Author Study!

First we chose authors we wanted to study and then we began reading lots of books by that author.  We worked with a partner.

Next we began noticing similarities and differences between the authors books.

We used a Venn Diagram to compare two of our authors books.

Then we began to research our authors.  We looked at book jackets and covers of books.  We went to our authors websites to read more about our authors.  

Here is a list of the authors we studied:

• Steven Kellog
• Don and Audrey Wood
• Tedd Arnold
• Kevin Henkes
• Nancy Carlson
• Marla Frazee
• Ezra Jack Keets
• Eric Carle
• Mem Fox
• Robert Munch

 Our in-house illustrator Carter took things one step further.  He studied how Eric Carle uses tissue paper to create his drawings and he created this caterpillar at home using the same process.  We are proud of his work!

Spring Climbing 2013

I am always so proud of my crew children as I watch them take on climbing challenges with a new sense of confidence come April.
They make me tear up as they cheer each other on to new heights!
Soon we will take our climbing talents outside on our trip to Castlewood Canyon!

Winter Voyage 2013

Camp Elim in the winter!  What fun...especially the sledding!

Readers are Thinkers...1st Grade Book Clubs!

Check us out...marking the text, taking turns sharing our thoughts,  questions,  and connections.  And having a ball doing it!

This is our first round of book clubs.  Many of us chose rich picture books that I had read to the crew.  Some of us chose to share a chapter book together, like Frog and Toad.  

After watching book clubs done in a fishbowl fashion last month, the children knew what they looked like and how they sounded. 
This really helped them give it a go on their own.  

One day they will be great additions to adult book clubs!

I'm so proud of my readers!

Book Clubs!

Yes!  First graders can do book clubs!  Today we welcomed Ms. Deborah, Ms. Dana, Mr. Bill and Ms. Josie into our room to model book clubs in a fishbowl manner.  We watched and listened to them share the book Strega Nona.  

Book clubs incorporate many 21st Century skills:
Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking.  

 It was great to have a male reader with us!

 Ms. Josie is Italian which led to great connections

 with Strega Nona!

 Laughing is a great part of book clubs!  We learn that reading can be fun!

 We are learning to mark the text with sticky notes, writing down our questions, wonderings, connections and inferences.

Using our crew microphone really helped each of us hear and focus on the speaker.

 After the fishbowl some of us were able to try out book clubs on our own.  Next week everyone will have a chance to get involved.

Asian Market and Dim Sum Restaurant Fieldwork

What joy it was to see the children discovering a world outside of Castle Rock...New foods, smells, and tastes!
One of the highlights was certainly the full-size pig waiting to be roasted.  Oh my!  They were captivated...
We have really learned so much about China.

So much learning going on...and fun too!

Ms. Mary Beth's crew was busy with lots of learning this week.

In Expedition we practiced using chopsticks.  Tricky! We will have the option of using forks at the restaurant on Friday!

We also created water color paintings about China.
Check them out when you have a chance to come by.  They are hanging up across the windows.  Dragons, red hung bao envelopes, mountains, Chinese characters and more decorated the pages.

Below you can see the learning that went on during Math Explorations this week.  We explored measuring the area of a surface, using a pan balance to weigh items of different sizes and weights, and finding efficient ways to count a large number of colored discs.  

Wow! We thought more meant heavier!  But we realized that even one item could weigh more than many things!

 Figuring out the area of a white board using dominoes...
Does it matter which way they are turned?

Discovering that counting by piles of 10 was a smart idea!

Creating, exploring, discovering.  21st Century skills!