Classroom Highlights from 2015-2016!
HTePL
June 16, 2016
What a GREAT last couple of weeks we've had in 1st grade!
* We finished building and testing our kites!
* We had our Kite Project Exhibition where we enjoyed flying the kites we made with our families...so fun!!!
* We had our Engineering Exhibition with Mr. Riley where we got to teach our families the
engineering process so we can be engineers at home too!
* We finished off our exploration of the power of wind by going indoor skydiving!!! WOW...so exciting!
* We finished building and testing our kites!
* We had our Kite Project Exhibition where we enjoyed flying the kites we made with our families...so fun!!!
* We had our Engineering Exhibition with Mr. Riley where we got to teach our families the
engineering process so we can be engineers at home too!
* We finished off our exploration of the power of wind by going indoor skydiving!!! WOW...so exciting!
We've had such a wonderful year together and it's hard to believe that it's come to an end already!
I am so very proud of how much each 1st grader has grown this year and honored to have been
a part of that growth!
I wish you all a fun-filled summer and look forward to seeing you around HTe in the next school year!
I am so very proud of how much each 1st grader has grown this year and honored to have been
a part of that growth!
I wish you all a fun-filled summer and look forward to seeing you around HTe in the next school year!
I love you all and will miss you too!
May 27, 2016
The most exciting news in 1st grade is that we raised all the funds needed for our dream trip to iFly! There, we will get to learn more about wind in their STEM workshops and then experience the force of wind first hand as we
go indoor skydiving!!! We are all so very excited for this opportunity and cannot thank everyone enough for the generous donations so we could achieve our goal... we could not have done it without all of your help!! |
First graders have begun to work on their kites! They have been hard at work creating an interesting design for their kite, critiquing with partners to get ideas on how to make their work even better, then making revisions. Next week we will build our kites so they will be ready to fly!
We look forward to flying them with our families at our exhibition on June 9th!!!
May 5, 2016
Here's a little peek into what we've been up to lately...
Word Work
First grade "Word Detectives" have discovered that the -ed added to the end of many words can sound three different ways! They have been reading words with -ed endings and sorting them by listening carefully to see which ending sounds right.
Math Mathematicians are working on strategies to help them add and subtract facts as quickly as possible. Right now we are focused on using "Doubles Facts". These skills will help to prepare them for higher level work that they will encounter in 2nd grade! I am also happy to see that many student have been using the flash cards I recently sent home for practice...I appreciate the support from home! :) |
THANK YOU!!!
I want to send out a BIG heartfelt thank you to all the families that have been spreading the word about our iFly fundraiser! Each day the kids excitedly do a drum roll as we check our total and as of this morning, $1,466 has been donated to the website plus another $130 in cash...that's about 60% of the way to our goal! Please keep sharing and donating...I know we can do it!
April 22, 2016
The big news in 1st grade is that we have just launched our final project for the year! We will be exploring the power of wind and began with a fun afternoon of paper airplane flying! First grade "pilots" were challenged to create two planes, test them out, and then choose the best plane to fly. They flew their planes from the upstairs balcony and then outside at the park. They noticed that the wind and the direction it was blowing had an effect on the way their planes were flying....and so our investigation begins! They were all so excited during this activity and are looking forward to what this project has in store!
March 18, 2016
WOW!!! What a fantastic Exhibition we had Thursday evening! All of the 1st Grade Scientists were extremely excited to share what they have learned about matter at each of their stations. They did such a great job interacting with all of the visitors, even people they did not know...it's so fun to watch their confidence grow! We really appreciate all of you for engaging with the scientists by asking them questions and participating at their stations... by moving around and interacting with different children you are helping all the kids become more independent and confident in their ability to communicate their learning, so thank you!
I am so very proud of all the 1st graders - for their performance at exhibition, for the work they've done throughout the project, for the care they put into completing their Matter Activity Boxes, and especially for their enthusiasm for donating their hard work to kids in need at the Monarch School! Due to their privacy policy, our students were not able to visit and give their Matter Activity Boxes directly to the children at the Monarch School so Ms. Fox, Ms. Leahy, and I took the boxes to the school Friday afternoon. The Donations Coordinator was very impressed with our 1st graders' creations and is excited for their students to receive the boxes after Spring Break! We hope they enjoy playing with them as much as we enjoyed making the activities for them!
