ANCHORED IN ELEMENTARY
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Kid Quotes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe

SAILing Back into the Routine

12/1/2017

0 Comments

 
After a week off for Thanksgiving Break, we are sailing right back into the routine and expectations for school. This week we focused on culture and traditions. Read to find out all the things we learned. 
Picture
Over Thanksgiving break I got engaged and I was so excited to share the information with my favorite little 6 and 7 year olds. They were excited and they definitely didn't disappoint in the funny quotes either: 
Me: "I have to go pick up dinner." Student: "For who?" Me: "For Jonathan and I" Student: "WHAT YOU EAT WITH HIM?? ... Well I guess you're getting married so that is okay." (Love the innocence of these sweet kids)
"But I like her last name as it is!" - Boy, 8 (He told his dad who shared with me. I love these kids so much)
Picture
Brainpop Jr. 
  • I've talked about Brainpop before, but I will mention it again because it's so great. The kids love it and I love how it breaks topics down for kids. This week we focused on Comparing Numbers and Winter Holidays. 

Number War
  • ​This week we talked talked about comparing numbers and finding the bigger or smaller number. We reached back to one of my favorite card games, War. The kids played in small groups finding the biggest number. 
Picture
I can compare two numbers.

I can make predictions when I read.

I can write a personal narrative.

I can capitalize proper nouns. 

I can describe traditions my family has. 

I can explore the properties of a material and decide if it is a good material or poor material. 
Picture
With our Social Studies focus on culture, we had so many good stories and fun activities. 
I love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada
  • We started our week off with this book. It was a great way to being the discussion of how our families look different and the way we celebrate or spend time with our families might look different too. 
Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
  • I love, love, love this book. It is about a red crayon that draws in blue. We had a talk about how we look and how we feel on the inside are two different things. And we should be true to who we are. We also wrote: "If I were a color, I would be..." The kids were so into it. My favorite response was: "If I were a color, I would be red because it brings good luck." 
Too Many Talames by Gary Soto
  • We read this book and made inferences and predictions. We also talked about different traditions our families have around the holidays. 
This is Me by Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell
  • ​This is another one of those books that I love, love, love!  We talked about how some people move to different countries and sometimes when they move they can only take a suitcase and leave everything else. We brainstormed some things we would bring with and why we would bring them and wrote about it. The kids were so engaged and loved thinking about what they "couldn't live without"
0 Comments

SAILing on

11/10/2017

0 Comments

 
And we are back into a routine, hopefully, we have had a busy week talking about Landforms and introducing a new unit for science. Enjoy our weekly SAIL below
Picture
We started our new unit of study in science on energy this week, and we were talking about sound energy. We talked about where sounds come from (vibrations) and when we talk where does the sound come from and I got the sweetest response from a student:
"When we talk, sound comes from our heart." - Boy, 6

​
Picture
www.mysteryscience.com
  • This is a great science with amazing hands on lessons for the students. 
  • Perk: Lessons are self directed and students love them! Check out our class thunderstorm here.
Bob Books App
  • An interactive app that helps emergent readers. The book breaks down words and had students build words. 
  • Perk: the free version has a good number of stories, but the paid version gives you access to the Bob Book library. 
Picture
I can determine the sum of three addends.

I can retell a story and read with expression. 

I can write a personal narrative. 

I can tell how landforms affect how we live. 

I can begin to understand and communicate the importance of sound energy.
Picture
​Andrea Beaty is back with a new classic: Rosie Revere, Engineer. I love this book because it is about a little girl who loves to solve problems and design gadgets for her family members. Little Rosie learned what it means to be an engineer and how you keep trying until you solve the problem then keep improving. An engineer's job is never finished.
Plus it showed some of my little girls that girls can be engineers too! Yay girl power! 
Check out this awesome book here.  
0 Comments

Back to SAILing

11/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Hey y'all! It's been a while I know. The month of October was filled with conferences, 3 day weeks, Halloween and meetings galore! I guess you can say it was some "rough waters" but I have my "sea legs back" and I'm ready for some "SAILing." Cheesy, I know but hey, I teach first grade and they love it. 
Picture

