Mixing Chemicals! How We Practice the Scientific Method in First Grade

I think we all talk about scientific method, from primary up through high school.  If we teach a class in science, it's a given.  

I also think most elementary school teachers do the activity most children fondly refer to as "The Volcano Experiment," or "Making a Volcano."  Yet when I think of mixing vinegar and baking soda, I don't think of using a model to teach geology; I think of the perfect opportunity to teach the scientific method!  This was my second year teaching the Scientific Method by "mixing chemicals."  As a new (to primary) teacher last year, it went well.  This year I added a little polish, and finally have a little time to share how I made it work well.

The key to making this an experiment is to have another variable to use besides vinegar.  Since I have 5 groups, I used 5 variables, as shown above.  If you want a single variable, water is the easiest.  It won't make any bubbles because it's not acidic like vinegar.

Graphics from Scrappin Doodles

1.      I gathered the children on the rug so I could build excitement about the liquids without them sticking their fingers in as I was discussing them!   I put a different liquid on each table as we reviewed how to observe using our senses.  I made it clear we would be looking and smelling only for today, but if you can think of a sanitary way to encourage taste please let me know in the comment section!  I think it would be awesome; I just couldn't manage it in the time allowed.

2.      Next I encouraged them to walk around and go to each table to identify the liquids.  

3.      Then I guided their question (it was hard for them to articulate this when they already had a hypothesis). "What will happen when we mix different liquids with baking soda?"

4.      My class had a hypothesis before I even got to this stage in the lesson:  "It will make a volcano!" cried many students.  I wrote down their different ideas (some kids said "it will explode.") and had them each choose their own to copy onto their page.

All the while, we referred to our anchor chart from Deanna Jump.  I chopped up her mini posters to create the anchor chart, and I believe her graphics are from Scrappin Doodles. 

5   We carried out the testing part of the experiment by rotating to each table (because I do this experiment at the beginning of the year, the rotation is clearly controlled, with all groups being directed where to go each time; kids at group 1 go to group 2, kids at group 2 go to group 3, and so on), leaving the liquid and eye droppers in place and carrying only the tray of baking soda.  I also chose who got to use the eye dropper each time.  Since my students are arranged into groups with an A, B, C, and D, it is easy for me to say, "All the A's use the dropper this time." 

 


We didn't do all the recording in one day, but it worked fine.  Most kids remember what the bubbles look like and could record their observations with pictures the next day.  And since I had some absent, I took photos for them to refresh their memories.

On the second day we also recorded WHY different liquids reacted to baking soda and others did not.  We filled our our recording page for our science notebooks AFTER the page on sorting liquids, so students have already thought about the different properties that the liquids on each side have in common.  This lead to a result.  One of my students articulated, "All the liquids that made bubbles are sour."  This prepared them for the scientific explanation:  these liquids that taste or smell sour are acidic.  Acids react when mixed with bases, such as baking soda. I have both recording pages (along with this lesson in printer friendly format) available in my TPT store.




One more top tip:  Save a little of each liquid and baking soda on your desk as a backup!  I did not have a spill, but if you do, the group that accidentally spills can still carry on instead of joining other groups' works in progress.

The kids have been BEGGING for more science every day since this experiment.  It was hands on, showy, AND helped them learn the process involved in the scientific method through doing.


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First Grade Math in Focus Chapter 1 (Numbers to ten)

Anyone who's been reading my blog on a regular basis knows that last year was my first year in first grade.  During the first month I was fortunate to have a lot of help from my teaching partner and the veterans of the primary blogging community and Teachers Pay Teachers.  And I reflected on my practices; what did they struggle with and what did I need to do differently?

Math was one of the hardest subjects for us the first year.  I knew we needed a lot more hands on activities to alternate with the math workbook that we are required to use.  I just couldn't get them together fast enough. But this year I was ready!

Not all cards are pictured

The kids needed a little more practice with number words.  Math in Focus has one number word on the test that they need to write, and that number is "eight."  (Really?  I know most numbers are sight words, but of all the number words, we had to pick the one that is farthest over their heads, phonetically speaking?).  So I used number word dominoes to give them extra practice with their number words.  Although there was no copyright information on the version I "inherited," you can find a very similar number word dominoes game here for free.  Since our pretest indicated that students are able to match numerals with quantities, students refer to our anchor chart that hangs in our calendar area to check their knowledge of these number sight words.

