Down on the Farm

We have been super busy in first grade! I can't believe the first nine weeks will be over in two days!! Holy Cow! Speaking of cows... two weeks ago we wrapped up our farm unit. (I am behind on blogging...) We had so much fun learning about life on the farm and talking about different farm animals. 

 In language we were studying nouns. For our small language group, the kids had a noun hatch activity. I hoarded Easter eggs last spring because I knew I could find a way to use them. This was a success! If you would like the Noun Hatch FREEBIE click here! 

Each day we reviewed a different short vowel. I made large posters using KPM Doodles farm animals to help brainstorm short vowel words. Here is our duck. 

For spelling practice we made fall trees.

We also did some rainbow writing!

We also spent time talking a writing about a different farm animal each day, creating a farm book. We did some cute farm animal crafts from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits.

We used the farm spinner addition activity from Rowdy in Room 300 for a math center.

To go along with our study of conjunction "and", I created a quick mini lesson.  

For our writing center we made "Down on the Farm" books.  Here are some samples. :)

If you would like to use this farm book in your classroom click visit my TPT or TN shop!

Here is a culmination of our class effort for farm week!

(I had to play with the panorama option with the new iPhone update!)

M&M Addition

We are back in full swing after Hurricane Isaac! This week has almost felt like the start of school again since we have missed 3 day since last Tuesday. I have to admit I am always happy to get in a routine. :)

In math we are learning addition strategies 0-5. Oh so fun! We started the week off learning how to add using Touch Math. The kids blew me away by how quickly they caught on! They impress me more and more each day! I saw this great idea on Pinterest to create a list of all the addition strategies as you teach each one. I think this is a great way to help the kids remember and review each way to add. Of course my chart paper is not as cute as the one on Pinterest, but I can't find extra time in my day to make it cute! (Maybe one day :) We will fill in the chart as we learn new addition strategies.

To introduce using pictures to add, we read M&M Counting by Barbara McGrath. We also used some paper M&M's with our pocket chart to practice.

After the lesson and picture practice, we decorated our M&M Addition sheets and glued down our M&M's. Today we did the math once the candy was good'n'stuck!

If you would like to download this free addition freebie click here.

For more tasty addition visit my TPT or TN store. Have a FABULOUS FRIDAY!

Poof!

Everyone loves a good review game. My students love to play Poof! We use this game with various language skills throughout the year. I just introduced the game to my new group this week. We played in a small group and whole group (boys vs. girls).

I use an old Pringles can to make my Poof! game.

This particular Poof! is for sentence types. The students pull a strip from the can. They read the sentence and identify the sentence type. If they get the answer right they keep the strip. If the student pulls a Poof! strip, all their strips go back in the can.

To download the "Poof! Complete Sentences" click here.

Pictured below is a sample for Poof! Adjectives. We will get to this one later in the year! :)

For more Poof! games click here.

ABC Matching Game

Now that June is almost over reality is beginning to set in....School is right around the corner! I know July is slam-packed for us, so August will be here before I know it! I decided it was time to get to work on activities for the beginning of school. Today's creation is an ABC review game. I found these cute graphics from Lettering Delights, and they worked perfectly for this game! I hope the kids like it!

Higher level students can use the recording sheets to try and spell the matches they find. For lower level students you can reduce the amount of matches and separate consonants and vowels. All vowels matches use the long vowel sound. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break! :)

If you would like to download this freebie click here!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

My babies are getting ready to leave me and move on to the BIG SCARY SECOND GRADE!! I have been trying to pump them up by showing them "2nd Grade Work". The past two weeks we have worked on double digit addition and just introduced subtraction. So far they love it! I haven't gotten into regrouping yet, just focusing one adding the ones place first and the tens place last. We have worked problems on the big board and their favorite, the "little boards." To mix it up I decided to make it into a fun and colorful activity.

First you cut apart the problem cards and laminate. The kids start with card #1 and use the little answer cards to show their answer.

Once they solve the problem, there is an answer sheet included for them to record the answer. My goal is to make similar activities for subtraction and regrouping. If you would like to purchase this activity click here. Let me know what you think!

The Giving Tree Unit

School is winding down quickly! Last week we finished up our basal reader, and I knew I wanted to do something special these last couple of weeks. My kids and I LOVE Shel Silverstein's poetry and have read his work all year. So this week I decided to do a unit on his book The Giving Tree.

I'm thinking next week we may focus on the poetry, but for this week just a focus on giving. On Monday when we first talked about giving, all the kids wanted to share what Santa brought at Christmas. BUT by today we were sharing ways we could give such as: helping Mom clean, picking up sticks in the yard for Dad, donating old clothes to those in need, etc. I really want my kids to have a heart for others!

We have really focused a lot on writing this week, which has been great considering how quiet we have had to be on the testing hallway!! YAY for Spring Fling tomorrow! My kids are dying to run around and actually TALK!

We put all of our writing together to create a "Stories of Giving" book.

This little girl wrote about someone she knew that was a giver. I thought this was so sweet with Mother's Day just around the corner!

For this topic the kids had to write about a time they gave something to someone else.

Here is another book we made called "My Giving Book". They had to think of four gifts they could give to other people.

I really hope my kids leave my classroom with a simple understanding of being selfless and taking time to help and give to others. AMEN?!

This unit also includes a long e sort and story element graphic organizers. If you would like to purchase this unit click here.

It's Raining Adjectives!

Ok so the year is winding down and I'm trying to review and really work on our writing skills. So last week for language we did an adjective unit. We started with an outdoor reading of Eric Carle's Little Cloud. The kids actually gave me a round of applause when I finished the book. It's funny how they think the lesson is so different when we are in a different atmosphere! We spread out in the school yard and watched the clouds for various shapes. They drew what they saw on their papers. One little girl said this was her favorite lesson of the year! Guess I should teach in an outdoor classroom more often! :)

The next day in small groups we worked on writing sentences using adjectives to describe the clouds we saw outside. Here are some finished products!

We also did some adjective brainstorming to help us write about rainy days and rainbows.

One day we used our senses to help us brainstorm more adjectives. In whole group I used an apple as an example, and the kids helped me put adjectives on the board to describe how the apple looked, smelled, tasted, felt, and sounded. Then they got to pick their own object and use their senses to describe it. Here are a few!

We also did and adjective sort and adjective search. Here is the adjective sort! The boots have adjectives that describe the noun on the umbrella.

As a culminating activity, we made "Adjective Art". The kids used watercolor to paint a rainy day scene. Here are a few that were drying!

Later, the kids made a list of adjective to describe their art. So much fun with adjectives this week!

To get this complete unit click here!