"Ms. Kirkman, I think your face looks kinda cute" - Boy, age 6

This week our first grade class had a guest reader, a former first grade student (who is now a third grader) and upon arriving to my class he informed us that: "I'm filthy rich in Bobcat Bucks and I am only here cause I needed to spend some." #thxkid 
Picture
www.abcya.com - Number Ninja
  • Students identify and slice through and even or odd number
  • Perk: free for everyone
www.getepic.com - Little Pigs Read Alouds
  • Students read and compare different stories about the Three Little Pigs. 
  • Perk: free for teachers to create student profiles. 

Picture
I can determine if a number is even or odd.

I can tell the plot of a story.

I can write a descriptive paragraph.

I can identify and explain symbols for my country and my state. 

I can use the Engineer Design Process to solve a problem. 
Picture
Wow! Who knew there were so many versions of the Three Little Pigs and we read them all:
  • The Three Little Pigs  by James Marshall
  • The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
  • The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
  • The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Mararet McNamara & Mark Fearing 
  • The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
0 Comments

SAIL through Johnny Appleseed Week

9/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Wow! What a week! We had so much fun studying and learning about Johnny Appleseed and how he showed good citizenship! Between reading stories, walking barefoot and hunting for appleseeds, our first graders loved every minute of this week! (Which is why I do these crazy things) 
Picture
Okay. So I am going to jump back to last Friday. So technically not this week, but it's too good not to share. Last week we studied the Constitution and wrote our own class constitution. It turned out so well! Check it out here: 
Picture
Picture
www.jr.brainpop.com - Johnny Appleseed
  •  Why I love it?  - BrainPop is fun for my kids and it does a great job of teaching students about different grade level topics. They have quizzes, activities, and "notebook" to help students take notes. Plus this generation really loves to watch videos. 
  • Why the kids love it? - Annie and Moby are funny and are just like them (except Moby is a robot.) They love the visual and how Annie and Moby always leave us laughing. 
Picture
I can use addition and subtraction to solve problems with missing parts.

I can identify the author’s purpose.

I can make my writing more entertaining by using adjectives.

I can share examples of good citizenship.

I can make observations and record data
Picture
Pretty much all things Johnny and Apples! Some of my favorites:
Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd 

Johnny Appleseed: My Story by David L Harrison

​
The Story of Johnny Appleseed By Aliki

Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell

The Biggest Apple Ever By Steven Kroll

Check out these hardworking Appleseeds! 

0 Comments

Sailing out on Week 5

9/19/2017

0 Comments

 
We started so many fun things this week! Between guided reading tables and learning about scientist, we had a great time. Check out this week's SAIL to get a little insight to first grade. 
Picture

The moment I realized I tell too many stories about my dogs: 
Me to my small group: "Do you want to hear a funny story about my night?"
Student whispers* to his friend: "Bet it's about one of her dogs." 

Yep.. apparently they don't think my dogs are as cool and funny as I do. 
Picture
www.abcya.com - Math Facts Shoot Out 
This is a great game to play to practice math facts of all levels. The game makes the problems harder for the students as they go on. 
www.getepic.com 
​I love this site because students get to explore new books and I get to see what they are reading and how long they are reading each book. I can also attach quizzes to books and assign them to students to check in with their comprehension. Students can use this site at home too. They can get the iPad/Phone app or use it on their computers! Best of all? It is free for teachers!
Picture
I can choose a strategy to use when solving a subtraction problem.

I can tell the plot of a story.

I can tell who makes the rules in my home, school, and community.

I can communicate my ideas through writing. 