Next, I knew I didn't do enough subitizing last year.  Some of my first graders struggled with counting last year.  To make sure those struggling kids were caught early and practiced regularly, I used the dominoes from Math in Focus for 3 different activities.  

• First, I used them in conjunction with fish memory cards from Angelina Grimes-Graeme from Extra Special Learning.  Instead of cutting out the words and numbers, I left the pages in tact, in order.  The kids simply match the dominoes to the fish bowl.

• Next, I had students order the dominoes backwards and forwards.  
• The last activity was a simple game of "War" (each player flips over a card at random.  The player with the greater number wins both cards).  I modeled how we can go fast once we visualize instead of count the dots. 

Another activity that we did do last year was with simple greater than and less than symbols and numbers.  This year I differentiated the game and some students used numbers to 20.  The number bears are from Yara Habanou at the Sea of Knowledge (and graphics by DJ Inkers).  If you recognize where the greater than/less than signs are from, please let me know.  There was no copyright information on these pages.

Finally, the trickiest concept was "number patterns," which I think is more aptly named, "Counting backwards and forwards."  Continuing a sequence that required "backing up" or sequencing from greatest to least were two skills that were SO difficult for students.  Even after practicing one more and one less, (using this sheet by A. Brantley) to transfer this skill to the new context of a number line was too much of a leap.  I knew that manipulatives would be better than worksheets that had to be erased.  Markers would be more fun, but I thought of a number line activity that would be self correcting.  Most kids could see right away that their first try did not work.  Partnering the kids with more number sense with those who needed more support ensured that they could see the fix up strategy again and again.  

By rotating students through the games as well as the written work, they were much more engaged and less frustrated in math than they were last year.  The workbook was not an effective tool to help them practice at the beginning of the year.  So instead I spent time doing the pages together in order to help them get used to the process of looking for key words, using the pictures, and writing responses in the correct spot.  The time they spent on the activities were the more efficient way to practice the math concepts.  I was even able to introduce choices toward the end of the unit, so students picked the activity they wanted to work on (after they had had experience using all the activities earlier in the unit).

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Late to the Daily 5 Party

I've been married for 3 and a half years, and earlier this month I got my wedding band resized.  I got the engagement ring resized the week before, and I was so happy with the fit I told the guy, "I don't know why I waited so long!"  He said, "Well, it fits now, so just be glad you've done it."

Image from the public domain

That's how I feel with the Daily 5.

I know I'm late to the party on this one.  I tried to start it last year.  I claimed I was doing it all year.  I hung up the free posters the previous teacher printed off and named my 5 literacy activities using the proper lingo.  My teaching partner briefly explained to me the way write each child's choice on a clipboard each day, but frankly I was like a fish out of water teaching first grade last year.  Releasing responsibility like this was just too scary.

But I think I get it now.

I finally read The Two Sisters' book cover to cover.  And I realized that although I used the lingo, I was not doing Daily 5 last year.  I was doing centers.  And there is nothing wrong with centers!  It served me well during a "learning year."  But there were pieces of the management puzzle that just were not working for me.  I had heterogeneous groups going to each station while trying to pull homogenous groups.  Kids were missing stations that they were really looking forward to, and I was having a hard time working around this in order to keep their moral and motivation higher.  Now that I understand how the Daily 5 system is supposed to work, I see how students will never get "skipped over" when it comes to their favorite activity; they can choose it the very next time after I confer with them.

I've been rolling out the components pretty much to the letter (the book says what every good teacher knows; adjustments need to be made for each class's needs each year, so of course I have).  Each of the 5 is rolled out in an order that makes sense, with mini-lessons on the many sub-skills.  The lessons are designed in a smart way to help the kids learn the behaviors that are expected.  For example, the lesson on choosing "good fit books" that draws several specific comparisons to "good fit shoes" was not only relevant, it was so fun watching my firsties trying on each other's shoes!  They couldn't believe I was letting them do that during a reading lesson!

