Word Study: Using Rimes

Earlier this week, we re-read the poem But Then by Aileen Fisher and listened for rhyming words.  Then we looked for the rime used to spell each set of words.  Next, we thought of other words we could spell using each rime.  Here's what it looked like:

Recycle for Education Contest Entry

My Grade 1 class decided they'd like to enter the Staples Recycle for Education contest.  They brainstormed things that our school and classroom do to help the environment and wrote their entry today.    Students took turns coming up with the sentence ideas and took turns writing.  Some highlights they pointed our were our school's recycling program and the effort our class has made this year to help animals, including their cookie fundraiser which raised enough money to adopt 7 polar bears. 

Earlier this school year, students worked with our partner classroom, the OLCS Kinders, to come up with ideas to help the earth and make a difference in the world.  I have documented their work with co-author Devon Caldwell at our blog.  You can read about the Grade 1s cookie fundraiser here, including information on their grocery shopping trip, cookie baking with volunteers, adoption application and the arrival of their adoption kits. 

Daily 5 Math: Tracker Sheet

This week I designed my tracker sheet to help me monitor which Daily 5 activities students have completed throughout the week.  You can download the editable Excel file here or the ready to print PDF file here.

Explanatory Text: How do we hear?

Our shared writing from this morning:

Explanatory Text: What are the parts of the nose?

We've been reading lots of different explanatory texts that explain things and answer questions.  We also have been learning about our senses. Today, we found information to write our own explanatory text about the nose. 

Math Game: 100 Chart Tic Tac Toe

Materials:
*deck of cards with 10-K removed
*100 chart board
*bingo chips or other markers for each player

How to Play:
The first player selects two cards and covers the 2-digit numbers that can be made with the numbers on the cards.  For example, drawing a 5 and a 3 would mean the player could make 53 and 35 and cover them on the board. 

The second player follows the same steps.

Players continue to take turns until a winner is determined.  The winner is the first person to have 3 numbers covered in a row.

Variations:
*play 4 in a row

Daily 5 Math

I read The Daily 5 by Joan Moser & Gail Boushey this summer and my students and I have really enjoyed using their ideas in our classroom.  After working on Daily 5 literacy since September, we are starting Daily 5 math!  After an inspiring grade group meeting/sharing day in my school division, I finally had an idea of how Daily 5 math would look in my own classroom.  Our divisional consultant shared many ideas for guided math, including this guided math video by Nicki Newton. 

Last week, I worked with students to develop an anchor chart for the Daily 5 math expectations.  Then we started with two choices for Daily 5 Math - Math with Technology and Math with a Partner.  These were the first two options I introduced because they both included activities we have been doing regularly for math centers. Students already had developed stamina for these activities and were familiar with my expectations for them. 

Math with Technology
Students select online math games & activities from our Symbaloo home page, which allows them to easily find games I've introduced before and explore appropriate websites for new games to try.  They independently practice math skills such as addition, subtraction, measurement by comparison and problem solving.  Expectations have been set that we must choose a game that involves math, ensure the content is school-appropriate and make sure the game is a "good fit" - not too easy or too hard.

Math with a Partner
Students find a partner and choose a math game from a selection of games we have already learned how to play.  I have the gameboards and other materials in tubs where students can easily get them out and put them away.  Students can switch games at the completion of a game or choose to play again if time remains in that Daily 5 slot

Math Practice was introduced as a third Daily 5 math choice today.  I created booklets of practice activities for each student and we agreed upon the expectations for this Daily 5 choice.  We decided that it was important to use pencil and to remove sheets from the booklet to hand in only when both sides were complete.  We also talked about what to do if a student could not read the directions independently and decided that we'd try asking a friend (and a 2nd friend if needed) then choose a different page if still "stuck".  We agreed that students could come to me after I was done working with my small group to get help with instructions so that they could complete that activity at another time. Our first practice today went very well  :)

Since my students were already really good at Daily 5 for literacy, they are doing great with Daily 5 math and I looking forward to having more time to work with small groups of students on important math concepts!  Next up will be introducing more of the 5 choices & ensuring students are able to practice independently while I teach others...