I can explore how scientist learn about the world. 
Picture
This week we really got to dive into the world of science. We get to study what scientist do, what tools they use and how they make observations. Last summer my amazing teammate, Whitney, found these cute book series by Andrea Beaty about scientist and engineers. Ada Twist, Scientist is an adorable book about a little girl who wants to be a scientist. She ask questions, she does experiments and she show use what it is like to be a scientist. (Plus it rhymes and we all know how much I love rhyming books.) 
Check out Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty here. 
0 Comments

Weekly SAIL

9/15/2017

0 Comments

 
My weekly SAIL will give you an insight to the world of first grade and my classroom. Each letter with walk you through our week. Come SAIL with me! 
Picture
This week I caught the "Back to School Cold" and lost my voice. It's been an adventure especially with giving the CogAT exam. But thankfully, I did get some great kid quotes out of the experience. My favorites?
"Don't worry, if you lose your voice. I'll take over. It's my job as the class clown"
"I like your new voice. You should keep it."
Me - "I have to rest my vocal cords." Student - "I don't do that much"



Picture
 With our math focus on subtraction some of our favorite sites have been:
www.abcya.com - Ballon Pop
www.​mathplayground.com - Sailboat Subtract
Games: 
Number Line ChaCha - students move counters up & down a number line to practice using a number line.
Smash It Subtraction - students set up and smash play dough to solve subtraction problems.
Picture
​
I can use many strategies to subtract.

I can sequence the events in a story.

I can tell the difference between rights and responsibilities.

I can organize my ideas and make a plan. 

I can explain how to keep my body healthy and safe. 

Picture

​This past few weeks we have been talking about citizenship and what it means to be a "good citizen." I love weeks like this because it sets up expectations for being a "good citizen" in the classroom too. Last year, I found Are Pirates Polite? by Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig and it is a the perfect book to match my nautical classroom. This book has rhyming, goofy pictures and comes up with a great list of manners for life and the classroom. My students love it and I do too! 
0 Comments

Healthy Me!

9/6/2017

1 Comment

 
One of our first science units is learning about how to be healthy. We talk about germs, how to take care of our teeth, how to exercise, and food groups. If you're thinking "Wow, that's a lot!" Well, you're not alone. It is a lot of information to cover in 3 weeks, but with the help of our Healthy Me Dolls, we are able to cover all the content in no time! Here's how: 
First we start with our blank Healthy Me Dolls: 
Picture
We add details to make our Healthy Me dolls unique. During this time we are also talking about being unique, so we make our Healthy Me dolls look unique to us and decorate shirts with what we like/love! 
Picture
Next, we talk about germs. As the students came back from PE, I gave them a small squirt of hand sanitizer with glitter and told them to rub it in and go. It doesn't take long for students to notice the blue dots all over their hands, desks, pencils, water bottles, etc. I tell the student that instead of glitter, imagine that the blue dots are germs. Look how easy the spread and they are everywhere! So what can we do to prevent germs? Where do they grow? Thanks to a cartoon on Discovery Education, we learn that germs grow in warm, wet places. Germs are everywhere but we can stay healthy by washing our hands! To finish, we add the germ on our Healthy Me doll. 
Picture
Next up: Teeth. After we learn about germs growing in warm, wet places, we move to our mouths... a warm, wet place! Teeth are so important as my first graders say, "without them you'd have to eat baby food and we aren't babies." How do we keep protect our teeth from germs? That's where the Crest Dental Protectors come in. 3 steps: 1. Brush twice a day 2. Floss 3. Use mouthwash. And of course, eating healthy foods keeps your teeth nice and strong. To finish off our day, we write one way we take care of our teeth and add it to our Healthy Me doll. 
Picture
Now that we talked about germs and teeth, now we're on to exercise. I have my students close their eyes and imagine if they sat in front of the TV forever and never got up to go outside or move  or even go to bed. I have them think about what they would look like and how they would feel. I tell them to imagine the scene in Wall-E where the people have to stand up from their chairs after a long time. We talk about why those characters struggle, why is important to move? After making a list of ways we exercise, we added our legs. 
Picture
Finally, we are on to food groups. With food groups, we start with what we know about healthy foods, what kinds of foods are healthy, why are healthy food important. I call on my good friends Annie and Moby at BrainPop Jr. to help me show the food groups. We built our bellies full of our healthy foods.
Picture
Finally our Healthy Me Dolls are done! Look at some of our final products.
1 Comment
    Picture

    Author

    A first grade teacher sharing the adventure. 

    Blogs to Check out:

    Twitter

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Kid Quotes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe