1st Grade

July 13th: We are all doing the best we can! I love this message from Wangari Maathi. She is one of my heros. A little background on her: Wangari Maathai was born in Kenya in 1940. She became highly educated, which was unusual for girls from rural Kenya at the time. She studied Veterinary Medicine and taught at a University, eventually becoming head of the faculty which was also unique at that time. She studied plants and animals and natural resources, and in 1976 she started the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization to plant trees and fight against deforestation in Kenya. She worked throughout her life to help her country and her continent, eventually earning a Nobel Peace Prize. This story she shares helps me think about doing our best to help today. What can you do to help? Post a message of kindness? Plant some trees in your neighborhood? Leave a kind message in chalk on the sidewalk? Send me a FLIPGRID with your ideas!

June 25: Pollinators have a important relationship with FLOWERS. Can you name some Pollinators? BEES are important pollinators. If we were in the garden we might take our finger or a Q-tip and brush on the anther (the top of the stamen where the pollen is) and visualize this pollen. Think about how this relationship -- something that happens because pollinators are eating flower nectar and just happen to take something extra along...Remembering the role that humans have in protecting these pollinators is the theme of our book today! What if there were no bees? ? Remember our Bee Song? Here is Ms. Marney from McKinley singing that song: EVERY THIRD BITE SONG

May 29th, 2020: Hello First Graders! Thank you to the few of you that left me a video! I loved seeing your faces and hearing your voices. This week I invite you to look for living things where you are and see how many you can find. Perhaps you can even sort them out by groups? By what their colors, shapes. Notice what jobs they do in the environment! Can you classify them by this -- what they eat - plant eaters, other animal eaters, eat both, decomposers... To do this activity you can use this sheet: Living Things Activity Sheet

Hello First Graders. Here is a video of our garden rules song in MY garden. Also, if you want to start doing some gardening share this sheet of ideas with your family. I cannot wait to see you back in the garden!