Worms!

I seriously cannot believe that I only have 4 1/2 weeks until summer vacation starts! The last month of school I really like to plan themed weekly activities to keep the students motivate and interested.  Let's be honest, I need a bit of excitement to keep me going too.

Here's what I have on the schedule:

April 20 - Standardized Testing

April 27 - Worms

May 4 - Field Trip to the GA Aquarium; Ice Cream 

May 11 - Camping

May 18 - Watermelons, Field Day, Crowd Control on the last day

Each week I'll share what I'm doing so if you need ideas, you can grab them as well!  I'll share my science experiments in a few days once I have some pictures.  So for now I'll jump ahead to worms.

I like worms in my garden. But I don't like worms anywhere else.  These are the things I do for my students!

I always have a variety of fiction and non fiction books on worms displayed in my classroom.  Students are free to grab these books and look through them when they are done with their work.

We'll go over facts about earthworms and I'll let them play with a worm.

I always give students the option not to play with a worm.  Some students won't want too and I don't want to force them.  In making a worm habitat, I screamed every time I touched one (I told you they are not up my alley).  I don't want to show this side of me to the kids (and have them screaming and flinging worms).  We discuss how to handle living things.  I also make the students grab the worms out of the cup so I don't have to touch them.

After they have played with the worms, we build a worm habitat.

The leftover worms go into our school garden.

Once we've throughly washed our hands, students write the steps on how to build a worm habitat.

During the unit, I have the students eat a sour gummy worm and a regular gummy worm.  

They also complete a Venn Diagram comparing gummy worms and earthworms.

At the complete of the unit, students write a non-fiction piece about earthworms.

 You can pick up everything you see here (and more) in my All About Worms packet.

Sunflower Life Cycle Posters

I loved making my Weather Posters so much that I had to jump ahead and make plant posters for next month.  You can pick these up for FREE in my TpT store!

There is one poster that shows the entire life cycle.

There are four other posters of the individual parts of the life cycle.  I plan on using these to make a large life cycle on my science wall.  Here's a quick snapshot of two of the posters.

Weather Posters & A Sale

One of my favorite units to teach about is coming up in March - weather!  There's so much to teach about - the water cycle, hurricanes, tornados, clouds, etc.

Usually I rely on books to show students the real images of weather.  Sometimes I'm left scrambling to pull something up on my TV to show students the differences between clouds.

Enter in....

Weather Posters: Using real images of weather

Here are a few glimpses of what's in the packet.

You can find the posters HERE.  

If you follow me on Instagram (polkadotfirsties) you can see when I post new items.  All new items will be 50% off for the first 24 hours.

I'm sure you've heard about the TPT sale tomorrow.  My entire store will be 20%.  I always want to see what other teachers have in their cart because I find new sellers and new stuff I must have!

Here are my top 3 resources I'll be picking up!

I stumbled across Science for Kids' store while searching for some science related lessons.  I have to admit I don't like teaching science.  It's not my thing, but the kids always love it.  I need serious help in this area!

If you have to teach regrouping in any way, GET THIS PACKET.  Actually, buy the bundle.  I bought the addition with regrouping one and it changed my life.  Inside are pictures of anchor charts that you can recreate for your classroom.  It is really broken down step-by-step.  I have to teach this concept to first graders for the first time 4 years ago and I cringe to think how confusing it was.  I wish I had this packet then!

My student need more practice with text features and this looks like an amazing packet.  

Well, that's my top 3!

Want to see what other teachers are putting in their cart?  Check out these other blogs!

Throwback Thursday and Favorite Things

In today's Throwback Thursday I'm going back to the first unit I ever created.

Eeekk!  It's a little embarrassing, but I was SO proud of actually making a unit.  It took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make it and I've learned so much in the past year.

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August 27, 2012

Our first science unit of the year is Space. The students really enjoying learning about the universe and all about each planet. It's still so hard for me not to teach that Pluto is not a planet! Luckily, there is a book out there called Pluto: A Dwarf Planet  by Thomas K. Adamson that helps me cope with this semi-new fact.

This year I wanted to add a few things of my own and made my own Solar System Activities.  Here is a list of what my packet includes:

• Black & white planet templates to use for any activity you choose to do in the classroom.  I usually have my students color the planets and place them in order.
• Ordinal Number Planets Center.  Print out the planet and ordinal number cards.  Have the student order the planets and match up the correct ordinal numbers.  There is also a recording sheet for this center.
• Label the Planets Worksheet

• My Alien Writing Paper
• Astronaut Space Camp Activity

****

I spent some time revamping the unit yesterday.  I changed around some fonts and added new graphics.

I made a collage of the unit using the tips by Jivey in this post.  (You should really check out all of her Techy Tips!)

Oh my goodness.  So much easier.

I'm also linking up with Across the Hall in 2nd Grade's Favorite Things Linky.