Having a mini lesson between each rotation has also helped us take responsibility for good reading behaviors and build our stamina.  I can refer to the anchor charts we make together (as opposed to the premade posters from last year) and re-teach a behavior if I had to cut a practice time short due to off task behaviors.  Then I immediately send them back to the same spot to try again.  Or, when students are on task, we come together to celebrate, then learn a new routine/behavior.  And of course, I still save one mini-lesson slot each day for my basal program.

I feel like I'm really walking the walk now, and so far it feels right!  I am so excited to see how my class evolves during Reader's Workshop.  Everyone told me that that's the beauty of teaching first grade; you see a huge amount of growth in students' reading and writing.  And although I did last year, I am dreaming of even more this year as they make choices.  I didn't realize until the end of the year how more committed and invested first graders are in learning how to read and write.  I am starting to see why letting them choose their order of activities when I'm not conferring will be motivating and lead to better focus in each activity.

 

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First Grade Teacher Tips

I'm back from my trip abroad and still in vacation mode.  The kids go back on August 31, so I still have some leisure time left as I ease back into classroom setup mode next week.  It will be a very different experience from last year, which was my first year teaching first grade.

Last year's goal was, well, survival.  I needed to learn so much about the age range and curriculum, so I had to seek out and rely on help from a new set of colleagues.  Research and team-building were two of my goals.

I also needed to project an image to the children and parents that I was competent when I felt like a total noob.  One way I did that was to devote half my summer to designing and setting up my classroom.  It helped me become more comfortable in my new space as well.   

This year I envision the physical setup of the room will be very much the same.  I enjoy decorating, but I want to focus my energies on improving my instructional routines and differentiation.  So this weekend I have been looking back over what I learned about incoming first graders.  I'm linking up with Jen Bonner over at Sparkling in Second Grade (who has also moved to first grade) to share my top 3 tips for teaching incoming first graders.

Find out what routines your firsties used in kindergarten.  First graders can remember and follow certain routines just as well, if not better than some of my former fourth graders.  They found their hooks in the closet to hang up their coats, they found their own desks with their names on them, they put folders into their mailboxes...which was not a routine I asked them to do.  Apparently that was something they did in kindergarten!  So check in with the kindergarten teachers to see what routines they used, and continue the ones that work for you.  If there is a routine you want to change, acknowledge the old one as you teach the new one.



Here is an example of how I put my own spin on a routine half the class had mastered in kindergarten.  I was lucky to be able to visit the kindergarten classrooms in May before teaching first grade in September last year.  I saw that one teacher used "Calming Position," which was sitting still, with hands folded, and eyes closed.  When I first taught "Whole Body Listening" (drawing heavily from Erica Boher's diagram) I asked who could show me Calming Position.  Once half of my class modeled this, I explained that good listeners use their whole body to listen.  We sit still, with hands folded, and mouths closed, but our eyes are watching the person who is talking.

Make the first day of school lots of fun.  When I taught third grade at a charter school in Springfield, MA, let's just say the principal followed the "Don't smile until Christmas" philosophy.  With first grade, although I don't have kids, it was immediately clear that these kids were my babies and they were looking at me as another parent.  So although I needed to make them feel safe and establish control with routines, the content and activities on the first day should be as much fun as you can muster. 

One example of how I ended the day with fun was to use the Magic Playdough recipe from A Cupcake for the Teacher.  After making the dough balls at home with food coloring hidden inside, each child got one to squish up and squeal in surprise as the color of their prize was revealed.  I wrote about this activity and more in my First Week of School blog post.

Read alouds are just as riveting as television.  I was surprised in this day in this day in age of cartoon channels and videos on demand on the T.V. and internet that kids would be completely tuned in to a book I chose to read at a time I dictated.  And yet, their eyes were locked on me and their mouths open when I read them their first story about the first day of first grade.


If you have your own tips to share, join Jen's linky party at Sparkling in Second Grade.  Or, if you're interested in more tips for teaching first grade, you can check out my thoughts two weeks into my first year with my Top 10 Things I Learned About First Grade blog post.







