One of my roommates got a hedgehog a couple months ago.  She was introduced to the class when we first got her and the students have been asking non-stop to meet her.  I figured since we were learning about the different environments and hedgehogs live in the desert in the wild, now would be an appropriate time for the students to meet Kahlua the hedgehog.  My roommate and her came and visited our class and the students had a wonderful time getting to know a new friend!

The last units I would be teaching at A.B. Combs were the world environments.  Each first grade class specifically taught one environment (ours was the Arctic) and then transformed our classroom to look like that environment.  There was also 5-sense stations set up around the room that the students were “experts” in.  Other first grade classes came to our classroom and the students taught them all about the Arctic.  Likewise, we traveled to other classrooms and those students taught us about the environment that their classroom was decorated as.  We went traveled and learned all about the desert, rainforest, and ocean using our five senses.  

To conclude the Balance and Motion unit, I decided to incorporate persuasion and science into an activity that would also serve as an assessment.  The pairs of students would work together as “Sails-men and women” to create a persuasive work (blog post, commercial or poster) selling their sails.  They had specific criteria that their advertisement had to include.  They were:
     -Title/name of company
     - List of materials
     - Plan (how it is built/how used materials)
     - Data to support why your sail is the best
     - Explain how you used the EDP


Below you will find the posters and blog posts that the students created.  The commercials will be uploaded soon!

On this day, many St. Patrick-y lessons and activities were taught.  As morning work, the students were given a blank leprechaun face to decorate with play-doh.  Once the students finished making a face, they then practiced their sight words and word family words by making the letters of the words out of play-doh and sticking it to the laminated leprechaun face sheet.  That day we had an arts assembly and when the students came back to the room, a real leprechaun had made its way into our classroom! Leaving behind its footprints and a mess for us to clean up.  The students were then given math puzzles left by the leprechaun to complete.  Their smart math brains were too smart for the leprechaun.  The students then made their own math puzzles for the leprechaun to do!

The conclusion made at the end of the rocket unit was that air could affect many things in our world.  We observed that many things are affected by the wind: windmills, hair, kites, clouds, leaves, sailboats, and trees.  I told the students that we are going to focus on sailboats and how the wind affects them.  It was explained to the students that we are going to be building sails and engaging in the EDP like we did for the stop rocket project.  The students were not shown any examples of sails and had no prior knowledge (in the classroom) of what sails looked like.  Similar to the stomp rockets, each student was paired up and composed a list of the different shapes that a sail could be made of.  The students also manipulated different materials (aluminum foil, wax paper, and plastic wrap) to determine which would “catch” the wind the best and take a boat the greatest distance.  Fishing line was strung through the straws of the boat and taped to the students' desk.  The "wind" was a large fan.  Once the students designed a sail, they used their plan to create it.  We then used a homemade sail (made from a vegetable tray, straws, and tape) to test our sails.  Below are the results of the students’ first sail designs.  

The students were also shown what real sails look like.  We discussed what shape the sails were in and that all the sails had braces to hold the sail in place to catch the wind.  The students then reflected in their STEM notebooks individually and with their partner to design another sail that would take the boat a greater distance in a shorter amount of time.  Below are the results of the students’ second sail designs and we compared them to the first sail designs.  What was interesting was that each group, except for one, used aluminum foil on their second sail design.  If you look at the data, each group’s second design performed worse than their first design and the group that did not use aluminum foil, they used wax paper, went the furthest.  We discussed that if we made a third sail, perhaps we would use a different material other than aluminum foil.  

Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, is considered one of the greatest author and illustrator for children’s book.  We spent a week learning about Dr. Seuss (how he became an author) and read several of his books in order to prepare for Read Across America Day.  To introduce who Dr. Seuss was and his importance to literature by watching a brain pop junior video about him.  The students then synergized in small groups and completed a lotus graphic organizer to record facts that were learned about Dr. Seuss.  

The first book we read by Dr. Seuss was The Sneetches.  Prior to reading, the students were asked about what we learned about last week.  The week before, we celebrated Black History Month by learning about African American leaders (Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, etc.) and how some people thought white skinned people were better than black skinned people.  With this in the students’ mind we then read The Sneetches.  The students made a similar connection to the star-bellied sneetches and the plain-belly sneetches.  We decided that the moral Dr. Seuss wanted us to learn was it doesn’t matter what you look like, what matters is how you act and treat others.  As a follow up activity, the students decorated green stars by putting their name in the middle and on the point of the star they wrote what makes them different from other people.  The students also wrote about if they were born a star-belly sneetch, how they think they would treat the plain-belly sneetches.  

