Getting Ready!!!

It's that time of the year again when we begin to think about our awards ceremony and end of year party!  Getting ready ties in well with our current planner:  How We Express Ourselves.  The Superheroes have found many to express themselves through words, pictures, songs and art.  We really have had a lot of fun these past two weeks preparing for the end when we have to say good-bye.  There have already been a lot of tears (mostly on my part), but there has also been lots of laughs, hugs and memories shared. 

WE FINISHED THE CARDS

The Superheroes were very excited when I announced today that ALL cards were completed!  The deal was we couldn't read our cards until everyone was finished.  Everyone was so happy to finally be able to look at them all.  The students were so sweet going around and thanking their friends for writing the cards. This project takes a long time to complete and is a lot of work to put together, but when I saw the students sharing, hugging and thanking each other...  It was all worth it!

Summative

As we near the end of our planner (and of our time together), The Superheroes used what they have learned about art to complete the summative.  I brought in several different types of art using different art mediums.  The student had to choose the piece that spoke to them and then write about it.  Very interesting to see what pieces the students were interested in.   

The Final Product

May I introduce to you:  The Superheroes

First grade class extraordinaire.

(The BEST!!)  

Portrait of a Class

Before we added color to our self portraits, they were stacked together in a box. 

 I took a picture of ALL of us in this unique way.

Self-Portraits

As we continue exploring How We Express Ourselves, The Superheroes are trying their hand at self-portraits.   They are trying a new medium -this time it is the type of paper.  Or in this case not paper but plastic!   I am using old overhead transparency sheets to create a one of a kind piece of art.  

Whales

The Superheroes decided to perform for their awards program!  We are going to bring their found poetry to life.  As you can see each group is taking this new responsibility very serious!

I Can (Part II)

I returned some of the writing from the students today and they had a lot of fun talking about their growth whether it be handwriting, sentence structure or just staying on the lines.  They were so funny talking about how they couldn't read their own writing. 

I Can

I cannot believe it is almost time to say good-bye!  One of the things I like to do with my students is to help them understand how much they have learned and how much they have grown as first graders.  Today we wrote an 'I Can' poem.  Next, I had the students compare what they wrote now to what they wrote at the beginning of the year.  They were all quite surprised.   I loved watching them share and discuss how much they have grown.  I hope they came home and shared it with you.   

Skyscraper Illustrations

This week we used words to visualize a picture in our minds.   I  read a poem out loud several times and the students sketched what they saw in their minds.  It's interesting to see the various perspectives.  Next, we tried a new art medium - oil pastels.  

We also wrote some words to express how we felt or what we were thinking while doing this activity.  Here's some of the thoughts: 

"One way to leap is to touch the stars far away from you and reach your dreams by catching it."

"Day and night, hear people talking, cars honking, kids laughing, ants crawling, 

sun setting,  stars rising." 

"The sun is a golden yellow. Calm. No living things.  The crescent moon sits in the sky"

"I wish I had the sky for the light in the dark to see, my greatest dream.  

The skyscraper is as strong as me."

This Why I love Memory Boards

Here is a quote from one of the memory cards that the students are writing to each other:  

  "Remember when it happened that we became partners for literacy stations.   It's such a coincidence that we're always sitting next to each other.  You are my favorite partner, but your not just my partner you are my friend."

Sketching

Next step after our visualization activity is to sketch the picture that the words made in our minds.  

Wait til you see the finished product!!

Visualizing

The Superheroes are in the middle of a visualization activity.   

They are listening to the words of a poem and painting a picture in their minds. 

Testing Week!

The Superheroes were great at being flexible during testing week!  Our schedule changed quite a bit and we even missed recess!  So, what did we instead??? We wrote and illustrated books!

The Final Products

The finished Found Poetry projects can be found in the hallway next to our classroom.  

They are spectacular!!

Found Poetry II

The next phase of the Found Poetry project was to illustrate our new poem with a new art medium: oil pastels.  The students are learning a lot about lines and how you can use them to express yourself through art. In addition, we are exploring 2 dimensional, 3 dimensional and free form shapes. 

Found Poetry

Today the Superheroes explored a new way to express themselves called: Found Poetry.  We read a book about whales and then I took the text and cut up the words.   The Superheroes worked in cooperative groups to create a poem from the words they were given. 

I wonder...