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Reshaping My Identity

When I first found out that I was moving from fourth to first grade, I felt like my world was crashing down around me.  That sounds really melodramatic.  I'd probably roll my eyes if I wasn't the one writing it.  But I understand what it means now.  A HUGE part of my identity was "fourth grade teacher."  I had been that for long enough that I felt like I was getting to be an expert.  I was at least comfortable going in each day and understanding how to run a class of upper elementary kids.  All I could think when I found I had to fit into the first grade teacher mold was, "This is not me."  I worried I would fail my job/career/finances/family.  I worried it had the potential to ruin me.

I also worried about who I was in terms of my online persona.  My other TPT store/social media is all geared toward upper elementary.  If I admitted to my followers that I am now a first grade teacher, would they leave?  Would my sales plummet?  Again, financial worries: my TPT sales are significant enough that we've started incorporating them into our plans for the future.

Since I felt like I was split in two (or even three) my husband helped me make separate Firefox profiles.  I use one for my fourth grade blog/TPT/Pinterest.  Then I have this LMNOpond blog/TPT/Pinterest.  And finally I have my school Gmail account.

Well, my first priority of course had to be my students.  The online stuff had to take a backseat.  No sense creating a lot of first grade products before I understood the kids and curriculum.  Not fair to spend a lot of time making fourth grade materials when I should be working hard to become a good first grade teacher.  So I set up this blog in June last year to vent a little as well as help others going through a similar transition, but otherwise felt confused about which online persona to cultivate.

In November I started to feel more settled into a routine in first grade, and started to feel less like someone who was filling in for those little kids' teacher and more like a first grade teacher with a distinctive style.  As a result I came up with the LMNOpond brand.

In December I realized that marketing my old fourth grade materials could help keep my store going while I took time to develop my first grade craft.  I created a spreadsheet/schedule to help with pinning.

I will never know if there was a correlation or coincidence, but my sales have stayed steady and even increased this year.  Thank goodness.

I was hoping to spend time during February break catching up on fourth grade products, but it turned out to be a rough month (think major blizzards) and time slipped by.  I even spent a day in my classroom to help catch up.  That's when I realized, "I really am a first grade teacher now."  I wish I could flip back and forth between first and fourth grade work, but I can't right now. 

Having lots of unfinished fourth grade ideas/products is frustrating for me.  But making my first graders my priority has been the right thing to do.  Most of them love school (and homework...what's up with that?!) and they have learned so much.  A colleague told me, "They learn how to read in first grade, and it's like a miracle."  She was right.  Those kids who seemed like babies/little aliens at the start who needed everything read to them are reading and writing now. 

Devoting my time and energy into my class also won me admiration from my colleagues and parents.  Everyone is telling me what a great job I've been doing.  Getting praise from them has healed the hole that was left in my heart all summer as I agonized about the move and the loss of my former identity.  And although at first I felt like I was doing a good job faking it for everyone, by now, I can say that I've pretty much got a handle on this now.  Of course there are things I wish I did differently.  But I felt that every year in fourth grade, too.  I think most teachers are reflective and start September with at least a few new ideas to try with their new group.  But overall I think I have a routine that the kids feel secure in, so they know what they should do and feel confident helping each other.

If you have been reading because you've made a big move in grade levels, you'll see I've kept my LMNOpond brand small so far.  I suggest you do the same if you create a new brand when you move grade levels.  I feel more secure than I think I would have if I tried to build at the same time as I was learning.  But I finally think I am ready to take the next step with LMNOpond.

I decided to jump in with both feet on Instagram.  I not only signed up for an LMNOpond account, I also made it my main account on my phone.  I realized that although I have a backlog of photos for fourth grade to blog about when I have the time, I won't be taking more photos with my phone for my fourth grade account.  And I take LOTS of photos of my first graders and their projects.  It makes sense to just use that one.  The hardest part was following all my old friends on the new account.  Some have even gone to "private" so I CAN'T follow them until they respond to their direct messages.  And of course, I have very few followers now.  But it was simple enough to find popular hashtags to post with in order to get more attention from the IG teaching community.  I'm sure I'll gain more followers in the long run than I would on an account I basically stopped using. 

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Slant Box: I Love Teaching

Have you exchanged SLANT boxes yet?

This is my second SLANT box exchange.  It's the first one I've done here on this first grade blog (the other was posted on my fourth grade blog).  Since I've pretty much settled in to my first grade teacher status, I decided to post it here.

