fun.
Pizza
Fact: There are different kinds of pizza (deep dish, thin crust, hand tossed...)
Opinion: Pizza is the best food in the world.
Students are also beginning to understand that good writers support their opinion using facts. To reinforce this skill at home have your child practice sharing facts and opinions about a few topics.
Math
This week students egaged in measurement to work on the following common core state standards:
1.MD.2: Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
We measured items and our classmates around the room using popsicle sticks and unifix cubes. First students estimated how many popsicle sticks or unifix cubes long the object/classmate would be. Then they measured to find the actual length. We also used "teacher feet" to measure a jump rope and then estimated to guess how many feet a few students would take to get to the end of the jump rope. Halfway through our measure students were offered the chance to change their estimations or eliminate the ones they knew wouldn't be correct. Below are some flip charts and pictures of our class in action this week!
This week students egaged in measurement to work on the following common core state standards:
1.MD.2: Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
We measured items and our classmates around the room using popsicle sticks and unifix cubes. First students estimated how many popsicle sticks or unifix cubes long the object/classmate would be. Then they measured to find the actual length. We also used "teacher feet" to measure a jump rope and then estimated to guess how many feet a few students would take to get to the end of the jump rope. Halfway through our measure students were offered the chance to change their estimations or eliminate the ones they knew wouldn't be correct. Below are some flip charts and pictures of our class in action this week!
Science/Social Studies
Apples, apples, apples! We've been connecting several science and social studies concepts through thematic lessons focused on apples this week! We improved our map skills by finding the states that produce and distribute the most apples, we dissected an apple to learn about it's parts, we learned about finding a star pattern in the middle of an apple and we harvested and tasted an apple from our greenhouse/garden. Students loved having the actual experience of harvesting an apple from a real apple tree and being able to taste it. We were also able to learn the greenhouse/garden expectations for this amazing learning space we have here at Indian Trail.
Apples, apples, apples! We've been connecting several science and social studies concepts through thematic lessons focused on apples this week! We improved our map skills by finding the states that produce and distribute the most apples, we dissected an apple to learn about it's parts, we learned about finding a star pattern in the middle of an apple and we harvested and tasted an apple from our greenhouse/garden. Students loved having the actual experience of harvesting an apple from a real apple tree and being able to taste it. We were also able to learn the greenhouse/garden expectations for this amazing learning space we have here at Indian Trail.
Upcoming Events
Friday, October 5th: Early Release, students dismissed at 1:00. (We will still have lunch and snack on this day)
Monday, October 8th: No School/Fall Break
Friday, October 5th: Our FIRST Scholastic Book order due. Below I have posted the information on how to log in and purchase books and the current 1st grade catalog (there are several other titles available on the site as well). Happy shopping!
Friday, October 5th: Early Release, students dismissed at 1:00. (We will still have lunch and snack on this day)
Monday, October 8th: No School/Fall Break
Friday, October 5th: Our FIRST Scholastic Book order due. Below I have posted the information on how to log in and purchase books and the current 1st grade catalog (there are several other titles available on the site as well). Happy shopping!