Research is FUN!

Research is FUN!!

Do you like teaching your students to research?  

This year I found a new lesson and a new way to get the students to enjoy researching.  It was pretty amazing to sit back and watch how engaged ALL my students were in learning about their famous person.

First we started off by picking a influential person.  Some of them knew of some of the people.  I told them I wanted them to pick someone they didn't know anything about so they could learn about someone new. 

After we picked out the person they were going to research we watched the video that told the kids how to research and the project they would be creating with the research they found.

This REALLY motivated the kids when they saw the project that went with learning about their person.

Next I went over how they were to research.  This was our second research project this year but this one they really had to do the researching. The last one they just used a qr codes to help them research the animal.  This one was REAL research like a big kid.

I went over how they could read the story I passed out about their person and grab information from that.  I also showed them how to use Safari on their iPad to research.  I showed them to go to Google and then type in Kiddle.com or Kidrex to search on.  I told them they are not allowed to use google to search for their person.  Only Kiddle and Kidrex.  They all followed that rule.

Kiddle and Kidrex are search engines for children.  I had students use both and they seemed to work out really well. 

I told the students that they had to change the wording when they wrote it on their form.  We talked about how it was plagarism if they just copied what the story or website said and how it was wrong.  Making a sentence into their own is a difficult task for my 

firsties.

        

Then I went over how they needed to write down where they were getting their information from.  I told them how this was important for researching.  You always have to site your source.

         

I had my students research for two days.  It was about a total of 2 hours researching.  The other two days we worked on writing the research paper and making the project on Morfo.

         

The project was what I was really excited for.  I have been waiting all year to fit in this lesson.  The students found a picture of their famous person and took a screenshot of it.  Then they used Morfo to tell their research.  Here are some of my students projects!  

 Ruby Bridges
https://youtu.be/QCpm1ebk-9w


 Amelia Earhart
https://youtu.be/roF7cKRm1AY



 John Hancock
https://youtu.be/I6Vp7G1UUVs

Didn't they do a fabulous job?  I love this project.  They learned a ton of information about their famous person and enjoyed making their project. To end the unit we uploaded our project to Seesaw so our parents could see our wonderful work. The parents also loved them. 

Have you heard of Reagan Tunstall?  She is an amazing teacher and created this Influential People lesson that I did with my class. Go check it out!!

I hope you try researching with your students.  Mine loved it and yours will too. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

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Incorporating iPads and Beginning Math Centers, Plus Apps

Monday was our first day back after Christmas Break.  I was excited to start incorporating everything I decided to try after break; however I was sad not to be able to spend the whole day with my boys.



Since I was so lucky to get a class set of mini iPads I knew I wanted to start incorporating them into our day.  After researching and trying to figure out what would be best for my class, we started Monday using them.

I thought one of the easiest ways to incorporate them was using them for making words.  We always used our dry-erase boards to write out words with our spelling pattern, but using the Magnetic Letters App made it different and more exciting!  The kiddos loved changing the background and the letter colors.

The kiddos were 100% engaged with making words!  We also used the app Show Me to write some words using a stylist.  Unfortunately, the stylists were not working very well with our covers.  Instead some used the stylists and some used their finger.  Both ways the kiddos loved word work!!



This week I started my mission of incorporating guided math into my day.  I thought it was a perfect time to switch since we are just coming back from break and the following week is crazy because of the short week and half days due to the end of the quarter. 

On the first couple of days of the week, I was still printing and laminating some of the items I needed for my new math centers.  I wanted to start the process of teaching my kids what to do even though I wasn't completely prepared.  I decided to put the kiddos into different groups so they would get some practice at math centers.  Since I didn't have everything prepared yet, I just used what I could to do this.  

Here is a break down:

1} Teacher Center - worksheet from basal

2} Computers- Math Facts in a Flash (our school purchases this every year)

3} iPad- Teach Me First Grade

 I love this app.  It works on sight words, handwriting, addition, and subtraction.  It keeps track of the student's progress and the students earn stickers.

