This Week
in First Grade
Welcome to Noun Town!
We write to share our creations!
Partners love to solve puzzles together!
We publish persuasive reviews. And, yes, we ARE brave!
We work with partners to improve our opinion writing.
When the weather is nice, we read outside!
Counters help us keep track of our mathematical thinking!
New Books after February Break!
Week of January 18, 2021
Our classroom is a book factory! The students are writing so many books, they each need a special place to store and display them. On Friday, students painted their very own library boxes!
Week of January 11, 2021
And...We Are Back!
Reading and Writing Partners Help Us Build Our Literacy Muscles!
We read books about Martin Luther King, Jr., watched part of his most famous speech, and had a discussion about fairness and friendship.
Number Talks: How will YOU make the number of the day?
Week of January 4, 2021
During math on Monday, we played a game of sums with a little risk thrown in for fun. All you need is two dice and a way to keep track of scores. The rules can be found here. Challenge your child to a round or two, and keep in mind that these games benefit students the most when they talk a lot about their thinking and strategies as they play. Ask them questions like, "How did you get that sum?", "What was your strategy?", "Who has more?", "How much more?", and "What is another strategy to check your answer?"
We continued to play math games throughout the week. On Tuesday, we played Tic Tac Toe Sums. Wednesday, students helped Mr. Bell test a new game called Hockey Math. On Thursday, students were introduced to Sudoku. Rules and game boards can be found in Google Classroom.
Week of December 21, 2020
Students wrote and illustrated How-To books!
On Tuesday and Wednesday students shared their books with each other and we all celebrated our success together!
On Tuesday, we investigated animal adaptations!
Students listened to a read aloud, watched videos from Mystery Science, and then used their "beaks" and "bills" to pick up food like warblers and ducks to understand why birds have different kinds of beaks.
On Monday, we sang holiday favorites together!
Week of December 14, 2020
What a week! We started two hours late on Monday because of a Google outage, and then we had a traditional snow day on Thursday! Friday morning started with stories of snow forts, sledding, and cups of cocoa!
After winter weather stories, students shared how they became SUPER SMART about penguins on Wednesday afternoon with a read aloud and a science experiment. Scroll down for photos of scientists and their experiments!
In reading and writing, we kicked off our nonfiction units. We are getting SUPER SMART about so many topics (monkeys, and super storms, and elephants, oh my!) by reading, writing, and chatting with each other! We are writing How-To books to help each other learn new skills, too. Our celebration of How-To writing will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday when students share their books with their classmates.
Reading Workshop Anchor Charts
Writing Workshop Anchor Charts
How To Books Anchor Chart.pdf
Penguin Science! (Animal Adaptations)
Week of November 23, 2020
IMG_1847.movThis week, as we approach the holidays, we are reading and writing about food, family, and tradition. Our mentor text for our writing is Fry Bread, by Kevin Noble Maillard. What food is central to your family's story?
Week of November 16, 2020
We use the Word Wall and FUNdations letter cards to support our reading and writing!
Our classroom is a book factory! The authors in our class are writing about "small moments" from their lives and sharing them with readers.
Week of November 2, 2020
Week of October 19, 2020
Week of October 5, 2020
Week of September 29, 2020
Week Three: Continue to Establish Routines
Use this Zoom link for each meeting:
8:45 am Morning Meeting
10:00am Reading and Writing
1:10pm Math
2:00pm Share
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
To kick off the week, students shared a happy memory from the long weekend. Time with friends and family were common themes, as well as time spent outdoors or on the road. Mr. Bell read the first half of The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Even though Mr. Bell has read the book at least ten times, the students noticed details in the illustrations Mr. Bell had never noticed before!
Mr. Bell finished The Day the Crayons Quit to start the literacy block and also showed a video reading of The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf. The students noticed that each crayon had a personality, but they came together to make beautiful pictures. After that, students created their own unique “crayons” for a class crayon box full of unique personalities that will work together to create so much beauty this year!
During math, our in-person learners practiced cutting and gluing like first graders with a 1-20 number sort while our at-home learners learned to use an online tool for creating pictures with pattern blocks.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Since Wednesdays are officially half-days, they are great for helping around the house. A lot of students talked about helping with pets and also lending a hand in the kitchen. Mr. Bell read The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de le Peña. It’s a beautiful book with a bit of a surprise ending about helping.
At mid-morning, the students listened and followed along to A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon. Students noticed a lot of details in the artwork and also understood that the character was struggling because she was worried about what other people thought about her. During independent time, students completed “All about Me” papers that they shared before lunch.
In the afternoon, many students used the time to design and create their names using materials that showed more about them. The final product had to be at least as long as the student is tall!
Thursday, October 1, 2020
We kicked off Thursday with a just-for-fun question: If you could be any ocean animal, what animal would you choose and why? Some students want to be ferocious sharks or orcas. Others want to be the biggest creatures in the sea, while some chose creatures they had read about or watched nature shows about. It was fun to imagine being a different creature in a very different environment! Mr. Bell read Take Your Octopus to School Day by Audrey Vernick.
