Monday, March 4, 2013

"How To" Writing

We have been learning how to compose "how to" writing pieces to tell the sequence of how to complete a task.  We practiced writing together after experimenting with "how to" blow a bubble gum bubble.  Students really enjoyed this activity, and our writing turned out fantastic! 


It took some of us several tries before we were able to blow a bubble.  Some students had never tried to blow a bubble gum bubble before.  We enjoyed this first together!

Students implemented different techniques to blow bubbles, and sometimes the bubbles popped before we could snap a photograph. {grin}

There was quite a lot of giggling happening in our classroom during writing today!  We really have fun when we learn.



We update our writing constantly in the hallway outside our classroom.  Please stop by and check it out sometime!

Friday, March 1, 2013

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday today while participating in Read Across America. We read several Dr. Seuss classics including; The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, Green Eggs and Ham, and My Many Colored Days.


Upon reading all of these today one student asked, "Ms. Wilson, is your tongue twisted?" It sure felt like it, but we all had fun!

NASA Camp

We've spent the week as engineers! Students were engaged in activities that explored balance, motion, and magnetism. They have really enjoyed themselves, and the teachers sure have had fun along with them!

Betsy designed a magnetic car that moved with the magnitism of a paperclip.  We were impressd with her exploration of magnets.  She was very proud of her moving car!


Here are a few photos of students designing roller coaster tracks and preforming trial runs. We simulated roller coaster tracks using pool noodles and a coaster car using a marble.



 
Friday was by far the favorite day as we designed, tested, and shared our marshmallow catapults. We even had many students who accurately hit our target! We used simple materials to design our catapults: a rubberband, one plastic spoon, and geoblocks. 


Students were able to make their own decisions about which block to use (some tried a block and later switched it for something different).  They used the materials to design a catapult all of their own.  We were all different in our execution of the catapult. 




Of course, we had to test our designs with a real target.  The class acted as the audience while each student tried testing out their design. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Dental Health

We read a story this week and collected data on dental health in honor of Dental Health Month.


Students collected data on how often we should brush our teeth daily, and recorded their responses. Then, we researched healthy teeth and revisited our data. We concluded that we should be brushing our teeth at least 2-3 times each day.



We discussed how to keep our teeth clean using a toothbrush and toothpaste during a classroom experiment. We learned that if you don't use toothpaste when brushing you may leave behind bacteria that could lead to staining our teeth.



We really enjoy experiments in first grade!

Friday, February 15, 2013

I mustache you a question.

How much fun did you have celebrating Valentine's Day?






We had a blast!!

We all wanted to show off our mustaches on the blog.  We hope you enjoy our silliness as much as we did yesterday!

   


Thursday, February 14, 2013

My Instructional Coach Rocks!

Teachers are fortunate in Henderson County to have Instructional Coaches. Coaches mentor teachers in their beginning years of teaching. This will be my last year with an instructional coach. {Frown} Mary is my coach, and I am so grateful for her support!

Mary surprised me today with a Starbucks coffee because she knew I wasn't feeling well. Awesome, right?

Thank you, Mary- you're the best!

I'm so glad you were here for Valentine's Day!


Mary Phillips and Ms. Wilson

Ms. Pace, Mary Phillips, Ms. Wilson

We have such a great time together with our students!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

IME

During IME we are working on many different literacy skills including vocabulary/ESL, writing, guided reading, fluency, and phonics.  My group works on both guided reading and writing activities to help us improve.

This week, in my group, we are composing books about ourselves by borrowing words from our reading book entitled, All About You!