Constitution Day

I am a totally history buff!  I minored in the subject in college – I know, boring!  Plus, I taught 4th grade once upon a time, which studies U.S. history from the explorers  up to the Civil War in the New York State Curriculum.  I loved it!!!

So, when it comes to teaching first grade, I often connect American history to our curriculum just because I find it interesting.  I love that we now teach about the Constitution in every grade.  But the question is, how do you make such a document relevant to 5, 6, and 7 year olds?

Here is what I have pulled together the last few years:

1. I bought a copy of the Constitution and a feather pen at a historical gift shop and to show the students.  I give a brief to-do about how, before we were the United States, we were colonies and belonged to England.  When we decided to be our own country, important people in our country decided to write rules about how our country should be run.

2. Since we have a strong philosophy of inquiry-based teaching, I find pictures of the signing of the constitution and important people from the time through Google Images. I print these pictures or show them on the Promethean board.  We make observations about the pictures and talk about the differences then and now.  I think our chat about powdered wigs and clothes is always darling.  Also, someone always points out the fact that there are only men signing the Constitution.

3. We read We the Kids, by Daivd Catrow and talk about the meaning of the vocabulary in the Constitution.

4. In the past, I have played a game where students have no rules and they have to make up the rules themselves.  After playing, they share their rules for the game and we talk about how they came up with the rules, why they needed rules, and what it was like to play with out rules. We compare this to writing the Constitution. Here is the link to the game:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/game.html

5. I have read Do Unto Otters, by Laurie Keller. Actually, our district has a subscription to BookFlix, so we watch the book on the Promethean Board.

6. Lastly, we review our classroom rules and I write them on a paper that looks like an old paper scroll with wording similar to the Constitution:

We the kids of room _____, promise to:

1.

2.

3.

4.

And then we all sign it and hang it in the hallway.  I try to use fancy, but readable writing.  I also have a booklet from The Mailbox a couple years ago where students write and illustrate the classroom rules to take home.

This would be the plan tomorrow.  Of course, I may come up with a totally new plan that is so much better as I stand in front of the class…just because that’s how I do things!

Have a great Friday!!!

First Week of Academics

So, I started this post on Monday…I think…I have literally been coming home and vegging on the couch every night this week and I’m exhausted!  One of my colleagues said teaching is like giving birth – you forget how painful the beginning of the year is, but you want to do it all over again the next year. 

The beginning can truly be painful.  The routine building requires an amazing amount of energy and patience! I can’t believe how challenging it is to go from the end of the year to starting fresh with a new group.  I keep thinking “This should be a piece of cake” and then I end up taking baby steps.  It’s all part of the beginning of the year, but it is also one of the toughest parts!

So this post is partly a list of routines I started to think about at the beginning of the week and partly what I have added as it has come up this week.

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How can it be only 4 days into the year and I am feeling behind?!? This week is my week for beginning academic procedures, while continuing to reinforce behaviors and routines.  This is what I’m working on this week:

Reading Routines – Why do we read? What do we read?

• Establish Reading Workshop expectations and reinforce listening behaviors.
• Daily 5 "”I” Chart for Read to Self
• Book Nooks – appropriate and not appropriate t-chart
• Choosing good books and book shopping routines.

• Begin building stamina.

Writing Routines - Why do we write? What do we write?

• Introduce journals  - digital date, left-to-right, what page to write on

• Set up writing folders and introduce word walls.
• Read Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Cynthia Rylant and send home treasure bags for students to collect treasures to write about.  (Click on the book to find out more about the lesson.)

• Make Heart Maps

Word Work – Practice routines using class names

• What tools do we use to practice words and how do we use them.

Listen to Reading  -

• Listening on the computer
• Listening on MP3 players

Science -

• What is a scientist? chart.
• Observe in the School Garden and make observations in journals.

Math -

• Writing numbers – develop routines for both number formation and handwriting practice. We use Powerful Printing, because lessons can be taught using our Promethean board.

• Calendar routines
• Counting and number recognition to 100

I know there are tons more, but these are the ones that are on my brain! I hope to get around to posting some pics. tomorrow when I have an extra prep. period to get some odds and ends done.

Have a great end to the week!

First Week

Whew!  What a first week!  I have a wonderful and sweet class.  But boy was it a whirlwind!!!  We have had major renovations taking place on our school grounds and the changes threw a new twist into recess and dismissal.  We moved and changed the playground and redesigned the bus loop, so our routines had to change too.  I always think it is amazing how teachers can think on their feet to avert management disaster!

Blog-land has saved my bacon this week!  I have been so inspired by beautiful classroom projects as I set up my classroom this year. 

We had an open house.  I have a scavenger hunt as well as a great parent questionnaire that I put at each student seat.  I also added the Back to School Confetti Poem (from Mrs. Lewis’ Lending Library), confetti, and pencil.  The confetti was a great find at the Dollar General. My town literally has a small grocery store, a CVS, and the Dollar General, so when I’m in a pinch it is slim pickings. 

I finally put up my letters to spell “read”.  They are right across from the door to my classroom and they look great when you walk in.