February's theme was "I Love Teaching."  How could I resist?  I was partnered up with Alissa over at Fun in Fifth Grade.  And if you're wondering, "Why are you blogging about February on March 8, the obvious reason is I procrastinate, but the second reason is I really enjoyed getting to know Alissa.  We Emailed a LOT over the course of the month, so the deadline sort of snuck up on me.  But I think it was worth it spending the extra time talking.

'Cause as a result, I got some awesome loot, haha!

 Alissa took my classroom theme to heart.  She gave me teal, lime green, and aqua items.  She even got me cute frog cut outs to go with my pond theme.

I love that they were practical, too.  I bought the same paperclips and binder clips before, and of course you can never have too many.  Same with the to do list.  Writing to do lists helps me prioritize and be more productive, so I can let go of stress easier.  It lets me get the stuff out of my brain and put it somewhere else safe, haha. 

And a gift card to Staples, woo!  She asked me my favorite store and this was at the top of my list. 

 More lime green stuff that is practical:

I LOVE these Yoobi file folders!  I look wistfully at Yoobi stuff every time I go to Staples.  And now I own some, yay!

The sanitizer, stapler, and Post Its (in my classroom colors) are of course useful.

I HAVE that Washi tape already; of course it's my classroom colors.  Alissa, I don't know if you saw my up-cycled filing cabinet, but I used that pattern for the edges!  That's my favorite pattern!

The banana chips made me laugh; when Alissa asked me what I liked to snack on I was half kidding when I said "fruit."  I thought, "Of course she won't send fruit."  I was wrong!

As for the soap, I don't remember if I told her my favorite smells are spicy, so I was happy to see it's vanilla scented!

Yes there's more!  There are K-Cups and a kitty mug (because I am a cat person and coffee person).  We talked a lot about this EPIC east coast winter, so she gave me gloves to keep me warm.  There are erasers because we all know kids eat them.

The Dove chocolates are one of my favorites and fit with the I Love Teaching theme.  And finally, Scentos markers.  Which made me laugh, because I got her the same ones!  Great minds!

Thanks again for my SLANT box and your Emails, Alissa.  It was fun getting to know you, and you were very generous.  :)  I love my goodies!  I hope you loved yours too.

If you've never done a SLANT box, go check out Jameson's new blog location at Lessons With Coffee (same name, new location).  There's a new signup nearly every month (today is the last day to register for the March exchange).  It's a fun way to get to know other teachers and bloggers.  You can also check out Alissa's blog, Fun with Fifth Grade. 


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Fact Family Activities

In math, we have been working on fact families.  In Math in Focus, an introduction to addition and subtraction is rolled out in the same chapter in the form of Number Bonds.

I like the IDEA of number bonds, just like in fourth grade I liked the IDEA of bar models.  But the kids tend to get really bogged down with the steps/language in the workbooks (in both grades).

 I knew there had to be a better way.  As a visual learner, I wish I was taught math using the visual models from Math in Focus.  But there wasn't enough hands on practice that I could find for the kids to really test things out when it comes to number bonds.  Sure, there are tens frames.  But moving from tens frames to numbers was a leap for some kids.  I looked on TPT for help, and when I couldn't find anything, I made my own!
It felt so good to be creating again after my move from fourth to first.  I didn't know when I'd be ready, but this time I had a vision so I made the time. 

I knew I wanted something kids could write on in marker using sheet protectors.  This group loves markers (we use them in Fundations, and we've used them with other math activities with success).  There's something about being able to wipe away your mistake with your finger that's very appealing, haha.

I also decided that I wanted the kids to focus more on the numbers and less on manipulating quantities.  So I put a visual a the top of the page for them.  I don't like to use colored ink when I don't have to, so I kept it simple and to the point.

Finally, I included an envelope for each file folder with only the numbers needed for the problem (along with plus, minus, and equals signs).  

The fact family stations were a success!  Even my grade level partner (a first grade veteran teacher) was excited to borrow them.  So I made this fact family activity available for purchase in my young (but up and coming?) TPT store.

In keeping with my grade level partner's suggestion, I split my class for this activity as well.  While half of my class worked with a partner on each of the file folder activities, I worked with the rest of the class at the rug.

