Christmas Marshmallow Graph/Addition

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 1 comment
Here is an activity we will be doing next week that involves graphing and addition. 
I bought these 2 different bags of marshmallows and put them into individual baggies for each child.


And made this graph to go with it.:




Grab yourself a copy and have fun!

Gingerbread Writing and Words with Multiple Meanings

Monday, November 28, 2011 1 comment

Gingerbread Writing:
Use prepositions/prepositional phrases to tell where the gingerbread boy/girl is located.



You can get a copy of the handwriting paper HERE
Last year I found some cute and colorful gingerbread men stickers for students to stick on their picture.  I couldn't find them this year but did run across these at Mardel's:

And,
This week we are working on words with multiple meanings.



  (This last one cracks me up - His sentence reads "My daughter hit that ball with that bat."  He is 6 years old so I don't know why he chose to write "My daughter".)

I made these into student booklets by stapling together the title page and 5 copies of the recording sheet. 

The students are doing one page a day this week for their morning work. 


You could also use this for an antonyms, synonyms, homophones, etc.   
When you get your copy, I included a title page for an anotnym book and a synonym book.
You can grab a copy HERE

Gingerbread Venn Diagram Freebie

Monday, November 21, 2011 1 comment
I did this Venn Diagram with my students last year and will be using it again this year.  I actually use it as a center activity.


You can snag your free copy HERE!



I have had a request for my "Thinking Activities" I have in my TpT store using different themes so I created "Gingerbread Thinking Activities".  Here is brief explanation and preview.  Students read clues using different attributes to figure out which gingerbread man.  There are activities for whole group, small group, centers, and independent practice.  You could also use the same pictures to teach sorting objects according to specific attributes having children list/tell the sorting rules they used.                                      


You can pick up a copy of these activities for $2 in my TpT store.
Click on the following link:

I am currently working on similiar projects using a Christmas tree and snowman theme.  If you have any themes you would like to request, I am open for suggestions.

Thanksgiving Art

Monday, November 14, 2011 No comments



I have lots of art to show on this post and in case you are wondering, no, we do not do art all day.  I have 5 centers set up in my room and one of them is the art center.  Students visit that center once a week.  So, to explain, we made the Indian the first week of November, the Pilgrim boy/girl the second week of November, and this week, students are working on a turkey.

Indian (body is made from a small lunch sack and each lunch sack will make two):


Pilgrim boy/girl:



Paper plate turkey:
This would look really cute painted and if I did this whole group, we would paint them.  Since it is a center, we don't have time for paint to dry.


I loved the writing that Mrs. Carroll did with her class at The First Grade Parade so I had to do it with my class. 
The students had to write:  I have a ____ but a pilgrim boy/girl did not.  They really turned out cute.



Then one of my wonderful coworkers found a cute turkey activity on Pinterest so we did this little art project for homework.
(we sent a feather home with each child and they were told to decorate it any way that they wanted and then we placed them on our class turkey)



Native American Homes

Monday, November 7, 2011 No comments
Are you familiar with these books?
I love to use some of these drawing lessons with
themes we are studying. 
I used the "Draw Write Now Book 3" to incorporate lessons
 on Native American Homes.


We have been learning about the different types of homes that Native Americans lived in, focusing on those that lived in North America.  (Most of my first graders thought Native Americans only lived in tepees because that is what they are familiar with.)


We learned that Plains Indians lived in tepees.

 Indians of the Northwest Coast lived in plank houses.


 Indians of the Southwest lived in adobe houses.

Woodland Indians lived in longhouses.
By the way, there is a great video on United Streaming that actually takes you on a tour inside a longhouse.

And Indians of the Southeast lived in wigwams.
(And even though this picture was saved on my computer in the upright position, everytime I uploaded it to my blog, it turned it sideways.  Sorry - don't know what I'm doing wrong.  The others worked just fine. GRRRRR)



.

My New Blog Design

Thursday, November 3, 2011 No comments
I am super duper excited about my new blog design.  I ♥ it! 
Jen over at Finally in First  and  Dream Team Designs designed it for me using a scrap kit that I picked out (Fly Lady Bug by Artgal). 
Jen used her expertise and put it all together in a creative, super cute way and it turned out better than I expected!  I am such a lucky gal to find these creative people!  I ♥ my blog!