During literacy, Mr. Bell kicked off our Bucket Fillers concept with a read aloud of How Full Is Your Bucket?: For Kids by Tom Rath. Students then drew and wrote about ways they have filled other people’s buckets.
Math was Cohort B's chance to practice cutting and gluing like first graders while also printing and arranging the numbers 1-20.
Friday, October 2, 2020
This morning, we dove into our Peacebuilders curriculum by discussing what peace means to us. The students had a variety of answers including emotional and physical feelings, spaces/places, moments, people, and pets. Mr. Bell read another book about our invisible buckets, How to Fill a Bucket by Carol McCloud, and how we can be bucket fillers or bucket dippers throughout each day.
To start the literacy block, Mr. Bell read I am Peace by Susan Verde. Students had two drawing and writing activities to complete. First, they were asked to draw and write what peace means to them. Several students wrote about helping younger siblings because helping others made them feel peaceful. Second, students drew and wrote about places they can be to find peace. Many students enjoy the solitude of their bedrooms, while others seek peace in the arms of loved ones or with loved pets in their laps.
Math started with more subitizing, which is looking at patterns of dots and discussing how many dots are seen and (more importantly) how the students saw the dots grouped in their minds. Then, we used our 100 days of school tracking chart to practice one more and one less. Students then worked independently on one more and one less practice activities.
Week of September 21, 2020
Week Two: Launching the Hybrid Model
Use this Zoom link for each meeting:
8:45 am Morning Meeting
10:00am Reading and Writing
1:10pm Math
2:00pm Share
Monday, September 21, 2020
Today we began the hybrid model with Cohort A students in the classroom and Cohorts B and C students learning from home. In the Morning Message, we discussed things we are looking forward to and things we are wondering about. Mr. Bell read The Pigeon HAS to Go to School by Mo Willems. The students said they enjoyed this fun and funny story!
During ELA, Mrs. Brown reread Butterflies on the First Day of School. Students paid special attention to what caused the main character’s butterflies to fly out and ease her nervousness. Each student then created their own butterfly with pictures and words they could share with others to help make connections and become more comfortable.
Math began with an exploration of the 100s Chart. Students noticed SO many patterns! After that, we practiced “sky writing” the digits 0, 1, and 2 before practicing printing them on paper. We also reviewed the best way to hold our pencils for nice penmanship.
To conclude the day, students shared their completed butterflies. It was wonderful to see the beautiful colors, hear students share about themselves, and make connections to classmates and teachers.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
In our Morning Meeting we talked about things that went well the day before and things that can improve as we move forward. Mr. Bell read Love by Matt De La Peña. We noticed a lot of umbrellas in the artwork! We also updated our calendar with the date, the weather, and days in school (7!).
During the literacy block, Mr. Bell read one of his favorite books, The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers. We talked about how one book can have many different covers. Students chose their own favorite books of the moment and created new covers for them.
During math, we used our 100s chart to count up and count back, and then we practiced our penmanship by writing the digits 3, 4, and 5.
At the end of the day, students shared their book cover designs and then enjoyed a mask break and free play outdoors on a beautiful first day of autumn!
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
In our Morning Meeting, we shared our love for all things fall! We love changing colors, apple and pumpkin picking, jumping in leaf piles, sliding into leaf piles, swimming in leaf piles, and Halloween! Mr. Bell read the second half of Oliver Jeffers’s Once Upon An Alphabet: Stories for All the Letters. We got the answer to an enigma about the number of elephants that can fit inside an envelope...or was it the number of envelopes that can fit inside an elephant? (Over 9,000!). We also learned that Owl and Octopus are on the case!
During ELA, Mr. Bell read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Students wrote about the ways they know they are loved and the ways the people in their lives know they love them.
During our share time, we learned that hugs, food, stories, and so much more are expressions of love. <3
Thursday, September 24, 2020
This morning, after our Morning Message and Calendar, Mr. Bell read We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. In addition to the two questions students always answer after a read aloud (“What did you notice?” and “What are you wondering?”), Mr. Bell introduced two new questions to consider as strong readers: “What was the story about?” and, “What was the story really about?” Penelope T. Rex struggles to make friends because she keeps eating her classmates. But the real lesson of the story is to treat other people the way you want to be treated.
To kick off the literacy block, Mr. Bell read the classic Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Students observed actions and words from Max that helped us understand he was angry. Then, students thought, talked, drew, and wrote about how they look and feel when they are angry.
During the math block, students compared the 120s chart to the hundreds chart. They noticed some patterns were the same, but there were some new patterns, too. After that, students practiced sky writing digits and then printed the digits 6, 7, and 8.
When it was time to share, we learned that people look, act, and feel all kinds of ways when they are upset.
Friday, September 25, 2020
More Penelope T. Rex! This morning, Mr. Bell read We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. The students noticed that Penelope gained a lot of confidence from talking with her dad about her feelings and then having her classmates join her on stage!
