First graders in eLc have been learning the differences between facts and opinions. We have written several persuasive pieces using our opinions and reasons to support our opinions. After writing several pieces, each student chose his/her best one to conduct a self assessment. Did I have an opinion statement? Did I give at least two reasons for my opinion? Do I have capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and punctuation at the end of each one?
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Last week we concluded our unit on writing personal narratives. We have learned so much since the beginning of the year! Our stories started off being about broad topics that were hard for us to do a thorough job providing the exciting details. We learned to narrow our topics down to a "small moment" so that we could write enough detail that enabled our readers to make a mental image of what was happening in our stories. Next, we helped our stories come to life by making them talk and move in our words and illustrations. Finally, using several mentor texts, we learned to emulate some author's craft moves, such as using ellipses to build suspense, using "pop-out" words for emphasis, and writing exact actions for the characters. We celebrated by sharing our very best work with each other!
Last week we visited Saluda Shoals to learn about trees through some hands-on experiences. Students learned how to look for signs of insects on tree bark using a magnifying glass, how to determine the age of a tree by counting its rings, and made leaf rubbings from different types of tree leaves. We categorized the different purposes for trees, whether as animal homes, for human recreation, or in man-made products. We had an exciting nature walk during which our expert guide educated us on the various trees and plants that grow there.
We have had a terrific first week getting to know each other and learning the first grade routines. The first day we talked about how we use our brains to think. Sometimes we have to find one right answer, and sometimes our questions have more than one right answer. Each student was challenged to use his/her Play-doh to make something. Then, they were challenged to think about a way to change something and make it into something new. The students used their brains to keep thinking of new ideas and new solutions, just like they will as they learn!
Our students will be participating in our first annual Rocket Run as a fundraiser and a culminating activity for our school year! Some of the activities include a fun run, the Chicken Dance, and the Limbo! We would like for EVERYONE to participate so that it will be extra fun!
* The participation fee is only $2! * Students may collect additional donations to support their running and our school! If your child collects $10 or more, he/she will receive a water bottle! * Students collecting $50 or more will be able to throw water balloons at Dr. Steck, Mrs. Luthren, Mr. Dickey, Coach Mills and Coach Hoover! Please complete the flyer that is coming home in Friday's Family Folder and send in your $2 by next Friday! The students have been working very hard on creating realistic fiction in the past few weeks! They started by making up characters and imagining an adventure they could have. Of course, the adventure had to involve some sort of problem for the character, and then the students had to come up with a solution for the story. We read several realistic fiction books with the eyes of writers, looking for ways the authors constructed their stories. Some of us have been practicing starting our stories with dialogue 'hooks" - having the character say something to get the reader's attention! After we had written for several days, the students got together to share what they had written. Our classmates were able to ask questions and make suggestions for changes if something wasn't clear in the stories.
Over the past few weeks, we have learned about measurement through a project simulation of a community pool. The students brainstormed what would be needed in a community pool and what information they needed to know in order to design the pool. Next, we needed to work on individual 2-D models before we could design our class 3-D model. Students were familiar with the terms "2-D" and "3-D", but weren't sure what the differences were. We measured everything we put in our designs to make sure they were of an appropriate size. We learned how to measure the perimeter of the pool so that we could put a fence around it! The students really had some great ideas and learned a lot about the importance of accurate measurement!
What a wonderful day we had celebrating the 100th day of school! We started the day thinking about when 100 of something is a lot, and when 100 of something is NOT a lot. Here are some of our ideas:
We discovered after generating these lists that we disagreed on some things. Some said 100 ants was not a lot, because they were tiny animals. Others said that if you had 100 ants on your foot, that would be A LOT! We enjoyed using our REASONING SKILLS to convince others of our OPINIONS!
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Mrs. LaFitte's First Grade eLc
Stay current on all of the exciting learning taking place in our class at Forest Lake Elementary! Archives
February 2017
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