We are learning so "Munsch"!

So many of us consider Robert Munsch a Canadian icon (although he wasn't born in Canada....true fact) and the students just love that they are working everyday with a new classic!  

The activities are challenging the students to think at a 'higher level' (remember Bloom's Taxonomy?), and although the work is more difficult, I am using Amy Lemon's wonderful unit which combines this more difficult work with cute creative 'crafts' to take the sting away.

For Aaron's Hair, the students identified the problem and solution for the story.

In the activity for Smelly Socks,  the students made a text to self connection (how did they relate to the characters or events of the story?)

For Alligator Baby, the students practised writing the main idea.

Here's one that is quite good.

If your kiddo is still writing like this, after daily reminders from the teacher, they are still at a beginning stage, and will be yellow on their final report, because they are not making progress and being able to work independently.  You will notice this as they work on their writing on the weekends.

My favourite might be from the book entitled PIGS! The students wrote a list of five things that people might do that might make others call them a piglet.  They were so funny!

Today, instead of me reading a Robert Munsch story to the students, we divided into three groups of seven, and used a Reader's Theatre version of Robert Munsch's story Andrew's Loose Tooth.

My favourite part was listening in from the side lines and hearing the students really put expression and fluency to work!  My second favourite part was when one of the boys said "I can make an equation for that" and told us all that 3 divided by 3 equals 7.  We had a little talk about how in dividing the largest number had to start the equation and another smart kiddo was able to change it to 21 divided by 3 equals 7.  Before I knew it, they were giving me the equation of 7+7+7=21 and 3X7=21!   It was enough to make me want to do a happy dance!

The day got a bit out of control, as they mimicked Andrew showing his loose tooth!

At least they understood how the picture was created!

Today, the students got a chance to try out some measuring practise on items in our classroom.  They are preparing for a big project that we will do next week on measuring.  They will be using their hands (traced and cut out of paper),

centimeters on a ruler, and

unifix cubes.  They were so focused on how measuring distance works.

The Symphony

I absolutely love that my students have the opportunity to hear the symphony orchestra.  They looked so glamorous in their 'Sunday best' and were enthralled throughout the performance.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons is some of my favourite classic music and then they ended with William Tells Overture.  It couldn't have been better!

Our own county museum

Who knew?  If you have not been to our own little museum in the original fire hall/police station here in town, you are missing an amazing treasure!  What a gem of a place and the volunteers who spoke with our students and shared information about life long ago were so knowledgeable.

The building isn't big but it houses so many different little vignettes into life within the county over the last one hundred years or so.  There is a little 'barn' and a 'blacksmith shop',

full of sharp tools and dangerous looking items.  We didn't touch a thing!

A variety of rooms focus on life long ago so the students got to peep into a formal parlour and spent some time in the kitchen learning about a coal stove, an ice box and a flour bin.

Their hands never were down....they had question after question.

Given the educational focus that is being played on life before Europeans came to this land, the students had an opportunity to hear more about the life of those who traveled these lands.

After our stories about the girl, Kaya, the students wanted to share their knowledge as much as they wanted to hear new facts.

This gentlemen keep the students entertained as they visited the little schoolhouse.  He shared his own early school experiences, when there were only 7 students in his school, he traveled in a cart pulled by a horse and he was one of two children in Grade One, but there were no students in Grade Two.

The students loved these little desks!

There was a church room, a beauty shop, and this store.

The students played a searching game.  Any of you remember using Rogers' syrup on your pancakes?

They learned about the coffee grinder.

I feel lucky that I never had to darn socks using this wooden tool.

The artifacts are donated and are so well cared for.  I loved this stained glass window.

I didn't read Dick and Jane.  I read about Tom and Betty and Susan.  These were large teaching pages that would have been displayed in the classroom  and the children would have read all together, as the teacher pointed to the words.  Children today learn to read much longer words earlier in their practising.

Judging by this smile, I would say this museum visit was a hit!

We have been busy!

We are wrapping up our language learning focus using the stories by H. A. Rey about the little curious monkey named George.  The students wrote their own stories about George's adventures and  after sharing them within the class, assessing them with their classmates and doing some self assessment, the students divided into three groups and read their stories to the three Grade One classes.

Our math is focused on a Project Based Learning unit, in which each student is 

creating a town square, following the criteria shared in these slides.

Each of the places that will be added to the town square will come from our creative 'architects',

who also worked collaboratively with their firm's 'partners'

to ensure that the plans and drawings were appropriate.

They are focused on knowing how to share ideas, to express their ideas both verbally and in written and drawn form, and to offer suggestions and opinions in a positive manner.

It has been a great project that the students are enjoying immensely, because they are in charge of the final product!

If you could have seen their surprised and confused faces on Friday morning, as grandmas and mamas showed up in our classroom.  Great job of keeping the secret!

It was sock monkey making day, and the students took their job very seriously,

listening carefully to the instructions and then picking up a needle and thread,

to sew on tails, stuff the parts, 

and end up with a friend for life!

Look at what they accomplished!

Monkeys alive...they took them to visit our principal, who has been behind closed doors all day doing the boriing things that principals do.  We wanted to cheer him up and show him our accomplishments!

Oh happy day!