In a few weeks, the students will be learning about the world environments and how human have an impact on them.  With this in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to read to the students The Lorax.  A large focus was placed on identifying, as a class, the setting, characters, author’s purpose/moral, the problem and the solution.  After identifying those characteristics, we focused on the solution of the story.  The students identified the solution to be that the Once-ler gave the boy the last truffula seed to plant.  I then gave the students a writing prompt about if they were given the last truffula seed, what would they do with it.  Later on, the students created their own lorax and wrote about how he was a leader in the story.  They had to discuss a Covey habit that the lorax used and how he showed it.  

Since the school year is more than half way over, the students are continuously reminded of how they need to begin each assignment with the end in mind to prepare themselves for second grade.  By reading Oh the Places You’ll Go the students discussed with a partner where they are right now, what they want to be when they grow up, and things they can do to achieve that goal.  I gave them an example of myself and how when I was younger I wanted to be a teacher but I did not walk into a school one day and began teaching.  I had to do well in all my subjects in each grade, eat healthy (so I didn’t have to miss school), practice teaching, and have jobs that were related to teaching (working at the YMCA).  After each student planned what he or she wants to be when they grow up and “how they’re going to get there,” they created a hot air balloon.  Each balloon had “Oh, the Places (student’s name) will go” on the top and on the basket of the balloon was the writing prompt “When I grow up…”  Students used their plan and wrote at least 4 sentences about their journey.  

When we read Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss, the students realized that the sentences and phrases written in the book were difficult to say because most of the words had the same endings (were a part of the same word family) or began with the same letter.  They were taught that these phrases are called “tongue twisters” because they can be very difficult to say.  A greater emphasis was placed on the sentences that had words that began with the same letter.  The term “alliteration” was used to describe these types of sentences or phrases.  I modeled for the students how to write an alliteration using my name.  The alliteration I came up with was, Ms. Williams watches whales while walking her walrus Walter.  The students then created their own alliteration using their name, wrote it on a pink strip of paper and glued it to a picture of themselves to make it look like their tongue was tied in a knot.    

To conclude our Dr. Seuss week we read Green Eggs and Ham.  We discussed how both characters of the book acted at the beginning of the story and compared it to how they were at the end.  The students concluded that Dr. Seuss wanted us to learn about the importance of trying new things, not just food.  A student shared that they were scared about going on a ride at an amusement park but went on it anyways with their parents.  The student shared that they loved the ride so much they rode it two more times.  In life when we are given opportunities to try something new we should take them!    


I also made a Dr. Seuss themed photo booth out of a refrigerator box.  As you can see by the pictures, the students loved pretending that they were Thing 1 and Thing 2.  

     Over the course of a couple of weeks the students applied the Engineering Design Process in creating rockets.  The rocket activity was introduced by showing the students the rocket launcher (see picture below).  Students were shown how the rocket launcher would launch a rocket by the use of a 2-liter bottle.  To launch the rocket, the bottle would be attached to the rocket launcher and an assigned person would “stomp” on the rocket launcher, sending the rocking into the air.   Prior to the students brainstorming and designing their rockets, specific criteria was given to them.  It was explained that everyone’s rocket needed some kind of cylinder to fit on the end of the rocket launcher and it must have something “blocking-off” the top of the cylinder.  In pairs, the students then brainstorm a list of ideas in their STEM notebook (what the rocket would look like, materials, etc.) and then chose one idea to draw and eventually create.  

After the students’ rocket design was approved, they began building their rocket with their partner using the materials they listed on their plan.  These materials included white computer paper, construction paper and tape.  The students were required to construct a rocket that they drew in their plan (because that is what real scientists and engineers do).  After the students finished constructing their rockets we tested our rockets using the rocket launcher.  Each student had a role, either the timekeeper or measurer.  The timekeeper had to time how long the rocket was in their air and the measurer had to measure how high the rocket went and how far away from the rocket launcher it flew.  I was the launcher for all rockets in order to keep the results consistent.  Below you will see the results from the students’ first rocket designs.   As a class, we recorded the data and analyzed it together, asking ourselves the following questions:
     - Which rockets were the “best”?
     - Did some stay in the air longer? Why?
     - Did some go further than others? Why?
Each student was also given a copy of the results and pasted it into their STEM notebook. 

