Measuring Length

The students worked in small groups to measure various objects around the room. They measured with a variety of units including Base Ten Blocks, paper clips, color tiles, etc. They then compared the length of their objects to those of other groups.

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.

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.

What Time Is It?

To help the students with telling time on the hour and half hour, each student was given a small preprinted analog clock. They turned that clock into a watch. They then walked around the class asking their friends "What time is it?" Both partners would check the watches to make sure they got the answer correct. When they got the times correct, they gave each other a "high five."

 



Building Larger Numbers

The students rotated through stations in small groups to build larger numbers with pop cube tens and bean ones. At each station they had a number card telling them what number to build. They then recorded their number on the top flap of a foldable and modeled the number as a picture under the flap. When possible, I like having the students work in small groups to allow them to teach each other and give/receive feedback.

Thanksgiving Alliterations

In reading we have been working on identifying examples of rhymes, alliterations, and sensory details in poetry. As a part of this study, the students wrote their own Thanksgiving alliterations. On a Circle Map they brainstormed words that started with /t/ or /th/ for Thanksgiving, /n/ for Native Americans, and /p/ for Pilgrims. As a class they then came up with the three alliterations which I recorded on the Promethean Board. They then divided into three groups to write and illustrate them on construction paper.

Skip Counting Puzzles

The students worked in small groups to create skip counting puzzles. Each group was given a sentence strip, a beginning number, and a rule card for what number they would be skipping by. On their sentence strip, they wrote their skip counting pattern down. They then covered three of the numbers with Post-It Notes. Each group them presented their puzzle to the class for their friends to solve the missing numbers.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

In reading we have been learning about author's purpose. We have been sorting books into fiction and non-fiction categories, or entertainment and informational categories. After sorting real books for several days, the students worked in small groups to sort pictures of books from a Scholastic Book Fair brochure. They cut out the pictures and glued them onto a construction paper t-chart. This was a quick and engaging way to assess their understanding of the concept.