Root Viewers

We start our year off studying plants in science. One of my favorite activities is these root viewers. It illustrates what plants need to survive: water, air, and sunlight and leads right into our next discussion of roots. Plus, the kids gets such a kick out of checking their seeds to see if anything is happening!

Before

After

 Directions:
1. Soak the seeds (we use pea because they grow quickly) in water overnight.
2. Prep the sandwich bags by folding a paper towel and cutting it to fit. Then staple across the middle leaving some room so the roots can grow between them.
3. I had them work with their table partner so write both their names with permanent marker on the outside.
4. Each partner gets a job. One can put the seeds in, the other can add the teaspoon of water.
5. Zip the bag halfway closed to allow for air.
6. Tape to the window for sunlight.

I made this observation booklet. You are welcome to download it here. I purposely made the cover off-center so I could add the green construction paper edge but it would be fine with just staples, too.

 I wrote and drew with them on my document camera the first few days .

 We also planted some seeds in soil so they could more fully mature before we transplant them to our class garden.

For the last page of the booklet I handed the pots out to partners to observe. They got to choose what to write and sounded the words out the best they could. This cutie noticed roots coming out the bottom of her pot!

I'll be sure to post when we get our garden planted!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day! Pat yourself on the back today for all that you do! It is a good thing thing I find teaching so rewarding because MAN do I put in WAY too many hours!

Here is a little reward I just  found out about. Teachers Pay Teachers is having a flash sale today. The promo code is FLASH and offers 5% off all your purchases today!

Wow,  I was awarded a Top Ten Blog Award by 3 people! Thanks so much to Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits,  Faifthful in First, and Pitner's Potpourri for the honor. I get so many great ideas from all you other fabulous bloggers I hope that I do sometimes give you something you can use in return.


My hubbie and I spent most of yesterday working on custom blog designs. Here are the latest three that went live. A few more are close! You can click on the image if you want to go say hi.

 

 Alrighty, time to go LABOR over the enormous laundry pile so my family has clothes to wear this week. Our district has uniforms so I have to be on the ball.  Both my boys strongly prefer the school t-shirt over the polo. I caught the 6th grader trying to wear a dirty t-shirt one day last week. He moodily told me I hadn't washed them all so he was short one. You know what I said. "I wash what is brought to me. If my laundry service isn't up to your standards  you are welcome to wash your own from now on." That reminds me, I should go refresh the stinker's memory of that conversation. Enjoy your day, friends.

Pete the Cat Cause & Effect

As promised, here is the 2nd Pete the Cat activity I mentioned. Our comprehension skill this week was cause and effect.  I first taught the skill using the read aloud from HM, Charles Tiger. This concept is pretty confusing for 1st graders so I thought using Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, a story they loved and understood well, might make it a little easier. I created a simplified flow map with a sentence frame. The signal word because is highlighted to help them remember that a cause will follow. You can grab this worksheet here.

I modeled how to draw the cause and effect in the boxes and fill in the sentence frame correctly. I had images of Pete that I had drawn that they could glue on if they preferred but most of my class wanted to draw a close-up of the shoes like I did in my model. Here are the small Pete pics if you'd like them.
Small Pete

Then off they went to work with their partner. They had to:
1. decide which cause/effect example from the story they wanted to use
2. make sure both partners participated
3. use resources in the room or sound out the words

I am so happy it is a long weekend! I will most likely spend a lot of it working on school stuff and blog designs but at least I can do it in my pjs!

Pete the Cat Class Book Idea

Oh...my...word... I have been SO busy I have not visited blogland for days!!! Please tell me everyone else has been swamped and I didn't miss too much?! Between working super-hard on training my sweeties on how 1st graders are SUPPOSED to act, Back-to-School night, attending my middle school son's BTSN, keeping up with custom blog design orders, and everything else family life throws at me...how's a girl to find her blogging time?? For now, the answer is stay up past her bedtime to share one thing we did this week.

My students (like all of yours I'm sure) LOVE Pete the Cat!  I think the MP3 of the author reading/singing it is awesome if you haven't tried that. TOTALLY adds to the experience! I have not bought the new book yet but I will when I get two seconds!

I decided it would be fun to write our own class book based on this story. To make it quick and easy I just used a clear view binder. I was so busy I didn't even add a cute border...egads...that is just plain wrong!! I uploaded a version without my name on it here if you'd like it.

First, we brainstormed a list of new things Pete could step in and the color his shoes would turn. Then, I gave each student this sheet with a picture of Pete already drawn (by me, it is Pete-ISH as we say in my room) and asked them to draw the large pile of bananas (or whatever) he was stepping in. Finally, they filled in the sentence frame with their food and color. They could copy the spelling off our chart or try to write the sounds they heard like we have been practicing in writer's workshop. The most original idea: Tofu! If you'd like a copy of this page click here.

 watermelon

I did another activity with Pete the Cat but you'll have to wait to read about it because this teacher tends to get a tad GRUMPY when she is sleep deprived.

Partner Compare/Contrast

My teammate Robi shared this great compare and contrast lesson to introduce thinking maps and encourage partner work.

First, I modeled using a circle map to brainstorm facts about ourselves. Some suggestions were age, family members, pets, favorite color, food, activity and physical attributes such as eye and hair color.

Then partners looked at their circle maps to find what was the same and what was different. They completed double bubble maps comparing themselves. They did a great job!

As they were working I went around and took a picture of the partners. Make sure you have them switch places so their picture will match up with their names on the double bubble when you put them up on the bulletin board!

Not only was this a great lesson on compare/contrast and thinking maps but the partners got to know each other better.

I'm off to find a chick flick to watch while I rework my Back-To-School Night presentation for the parents on Tuesday! I feel like I need a vacation already...not a good sign!