Now, meet..."Digi Tal"

Above it the data sheet for Digi Tal time. Below is the game board for students to play in partners. One partner rolls the die and they move their marker that many spaces. Then they read the digital clock, with their partner show the time on their judy clock, then draw the hands on their analog clock data sheet to represent the time. 

Be sure to get yourself a copy of each to use when teaching time!

Meet: Ana Log

This game was created and inspired by my A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. friend Linda King. She is the inventor of our new little friend "Ana Log." Due to my EXTREMELY long commute home, I have far too much time on my hands to think...if ya know what I mean??? As I mentioned, my very good friend Linda had a brilliant idea to make the analog clock into Ana Log with a girls face. So, on my way home I thought...hey, what a fun game that would be! So, grab a copy of Ana Log and the data sheet to go with it and play with your kiddos. I left the clocks blank so you can draw the hands to meet your needs. Thanks Linda for your GREAT idea...YOU are the B.E.S.T!!! She also thought of Digi Tal...so look for him coming soon!!!

Seasons...Which season am I ?

Using a circle map and leaving it blank in the middle is a great way for students to make inferences or draw conclusions. The circle map works perfectly for this activity. The teacher can display and read the clues while students guess which season the circle map is describing. You may want to try covering all the clues and then uncover one at a time while students share with a partner which season they think it is. First Grade A La Carte discovered a FABULOUS resource for science songs and videos. I actually made these maps from watching the videos! The maps and songs tie together perfectly! Here is the site: HarryKindergarten's Channel.

Now your students are ready to sort! They are already familiar with the pictures from the songs and the circle maps so the next step is to sort the pictures using a tree map. I would suggest running the tree map on a legal size piece of paper so students have plenty of room to sort their pictures. What better way is there to learn about seasons than learning through songs, movement, and Thinking Maps!

Ten Apples Up On Top!

Here is an activity I am going to do this week. Begin by reading Ten Apples Up On Top! Give students the apple page and they choose a number 5-10 to break apart. Students will need to cut out that mant apples. Then students glue their apples in a row and draw their break apart line to divide their apples into two groups. This allows students to see the parts in the whole number they chose. For example, 6 and 3 are partners of 9. Then they color the two sets of apples two different apple colors (red, yellow, green). When they are finished you can have them create little Johnny Appleseed or a you can take their pictures and they can glue the pot on top of their head, then glue the apples above that. I think I am going to take each of their pictures. I included a large pot (the page with two pots) for their heads if you take their pictures. Just a fun way to incorporate apples and math! Have fun!!!

Haunted House Partner House

The Haunted Partner House!!! 

Students will choose a number 5-10 and break it into its parts. See my example when you download. We use circle drawing and break apart sticks to find the partners of each number. 

Survey

Today, all first grade teachers spent the day dissecting the Common Core Standards. It was a good day packed full of important information...so much so that we all went home with raging headaches! That being  said...one part of first grade standards in Measurement and Data is to collect data. We discussed what that may look like and I immediately thought of this survey from Kindergarten Crayons. Students can collect data by surveying their peers as they build a bar graph. Click on the pic to get a copy of hers.

Here is the next step in surveying friends in the classroom. I used the format from another blogger friend (soooooo sorry, but I don't remember who-leave a comment if it is you and I will be sure to give credit!). Click on the pic to get this...

The rule is when you have filled up the row of yes's or no's, stop surveying and begin compiling data. The same rule applies for the next graph which is more advanced than the one above.

The next step would be to have your kiddos tally mark to record their data then compile their data on the bar graph. 

A little more with shapes!

Shape Shuffle comin' your way! We played this game today and I am using it for an HQSI/SIOP observation tomorrow. I will begin by playing guess my shape using a bubble map. Whole group, students will listen and read the attributes of each shape. They will draw the shape they think it is after listening to the clues. Do a quick check for understanding/assessment of students' understanding then move on to the Shape Shuffle game. Click on the first pic to get your bubble map/attributes cards for each shape.

Now for the Shape Shuffle game. Click on the pic below to get your own copy. I printed on card-stock and laminated for durability. I have to thank Kathy Law over at First Grade A La Carte for inspiring me to make games like the Shape Shuffle! She has some crazy fun stuff over at her blog so check her out too! 

The directions are as follows: Work in pairs. Roll one die, move that many spaces with your marker. Say the name of the shape, use wikki sticks or pop cycle sticks to build the shape WITH YOUR PARTNER.  Then record the shape you built on your OWN data sheet when you have finished building the shape. As students are playing the game, you can quiz students with questions like...what shape did you build and how do you know? What are the attributes of this shape? The kiddos had fun and were learning all at the same time-I love it when that happens! Happy playing! 

Scientist Writing

How cute is he?????

This little guy was created by the A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Cara over at The First Grade Parade.  I made my own  "A scientist is" poster but my picture won't come up for some reason :-( Now I am waiting on the book to come in the mail to read to my kiddos. Hopefully we can write this week about a scientist!!!

Being that our District is a Thinking Map/ Write From The Beginning district I have made maps and, of course, a little science man for our writing (again inspired by Cara at The First Grade Parade. Click on the pic of the little science person below and grab yourself a copy.

