Here are a few of the things that we worked on in 1A this week.
- In Reading Workshop, we talked a lot about comparing and contrasting key words in books about the same topic. We are still working on the nonfiction reading unit. Each morning, we did a close study of a book about Polar Bears. The kids recorded facts that they learned.
- All of the nonfiction reading helps the kids transition to the new writing unit that we started this week: nonfiction "teaching" books. The kids are SO excited about these books! They have been working with their partners to talk about facts that they can include in the books, and how they can be organized. Thanks to everyone who helped their first grader fill out the topic sheet that I sent home last week. Some of the topics that the kids picked are soccer, cats, Minecraft, and baking. They are adorable!
- The trick words for the week are: her, number, over
- In phonics, I introduced the "silent, magic e". This is the first time that the students are explicitly taught about decoding words with long vowels. Words that include the "magic e" include bake, home, and slime. The kids made Magic E wands this week to help them remember that the silent E jumps over a consonant to magically change the vowel sound. We'll continue to work of this concept next week.
- On Monday, Ms. Dulin came into class to teach a lesson about mindfulness. The kids really enjoyed the relaxing nature of the lesson.
- In Social Studies, we touched on 2 topics. First, we wrapped up our unit on symbols of the United States. In addition, the first graders also learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We had some great discussions about equality and fighting for what you believe in. The kids also created an "I have a dream" cloud craft where they wrote about their dreams for themselves, the community, and the world. They are hanging on the classroom.
- In math, we wrapped up Module 2: Introduction to place value through addition and subtraction within 20.
Upcoming Dates
- Tomorrow (1/17): No school, teacher professional development
- Monday (1/20): No school, Martin Luther King Day
- Friday (1/24): Library
- Wednesday (1/29): Library and early release
Materials Wanted
Do you have any clean recyclable materials that you'd like to donate to the Maker Bin in our classroom? Old crafting materials, small pieces of fabric or fun paper, string, paper towel rolls, etc. would be great!
Enjoy the long weekend! Please get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks!
Katie Barnett
