Reader's Theater

1st graders have been hard at work learning about the water cycle.  We have been learning about all the different places water can go by following two drops in a reader's theater.  After practicing reading it with fluency and expression, first graders were ready to hear themselves read.  Yesterday we set up a giant green screen (thanks to Mrs. Klipfel for letting us borrow it) and we were ready to record. 

Using the Green Screen app by Do Ink (one of our favorites) we were able to add real water, clouds and even waterfalls behind our videos. Today, we invited Mrs. Carreiro down for a special movie screening.  Students said they were nervous to record but proud of their finished work..and they definitely should be very proud. 

Check out our Water Cycle Reader's Theater video below.  It is definitely worth a view or ten.

Common Core State Standard RF 1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Visualizing

This week 1st graders practiced visualizing as a reading strategy to help comprehend texts.  Klipfel & Kids are turning into wonderful readers and know that good reading is thinking.  Visualizing helps readers create mental images or movies in their mind.  While reading the poem "Green Giant"by Jack Prelutsky, we discussed sensory imagery or words that appeal to our senses.  Students closed their eyes to create a mental image of the Green Giant based on the author's descriptive words.  Give it a try!

  

Students then brought their Green Giant to life, in drawing form of course.  Monsters were big, little, happy, sad and even a little scary.  Students partnered off to compare the similarities and differences between what they visualized.  Check out our Green Giants below: 

Common Core State Standard: RL.1.4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

S.L 1.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Read Across America

The first week of Read Across America has been a Seusstastical week at Fuller Meadow School.  1st graders have spent the week learning about Dr. Seuss and reading his wonderful rhyming books. Friday was crazy hat day and from the words in Go Dog Go, Do you like our hats?

Yes, I even own a monkey hat!

For this fun event we met with our Kindergarten Buddies to make Dr. Seuss inspired hats about our favorite things. 

Buddies hard a work!

The top section was for our favorite place to read, middle was our favorite Seuss character and the bottom shows a picture from our favorite story. 1st graders and buddies loved sharing favorites with each other.

We hope you have a silly splendiferous weekend...keep reading for those reading logs!

I "mustache" you a question...

As part of our Math in Focus curriculum and Common Core State Standards students learn how to organize, represent and interpret data.  1st graders put these skills to the test and created their own tally and bar graph. Students first created a question to ask peers. They came up with everything from favorite animal, football team, movie and even president.

1st graders then walked around the classroom, with mustaches on, to collect their data. Once data was collected students tallied the results and created their own bar graphs. We then analyzed and interpreted our information.

I "mustache" you a question....do you love 1st grade?

Kid Blog

We are so excited for our next big learning adventure as Kid Bloggers! Starting this week 1st graders were given their own blog and have become published online writers. Students wrote about something that others don't know about them and I have to say I learned quite a few new facts about my 1st graders. We used the computer lab to access our Kidblog and type our 1st post.

Our 1st time blogging

1st graders will be using their blogs at home or in school to practice their writing skills. On our first day blogging, my inbox was overflowing with updates about new posts and comments. As a teacher I could not be more excited about the students' excitement! On our class blog you will notice a new tab on the top, Kid Blog. This link will take you directly to our KidBlog page.

Blogging isn't just about writing posts but another important part is leaving comments.  We took advice from other kid bloggers and learned some important tips for leaving a comment.  A quality comment adds information to the conversation by being specific, making a connection or asking questions.

Writing our first quality comments

Check out our Kid Blog and leave us some comments!

World Read Aloud Day

The first Wednesday of every March marks LitWorld's campaign for sharing the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. Room 116 had an extra special treat for WRAD and was able to skype with author Tara Lazar.  We invited Mrs. Thomson and Mrs. Higgins' classes to join us for this extra special author skype.  Before we began our visit, Tara gave us a task to predict what type of pajamas she would be wearing.

Most of us thought she would be wearing ice skates but...Tara was wearing scottie dog pjs! Tara shared her humorous book, The Monstore which tells the story of a secret store that sells monsters. We even learned the store's rules: No returns, no exchanges and no exceptions!  1st graders were also able to chat with her and ask some questions.  They were shocked to learn it can take a year to publish a book!

If you'd like to learn more about Tara Lazar check out her blog here.

It’s hard to imagine a more delightful holiday than World Read Aloud Day, “to celebrate the power of words and create a community of readers taking action to show the world that the right to literacy belongs to all people.” Never underestimate the power of reading aloud with your children.

Common Core Standard: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Chinese New Year

Ni Hao! Over vacation marked the beginning of Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year which is also known as Spring Festival. Last week, 1st graders and Kindergarten buddies learned some of the traditions behind this festive celebration. 

Chinese New Year lasts 15 days and is typically celebrated with red paper cutouts with the words, happiness, wealth and longevity.  According to superstition you must clean your house thoroughly to sweep away misfortune and make way for good luck and fortune in the coming year. But don't sweep on New Year's Day or you'll sweep away the New Year fortune. Students loved learning their Chinese zodiac symbol. Our 1st grade class consists of pigs and rats.

After learning the traditions and customs behind Chinese New Year, buddies worked together to create Chinese lanterns. Students drew and wrote their own Chinese characters.

Zai Jian!