In the beautiful The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken, ink drops and disproportionate arms, necks, and legs turn into creative new elements for the storyteller. Students thought about how they feel when they make mistakes and what they do afterward.
After exploring the 120s chart the day before, students helped Mr. Bell complete missing numbers in an interactive 120s chart, exploring one more than and one less than from 1 to 120. After that, students completed their digit printing practice with 9s and 10s.
To close the day, students shared all the different things they feel when they make mistakes and the various solutions or reactions they have right after.
Week of September 14, 2020
Week One: All Remote
Use this Zoom link for each meeting:
8:45 am Morning Meeting
10:00am Reading and Writing
1:10pm Math
2:00pm All About Me Tote Bag Share
Monday, September 14, 2020
During Morning Meeting, Mr. Bell read Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro. We noticed that the main character was nervous to start school but began to feel better by meeting other people, sharing about herself, and listening to others. We also kicked off our Calendar time, including beginning to record the days of school in three different ways! We used a straw, the hundreds chart, and a place value cube to mark the first day of school.
During our literacy block, Mr. Bell read First Day Critter Jitters by Jory John. We noticed that each animal (even the teacher!) was jittery about school for different reasons, but they overcame their jitters by relying on each other’s strengths and helping each other. Then, we drew pictures to represent one or more of the jitters we were feeling about starting school. Finally, we wrote one or more sentences to describe our feelings.
During our math block, Mr. Bell read Lifetime by Lola Schaefer. We had a scavenger hunt for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 things we have in our classroom/homes.
At the end of the day, four students shared their All About Me bags, describing their bag designs and sharing five items from their bags to help us get to know them better.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
During Morning Meeting, Mr. Bell read The Knowing Book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. We noticed that the main character is always looking up at the sky because they know they can always count on the sky, the sun, and the stars to be there. Students shared what they know they can always count on in times of need.
During our literacy block, Mr. Bell read The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. We noticed that there were A LOT of visitors and that they brought some problems but a lot of joy, too! We shared some of our favorite summer memories and then drew pictures and wrote about them.
In our math session, Mr. Bell read Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong. We noticed that the world around us is made up of simple shapes. We had a scavenger hunt for objects that were shaped like circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.
At the end of the day, more students shared their All About Me bags, describing their bag designs and sharing five items from their bags to help us get to know them better.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
During Morning Meeting, Mr. Bell talked about how Wednesdays are different in two ways. Wednesdays are half days with Mr. Bell and Mr. Bell teaches from his house! Students got to meet Mr. Bell’s two kittens, Alfie and Olive. For a math activity, we practice flashing numbers quickly with our fingers. Our fingers are math tools! After that, Mr. Bell displayed dots on cards VERY quickly and students showed how many dots they saw. Then students had a chance to explain how they knew the quantity of dots without having enough time to count them.
During our 10:00am meeting, Mr. Bell read You Matter by Christian Robinson. Students noticed that everyone is important and unique in all kinds of situations. As a follow-up activity, students drew and wrote about something they like about themselves. Finally, Mr. Bell read Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Students noticed that the mice made many creations from simple shapes. As a follow up activity, students made their own creations using basic shapes and added at least one label to describe their creations.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
In Morning Meeting, students told Mr. Bell their favorite P.E. activities so far. We updated our calendar and tracked our days of school. Then, Mr. Bell read I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes. Finally, students shared one good thing about themselves and we turned their responses into a copycat poem.
At 10:00, Mr. Bell read School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex. Then, Mr. Bell and the students thought, talked, drew, wrote, and shared their hopes and dreams for their first grade year.
Math was focused on 2-D shapes. Students chose their favorite shapes of the day, drew them, and then added to their drawings to make new pictures. They enjoyed sharing their creations!
At the end of the day, more students shared their All About Me bags, describing their bag designs and sharing five items from their bags to help us get to know them better.
Friday, September 18, 2020
During Morning Meeting, Mr. Bell and the students discussed their favorite day of the week. Many students chose Friday because families have Friday night dinner traditions. Some students chose “Taco Tuesdays” (Food traditions really bond families.), while others chose the day of the week when they have sports in the evenings. Mr. Bell read The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld. The students noticed that the rabbit let the child work through emotions by simply being there. The students shared what they need when they are upset - a quiet space, a hug, a listening ear, or a favorite stuffy to snuggle.
At 10:00, two students shared their All About Me bags and then Mr. Bell read the first half of Oliver Jeffers’s Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters. We noticed that the stories were silly and used a lot of words that start with the same letter. Students chose a letter of the alphabet and made up their own short tales.
During math, Mr. Bell read a biography of Katherine Johnson called Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker. Then, students used “fast fingers” to show how many dots they saw Mr. Bell quickly flash on dominoes, and then they explained how they saw the quantity of dots without having time to count them.
At the end of the day, two more students shared their All About Me bags, describing their bag designs and sharing five items from their bags to help us get to know them better.