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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Fish Fun!

Last week our Language Arts curriculum used texts all about fish!  We had tons of fishy fun!
We started just like usual, with a schema chart...
Most of our new learning came from our big book of the week.  I love how proficient my students have gotten at gathering non-fiction info from pictures in addition to the text!

On Tuesday, we re-read the big book, and wrote the adjectives we found on this fun chart:
We then added all of our own adjectives that the author "must have forgotten to use in his story."  :)

We have been working on using commas in a series in our writing, so the students used their own lists of adjectives to describe their own fish:



During Wednesday's Chit-Chat message, we brainstormed things found in the ocean.

Before heading to literacy stations that day, the students made their own lists of 4 things that live in the ocean, using those good 'ole commas again.





We also read The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark.

I re-wrote the repeated phrases out on the chart paper (I'm as fast as a sail fish, I'm as strong as a shark, I'm as smart as a dolphin...) and we examined them to make observations about their similarities.  We then discussed similes and the students wrote their own!






Love that confidence, don't you!?  ;)

I hope you are all having a wonderful week, we made it over the hump again!  My class is currently studying dinosaurs, and we are having a RARW-ing good time!  I'll be posting our fun soon.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

More Plants!

We are officially plant experts in the SuperKid classroom!  ;)  Here is a look at our grass plants on Day 8:
I love these babies, because they ALWAYS grow!  Some predictability is nice, especially when these plants are parked next to the ziploc lima beans - which are notoriously finicky.  Some grow nicely, while some never do anything except mold.  Hmph!  If anyone has any tips for consistent lima bean growth, please help a sista out!  Here is one of our successful lima beans:
A few days later, it even sprouted a leaf!  Like all good scientists, my SuperKids recorded their observations of both plant types in their logs.


 All of  the kids were able to record great progress with their grass plants...




While only a lucky few had lima bean growth...

Most were disappointed...


 

The observation logs were glued into their Science Journals.  The grass log and the lima bean log are both available on my TPT store.
We made a circle map of plant needs and checked-off the items that humans need as well.

The students completed Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast our needs and plant needs.  (I bet you can guess where these were glued.)   ;)


After researching plant life cycles, we made 2 "craftivities" to show our learning.



 And to connect with Language Arts, we brainstormed adjectives to describe sunflowers after reading our weekly trade book, Sunflower House.
I hope you are having a wonderful start to Spring and are able to celebrate the beauty of plants with your sweet kiddos, too!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Little Bunny, Little Bunny, What Do You See?

It's another emergent reader in the style of Brown Bear, Brown Bear!  This one has a spring/Easter theme.    (I tried to make it generic enough that it will work in a strictly secular setting.)
The spring gang is all here... lambs, daisies, jellybeans, baskets... it's a pastel party!  :)
 
I made two versions for the last page and both are included with the book...
There is also a black-and-white version...
Click right HERE to snag the book over on my TPT page!  The first 3 followers (follow me if you haven't yet) to leave me some lovin' (aka a comment) will get the book free via email (make sure to include your address so I can send it on over).

My kiddos will be coloring the black-and-white copies this Thursday, highlighting the sight words they find, and reading it (over and over) to themselves, their reading buddies, me, and I'm sure 1 or 2 will want to read it to our class mascot Mr. Hugs!  ;)

Hope you are having a wonderful week celebrating spring!  Happy Easter!