4} iPad- Smart Cookie Math

This app is wonderful!  It works on addition and subtraction fluency.  A Common Core standard!  I use this to help with our Smart Cookie Math program.

5} iPad- My Piggy Bank

This app is such a fun way to practice money.  My students kept asking to play this.  I ended up purchasing the full version because of how excited my kids were to play this. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday I continued these math centers.  I showed them how I wanted them to clean up and then stand once they were ready to switch.

Thursday I had the Math Chart prepared to share with the kiddos.  I showed them how to use the chart to know where to go.  We practice using the chart on Thursday with the previous centers.

Then on Friday I had everything ready and prepared for the math centers I really want to use. (Thanks to my intern for helping me get all prepared for this adventure).

Here is a list of what my kiddos are really going to do for Guided Math:

1} Teacher Center - worksheet from basal

                                     

2} Computers- Math Facts in a Flash (our school purchases this every year), some weeks students will work on Xtramath.

3} iPads- Various Apps 

4} Math Notebook

5} Math Tubs- On Friday, I went over two of the Math tubs the students will have a choice that they could do during their tub center.  I plan on introducing the other ones on Monday.

It was so exciting seeing my vision of these math centers play     out.  I saw that the students were excited about math and completely engaged in what they were doing.  I know over time this extra effort into math will have a big pay out.  My students will definitely master what they need to for first grade!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

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Christmas Presents, iPads, and Math

I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner.  I swear, the older I get the faster the year goes.  Here are somethings we have been working on and up to.  

Oh Math!!  Oh Math!!  Oh Math!!
This week we worked on ways to make 10 to add.  
You talk about tricky!  This is a concept that is very tricky.  I spent a lot of days helping the students understand how to do this.  We started out using manipulatives and our song...

We're moving on up!  Moving on up.  To the top tens-frame.
(My kiddos love this song and it seems to really up them)

Once the students were understanding this concept better we practiced ways to make 10 to add without manipulatives.

I have always been a big fan of the snowman ornaments.  This year I did a twist on them.  I made them out of construction paper and then had them laminated.  I love how they turned out.  I hope their parents do too. 

This past week we didn't have a lot of curriculum we had to fit in so I was able to work on somethings that my students needed to work on and also make some Christmas crafts.

Here is a great free project.  It is called Stocking Stuffers and is from A Cup for the Teacher.

The students made a stocking and then decided what they would put into their stocking.

I had them pick 6 different items and then they had to color their stocking. 

This year I decided to make a different kind of project.  I decided to have the students draw on plates with Sharpies and this would be one of their Christmas presents for their parents. I had the students make a rough draft on paper first.  This way I could check it out.  I learned that less is more on the plates.  I think this would be a perfect gift to be displayed year after year.

I am originally from Ohio and I love Buckeyes.  One of my friends surprised me with a bucket of Buckeyes!!  It made my day!

They were SO delicious!!  I had a difficult time sharing them. 

This year I had to figure out a gift for my child's teacher.  I wanted something she would like and treasure.  Although I always love gift cards I wanted something homemade to give her.  His teacher loves  Dr. Seuss.  I thought up an idea in my head and started creating it.

First, I went to The Home Depot and got my supplies.  I got wood and had them cut it into 12 inches.  Then I got a thinner piece of wood and then had them cut that.  I laid all the pieces on the floor so I could see what I was visualizing in my head.  It was working out.  Then I grabbed some paint and headed home.  

Next, I painted all the wood black.  I was very impatient.  I had a difficult time waiting for the black paint to dry.  While the black paint was drying, I created the words on my Silhouette Portrait.  I cut the words on vinyl.  Once the words were all ready to place on the black wood, I took them off the backing and placed and pressed them down where I wanted them to go. 

Then, I painted the different pieces of wood either red or white.  Whatever color it needed to be so it would look like a hat.  The next day, once the paint was dry, I pulled off the vinyl.  Then I glued the pieces together with wood glue.  I also screwed a rod to help all the pieces stay together.  Once the glue was dry and it was staying together I sanded it a little bit.  I wanted it to have a little bit of a worn look.

