First Grade Wow: spring

Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Celebrating Spring with POETRY!!

Hello Everyone!!
Well, spring is here! I love springtime in Texas! Things warm up so quickly and all the signs of spring are evident! Ahhhhhhh! Now, I know so many of you are still in the throes of old man winter, but spring is on the way. Hang on!! To help you feel a little better, how about some poetry celebrating spring? We started our four-week unit on poetry in reading and writing this week. I love how much kids love poetry!

Kids learn so much through poetry. Our unit will help teach all about the different types of poetry and help them read and analyze as well as write their own! I highly recommend gathering as many poetry anthologies as you can and sharing as many selections as possible. Along with enjoying the tongue ticklers, be sure to discuss the author’s message, tone, and purpose for writing. As kids get into writing their own, discuss with them the same analysis ideas about their poetry!

This week we started with sensory poems. With spring as our springboard along with a good piece of literature for motivation, the kids did a great job writing sensory poems!!

Kids wrote a rough draft of their spring sensory poems. We edited and published in a rainbow shape! I love this project and have done it for the last few years. It feels like springtime in our room!!!

I am sharing our poetry unit once again with a few additions. The unit includes examples of many different kinds of poems, templates for kids to try them on their own, creative ways to publish each poem, and final copy anthology pages. It is now about 105 pages of poetry power!!

If you have a desire to climb the poet "tree" and need a little unit to get you started,

You can simply CLICK HERE to get your printables.

My little poets are looking forward to the next three weeks, and so am I!!!

As always, please let me know of any typos or problems with anything!

I appreciate your stopping by this little window of wonder!!!

Have a great rest of the week!!

Joyfully!

Nancy

firstgradewow@gmail.com

Sunday, April 9, 2017

A Treasured Life...and Comparing and Ordering Numbers

Hello Everyone!

My sincere apologies for not posting lately...

I had to take a little time off as our family has experienced a very sad loss. My nephew's little baby girl, Lola, has passed away from Krabbe disease. She was only 13 months old, but brought such joy and light to all who knew her. We have all learned so much about life and love through her. Krabbe disease (also called globoid cell leukodystrophy) is a degenerative disorder that affects the nervous system. It is caused by the shortage (deficiency) of an enzyme called galactosylceramidase. This enzyme deficiency impairs the growth and maintenance of myelin, the protective covering around certain nerve cells that ensures the rapid transmission of nerve impulses in the brain. Krabbe disease is part of a group of disorders known as leukodystrophies, which result from the loss of myelin (demyelination).

Both my nephew and his sweet wife are so devastated, but at the same time are so strong knowing that their little lamb is at rest, and out of pain. They are also fighting hard to get laws passed in Florida to have screenings done on newborns to detect this disease. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they try to pass Lola's Law. Let me know if you want more information, and I will e-mail links to their efforts.

Our Sweet Lola

Life is precious and every moment spent with family is oh so special... Treasure every one of those moments.

Now, taking a big breath, let's move on to some school stuff. When I got back from Florida, we started a unit in math about comparing and ordering numbers up to 120. Along with using a 120 board and all that we know about place value, we also continued work using number lines including open number lines. I put together a little unit that I added to my already hefty study on ordering and comparing to 120. I am sharing that tonight. This entire 104 page unit is a print and go unit with a spring theme. There are some whole group lessons and some math tub games. Here are a few pics.

Open Number Line Fun!

A fun High Lo game is included in the unit! A favorite of the kids!!

A fun Number Line Scoot game is included
in the unit!

These are just a few pics of the over 100 page doc. If any of it looks interesting or helpful to you, you can get it...HERE! JUST CLICK, DOWNLOAD AND GO! FREE!

Well, I have to run. I'm working on a strip diagram unit that I am very excited about. Even First graders can understand numbers through strip diagrams!! Til then, I hope you have a wonderful week. Hug those close to you. Live every day with joy.

...nancy

firstgradewow@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Writing to Teach...and Making Connections With Similes!

Hello Everyone!
Happy Spring!!! Some of you are still in the grip of winter with snow and ice! Here in Texas, the temps are warming up, the trees are budding, and there are flowers everywhere! I am such a warm weather girl, I can't wait to put coats and sweaters away!
Springtime in first grade is just as exciting. The kids are really becoming independent learners and so into researching things they want to know about. In writing we are working our way through a writing to teach unit. Kids love to share what they know. They are experts at so many things! Our first chapter book is based on what kids know most about...themselves!!! We are using most of what Lucy Calkins suggests in her Units of Study. The first chapter books turned out pretty well. Here are a few pages of the published books. The kids were so proud to share them!!!

I have shared the templates and information for this written expression project before, but I have added a couple of things. Lucy Calkins has a good list of how writers teach their readers. I added that and a quick poster of the sequence of writing to teach.

If you are interested in this little expository writing unit, CLICK HERE!!

If you noticed, one of the "How Can I Teach My Readers" ideas that Lucy suggests is to include comparisons in writing. I don't know a better way to teach kids about comparisons than to introduce similes!! We have had a blast with that this week!

I started off with some amazing mentor texts! My kids can't get enough of these!

We then brainstormed some of our characteristics!

The kids did their own brainstorming and planning for their own Simile books!

So after they got the hang of similes, we decided to create a visual for some Spring Similes!!

I put together a little simile unit to help guide us through.

The unit is about 20 pages of templates, lists, posters, etc.

If you want to try it with your kids and need some free printables, CLICK HERE!!!

I know that my kids will use some similes in their next chapter books!! Sometimes you have to spend a little extra time on something that will help kids make those important connections. Their writing will benefit from that side trip!

Well, thanks for making it all the way through this post!! You are as patient as an ant!!! :) I hope some of this will help you help your kids make connections in their writing!

Till next time...Have a wonderful rest of the week!! And for those of you who still haven't seen any signs of spring, I hope they come soon!!

Joyfully!

Nancy