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!