First Grade News: Our Famous Americans revealed

The big reveal took place this week!!! I'm sure you all have heard about your child's famous American. The students are excited about the American they were assigned and we are anxious to see the information they share with the class. We did have a morning this week in Integrated Language where we helped the students explore their folders with all the information on their famous American in it.

We spent time looking for information on birthplace, education, and interesting facts. We were so impressed with their ability to follow the steps in creating this rough outline.

The process from this outline is to write a report and then copy that in their best handwriting at home over the course of a week. All the research work will be done at school.

The American symbols are talked about in class. I know there are loads of conversations happening at home stimulated by this new unit.

A computer game your child might enjoy from looking at Food Chains in Science is: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm

Another fun website we use in computer lab is http://www.primarygames.org/ They can go to Independence Day and pull up their favorite puzzle to solve or Math subtraction problem.

In Math we have explored fact families. An example is 8,9,17 8+9 =17 ;9+8=17; 17-9=8; 17-8=9 The daily calendar involves so much more than just putting up the dates and days of the week. We talk about math equations we can make out of our numbers, number order, coins to match the date, and whether we have growing patterns or repeating patterns in the pictures before we turn them over.

Number Scrolls in Math. We love it!!!!

A simple paper toy spins through the classroom and on recess like a helicopter! We made Roto-copters today. They learned about inventions. An extra one came home today for the students to have fun with.