Mrs Wanke's Top 5

This week we sure had some fun!  Here are my Top 5 things from this week,

April showers bring May flowers!

We were lean mean roping machines! 

We had fun learning to use a lasso as we wrapped up our Tall Tales unit. We had to try and also a cow, a goat, and a tornado.  If we lassoed the cow, we had to write a "noo" word. (That was my attempt at humor.)  If we lassoed the old goat, we had to write an old word.  Lastly, if we lassoed the tricky tornado, we had to write a trick word. 

I scream you scream, we ALL scream for ice cream!

Sing, sing a song...

I was so proud of all the first graders on Tuesday when they sang for 1st Congressional Church.

Who's going to second grade?

We are going to start a persuasive writing next week! 

Students will plan and write a persuasive essay/speech about why they should go to second grade.  After they have written their essay, they will take it home for fine tuning and to practice giving their speech. On a given day, TBA, your child will give their argument to the judge, that's me!  I will decide if I believe their argument.  ;)  

This should be a lot of fun!

Today was the photo shoot.  These pictures will be attached to your child completed essay and hung in the hallway.

WOW, what a week!

What a jam packed, super fun week back!  

We started off our week after spring break with an exciting Tall Tales unit! We read 4 Tall Tales featuring Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, Mike Fink, and John Henry.  We took a break for our regular Daily 5 tasks, and had 8 different tall tale themed tasks to complete during the week.

Books ready to be read.

ABC order task 1 station. You can see our tables were transformed as well.

Writing station was transformed with a little burlap for task 7.

Digging through chicken feed for synonyms at task 5.

Tall tales even found their way into our guided math stations this week!

Differentiated math group activities to go along with our Tall Tales unit. 

Pecos Place Value

Students pulled a card out of the bucket.

On the recording sheet, students would write the number.  Then, they would circle ones, tens, or hundreds, according to what their card said.  Then they would write the number that was in that place.

Sometimes students would pull a lasso and expand card.

On the backside of the recording sheet, students would write the number, draw the tens and ones, then write it in expanded form.

Lasso and Expand

Each student got a 3 in a cube dice.   Students would make a three digit number and record it on the recording sheet.

Student would then draw the number in base ten blocks, and then write it in expanded form.

This was done with my groups that understand place value and need reinforcement of the skill.

Slue-Foot Sue Subtraction

Students would pull two dominoes from a cowboy boot.  Students would use the dominoes to make 2 two-digit numbers and write a subtraction equation on the recording sheet.

Students would build the top/largest number on the place value mat to model the problem and borrow if needed.  Then they would record the answer on the recording sheet.

Science is one of my very favorite subjects to teach...next to reading. :) 

We started a force and motion unit this week. Lesson one this week introduced the concept of force.  A force is a push or a pull that may make something move.

Students used two pencils, a rubber band, and a marble to make a sort of sling shot.  Two students held the pencils and one student pulled back the rubber band.  

Students pulled the rubber band back a little and a lot. 

We recorded our observations.

On Friday we had....

Today we were privileged to have the NED show come to our school.  The NED show is a high energy, high excitement show that helps kids learn how to be champions at school.  The presenter was A-MAZ-ING!  The website even offers resources for parents.

Wow...I am exhausted after this awesome week...but it is a good exhaustion.  I can't wait for next week. 

The Elusive Lirpaloof Bird

Today, we read the following article about the Lirpaloof bird.

We studied this fascinating creature.  We went back into the text to learn about it's beautiful color so that we could spot this bird.  We went back and learned that bird ate seeds, small insects and carrots. In fact it is the carrots that gives the bird it's orange color.  In our extensive reading, we learned that this bird is easily frightened, so we must not make sudden movements and must sing it's name.

Here is the video of us trying to attract the Lirpaloof bird.

We called and called the bird.  We looked high in the tree, since that is where they like to live.  Then, Mrs. Wanke said she noticed something about the birds unusual name.  She wrote the name Lirpaloof.  She showed use that lirpa is APRIL spelled backward and loof is FOOL spelt backward!

We were not impressed!  She sure got us good!