With these kids I challenged them to create a number sentence using 3 numbers of my choosing.  Each child had a bag of several (but not all) numbers from 1 to 10, as well as plus, minus, and equal signs.

This activity allowed me to check for breakdowns in understanding (such as 8+6=2).  I could draw on the whiteboard to prove/disprove given number sentences.  At the same time, the activity was open ended; multiple students could have different correct answers as they waited to be called on with their response.

This activity was a big success, and led to a fun "filler" game that we like to play, and you can play too with very few materials!  Here's how:

• I tell the kids, "I'm thinking of a number sentence using 4,9, and 5."
• Next, I write the sentence I'm thinking so I can "prove" at the end who guessed correctly.
• I call on students to guess, and write their response on the board.  Then I will say, "That IS a correct number sentence, but it's not the one I was thinking."  (Unless of course it was not a correct number sentence, and then I'll draw it out to prove why).  
• I continue to write guesses.  As your class improves at the game you might say, "I notice there are two addition number sentences already guessed.  That means the correct answer must use...[subtraction]."
• When the correct guess is given, I flip over my sentence and say, "You're right!"

It's a fun little game when you're waiting for the stragglers to transition over to the area of the room you are about to start teaching in!  I've learned that games like this are a BIG hit with first graders.  They like being constantly entertained by an adult, whereas fourth graders seem to be happier socializing/taking a break from listening to an adult during transitions.  And it requires very little materials.  Do you have any fun "fillers" like this that you use with your class?

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Martin Luther King Craftivity

I knew just the sort of craft I wanted to do for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Basically, I wanted to do the same style as the "No David" craft I attempted at the start of the year and struggled with.

Part of the reason I wanted to do this was to redeem myself.  I've gotten better at dealing with first graders in general and I know my students.  But also I knew that they have made so much progress since September.  I knew this was going to go much better.

And it did.

I used a template that I "inherited." It was a hard copy so I don't have a store link, but the copyright information says it's from "A. Munroe" (does anyone know this person so I can give a link?).  I tracked down the author and found that Amber Monroe's blog is School is a Happy Place.  Her unit is called Make Way for MLK and at time of writing you can get it free from her blog!  Thanks, Amber! 

I modified her template to simplify the process.  First, we didn't using tracers.  The head and hands were printed onto brown construction paper (did you know you can run construction paper through the copier?  I don't recall exactly how many years ago I learned this, but it's a top tip!).  I also drew his hair, nose and mouth for them.

Then I drew eyes on white paper, all on one sheet, and simply gave each kid a strip with 2 eyes on it so they could cut them out.  The eyes had no detail except for the shape.

Then I demonstrated which parts they needed to draw:  Mustache, eyebrows, pupil, and eye color.  I asked if they knew what color EVERYONE'S pupils are.  Some didn't realize we all have black ones.  It was fun watching them all lean over their desks and stare at each other's eyes trying to see if it's really true!

After our deep discussion on why Martin Luther King was important, it was nice having an attractive craft for the hallway to draw attention to what we've been learning.  This activity is a keeper!


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Martin Luther King Jr. Books

We read 2 different books about MLK.  The first was a simpler book that I knew some kids could read by themselves (and more could retell after they've heard it).  It lead to a talk about segregation, which of course these kids thought was crazy.  I used the water fountain down the hall as an example.  "Imagine you couldn't use it just because of the color of your eyes, hair, and skin."  

The next book we read was a little risky; Martin's Big Words. I like the book because the pictures are very rich, and it was very readable for nonfiction.  The kids were captivated, and one big discussion that came out of it was "How would you bring people together?"  I modified the prompt in the end because I felt this was a little more specific than the title on the page.  I had kids copy the sentence frame, "I would bring people together by..."  They really latched on to the idea of being happy together as the opposite of segregation, so I wanted to capitalize on that.

What was harder to deal with was that this book reveals that King was assassinated.  I debated skipping that part.  In the end, the moment felt like I sort of needed to read it as is.  For one thing, I have one student who can read every word, so if I try changing the words she points it out.  Second, if I tried to skip a page, I worried some could tell.  But most importantly, I decided I needed to address it because I heard one child tell a couple kids that MLK had been shot.