This, the empathy piece of this project, is my favorite part but there are many things we were able to explore and learn throughout the project... to name a few:
* we had lots of hands-on science explorations
* we learned new science concepts
* we learned how to follow recipes
* we learned how to write how-tos
* we learned how to write a friendly letter
* we measured ingredients
* we worked collaboratively with partners and small groups
* we used critique to help us make our work even better
* we recorded our observations like scientists
* we made predictions (hypothesis)
* we practiced our presentation/communication skills
This, the empathy piece of this project, is my favorite part but there are many things we were able to explore and learn throughout the project... to name a few:
* we had lots of hands-on science explorations
* we learned new science concepts
* we learned how to follow recipes
* we learned how to write how-tos
* we learned how to write a friendly letter
* we measured ingredients
* we worked collaboratively with partners and small groups
* we used critique to help us make our work even better
* we recorded our observations like scientists
* we made predictions (hypothesis)
* we practiced our presentation/communication skills
Take a look at some pictures from the past couple weeks as we finished up our project!
We all had a great time working on this project and we were able to help out some kids less fortunate than us! What a great way to end our second trimester together! Have a great Spring Break!
February 26, 2016
First graders have been having all kinds of adventures the past couple of weeks at HTe!
In our matter exploration, we have been investigating how we can change matter! First grade scientists learned that when we cool matter, we can change it from a liquid to a solid. Scientists predicted and tested that if we put water into the freezer, it becomes ice. They were then challenged with how to change the ice back into water (and get out a bead frozen in the ice cube). They determined that heating matter
is how we can change it from a solid to a liquid.
In our matter exploration, we have been investigating how we can change matter! First grade scientists learned that when we cool matter, we can change it from a liquid to a solid. Scientists predicted and tested that if we put water into the freezer, it becomes ice. They were then challenged with how to change the ice back into water (and get out a bead frozen in the ice cube). They determined that heating matter
is how we can change it from a solid to a liquid.
We had a 1st Grade Adventure Day at Cuyamaca State Park! What an amazing day! The entire first grade community spent the whole day adventuring in nature. After eating lunch together, students rotated through three activities...a nature scavenger hunt, a hike, and habitat building. First graders had a blast learning about local plants and animals. Ask your first grade adventurer more about seeing a woodpecker, deer footprints, and coyote scat or more about how they built a habitat out of natural materials!
(I hope to gather more pictures soon!)
(I hope to gather more pictures soon!)
As mathematicians, we have been working on place value. We have been counting large quantities more efficiently by making groups of ten and skip counting by tens! We have also been representing numbers through groups of tens and ones.
Our class has also been hard at work with Ms. Araceli preparing for their performing arts exhibition on March 4th! They are so excited to show off their art work and perform their dance...
I can't wait to see it and will look forward to seeing you all there!
I can't wait to see it and will look forward to seeing you all there!
February 11, 2016
First Graders have been busy, busy, busy... here are some highlights from the past two weeks!
*Scientists have mixed solids and liquids together to create play dough...it was squishy and messy and fun!
*They discovered that the amount of liquid in different containers can appear to be different if the shape of the containers are different... so fun to see their amazement at this discovery!
*They observed gases in action with two experiments - "Mentos and Diet Coke" and "Dancing Raisins" ...make sure to ask your scientists what happened during these exciting experiments!
*They also measured and mixed three liquids together to make bubble solution...we needed to work together with our partners!
*Then we tested our bubble solution by adding a gas - air from our lungs!
*We recorded all our observations with pictures and words.
*Readers were introduced to the Magic Tree House series of chapter books ... the class was so excited to hear what would happen next as the characters went on a fun adventure, they begged me to keep reading as each chapter ended! We plan to read the next book soon!
*We taught our 3rd Grade Buddies a new math game... we enjoy building our relationships with them!
*Writers are trying to "paint a picture" for their readers by adding more details to their writing.
*We also did some fun activities to celebrate our 100th day of school ... where has the time gone?!
*Finally, we celebrated Valentines Day with treats and cards for our friends!
*Scientists have mixed solids and liquids together to create play dough...it was squishy and messy and fun!
*They discovered that the amount of liquid in different containers can appear to be different if the shape of the containers are different... so fun to see their amazement at this discovery!
*They observed gases in action with two experiments - "Mentos and Diet Coke" and "Dancing Raisins" ...make sure to ask your scientists what happened during these exciting experiments!
*They also measured and mixed three liquids together to make bubble solution...we needed to work together with our partners!
*Then we tested our bubble solution by adding a gas - air from our lungs!
*We recorded all our observations with pictures and words.
*Readers were introduced to the Magic Tree House series of chapter books ... the class was so excited to hear what would happen next as the characters went on a fun adventure, they begged me to keep reading as each chapter ended! We plan to read the next book soon!
*We taught our 3rd Grade Buddies a new math game... we enjoy building our relationships with them!
