Roles and Responsibilities

Our second line of inquiry asks what are the roles and responsibilities of people in our community.  Today the students created a school community and then discussed what everyone's  job was in the community.  Some of the jobs do involve economic activity whereas other do not.   For example, a student in the classroom as the responsibility of working and cooperating with others.  They do not earn an income for doing that.  On the other hand, teachers have a responsibly to teach and for that they earn an income.  We will continue to explore the central idea that interactions in a community involve economic activity. 

Our Spooky Stories

Here's is the second part of the assignment. The students worked together to create a picture that matched the story.  It was great to see the pride in both classes for the final work product. 

After the fifth grade buddies left, we reflected on our learning.  Here is what we found out: 

I learned you have to be patient because you have to be respectful when the fifth graders are talking. 

If you work together you get more ideas.

We made mistakes on the organizer, but I figured it out when we started to write. 

I had to be a risk-taker because we made mistakes.

I learned how to be a communicator because by talking I got more ideas. 

You have to read after you write to make sure it makes sense. 

Fifth Grade Buddies!

Last week was very exciting!  We met our fifth grade buddies for the first time!   When Ms. Dennis moved to fifth and I moved to first we thought it would be a great learning combination for the kids.  Every year we create experiences for the students to share together.  Our first visit was a writing/art activity.  The fifth graders worked with the first graders to brainstorm ideas for a ghost story focusing on our objective for the week which was developing the plot of a story.  Next, the fifth graders wrote the story while the first graders dictated it.  

Random Photos

Allie's mom generously donated a camera that she was not using to the classroom.   First I needed to figure it out and now we have a student interested in taking photos also.  Here are some random shots of the classroom.  It's always interesting to see the room through the students' eyes. 

Poetry Buddies

We are using poetry to explore language.  This week the topic was antonyms.  The perfect poem for two voices!  Students worked with a partner to present the poem of the week. 

How We Organize Ourselves

We are delving into our new planner by exploring the first line of inquiry: Needs and Wants.  The students were quick to understand that most of the things we are asking for are wants.  The one item that caused the most discussion was a bed.  Each group decided it was a need, but upon further investigation we discovered you don't need a bed to survive.  Next, we will take this perspective global to see if needs and wants are the same around the world. 

Field Day Shirt

We are so excited that our design came out so great!  The Superheroes voted on the picture and then we all worked together to decide the colors and what should be written on the cape.  I think the end result came out great!  That's what happens when a community works together!

(A special thanks to Ellis' mom for making it happen!)

Spooky Spaghetti

Saturday afternoon was very exciting!  I saw lots of great costumes!  Congratulations to Luna for winning the costume contest!  The Cake Walk was a HUGH success!  The line was all the way down the hallway.  I know some kids kept coming back for a second or third try.  And did you see the haunted house in first grade hallway!  Scary!!

p.s. Do you someone in a black hat and a black wig?  Who could that be?

Summative

You can see the students are engaged with the process of using the Learner Profile.  The students had to choose a profile word that they exemplify.  Next, they conferenced with a friend to explain why they choose the word and how would they show evidence using words and pictures.  

Scientists at work!

We utilized our five senses to study a pumpkin.  First we made observations about the pumpkin whole and then we cut it open! The first thing we noticed is that it smells!  It also feels wet and slimy and gooey.
 The Superheroes turned into inquirers and had a lot of questions such as: 

 Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?  Why does it smell so much when you cut it open? 

 What is all the gooey stuff on the inside?

Literacy Stations

Literacy stations is a block of time during the day when students are working independently on different goals. They are reading and writing in science, big books and word work.  

Writer's Workshop

The Superheroes (aka Super Pandas) are loving Writer's Workshop.  They are learning how to revise, edit and publish their writing.  The students are reading their work out loud to make sure it makes sense.  Then they work with a partner and conference about their stories.  

Learner Profile

As we near the end of our first unit of inquiry, the students worked together to define our attitudes and Learner Profile.  The partners researched what the definition of their attitude word meant and then came up with a plan to teach the rest of us!  It was great to see the students so engaged with their learning and having fun at the same time! 

Compliment Party

 I just found these great shots on my camera.   The Superheroes did an amazing job working together as a community.  Their actions were noticed by others in the school and that's how we earned our first compliment party!  Ice cream sandwiches for everyone! 

Leaders of our Community

As we continue to explore our central idea that attitudes and actions affect our community, we wondered who is in charge of our community.  Students wondered who was making the rules for who.  Today we explored this idea using pictures of important community members.  First, students gathered in small groups and discussed what they already knew or who they already knew.  Next, we walked and talked to see what all members of the community had decided.  The one person no one knew was our new superintendent. After establishing who everyone was, the groups put them in order and then determined what role this person plays in our community.   I love that one student stated that Mrs. Patin's role is to make sure we are learning!

In Our Classroom...

Here is the final result of our two week long writing project.  

In Our Classroom...

As a whole group activity, the students have been working on a classroom project.  Together, we have gone through the writing process of drafting, revising, and editing to the final published piece.  To accompany the writing, each student created a classroom setting with themselves as the characters. 

International Peace Day

We had a special visitor today!  Mrs. Cowan! 

 She came to work with us to create a special message for International Peace Day.  

Our Message is, "Everyone in the world should be nice to each other no matter how different!"

  The final work is hanging in the front hallway on Mark Twain's Peace Wall.