Tropical Island Day

Well the long stand PES tradition continued and successfully scared away our winter blues!

We started the day with some tropical inspired snacks, watched the movie Lilo and Stitch, and Hula Danced.

Then we went to the cafeteria and hunted for math fact sunglasses. Thanks Mrs. Laue for this great activity.

When we finished with our math facts, we went and Hula Hooped in Mrs. Laue's room. Mrs. Wanke, Mrs. Laue, and Mrs. Brockway all tried hula hooping, if you can call it that.

No Tropical Island day would be complete without surfing pictures. Don't we look silly!

Honest Abe

We started off reading the book Abraham Lincoln by Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt. We learned so much about Abe Lincoln from the time he was a little boy to the present day.

After reading the book, we made a list of all that we learned about our 16th president.

One of the things we learned about Abe Lincoln, was the he was tall, really tall, 6 feet 4 inches tall!  We compared our height to Abe Lincolns!  Boy he sure was tall!

100th Day of School

Well to start off our 100th day of school, Mrs. Wanke made each of us look 100 years old!

We took a walk around the school to model our beautiful super hero capes!

Then we made ourselves into super heroes! 

After all that hard work becoming a super hero, we decided to see if it would take more than 100 licks or less than 100 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop.

It took more than 100, in fact, it took more than 300 licks!

Hip Hip Hooray for the 100th day!

What happened to Mrs. Wanke?

Oh no!  Mrs. Wanke aged over night!  I sure hope this doesn't happen to your children on the 100th day of school!

The Water Cycle in Action!

I love LOVE LOVE teaching science.  Last week we started our weather unit. Today's topic was the water cycle. (Students were excited, because they heard this term before when we made our terrariums!)  I started off reading from our science big book, useful, but no real memory burn there!  I had everyone stand up so we could sing the water cycle song. (video coming tomorrow)

After our wonderful rendition of the water cycle song, I called everyone over to the table.  I poured some warm water into a cup and placed plastic wrap on top, securing it with a rubber band.  I asked, what happens to accumulated water?  We came to the understanding that it evaporates.  Then, I asked, what happens when those water droplets (water vapor) meet cooler air?  Again, we came to the understanding, it condenses and forms clouds.  I placed ice cubes on top of the plastic wrap to simulate cooler air in the atmosphere.

Ice cubes on top of the plastic wrap.

We went back to our seats to draw what we just observed. Then we had to wait 15 minutes. (Check your child's folder and you will see our completed experiment observations.)

While we waited for 15 minutes, we made a movable water cycle diagram.  (Check your child's folder and you will see this lovely item in their as well!) 

After the 15 minutes was up, We went back to the table and I took off the ice cubes.  We were so excited to see that there was water drops on the plastic wrap. I asked, why did the water collect on the underside of the plastic wrap?  To my amazement, someone said, that it was like the water collecting in the sky to make clouds!  WHAT?!  I was floored that we made the connection so quickly! 

We went back to our spots to draw in the second circle, what they predicted would happen next.  After prediction, we observed the container to see if our predictions were correct. I placed the container under the document camera so everyone could get a good look!

Apparently observing the container upside down is scientifically necessary.

Slowly, but surly we saw some drops fall from the plastic wrap and into the water. We were so excited to see this happen!  I had everyone return to their places to draw the outcome in the third circle.  We discussed that when water vapor that forms clouds is cooled, it condenses.  The droplets combine and adhere to other small particles in the atmosphere.  (Just like the droplets combined and adhered to the plastic wrap.)  When the droplets become heavy, they drop from the clouds in the form of precipitation.  Precipitation can be in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow, depending on the temperature.

Enjoy some of these video clips that help explain the water cycle!

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.