*Writers are trying to "paint a picture" for their readers by adding more details to their writing.
*We also did some fun activities to celebrate our 100th day of school ... where has the time gone?!
*Finally, we celebrated Valentines Day with treats and cards for our friends!
Take a look at us in action!
January 29, 2016
Take a peak into some of the work we've been doing lately ...
Our First Grade Scientists have discovered that they will be investigating matter throughout this trimester's project! We have been asking these questions - What is matter? What are the kinds of matter?
And we have begun to discover some important things:
*Anything that takes up space is made of matter.
*If you can touch it, taste it, smell it, or see it, it's matter.
*There are three types of matter - solids, liquids, and gases.
*Solids have there own shape.
*Liquids take the shape of their container.
*Gases spread out and fill their container.
*Solids can be described by their properties - shape, color, size, or texture.
We have been busy observing, identifying , and describing examples of matter in our classroom and around our school. Check out these pictures of scientists at work!
Our First Grade Scientists have discovered that they will be investigating matter throughout this trimester's project! We have been asking these questions - What is matter? What are the kinds of matter?
And we have begun to discover some important things:
*Anything that takes up space is made of matter.
*If you can touch it, taste it, smell it, or see it, it's matter.
*There are three types of matter - solids, liquids, and gases.
*Solids have there own shape.
*Liquids take the shape of their container.
*Gases spread out and fill their container.
*Solids can be described by their properties - shape, color, size, or texture.
We have been busy observing, identifying , and describing examples of matter in our classroom and around our school. Check out these pictures of scientists at work!
Mathematicians have been looking closely at number patterns and have extended their counting to 120.
They have been using different strategies - such as knowing what comes before or next, counting on, or using patterns (ie. the tens place increases as you move down the column but the ones place stays the same) to identify missing numbers and answer these questions: What is 1 less than ___ ? What is 1 more than ___ ? What is 10 less than ___ ? What is 10 more than ___ ? |
You can help us practice this by asking these questions at home too!
January 15, 2016
Over the past two weeks, since returning from Winter Break, our first grader s have been hard at work!
As readers and writers, we are exploring "How-Tos" (procedural writing). They discovered that authors can explain how to do something by naming the materials needed and listing the specific steps in order.
They even wrote their own "How-To" about things they felt confident explaining, like: how to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich, how to make a quesadilla, how to grow a plant, and many more!
They have also been learning about "Magic e" that can appear at the end of words... it is silent and can
often make the vowel 'say it's name' (long vowels).
As mathematicians, we have been exploring different strategies for solving problems where we know the
sum and one addend (5 + ? = 11); problems where we are adding three numbers together (4 + 2 + 4 = ?);
and story problems that have more than one answer (There are 15 fish in a pond. Some are big and some
are small. How many can be big fish? How many can be small fish?). Finding different ways to solve
these problems can be challenging and fun!
As readers and writers, we are exploring "How-Tos" (procedural writing). They discovered that authors can explain how to do something by naming the materials needed and listing the specific steps in order.
They even wrote their own "How-To" about things they felt confident explaining, like: how to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich, how to make a quesadilla, how to grow a plant, and many more!
They have also been learning about "Magic e" that can appear at the end of words... it is silent and can
often make the vowel 'say it's name' (long vowels).
As mathematicians, we have been exploring different strategies for solving problems where we know the
sum and one addend (5 + ? = 11); problems where we are adding three numbers together (4 + 2 + 4 = ?);
and story problems that have more than one answer (There are 15 fish in a pond. Some are big and some
are small. How many can be big fish? How many can be small fish?). Finding different ways to solve
these problems can be challenging and fun!
Finally, all of our first graders were extremely excited to launch our new project! They became scientists, wearing "lab coats" and "observation glasses", and followed the steps to make a strange substance called Oobleck (this is a special mixture of cornstarch and water that acts as a liquid, but when you apply pressure it appears to be a solid)! First grade scientists explored and observed what this cool substance can do as they tried to stir it with a spoon, scoop it in their hands, roll it in a ball, pour it, and make a pancake. Then they wrote, as scientists do, recording their observations in their new science log.
First graders know that they will be scientists for this project, but are not yet sure of what specifically we
will be investigating throughout this trimester. So keep your ears open for more information as we
begin our exploration next week!
First graders know that they will be scientists for this project, but are not yet sure of what specifically we
will be investigating throughout this trimester. So keep your ears open for more information as we
begin our exploration next week!