          As a class, we decided that the “best” rocket was one that went the highest. We looked at the rockets that performed the “best” and made conclusions of their similarities.  All of the rockets that went high had a tight seal at one end of the rocket.  A student made the connection that the air being pushed out of the 2 liter bottle was the same air pushing the rocket into the air.  A conclusion was made that if there is a hole in the top (or if its not sealed all the way) air can get out!  We decided that on our second improved rocket design; the top of the rocket needs to be sealed completely.
         Following the data analysis was a lesson that introduced what real rockets and spaceships look like.  Observations were made about the rockets’ shape and the placement of the fins of the rocket.  A discussion about stability was fostered and a youtube video showing a rocket falling over was shown to show the students why a rocket needs to be balanced.  The students also learned the different parts of the rocket (nose cone, fins, and body) and were expected to include these new vocabulary words on their second rocket design in their STEM notebook.  Students were expected to write what they were changing about their rocket design and explain why they were changing it.  Students then went back with their partners, talked about how their rocket performed and what they think would make it better.  This is the Improve step of the Engineer Design Process.
            Students then designed their improved rocket and once a teacher approved it, they created their second rocket.  All rockets were tested the same way as before expect the students switched jobs.  A data table of the results was kept and a bar graph with the results was made.  Each student received a copy of the second rocket data and pasted it into their STEM notebook.  As a class, we observed the data from the first rockets and the second rockets and each pair of students improved except for one group! The students were so excited that their rockets improved.  We talked about how this process of always trying to make things better is applied to our world.  Here are some of the ways the Engineer Design Process is used in our world:
     - Cars
     - Phones
     - Shoes (to keep warm when it’s cold outside)
     - Building stronger houses (for hurricanes)
     - Smart Board
     - Computers


I have taken student samples of their STEM notebooks.  These can be seen under the Teaching Strategies/Organization tab.

Subsequent to the marble painting activity, the students learned about what STEM stands for and what it means.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  They learned the differences between the four, how they’re all related and how they use synergy to create products.  Students participated in a creativity technology brainstorm to understand that technology is anything humans create or use to solve a problem or meet a want/need.  In groups, students pretended that they were aliens who came to earth and did not know what a paper plate is used for.  They had to compile a list of ideas and uses for a paper plate other than eating off of it.  Through this activity, they learned that to be an engineer, you have to think innovatively, creatively and “out of the box.”   After this lesson, students have been calling their Science notebooks, STEM notebooks.

            Students then learned about the Engineer Design Process (EDP).  Each step of the EDP was explained and given a purpose to show its importance in creating a product.  The steps to the EDP are Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Improve.  A blank copy of the EDP was given to each student.  They were expected to write the steps in the appropriate order and paste it into their STEM notebook.  This allows each student to have a copy of the EDP to refer back to over the course of the Balance and Motion unit.  We also developed a list of reasons why engineering is important.  The students camp up with the following reasons:

    - Engineers know how to help others
    - Making things better for society
    - Help humans live better
    - Express creativity
    - Solve problems in our world

            As an introduction to our Science unit, balance and motion, we read several books and had discussions about energy and how it affects our lives.  Students learned that we need energy to move, grow and that most of the energy we use comes from the sun.  From there we “zoomed” in from the “big picture” of energy to a smaller topic of balance and motion.  After reading a book on pushes and pulls, students created a lotus about pushes and pulls and were encouraged to think about cause and effect within balance and motion.  (In reader’s workshop we were discussing cause and effect in literature and in our daily lives—i.e. my boots are muddy (effect) because it was raining (cause)).  

            Marble painting was a way for students to explore different ways to push and pull a marble in a box.  At first the students rolled or blew with a straw around different sized marbles without paint to observe the way that they marbles move.   They were consistently being asked, “What is the cause?  What is the effect?” and they were expected to explain how they knew.  Each step of this process was recorded in their Science notebook (in the next lesson they will learn about what STEM means and their notebooks will then be called their STEM notebooks).  Students were then given a piece of construction paper and paint.  The paper went inside the box along with the marbles and quarter-sized dollops of paint were placed on the paper in the box.  Students then tiled the box or blew with a straw to make the marbles move.  When the marbles moved through the paint, it allowed the students to see the effects of the marbles rolling as they were causing them to move.  At the conclusion of the activity, students were brought to the carpet for a discussion about what were the causes and effects of this activity.  They were also expected to write a reflection in their Science notebooks using new vocabulary correctly and describing their experience.

February 14- Valentine’s Day Celebration

            As a part of our discussion about kindness, friendship and Valentine’s Day, we shared different ways we can love someone and why we love them.  As an example, I shared to the class that I love my mom because she is the best cook and she makes me feel better when I am sad.  I modeled how to write this in a complete sentence (with a capital at the beginning of my sentence and a period at the end).  After I showed my students this, I then showed them how to make a hand print card.  They were curious at first what I meant and watched anxiously as I showed them how to make it.  When I opened up the hand, and the students saw the card, they were amazed.  They wanted to make their hand print card for someone they loved.  I told them that they needed to write their complete sentences on the inside or outside of the card.  They had a wonderful time creating hand print cards (that created a heart) for someone they loved.