AARRR and Other stuff

YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!   Both of my projects were funded through Donor's Choose.  I received my Ipods today.  I had to do report cards, so I couldn't set up the Ipods, but I can't wait to get them into the kids hands.  So much can be done with them.  The shipment of picture books (my other funded grant) won't be here until Friday or next week.  So excited to get those too.

Other happenings...

Yesterday the kids went to see a musical called "A Diary of a Worm, Spider, and Fly."  I heard it was pretty good.  I was home with a sick little boy so no play for me.  However, I did let the kids make dirt.  Pudding, oreos, and gummy worms!  No pictures - I wasn't there!

We are working on the "ar" sound this week.  So many fun things to do with this sound since it is all that pirates say!  I, of course, stole a great idea from the internet!  I hid AR words all over the classroom and the hallway (even one in the ARt room).  The students had to find them, read them, and put them on our treasure map.  When we found them all and the kids got to grab some treasure of their own.   They loved it!  What's that?  You are missing the pictures?  True, I slacked on taking them.  I'll add some in later.

We also played a game that practiced subtracting doubles.  I modeled my thinking (example:  "Hmmm, 12-6.  Well, I know 6+6 is 12 so 12-6 must be 6!)  The kids laughed because I was being a little silly, but I'll be darned if they weren't saying those exact things when playing the game!  We are working on strategies for subtracting from 20 and the kids keep asking for more "tricks" to solving problems.  They aren't tricks, they are just understanding numbers - but hey, if tricks are more motivating, well then I will keep teaching them tricks.

Tomorrow we are making "synonym" rolls.  I promise pictures.  I totally stole this idea off the internet too.  I love teacher blogs.  So many great ideas.  I'm babbling.  I feel inspired to write yet have no actual topic.  Maybe tomorrow.

Versatile Technology

My project is up on Donor's Choose - its to get some Ipods for my classroom.  Do you realize how much differentiated can be done with technology?  Amazing!  If you follow my blog, take a minute to check it out and donate!  Even $5 helps.  AND if you donate before March 19 and use the code BLOOM in the match code box (you will see it at check out) your donation will double!  Click on the picture below to check out my project and donate.  You are awesome!

Science City Field Trip

What a day!  I applied for, and received, a grant to take our grade level to Science City.  It was GREAT.  The kids had so much fun.  We learned how gears turned by playing with movable gears on a magnetic wall.

We walked through a "Mystery" Hotel full of optical illusions (this was a favorite.)  

Here, you can "lose" your legs.

There was a giant chalk wall to write whatever you wanted.

A bike on a rope.

A maze, a treehouse full of birds, a place to dig for dinosaur bones, a minature train city (that was actually HUGE and awesome), a sewer slide, crime lab, science sphere, life size artery, space shuttle, helicopter, waterfall and so much more!

 (if you look closely, I am in the middle of all of those kids with a pony tail!)

It really is such a neat place.  Some of my coworkers were a bit more worn out than me - but I am a high energy person so I can forgive them :-)  I have one little friend who is, quite literally, obsessed with trains.  He found a little piece of Heaven when he hit the train exhibit.  You could start the sounds of a real train engine, play in a caboose, see real trains from a lookout, and - of course - the super cool model train city that lit up and moved at the touch of a button.  I mean, this thing even had tiny little people on moving seesaws and merri-go-rounds that actually moved.  It was so neat.

When I asked the kids what their favorite part was the Mystery Hotel won, hands down.  They got such a kick out of all the optical illusions.  I took some pictures inside the hotel, but it was too dark so they did not turn out so well.  Can't wait to go again!

Projects, Projects, Projects!

Wow, been a few days since I blogged last.  I need to do better at this, but we have been busy!  We learned all about the water cycle (of course, the song as well!)

In honor of President's Day we did research on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  The students compared and contrasted all the facts to write a great report.  (I was really impressed by their work and effort.)

We celebrated Leap Day by making frogs.  On their tongues we wrote our doubles facts to 20 and on the back of the tongue we skip counted by 4.

And of course - we can't forget to honor the one and only Dr. Suess.  I completely stole all of this off of Fun-in-First-Grade (an awesome blog that you should totally check out.)  We read The Lorax and identified the story elements.  After that, we made environmental posters.

On top of all this we did a massive writing project about our favorite teacher and finished up a unit in Treasures (our reading series.)  I finished up having my observations by my principal and my evaluation (which went very well!)  Whew!  Goodbye February, Hello March.  It went so fast.

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