Biography Writings (and a freebie)

Last week the story from our Reading series was a biography of  Ben Franklin.  We learned all about biographies and autobiographies.  Now we are writing a biography of our own about a friend.  First I had the students interview a friend.  (Of course I modeled this first and we had a long discussion about being professional reporters!)  After they completed their interviews, each group had to tell me something new they learned during their interview.  I strategically chose partners so students would learn about someone they might not be BFFs with.  There were a few groans at first, but when they shared what they learned about their partner they were very excited to tell me they found things they had in common!

Click HERE for your copy of the Interview I made.  I used the first grade print lines from a font program I have, but they do not transfer to Google Docs....sorry!

Head on over to my classroom blog to see video of some of the interviews...they tried to be so professional!

Meredith

A Shout Out!

I want to give a Shout Out to Jen R. over at The Teachers' Cauldron.  I fell in love with her Tic-Tac-Toe with Dr. Seuss idea.  It is a fantastic way for students to have fun keeping track of their AR quizzes on Dr. Seuss Books.  Since my school does not have AR, I wanted to use it at my Reading Counts Center. I asked her if she minded if I tweaked it a bit and she DID IT FOR ME.  Wow! I can't wait for my students to see it in March.  Reading Counts is one of their favorite centers.  They will LOVE this!  Go check out her blog.

Meredith

Comparing Numbers Freebie

Kim and I (along with Ann over at Mrs. Greene's Kindergarten Korner) have been hosting a book study for the primary teachers at our school with this WONDERFUL book:

 Kim wrote a grant that purchased the books, some supplies, and paid for each teacher to have a sub for an entire day so we would have time to create Math Stations!!!  Anyway, here is one that I made.  Click on the picture below.  Enjoy!

Meredith

You Know You're a Teacher Linky

Jeannie over at Kindergarten Lifestyle is hosting the funniest linky party! 

The posts are so true (and so entertaining) that I just had to join!  Go visit her for a 

good laugh....or just to make yourself feel better about the little "teachery" things 

you do outside of school!

Meredith

Linky Party

Funky First Grade Fun is hosting a Love Linky Party so I thought I would join.  When I was typing my answers, I realized my loves are not very exciting!

Meredith

iPad and iPod Apps

I use iPads during Reading Centers at the Technology Center.  I use iTouches at Math Stations.  It is just easier for me to keep them separate.  I am lucky enough to have enough equipment to be able to do this.  When I introduced the Technology Center at the beginning of the year, I sat at the center with the kids for the first 2 weeks.  The Technology Center is the table RIGHT BESIDE the Teacher Table, so I can glance over just to check without interrupting my small group.  Of course there were a couple of students who "tested the rules" at the beginning, but after they were sacrificed, I mean made to skip the center the next week, everyone decided following the rules was a good idea!  Missing the Technology Center is devastating to first graders!
My major worry was that the kids would not play the correct apps.  You know..........play a math game during the All Important Uninterrupted Reading Block or be playing Angry Birds when the principal did a walk through!  SOLUTION:  If you hold down an app until it starts flashing, you can move them around.  Just move the apps they are allowed to play to the bottom.  I put them in the order I want them to play. (It is usually a Spelling Test first, then a story, then a phonics game for my group.)  I change them each week.

Okay, I have to admit I happened to do this by accident.  I am not some techie genius.  But it has been a lifesaver!

Here are a few of my favorite Reading Apps.  I used pictures because I think they are easier to find when you get to the app store that way!  Some are free, some are paid for.  My colleague and I registered all of our devices together so we can share apps!

Spelling Test:  This one is GREAT!  You can add your own spelling words.  The kids can email their practice test directly to you or you can just go on the iPad to check them out!  The downside is that if you have more than one iPad, you have to put in the words on each device.  Hint:  Make "name" a spelling word and have the student type in their name. Otherwise you won't know who's test you are looking at!

This is an app from Lakeshore.  Right before Christmas, they had several free apps.  Hopefully they will be creating more.

Cimo Spelling Sound Out
There is one for sight words, too.  This one has games separated by short vowels, long vowels, special vowels, etc.  Perfect for winter!

Memory Matching Game for Sight Words

Spelling

Games

Stories are some of my student's favorites.  They have Tacky, Cat in the Hat, The Mitten, Little Miss Spider, I could go on and on!  There are also a lot of nonfiction ones.  A lot start out with "I like".  There seems to be one of those for every season or topic!  (The snow one below is an example of one.)
Most have a "Read to Me" and "Read by Myself" option as well as games to play.

Meredith

Penguin Unit

Here are a few things my Reading Group did for our Penguin Unit.

Skills Center: Following Written Directions to create a penguin.  The students loved this center!  I had every supply needed (including paper) in its own basket.  This really helped make the center run smoothly.  They are now hanging up and next week we will be adding a penguin fact to their bellies.

Technology Center: Tacky Goes to Camp is a story app for the iPad.  There is an option to listen to the story or to read it by yourself.  I had the students listen first, then read it on their own.

Independent Reading Center:  Students read nonfiction books about penguins.  They wrote a penguin fact on a fish and added it to our Penguin Anchor Chart.  (We made Penguin Anchor Charts on our own at the beginning of the unit as a preview to the unit. Thank you Deanna Jump.)  Next week at this center students will make another Penguin Anchor Chart to show what they learned about penguins.

Listening Center:  Three Cheers for Tacky!  This is the response page that is usually at Listening Center.

Take Home Penguin Project

We have class penguins.  Each student gets a chance to take a penguin home.  Since this is a winter project and we don't want to still be taking them home in May, there are 2 penguins.   A girl for the girls and a boy for the boys.....because we know what would happen if we tried to send home a girl penguin with first grade boys!   I draw names to see who takes the penguin home each night.  Well, thats what the kids think anyway.  Lets just say names are chosen strategically:-).  

The boys vote on the boy penguin name and the girls vote on the girl penguin name.  This year we have Pedro and Penelope.  I thought they were really good choices......but I may have swayed some votes because I did not think Surfboard the Penguin sounded very cute....Shhhh, don't tell!

Each penguin has its own cooler for safe keeping.  And obviously to keep it cold since we live in Florida!  There are 2 penguin books in each cooler.  One is fiction and one is nonfiction.  There is also a letter that explains what is expected during the penguin's visit.  Students are supposed to read one of the books and write about the penguin's adventure on the attached writing paper.  The kids get to keep the penguin for 2 days.  Of course we have a LONG discussion about how to keep the penguins safe when they are at our houses!

This year I am SUPER impressed with the first few adventures.  Penelope got a make over at her first house.  She now has pink accessories and looks like a girl penguin!

Here is a picture and the letters that I send home.  I can't make the letters editable for fear of the clip art police, but it gives you a starting point. Click the letter for the link!  

                   

If you want to see more pictures from my Penguin Unit in action, waddle on over to my class blog First Grade Fun with Miss Gilbert.  

Meredith