I decided that it was better that I tell them and give them a framework for coping than brushing it under the rug.

So there was a moment when the kids looked shocked, and teary.  But the next page in the book does go on to say that his message lives on today, and that segregation laws in this country have ended.  While I realize we still have a long way to go in terms of civil rights, and I chose my words carefully not to just say everything is perfect now, they seemed okay.

We also had a great talk about civil rights; deeper than I would have expected.  One child said that in other countries, there is still segregation.  I told him this is true (and he looked surprised; apparently he was guessing, haha).  I told them that in some countries girls are not allowed to go to school.  And I told them that the reason we learn about Martin Luther King Jr. is to remember how unacceptable it is to segregate people.  And that "maybe some day one of you kids will be the one to use your words, not hurting people but persuading them, in one of those countries that they need to stop segregation."  They got very excited about this idea and lots of them said "I'm going to do that!"

 

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Teaching Homophones

This week I had a lot of success teaching homophones! 

I've always been interested in grammar.  I feel like it's one of those subjects that can be so dry, but does not have to be.  And honestly, I don't take it too seriously.  If I had to rank order reading, math, and proper grammar, it's going to come last.  Maybe that's why when I teach it, it always needs to be quick, relevant, and/or fun. 

I started out by researching homophone anchor charts on Pinterest, and I was not disappointed! 

  

Next, I took a long look at our word wall.  Because we use both Journeys and Fundations, I decided it would work better to just create  a custom version of a free homophone sort that I found on Teacher's Pay Teachers for free.

It was at this point that something clicked for me.  Previously I had been wondering exactly what a first grader needs to know about homophones.  Since I taught about homophones in fourth grade, it seemed odd that kids this young are also learning them.  Once I looked at the sorting page I realized the level of understanding I was aiming for.  Kids don't need to choose the correct spelling of the homophone to use in a sentence like they do in fourth.  They simply need to be able to read both words (often sight words that have been taught previously this year) and recognize a match.  Of course, for some first graders are ready to move on to the next concept, but not necessarily the whole class. 

So our first activity was to play a little game I called, "I've got your back."

1. Write 4 pairs of homophones on sticky notes.  Then make a second and even third set, depending on how many students you have. 
2. Mix them up, post them, and read the first word.  "There."  I can find the word "Their."  Stick it beside the first.  Call students up to match the words similarly.
3. Call up 8 volunteers to participate, and the rest of the class gets to be "spectators." 
4. Stand behind the volunteers.  Make a spectacle of holding up a word over the first kid's head so the spectators can see, but the volunteers can't.  Stick it on the volunteer's back.  Do the same for the rest of the kids. 
5. Tell the kids they are not allowed to LOOK at their back, but they can ask other students what it says.  They should also read names on the backs of the other kids when they ask.  When they find their "match" of a word that sounds just like their own word, they go to a designated side.
6. When all partners have found each other, ask them to read their words to sum up. 

After this activity they were quite ready to do the word sort!

Later in the week I did a follow up activity.  They had a good sense of what homophones were, but I wanted a hook to keep the idea fun so it stuck with them.  I found a cute homophones VeggieTales clip on YouTube that was less than 3 minutes long.  I showed it on my new (less than one month) iPad/projector.  We had to play it through twice because it was clear the first time that speakers were needed (luckily it only took me the 2 minutes and 10 seconds for the first run through to finish to untangle the ones on my desktop). 

I had let the kids know, "This video goes very fast (although it's also repetitive).  So it would be hard to learn EVERY new homophone.  But if you each remember ONE PAIR, we can make a list together at the end.  Hopefully that way we can get them all."   

As they took turns telling me the pairs, that's when I introduced the idea of spelling each differently depending on the meaning.  A child would say "read" or "red," and I'd ask, "Which one?"  They would say "the color" and I would write "red."  I'd ask, "What does the other 'read' mean," and they'd answer, "Like when you've read a book."  I stuck with modeling (waiting to hear the definition in order to write the correct spelling for the meaning) in order to introduce the concept, as opposed to having them master it and apply it independently.  Readers, do any of you disagree?  Is there anyone out there who teaches first grade who holds their first graders accountable for spelling a certain number of homophones correctly in the right context?  If so, can you share any tricks?

