Farewell First Grade

Click here to see our Farewell video.

I will miss you, 1S students!  It was a great year.

Spring Harvest

The time had come... it was time to pick the fruits of our labor. 

We started with our pea pods. The students learned the method of twist and pull-- a lot like picking apples off of an apple tree.

We tried out the peas right in the garden.  They were so sweet and crisp.  Removing them from the pod was a little tricky.

Then we moved on to picking the radishes.  Students learned to tug right where the stem meets the soil.  They were surprised every time they pulled as each radish was slightly different in size.

Finally, we moved on to the strawberry section of our garden.  The students were the most excited about picking these as they were voted the most favorite fruit in our class. 

We took the fruits of our labor into the school building and were excited to try them after lunch.

Washed and tried them right away without even slicing.

Fun times in the O.B. Garden!

Writer's Workshop

We culminated our Realistic Fiction unit with an Author's Celebration.  Students shared their Realistic Fiction pieces with peers.

 Students became very confident at writing this genre by the end of the unit.  They understood the concept of characters, setting, problem, and solution.  

After completing our Realistic Fiction unit, students have been trying out a new genre, Poetry.  The poems that students have written have been impressive.  We have been very entertained during Author's Chair.  Some poems are deep, some poems are light-hearted, some poems have been really funny.  We have loved writing Poems. 

STEM activities for Family Tech Week

Thank you to Mrs. Brown for coming into our classroom to host STEM activities for students and their parents. 

Students received instructions to build a maze for a Hex-Bug. Students were told that they had 20 minutes to design a maze so that a battery-powered Hex-Bug would move from start to finish. Their materials were one poster board, several popsicle sticks, tape, cups, scissors, and markers.  They would work in teams of 3-4 with one parent helper.

At the end of the 20 minute mark, students took a gallery walk to see a demonstration of the other teams' Hex-Bug Mazes.  It was fun and interesting to see each team's maze.  Thank you to the parents who were able to join us as well.

STEM and Weather

 Students had a STEM challenge related to weather.  Students had to create a home/shelter that had to withstand strong winds that might occur during a storm like a tornado.  Students' designs would be tested by a hair dryer.  The shelter had to be able to protect four people (four markers).

Students worked in groups of three.  They had to discuss and draft their designs.  Then they were able to gather materials to make their shelter.

 Students first had to learn about moving air, so we constructed DIY anemometers in the classroom that would help us to understand wind and wind speed.  

 The students worked in partners to make and test their anemometer.

 Students have also learned about clouds and have been trying to identify different clouds in the sky using a cloud chart.  We also  created a simulation of rain in the classroom.

Students learned that clouds are formed when water vapor rises into the air. When it hits cold air, it turns back into droplets of water. The water vapor and dust stick together to form clouds.  When clouds become so full of water that they can't hold anymore, the water falls back to the ground as rain.

Students have really enjoyed learning about weather both inside and outside the classroom.