I also made 2 signs inspired by The Inspired Apple:

My painting ability is not nearly as great as Abby’s, so I printed a banner.  The only thing that drives me crazy is the hook in the wall that interrupts the red border.   I LOVE how this looks in my room!

I also made banners similar to Abby’s rule banners.  I actually painted these and did a decent job.  The kids loved decorating them, they look nice, and fill in a space that I struggled with last year.  I had hoped to hang them on either side of the banner above, but they were too long.  I still need to find something for the back wall.

Sadly, before I could even take pictures of my room that was at “good enough for open house” stage, the first week whirl-wind hit and it looks like a tornado landed.  I plan to go in this weekend and clean up to make it look pretty again.

I am loving the activities in Fun with Firsties, also from Abby at the Inspired Apple. We did the interviews with a new friend and the First Week of School Book.

Monsters also came to school! We used the activities from Growing Kinders Monster Fun! Teaching Manners and Expectations. Can I tell you that 2 teachers asked about it and went to download their own copies!  One said it was the only thing that seemed to resonate with her students.

We also read:

Next week we are reviewing and decorating buckets!

Thank you to all of the amazing people who share their brilliance! 

I have been working on my reading bags and plan to print and bind my journals this weekend. I am hoping to link some freebies now that I am working on things and hunting down my work from last year.

Happy weekend folks!!!!!

Top Ten Blogs!!!

Oh my! Grade ONEderful nominated Hopping Into First Grade as a Top Ten Blog! Thank you so much, I am honored!!! I start with my little ones tomorrow, so this nomination was the perfect way to kick off the new year (and settle the butterflies a little )

So I guess it is my turn to nominate 10 blogs. How do I even begin?!? There are so many inspiring blogs that have truly revolutionized my teaching and made me love what I do in a totally different way! I am a little late to this party, so I am afraid many blogs have been chosen. I tried to pick blogs I have recently discovered and other blogs that are new and growing. Please check them out!

Update!!! - I just left comments on all of my Top Ten Blogs to let the authors know I have linked to them. Only 4 out of the 10 are new nominees from what I can tell. I am sorry that I renominated a few, but I still want to recognize these great bloggers!

Tomorrow is my first day with my new class! I have an equal mix of excitement and nerves! My goal tonight is to do a little bit of final planning and get a good night’s rest. I am hoping to get in early tomorrow and get all of my ducks in a row. Have a great week everyone!

Three Days In and Projects

It is funny how you adopt language, because all I have been thinking this week was “Oh My Word!”  I think that is a phrase I have read on Cara’s posts on The First Grade Parade.  I have had staff days for the last three days.  I haven’t been writing because of all the time I have been spending on getting my room set up and getting ready for our Meet and Greet and the first day.  I also did 2 presentations on the new Mathematics CORE Curriculum and ELA CORE Curriculum.  That was a bit stressful – I am not naturally a public speaker!  I have literally been falling into bed when I get home. We also had the Meet and Greet yesterday.  My kiddos are adorable and their families are so sweet!

It was all the other stuff that was literally changing by the minute! I think the office called me every half hour, adding a student or telling me a student moved.  I have to redo all of my labels and magic numbers this weekend and have several new name tags to make.  The staff members that I am working with also seems to be changing every day. Oh, I also thought I had a student teacher as of 2 weeks ago, but my position does not help her meet her requirements, so I no longer have a student teacher coming.  I have never started a year like this and I hope it settles down!  To say the least, my head has been spinning.

I wish I had pictures to share, but I just haven’t had the energy to take many and get them posted.  However, I am going to link to a few project that have inspired me.  Hopefully I will get to take pics. and share them this week.

Mrs. Randell at randalllearninglibrary.blogspot.com made these great chipboard letters.  The ladies at Lesson Plan SOS (http://lessonplansos.blogspot.com/) made the ones below.

I found the letters at Hobby Lobby for super cheap and made them.  Thank goodness HL is about an hour drive for me, or I would surely spend my paycheck there!

Abby at theinspiredapple.blogspot.com totally inspired me with her beautiful sign!  I am not nearly talented enough to paint such a lovely sign, but I printed one and hung it in the back of my room.  It looks so cheery and inviting, perfect for that space!

Then Abby did it again! She painted signs with the rules and had the kids decorate them as a team building activity.

LOVE this idea!!! I have a huge roll of paper that I have stored for years and never knew what to do with it.  Problem solved!  I made the signs and actually painted them myself.  It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but I had to let go of being a perfectionist!  I am going to hang 2 rules on each side of the “First Grade is Fabulous” sign!

The next project I want to work on is from www.thekinderpolkadotpatch.com. I have 6 tall windows in my room with white cinderblock columns between each one.  It is useable space, but I never know what to put there and don’t want it to look cluttered.  This year I hung my Beanie Baby reading posters on 2 of the columns.  I love this picture of the ribbon connecting each poster.  I think it would add to the cheeriness of the room!  Can’t wait to go to the store tomorrow!

I hope some of these projects inspired you too! I hope to post pictures of my version if I can find the energy to stay standing at the end of the day next week!