The unplanned happy ending to my week on homophones was that my principal walked in during the song (for the second run through, fortunately!!!) enjoyed the tune, and praised me for learning/applying the new expensive technology quickly!  Plus the fact that they kids were so into it that they were still singing it at lunch.  One of my precocious (and favorite) boys told me, "Ugh, it's stuck in my head!"  I told him, "Good, that was my goal."  

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New Year's Resolutions: Learning How to Talk to First Graders

I still consider myself a "learner" when it comes to how to talk to and respond to first graders.  Sometimes I feel like I'm that guy from the Sprint ads.  "It's not complicated."  Meanwhile they sound like little aliens who speak a language separate from mine.  Today's Morning Meeting discussions was another one of those learning experiences.  The topic was New Year's Resolutions.

I found a cute bell shaped freebie here for a writing prompt.  It looked like a simple but bulletin-board-worthy page that would hold enough visual interest but more importantly be something that a least a few kids might one day look back on and cherish or chuckle.  "This year I will..."

After wishing them all a happy New Year and telling them this is a great time for setting goals, I asked if they knew what a goal was.  Once we cleared up it has a meaning other than a point in soccer, (it's something you want to/plan to do) I told them today I wanted them to think of, and write down a goal. 

I didn't make it multiple choice, but I did model several goals that they might want to select:

1.  Learn 100 sight words.

2.  Answer 30 math facts in 3 minutes.

3.  Clip up to the top of the behavior chart.

In fourth grade, I discussed how goals are more likely to be met when they are quantifiable.  You need to know if you met your goal or not.  "Get better at math" was not acceptable for fourth graders.  With first grade, I wasn't sure I could get that point across, but at least they had a model to work from.  Plus I wanted to set an unspoken expectation that they would be school related (although depending on the kid, I allowed some non school related goals).  And sure enough, several kids picked one of the above goals, and a few came up with their own goals that had a number.  I was impressed!

On the other hand, here were some of our exchanges:

1.   E:  I will do 100 kicks in one day.  (Once I got clarification that it was for karate I told him this is a great goal to work towards).

2.  R:  I will do 100 drawings in a second.

Me:  ...Is that attainable?*

R:  ...what?

Me:  ...Is that possible to do?

R:  *shakes head.*

Me:  Try again.

R:  I will do 100 drawings in ten seconds.

Me:  Try again.

R:  I will do 100 drawings in a minute.

Me:  You seem very determined! 

3.  N:  I will kick a ball over my house.

Me:  There's just one problem with that goal.  If you achieve it, you will lose your ball.  Trust me, I know; I was six once.  I had the same goal.  I still haven't found my ball. 

N:  *makes a face*  I don't care!

Me:  Okay then.

Then once I heard everyone's goal and we were wrapping up the discussion, a student asked me what MY goal was. 

That was a big deal to me.  I felt like a real part of this group.  At the beginning, I thought this age group was still in the self-centered stage.  I was not really expecting, or prepared for being asked!

As a result, I had to fall back on what I told my fourth graders.  I've always made a conscious decision NEVER to tell my students about my weight loss goals.  I fear that opens the door to judging and comparing so I feel like it's best to keep that one to adult company only.  Instead I was very honest and told them, "My goal is to go to bed earlier.  I go to bed too late." 

Some looked interested, some surprised, a few admitted, "I go to bed too late too."  I said, "It's not healthy, so I need to get more sleep."

*Now, I know what you're thinking.  Did you actually use the word "attainable?" 

Yes, I did.  And I stand by it.

I know this word is "too big for little kids."  But in this instance, I felt like it was a great teachable moment.  We were having a discussion about goals.  The word attainable is a word very much related to this topic.  It is a word that is fairly simple to derive meaning from using context clues in the discussion we were having.  I believe a few of my top learners followed what I was saying.  And I got to know the little girl who I asked pretty well.  She is the type of kid who will ask questions, (she love science and write her own "research reports" independently) and she did.  I wouldn't have said that to just any kid in my class, but in this instance it was a good time to do so.  Don't be afraid to ever use big words with little kids!  

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