Now for the writing...here are the maps I will be using to write about scientists.

The first map is a bubble map used to describe the scientist. I will use the bubble map on the first day after we read about a scientist. The second map is the circle map and it is divided into 3 sections for students to brainstorm their ideas. The tree map is for organizing their ideas and putting them into sentences.  The lab coat on the science man is for students to write their final draft of their story. 

Shape BINGO

I have gone a bit shape crazy so here is yet another shape activity. It is called Shape Bingo and it is played just like the alphabet bingo game but with shapes. I have labeled the teacher cards and the student cards. Students will have more pictures than they need so I tell them to cut one pic out at a time and glue. They continue until they have no blank boxes left on their Bingo mat. Throw the extras away. Teachers must cut out all the teacher cards. Now you are ready to play. Teacher draws a card and reads the card to the students. Students place a marker on the matching shape. You get the idea! Collect the games boards and play again. Fun and easy!

Trape (with a long e) Trapezoid

One of my little firsties said the cutest thing...he said that a trapezoid is like a triangle without the top! I was AMAZED! This is exactly what we want all students to see is the relationship among shapes, numbers, and so on...So I made his idea into a little poem and promised he would be the author. Soooo...here is a poem by Armando ;-)

Apple Graphing

Here is a fun survey for apple tasting. I probably will use green apples so I won't have all yes's...if ya know what I mean ;-) I can not take credit for the layout of the graph...I got the idea from another blogger...and I am super sorry...I can't remember who. If it is you please leave a comment!!! Have fun eating and surveying!

Johnny Appleseed Sequencing

Yes, it is that time of the year when we talk, read, write and of course EAT apples. I have created a flow map used to sequence the Johnny Appleseed story. This is how it works...first students listen to the story. Then the pictures on the flow map are discussed whole group. You may even want to use your document camera to take a few pictures of the book you read to physically sequence the events. After, you have students cut out the pictures at the bottom of the flow map and they use the blank flow map to sequence. When students are finished sequencing the events (in partners) have them read the map. Be sure to have students use first, next, then, last, finally...to insure that students understand we are sequencing events. There is a particular order in which the events happened. At this point in the year I generally won't have them write with this map because their  writing skills are not developed enough to be able to do this successfully. However, verbally describing the events in this map using complete sentences is just as good for them by helping them build a solid sense of sentence structure. Sooo....this is my thinking with the map in which the order of the pictures are sequenced: Johnny, the pan, the bag of appleseeds, the small apple tree, then the apple tree with apples, the boy picking apples, last the apple pie.

Alphabet BINGO

Common Core Standards require first grade students to write capital letters and the matching lowercase as well. Our students are VERY good at writing lowercase, however there is not a lot of emphasis placed on capital letters in Kindergarten. I have made a BINGO game for students to play to learn the partner letters. Soooo.. this is how ya play. 1. Students are given one blank Bingo mat.
                     2. Students cut out and paste one letter to each box. Encourage them to use random letters                placed in NO particular order on their Bingo mat. Throw the extras away.
                     3. The teacher must have one set of the entire alphabet (capitals, lowercase, or mixed-the opposite of what the students are pasting onto their Bingo mats.)
                     4. When finished pasting-you are ready to play Bingo! Give students markers. The teacher places a card under the doc camera, students find its letter partner on their mat. If they have it, place a marker on the letter. If the student does not have the partner letter, then the student may not place a marker on their mat...just like Bingo! The key is is to use the OPPOSITE set of letters than your students so they practice identifying the partner letters.

I know - probably clear as mud, right? Leave a comment if I need to clarify more! The kiddos LOVE it though-I promise! Oh-ya...One more thing-collect the game boards (don't have students write their names) and pass out randomly to play again. You can practice capitals, lowercase, or mixed. Have fun!

Trapezoids!!!!!!

Nevada has gone to Common Core Standards and first graders are now expected to identify and compose trapezoids. I have not been able to find a poem for trapezoids so I came up with this one. You sing it to the tune of "Frere Jacques."  I read this poem whole group with students several times over several days. We look for capitals, periods, highlight key words....then, on the last day (after I feel they really know the poem), students cut the poem apart. They mix up the strips, put them in order, then glue down on a piece of paper. Students put the poem in their personal readers to revisit.

September Calendar

Happy Labor Day! I hope yours was as nice as mine! Being that it is September I thought I should get with it and post the September calendar! Not too far behind...yet! So the directions are on the calendar...this activity is really good for the kiddos and they get really good at it by the middle of the year. Have fun ;-)

Partners of 10 Strip Book

This strip book goes with Expressions Unit 1 Lesson 15. I have been working with students on identifying 5 and more sense the beginning of the school year. They are ready to see the connection with addition. Simply have students cut on the dotted lines into strips of paper. Staple on the left side and students read and complete the book. 

September Calendar Pieces

Calendar pieces for September are here!  Get your copy!

All ABout Me!

I am S.U.P.E.R. tired soooooo I am going to post my All About Me Thinking Maps and paper for writing and if you have any questions about it leave a comment and I can tell ya more- MUST GO TO BED!!! Nighty Night!