First Grade Writing

TRIMESTER ONE

Publish Writing in SeeSaw

SeeSaw is a fantastic way to capture and share student growth in writing. Parents and students love to see the growth from the beginning to the end of the year.

Record Writer's Workshop

In this introductory activity, students learn to use the Microphone tool. When students use the microphone tool and add their voice to Seesaw posts you the teacher gain deeper insight into their thinking. It’s one of the easiest ways for learners to tell what they know. This is a great activity to do right after students finish writing a story.

  • Students take a photo of their writing and tap the microphone to read their writing.
  • This makes it easy for you to see and hear how your emergent writers are connecting letters, sounds, concepts of print, voice, and reading.

Writing Fall Poems

Students use their 5 senses to create a fall poem, take a photo and record themselves reading their writing. See the student sample on the right. And click here to copy the activity.

Click here to copy this activity

See the Student Sample on the right

TRIMESTER TWO

Publishing Writing with Chatterpix

Chatterpix is a fun app that allows students to make any character "talk" in their voice. Students can upload their own drawing. It's a fun way to practice fluency and publish writing. Chatterpix can easily be added by students to their SeeSaw Journals from the iPad Camera Roll.

Chatterpix example.mp4

All About, Books with Shadow Puppet

Shadow Puppet is an app that allows the user to create mini-slideshow movies. It's a great option if you'd like to hear students record their voices as they read several pages of text, or if you'd like students to publish their writing. Shadow Puppet movies are easily shared to Seesaw.

Student Sample:

naomi first grade hermit crabs.mp4

TRIMESTER THREE

Persuasive Writing with Green Screen

Green Screen is an effect that replaces a green-colored background with a new background. With this effect, movie makers can superimpose actors in front of any background they like (e.g. the pyramids of Egypt, a rainforest, a volcano). It's great for storytelling and informational writing.

Using the Do Ink app, video students reading their story, next to the image of their book they wrote. Get assistance from your Site Tech Coordinator with green screen and Do Ink.

How to Use Do Ink

Student Sample

first grade opinion piece on korea.mp4

SeeSaw at Open House!

  • Put iPads or Chromebooks out at Open House so that students can complete this activity with their family.
  • Post this Activity in advance with a note to parents so that they can do the activity from home if they are unable to attend Open House.
  • If you prefer to have families use their phones, then have students make a journal post that families could leave a comment on and simply print out the QR codes to student assignments. Directions are below.

Here are some helpful tips as you end your school year with SeeSaw and get ready for Open House: