GRADE 1

Keyboarding and Using the Home Row

We practiced typing using the home row keys. Did you know that there are ridges on the "f" and "j" keys to help us know where to place our index fingers? We realized we could spell a lot of words using just the letters on the home row, including a lot of words with an “a”: dad, dash, lad, fad, salad, all, and fall.

Typing and Formatting Recipes in Google Slides

We started typing a vegetable soup recipe in Google Slides. We formatted the titles by changing the size, color, and boldness of the text. We also added bullet points to create a list of ingredients.

Some of us began typing recipes from home. We'll combine the recipes into a class cookbook.

Introduction to Robotics

We used LEGO robotics kits to create and iterate. We chose projects that we wanted to build with the help of tutorials. Then, we coded our creations to make them move!

Coding Loops and Conditionals with Scratch

We started coding in Scratch. We used a loop or "forever" block as well as move and turn block to make food sprites spin around the screen.

For another lesson, we used the if on edge, bounce block and two finger clicks to duplicate sprites to create spinning fruits, tacos, etc.

In a third lesson, we used a conditional to see if one sprite was touching another sprite and to get bigger if so. 

Food-Inspired Designs with LEGOs

We built food-inspired designs with LEGOs. Some of us built foods like sushi and pizza. Others built houses with a special kitchen. Some of us built stores, trucks, or boats that sold food, like a pizza shop and an ice cream boat.

Creating Food Images with Shapes and Formatting in Google Slides

We practiced drawing and formatting shapes and lines (size, fill color, border color, rotation) in Google Slides. We tried to recreate some of the illustrations in a book called Growing Vegetable Soup.

Learning without Screens

We took breaks from our screens to stretch our creative and collaborative muscles with LEGOs. We added some designs to the LEGO wall. Some students also elected to draw and color. We're learning to collaborate, to make good choices, to identify the materials we need to do what we want to do, and to put things back better than we found them. In the Wildcat Workshop, we use a range of materials—both digital and physical—to make things that matter to us. 

Staying Safe on the Internet

We discussed what we do to stay safe when we visit places like the playground and grocery store. Then, we talked about how some of the advice we get from our families about staying safe in public could also keep us safe online. Finally, we watched a video with a character named Arms. Arms gave us advice about staying safe online. We wrote about what we learned.

We also learned about internet safety from a guest speaker from the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General.