I love how this turned out.  I don't think the picture does it justice.  It looks SO much better in person.  My son was super excited to give this to his teacher.

We had a very excited week in class because our iPads were finally set up and we were able to use them.  I did my first lesson with the iPads, The Basics from the iPad Essentials- Series 1.

Then we got to practice our math with Smart Cookie Math.

I loved watching how engaged all the students were. 

Check out their faces.  They are really into what they are doing on the iPads.  I think it is just want the kids of today need to make learning fun. 

This year my classroom parents ROCKED at gifts.  Check out what I got for Christmas.

A wreath of gift cards!!  What??!!!  Awesome sauce!

Mustache ornament!!  Awesome sauce! 

Mustache necklace.  Awesome sauce!

Tervis Tumbler with a mustache and Wolfelicious on it.  Awesome sauce!

I got SO many amazing gifts!!  Thank you all so much!!

I hope you have a great Christmas!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

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STEM, Technology, and Calendar Thinker

Have you heard of STEM?

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

I have heard of STEM and always wondered what it really was.  I think incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math into lessons would make learning more fun and the students would use lots of different skills.  After looking and researching more about STEM, I knew I had to try it with my class.  I found a lesson that I wanted to try and I just jumped right in.

I decided to try the Cup Challenge with my class. 

I gave them the challenge question and explained some rules to them.  Then I said, "Go!"  

I decided not to assign different kids in each group with a job because I was curious what they would all do by themselves.

The students quickly and eagerly got started trying to complete the mission.  The groups of 4 or 5 were working together!  They were brainstorming.  At first they just stacked all the cups on one another.  Then, the coolest thing happened.  One table thought to stack them up differently.

Once the other groups saw this kind of stacking, they joined in with their group.  They students were working together and measuring.  The excitement on their faces was unbelievable.

I could tell they were really enjoying completing this activity, but they were also learning.  Coming up with more ways of how to get their stack taller and taller.

I did have to step in a couple times and remind them not to be so loud, but the loudness was all about how excited they were to complete this assignment.

After 20 minutes the students had to stop.  Then we filled out a paper about their experience documenting their learning.

To some people this my seem like playing, but the learning experiences they were getting were awesome!

Cooperative learning

Math

Engineering 

and more!

I am by no means a STEM expert, or even close.  This was my first STEM lesson. I thought it was a great experience!  I plan on doing more in my classroom.  The students were really engaged in their learning!!  Who doesn't want to see that?!

Have you done any STEM lessons?  I would love to hear about them.

Friday was a HAPPY day!!!  

I had a special delivery to my classroom.

20 ipads!!!  Oh my!!!

Oh happy day!!!  Oh happy day!!!

I can't wait to incorporate the iPads in my teaching!  Wish me luck in setting them all up!

This week we worked on poems.  Poems are SO difficult for first graders!!    

Here is one that made me smile.  I love reading their writings!  It is so neat to see what they come up with.  We did some of the poem together.  They had to come up with the rhyming words. Here was their outline.

When I am late, I ____, ____, and _____.

I _____ and _____.

Then I ________.

The red line had to rhyme and then the green lines had to rhyme.

Here is what this one says:

When I am late

I skip, walk, and I jump. I

huff and I puff.

Then I hump. 

I feel students should be using technology.  This is how they are going to grow up.  It is necessary for them to learn how to use it.  To help my students learn using technology I have signed my class up to use the mobile lab on Thursday's.  Or what I like to call it is Technology Thursday.  I have scheduled my class to use them until mid-December so far.  We have used Spelling City to help us with our spelling words and Connect Ed to help us with our reading.

I have finally made a new product!  I am super excited about this product!  I printed it off and have it ready to go for Monday.  During calendar this year I have had the students write and do the calendar problems in their folder.  This is a great way for the students to stay engaged in their learning.  I decided to make my own version so I could put in it what my students needed work on. 

Check out my new product!!  Calendar Thinker!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

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