Slow and Fast Changes.. Erosion Here We Come :)

Pet Rock Posters

In order to evaluate students' understanding of the properties of rocks, they were asked to create a Pet Rock Poster. They had to create a name, describe the Pet Rock's features, and promote the purchase of their rock.

A Mem Fox Journey

During our Mem Fox Author Study, our students retold the events of the book, Possum Magic using a Google Map. A Google Map is an online map that contains satellite or traditional map images. We viewed the country of Australia via Google Map and used food placemarkers to ilustrate the journey taken in Possum Magic. Check out the magic :).

View Possum Magic in

Mem Fox Celebration Day!

Last Friday, we ended our Mem Fox Author Study with a smashing good time! We began our day with our First Award Ceremony and celebrating our strides in learning so far this year :).

We then took a journey around the small playground and participated in the Bush Olympics just like Koala Lou! There was a disc throw, a bean bag toss, long jump, and relay races. We all turned out to be the gold medal winner when Ms. Correia performed Bush Magic on the 6 winner's medals :). We then returned to our classroom to write BIG BOOKS to retell our favorite Mem Fox books in our own words in our Book Club groups. We illustrated and retold Mem's books with our friends until lunch. Upon our return, we prepared our class for our very first performance of Hattie and the Fox Reader's Theater for Ms. Sasso's Kindergarten Class. One of our students finished our performance by reading one of our favorite Mem Fox books for the Kindergarteners, Time for Bed. We ended our time celebrating Mem by tasting the foods from Possum Magic! We were so excited that our families brought in these Australian foods for us to try, Pavolva, Lamington, Vegemite, Anzac Biscuits, Mornay, and more :D. If you are not sure what some of these foods maybe check out our next post.. We took a trip around Austratlia to follow our tummies :D.

What an Australian Adventure! Check out the fun from our Mem Fox festivities:

What's Your Strategy?

In First Grade, we don't just want to show our answer when it comes to Math, we want our strategies to shine! As we approach separating and combining stories, we are looking to use our First Grade skills and solve our stories with atleast two strategies. Students are using sums that add up to greater or lesser amounts 5+5= 10 to solve 5+4=9 (one less). Students are also using tally marks and drawings. We explain our thinking in writing, pictures and words! Challenge your student at home, not just to write the answer, but explain their work. Ask them ,"What is your strategy?"

Book Clubs Begin!

As an extension of our work with Mem Fox books, we are gathering around a basket of our favorite books from this study and finding important story elements! Students are placed in groups known as Book Clubs. Students have chosen names for their groups and chosen roles each day. Students are using a focus directly from our Reader's Workshop mini-lesson to work together in their book clubs. Just like Ms. Correia meets with her friends at Starbucks to chat about books, our students are accountable to their friends concerning the focus for the day! Check us out!

Sweet Soil!

Have you ever wondered what was just below the surface of the earth? We have! We have been studying our soil samples, comparing what we find in soil, and recognizing that soil has layers. Yesterday, we made the layers of soil just below the surface that we could eat! First, clay and rocks: cookies :), Humus: pudding, living organisms: gummy worms, Top Soil: cookie crumbs, and leaves: sprinkles.
Soil is so sweet!