  I love this picture.   As a class, we were discussing what we already knew about art.  That led to a discussion of what we wonder about art.   The students came up with some great questions.  We hope to explore more and find out the answers to these questions. 
Here are a few samples:

How many different types of art are there?

How do you make paint?

Why do people express their selves with art?

Why do people put art in museums?

How many layers of paint are put on a picture?

Student Led Conferences

 The Superheroes SHINED during student led conferences!  They did such a great job explaining the units of inquiry.  If you did not make Wednesday's conference date you can always schedule another date.  Just send me an email and let me know.  

Pledges

The Superheroes completed the unit of inquiry, Sharing the Planet, by creating a pledge.   Our focus was on the natural resource water.   I hope you got a chance to see their work posted in the classroom.  One student explained that we only have about 1% fresh water and we need to do something now.   Then she added an idea that you can start today!  The idea was to NOT play in the water fountain.  Love my students taking action!!

Sketch Books

We tried a new medium today - SHARPIES!!  Yes there was a lot of excitement.  Look at what they created!  I love how different and unique each cover is!

How We Express Ourselves

Our final unit of inquiry is How We Express Ourselves.  The Memory Project was a great way to begin this planner and delve into the elements of art.   Already I feel the students perspectives have developed and they are beginning to notice things such as types of lines, forms used and shapes. 

Cinco de Mayo

Ms. Filis created a fun activity for the kids while they learned about the Cinco de Mayo holiday!

Sharing The Planet

During the course of this planner,  the students have been asking many questions.  This has led to us finding ways to take action to help our planet and conserve our resources.   This week we were lucky enough to have Mr. Chris take us on a tour of the garden to show ways Mark Twain is taking action.  We learned a lot about composting.  Did you know the brown paper towels will decompose?  

Principal Of The Day

Our very own Blake won this amazing bash item this year!  Blake was very busy, but checked in on her class often.  We certainly enjoyed the treats like brand new pencils (with erasers)

 and extra recess time.  Thanks, Principal Blake!

Flexible Seating??

 Have you heard that our classroom is experimenting with flexible seating?  Basically, you can sit anywhere you want as long as you are working.   We are creating some interesting places to work.  For example,  in this picture the students are sitting on top of desks!  I removed the legs to create this new work space.  Your generous donations for teacher supplies during teacher appreciation week 

also allowed me to purchase cushions, stools and a rug!  

We are very excited about this new opportunity to take ownership of our learning!!!

Memory Cards

This project is so fun to watch and listen to in the classroom.  I love the way the Superheroes are helping each other by drawing, dictating or coloring.   It's sweet to listen to them discuss all the amazing things we have accomplished in first grade!

Live version of read aloud!!

Literacy Stations

Here are some examples of what we are doing in the classroom during literacy stations or free time.   The Superheroes are either writing, reading or creating!  They have so many super ideas!!

Performance/Poetry in my Pocket/Memory Boards

We are very busy this week with a lot of projects.  The Memory Board Project is a community building project.  Everyone is helping everyone to do the best they can.   The next step is to start writing our memory cards!

Love Performance!

The Superheroes were soooo excited to finally perform LIVE in front of parents!

Frog and Toad in the beginning ...

Live version of picture taking

We were very excited about our costumes!

Dress Rehearsal

Here we are with our costumes on!  Can you tell we are the frogs?  Roshan and Gordon are doing an awesome job dramatizing the friendship between frog and toad.

Performance

All the first graders are getting ready for our performance.  I don't know how Mrs. Bardin does it!  She had the attention of the entire first grade class!  They are sounding good!

Memory Boards

May is around the corner and it is time for the Memory Board Project.   This week our fifth grade buddies came by to help us get started.  The final product will be revealed at the End of Year Awards!

Books! Books! Books!

I found this great 11 x 14 manuscript cover papers the other day in my closet.  You know teachers we have hold on to things that we may use one day!  Well, my mom and I used 11x14 paper and created little booklets.  The covers have a little flap that asks as a closure.  I brought them out the other day and created a book writing frenzy!  We have books being written about how to make robots, how marshmallows saved the city and one is titled; What We Do In First Grade!

Announcements

The week of April 23rd, The Superheroes will be in charge of morning announcements.   This week we worked on creating groups and deciding what our roles would be.   Each group is also responsible for finding a quote to use.  It was interesting to see who each group was interested in.   One group said we want a quote from Harriet Tubman because no one has ever done that!  