December 18, 2015
What a great few weeks we have had here in 1st grade! We had so much fun last week exploring engineering concepts for STEAM week...particularly focusing on chain reactions! We enjoyed some
'chain reaction' stories like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and tinkered with the various materials you
all so kindly donated. In the end, we used dominoes, tubes, blocks, and marbles to create our chain reaction!
Once I have the final video from Mr. Riley, I will be happy to pass it along!
'chain reaction' stories like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and tinkered with the various materials you
all so kindly donated. In the end, we used dominoes, tubes, blocks, and marbles to create our chain reaction!
Once I have the final video from Mr. Riley, I will be happy to pass it along!
We have begun to work with Ms. Araceli in Art & Dance class... we are super excited about that!
I can't wait to see what they create with her inspiration and guidance!
Here are a few shots of them using pastels in her class.
I can't wait to see what they create with her inspiration and guidance!
Here are a few shots of them using pastels in her class.
It was also so great to see you all last week for SLCs. I continue to be amazed at the pride and confidence that students are able to talk with about their learning. Thank you all for being such receptive listeners, for celebrating your child's successes, and asking them questions to learn more.
I really enjoyed sitting in on each one!
I really enjoyed sitting in on each one!
November 20, 2015
We had such a fantastic 1st HTe Exhibition!!! It was so great to see all our families and other visitors
enjoying all the hard work kids exhibited, Kinder-5th grade! All of our 1st Grade Health Experts
were so excited to share their healthy plates and workout videos...I hope you all enjoyed seeing
them excitedly and confidently sharing their learning as much as I did!
enjoying all the hard work kids exhibited, Kinder-5th grade! All of our 1st Grade Health Experts
were so excited to share their healthy plates and workout videos...I hope you all enjoyed seeing
them excitedly and confidently sharing their learning as much as I did!
November 6, 2015
First Graders have been so excited about all the work they are doing in our "Healthy Me" project!
They have created several drafts of their own healthy plate with examples of each food group and
portion size. Each draft of their artwork was critiqued with a partner who offered kind, specific, and helpful
suggestions to help make the work better. Then we sent their final drafts off to a company who put
their artwork on a real plate they can make balanced meals on! Now each student has a beautiful
plate with their best artwork on it!
Here are a few pictures of the kids taking a "gallery walk" around the room to admire their
classmates' work and the improvements from draft 1 to the final plates....
They have created several drafts of their own healthy plate with examples of each food group and
portion size. Each draft of their artwork was critiqued with a partner who offered kind, specific, and helpful
suggestions to help make the work better. Then we sent their final drafts off to a company who put
their artwork on a real plate they can make balanced meals on! Now each student has a beautiful
plate with their best artwork on it!
Here are a few pictures of the kids taking a "gallery walk" around the room to admire their
classmates' work and the improvements from draft 1 to the final plates....
Our health experts also experienced a presentation by a professional nutritionist!
She taught us about the difference between whole foods vs. processed foods and more about the
nutrients whole foods provide for our bodies.
First Graders also worked in teams to choreograph a portion of a workout routine, then we put all the parts together to create a complete workout! They had to work together to choose the moves they wanted to use, what order to do them in, and then practice doing their routine as a group. Finally, we videotaped each team in front of a green screen to put together a 1st grade workout DVD that will help us keep our families healthy too! We are super excited to present all out work at our first Exhibition on November 18th!!!
She taught us about the difference between whole foods vs. processed foods and more about the
nutrients whole foods provide for our bodies.
First Graders also worked in teams to choreograph a portion of a workout routine, then we put all the parts together to create a complete workout! They had to work together to choose the moves they wanted to use, what order to do them in, and then practice doing their routine as a group. Finally, we videotaped each team in front of a green screen to put together a 1st grade workout DVD that will help us keep our families healthy too! We are super excited to present all out work at our first Exhibition on November 18th!!!
October 16, 2015
Over the past couple weeks our 1st grade "Healthy Me" experts have been exploring our essential question - "How can we keep our bodies healthy?" We have been learning about the different food groups and how to create a balanced and healthy meal. We've watched videos, read books, and had our own taste tests to help us investigate what kinds of foods make up each food group. Students have recorded their learning in their own food group book, surveyed and graphed favorite foods of their classmates, and completed the first draft of an illustration of their own healthy plate. We also visited Suzie's Farm to see first-hand how some healthy foods grow...picking and tasting some vegetables right from the fields was a lot of fun! First graders have also discovered that healthy eating isn't the only way to keep our bodies healthy...we also need to exercise! So we have begun to explore different ways to move our bodies to keep them healthy - running games, relay races, dance, exercise moves like tuck-jumps and lunges, and hula hooping are a few fun ways we've tried to get our hearts pumping!
