Life Size Game Board

We we asking to continue playing a learning game during recess!  Well wouldn't you, if you had a GIGANTIC game board in your room?

Check out our Trick Word Board Game!

We start at the beginning on the "start" square.  We roll large foam dice and move that many squares.  We have to read the word in the square we land on.  If we read it correctly we are ready to go for our next turn. If we read in wrong, we lose our next turn.

Some squares had different directions.  If we landed on one of those squares, we had to do what the square said.  Some of these squares said lose a turn. Some gave us a task to do.

At the FINISH square, we had one more special task to complete! 

What a fun game to start off our week after a extra, unexpected long weekend.

Do you have a Writer's Eye?

We are constantly working on using our "writer's eyes" in first grade. What are "writer's eyes" you ask? "When writers write, they are constantly looking to make sure their writing looks right, sounds right, and makes sense. In first grade we are learning different "things" to look for when we are writing.

Here is our ever growing WRITER'S EYES list...
1. Capital letters at the beginning of sentences, for names, and dates.
2. Spaces between our words.
3. End punctuation
4. Stretch out unknown words to hear all the sounds
5. Use our word wall to spell trick words
6. Picture plan should match our writing
7. Use complete sentences
To help us remember ALL of these things when we are writing...

we have a list in our writing folder...

PICTURE COMING SOON

 pictures on the writing wall...

PICTURE COMING SOON

and we get to wear really cool writers eyes on our hands.

Snowball Fight

On Thursday we had so much fun practicing Fundations. Wait for it....we had a snowball fight. How did we have a snowball fight you ask?
Mrs. Wanke gave each of us a piece of paper. Then she gave us a word to spell. We had to write the word on the piece of paper. after we wrote the word, we had to crumble the paper into a ball...a snowball!
When all of us had a snowball we had to stand in the ready position.
Lastly, Mrs. Wanke would say ready, aim, fire! We would throw the snowball across the room. We would then run to find a snowball, open it, and check to make sure the word was spelled correctly inside. Then start all over again with a new word.

 

Ready...

Aim...

Fire!

What a GREAT week back!

Pumpkin Jack

YUCK!

That is the only way to describe our observations of Pumpkin Jack on Day 70!

See for yourself.

We noticed an increase in the amount of water that is inside the container.  Keep in mind, before the pumpkins were placed into the container we only filled it with dirt.  We never added any water!

We noticed mud and a small amount of orange skin left.

We noticed that you could tell where the two pumpkins had been.

Reading Roller Coaster

This is one of our favorite reading activities!

To complete Reading Roller Coaster, you have to go through a variety of obstacles.  Before you can do each obstacle, you have to read a Trick Word.  If you read the word correctly, you get to go through the obstacle. If you read it wrong, you have to go back to the beginning.

If we read the word where correctly...

we got to crawl through the tunnel.

If we read the word there correctly...

we got to try and weave through the crabs without getting pinched.

If we read the word were correctly... 

we had to scoot across the floor like a seal.

If we knew the word they...  

we had to enter the sharks cave and whisper it into his ear.

If we read the word does correctly...  

we got to "harpoon" the whale.

We sure do LOVE Reading Roller Coaster...it is the best way to practice our Trick Words.

Until we meet again....on Tuesday!

I was so excited to see everyone on Monday, but I guess we will have to wait until Tuesday.  We have a fun Minute to Win It assembly scheduled for Tuesday morning.  I can't wait to see what challenges await us!  What a great way to kick start the second semester!
We will also be "toasting" in the new year with a fun art project!


I can't wait for everyone to check out the terrariums we built before break and Pumpkin Jack!  Some amazing changes have happened while we have been away.

We will also try the TickleMe plants again!


Can't wait to start 2014 will my Wonderful Whales!