Roles? Jobs? Responsibilities?

We are taking a more in-depth look at who are the people in command  and what responsibilities do they have?  One student called it the "chain of power".   The students did a great job identifying everyone except for the Governor of Texas.    After working in small cooperative groups, we are going to compile the information  gathered into one document that can be added to as we learn more. 

Writer's Workshop

 The Superheroes continued to learn the writing cycle through practice.  Now, we are working on similes and metaphors to describe our slime making experience!   The hard part is meeting with the publisher (ME)!  I take each student through the revision process and edit the poem.  The results have been amazing!  Last step,  to write them on the SLIME paper.  (This is the best part!)  Check out our bulletin board - we keep adding more poems everyday. 

How The World Works

As we wrap up our fourth planner, How the World Works, the students engaged in cooperative group discussions while watching videos they created.  It was interesting to hear what intrigued them most about the scientific investigations.  Everyone was so engaged in the process!  I even heard someone use the words variable, heap and flow! 

Slime Part II

Technically the slime is still a liquid because it did not form a heap, it takes the shape of the container it is in and it flows.  Next, we added color and glitter to change what the matter looked like.   I wonder if it will remain a liquid over time?

Slime!!!!!!!!

 Today we tried to create a solution.   We used glue, baking soda and a special secret ingredient!  Imagine our surprise when the ingredients caused a chemical reaction which caused the glue to thicken and then we were able to pick it up!

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

I happened to catch a little of the excitement before loading the buses!!

Field Trip!

The Superheroes were very excited to be on their first field trip.   We were also very excited that we were going to see Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  I don't know what was more exciting... Having the lights turned off before the performance started or seeing Mrs. Piggle Wiggle come to life!!

Changing the Variables

Today we tried an experiment for the second time; however, we changed the variables.   We used a much bigger bottle.  Which proved to be a huge problem because it kept falling over!  We definitely  create more gas using the larger bottle.   We blew the balloon up so big that it popped!

Weekly Reflection

Our weekly reflection newsletter was all about causing changes in matter.   You may notice that we used the periodic table for labeling the elements.   After wondering about the atoms in H20 and how the vinegar and baking soda create a chemical reaction.   I researched the formula.  Once I showed the formula to the Superheroes - they became very intrigued by the periodic table. 

Causing changes in Matter II

Next we explored the causes of why the Statue of Liberty has turned green.  First we discovered that it was originally the color of a penny!  We wondered why it was green instead of the brown color of dirty pennies.  We decided to try a little experiment to see if we could make pennies turn green!

Exploring Change in Matter

Today we explored how we could change pennies.  With a little research we discovered that pennies are made of copper (and so is the Statue of Liberty!).  BUT after 1983, pennies were made with copper and zinc.   We decided to search for pennies made before 1983 for our experiment.  First we sprinkled them with salt and then dropped a few drops of vinegar on them.  Within 30 seconds you could see the chemical change happening.   The dirty, dull pennies became shiny again!  

Our Bulletin Board

Here is our current bulletin board.  Our new planner How the World Works is about using scientific investigations to explain the changes in our world.  We began our inquiry by exploring matter, the properties of matter and how to change matter.  

The Balloon Experiment

After learning more about the scientific process, we decided to do an investigation.   We wondered what would happen if we added baking soda (solid) to vinegar (liquid).   The connection was made that it looks like the experiment with the Mentos in the soda.   Everyone know that blows up so no one wanted to sit to close to the table!  Our hypothesis was that the combination was going to blow up the balloon.  I forgot to add that the balloon has the baking soda in it and is attached to the bottle.

The videos I took were too long to post on this blog, but I will post a QR code outside the classroom
Make sure you have a QR Reader app on your phone. (it's a free app)
Scan and watch!

Melting ice

Here is a close up shot of what the salt can do to ice!

Melting Ice Part Ii

Here is another series of pictures where the students are performing

 scientific investigations using salt, food coloring and ice!

Melting Ice?

What is so exciting about melting ice?  Well, we made it melt by using salt.  The salt (solid) was sprinkled on the ice (solid).  The ice began to melt!  How did we know - we saw it happening!  The salt looked like it was eating through the ice.   Next, we added food coloring to see that the ice was no longer smooth.  The salt changed the texture to rough as it began to melt the ice.   

Lap Books Part II

Here are the finished lap books.  Open them up to find out everything you need to know about matter!