Project work is not all that we've been doing...first graders have also been hard at work on other skills too!
Readers are working on their comprehension skills and learning different strategies to help them if they get stuck (ask your kids to tell you about "Eagle Eye", "Lips the Fish", and "Stretchy Snake"). Writers are working on writing longer, more detailed stories and rereading it to make sure it will make sense to the reader. Mathematicians are working on their number sense by comparing and combining numbers. They are discovering that "counting on" is a quicker way to add than "counting all" (for example, counting on for 3+2 would sound like "3, 4, 5", while counting all would sound like "1, 2, 3, 4, 5").
Readers are working on their comprehension skills and learning different strategies to help them if they get stuck (ask your kids to tell you about "Eagle Eye", "Lips the Fish", and "Stretchy Snake"). Writers are working on writing longer, more detailed stories and rereading it to make sure it will make sense to the reader. Mathematicians are working on their number sense by comparing and combining numbers. They are discovering that "counting on" is a quicker way to add than "counting all" (for example, counting on for 3+2 would sound like "3, 4, 5", while counting all would sound like "1, 2, 3, 4, 5").
Finally, students have also come up with behaviors that we will all try to exhibit every day to be positive members of our classroom and school community. These are helping us to be a class who learns together, plays together, and cares about each other! You might want to help us reinforce these behaviors by asking your child what kind of community member they are being. |
September 25, 2015
What a busy couple of weeks we've had in first grade! Take a peek at a few of our main events...
Field TripWe went on our first field trip of the year for our Outdoor Leadership class! We had a great time hiking and exploring Mission Trails with our 3rd grade Buddies... where we saw nests built by wood rats, paw prints in the mud, poison oak, and more!
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CentersWe have begun to work in small groups on centers. These activities provide practice and reinforcement of skills we will be learning throughout the year.
As soon as we are confident in these routines, this will be the time for me to provide small group instruction in reading. This approach is called Guided Reading and will allow me to meet the needs of each individual student. |
CritiqueEach student drew a self portrait, then the practice of critique was introduced to help them make their work even better. After 3-4 drafts, their portraits changed quite a bit and began to
look more realistic! This was just an introduction to critique and drafting... something we will do many times throughout the year. |
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"Healthy Me"
We launched our first project of the year! We will investigate these questions: How can we keep our bodies healthy? How can we help others be healthy too? To kick things off, all of our 1st graders became chefs for the day! They worked together to prepare three different salads...then we enjoyed our creations! It was a lot of fun! |
We look forward to sharing more about this project as it unfolds!
September 4, 2015
First grade has spent the first two weeks of school getting to know each other and our new school, establishing routines and expectations, and making new friends!
The main highlights have been:
*learning how to greet each other during morning meeting with eye contact and a smile!
*exploring our classroom library (a big hit with all the kids!) - I love to see them enjoying books!
*meeting our 3rd grade buddies from Ms. Kucia's class - we will see them weekly to do fun activities together!
*sharing - we are enjoying learning about our new friends as they share items from home!
*creating our hopes and dreams for 1st grade through words and pictures.
*creating "heart words" that we can use to let others know we care about and respect them - I've already heard many of our 1st graders using these words on their own!
*attending our first ever HTe Community Meeting with the entire school!
*doing a fun team-building activity with all 1st graders - we had to hold hands and pass hula hoops around the big circle of 60 kids without letting go of our neighbor's hands...it was challenging and fun!
*helping each other make puzzles and play math games!
*going to Mr. Scott's Outdoor Leadership class - we get to go there twice each week!
We have really gotten off to such a great start together...I can't wait to see what this year brings us!
The main highlights have been:
*learning how to greet each other during morning meeting with eye contact and a smile!
*exploring our classroom library (a big hit with all the kids!) - I love to see them enjoying books!
*meeting our 3rd grade buddies from Ms. Kucia's class - we will see them weekly to do fun activities together!
*sharing - we are enjoying learning about our new friends as they share items from home!
*creating our hopes and dreams for 1st grade through words and pictures.
*creating "heart words" that we can use to let others know we care about and respect them - I've already heard many of our 1st graders using these words on their own!
*attending our first ever HTe Community Meeting with the entire school!
*doing a fun team-building activity with all 1st graders - we had to hold hands and pass hula hoops around the big circle of 60 kids without letting go of our neighbor's hands...it was challenging and fun!
*helping each other make puzzles and play math games!
*going to Mr. Scott's Outdoor Leadership class - we get to go there twice each week!
We have really gotten off to such a great start together...I can't wait to see what this year brings us!