This week's topic is favorite things for your home.

I absolutely love my IKEA coffee table!  It was only $20!  You can't beat that.

I think this was my favorite wedding present.  My mom said that every woman should have a Kitchen-aid mixer because they are so fabulous.

I don't know what I would do without my computer!  It's true, once you have a Mac, you won't go back!  I have had mine for almost 5 years and I have had no issues.  I haven't even had to use Norton Anti-Virus Software that always slowed down my PC.

I love my bed and sleep!

Not my real bed, but it looks comfy!

Head on over to The First Grade Parade and Across the Hall in 2nd Grade for more posts about these topics!

Don't forget to enter my Polka Dot Word Wall Giveaway and Collaboration Cuties' 1,000 Followers Giveaway!

Ten Pin Linky: Science & Social Studies

I walked through Wal-Mart yesterday for a few things and was so excited to see the back-to-school supplies were out!

Well, the part about school being back in session soon didn't get me excited.

It was more the bin full of 25 cent glue sticks.

I loaded up on glue sticks, rulers, pencil holders, pens, and pencil sharpeners.

I had to get some pool noodles too because I saw Kelly's Throwback Thursday post about using pool noodles as tens and ones for place value.

It's linky time again!

Click the picture to visit the Ten Linky orginial post. 

This is a complete side note, but is anyone else having trouble with some of their boards disappearing?  This has happened to me more than once.  In the middle of creating this post, my science board disappeared. The number of my followers also changed (by about 20).  So I made breakfast, did a little bit of laundry, went back to Pinterest and it still isn't there.  What??  Some of the science pictures might not work, but you can click on the link below the picture that takes you to the source.

Source: Life in First Grade

One of our very first social studies units is tall tales.  I always struggle to find things that fit into this category that are fun and age appropriate.  Paul and his big blue ox, Babe, are always a favorite!

Source: Fun 2B in First

I had the hardest time finding things for John Henry.  This is a free download and it fits the needs of my students perfectly.

My students loved this visual aid!  It's another freebie.

This was one of the first things I made back in December.  It's a big hit in my TPT.  I hung them up in my room and my students were interested in seeing the different types of landforms.

Goes along great with the landforms posters!

Even better that it's part of a giveway today!  Julie from First Grade Critter Cafe is hosting a giveaway in celebration of her blogging anniversary.  If you've ever emailed back and forth with Julie you know how sweet and full of life she is!  She also has some AMAZING art projects on her blog.  

Click the picture below to head straight to the giveaway. 

Continuing on with the pins...

Source: First Grade Wow

Great writing connection when you are studying about animals.  "If I had animal teeth..."

Source: Squished Ideas for Preschool

Interactive way to learn the life cycle of an insect!

Source: First Grade Wow

Great activity to introduce living/nonliving!  Except I would have to touch a real worm.  Gag!!

I have tons more science ideas, but that darn Pinterest isn't working!  

*****

Amber from School is a Happy Place has a great post about being a no reply blogger.  Honestly, I didn't even realize I was when I first started blogging.  Click on the picture (isn't it cute??) to visit her blog and make sure you are not a "no reply blogger!"

Picture by Amber

5 for Friday: April 5th Edition

I'm especially excited for this week's Five for Friday! 

I had my post already to go yesterday, but once I got home I was tired. Like couldn't keep my eyes open and went to bed at 8pm tired.

Which is why I'm just now posting.

But it's SPRING BREAK!  Finally!

So I'm going to share what's been happening this week and then go lay on the couch for a week.

1. Introducing Connie Conjunction! She loves to join two sentences together using or, but, because, and so.

I just realized I misspelled conjunction. Eek! I'll be fixing that ASAP!

Wait. Did I just say but?

No, not that kind of but.

I'll let you get your giggles out.

Oh wait, my firsties giggled all week long every time "but" was said.

Thank goodness I have more girls than boys this year.  Last year's class would have had a field day.

Each student drew their own Connie Conjunction, labeled the poster, and wrote a sentence using a conjunction.

I found blank glue bottles in a packet on TPT (freebie alert).

Each student wrote a sentence using a conjunction and wrote the conjunction on the glue bottle.

2. It's first grade's month for the bulletin board out in the hallway.  We went with an Earth Day theme.

Each student wrote about a way they would help the Earth.

3. We wrapped up our weather unit.  Students chose a type of storm to research and write about. This one did an excellent job writing, but her picture was a tornado.  Oops!  We are still working on graphic features!

Let's compare anchor charts for a moment.

Here's the beautiful one about the different weather instruments.

I keep telling my parapro that she need to make her own font and sell it on TPT!

And here's mine that I made for our new plant unit.

Inspired from First Grade Parade

I made it during lunch while eating. :)

4. April family projects were due this week.  I don't usually have a family project due in May since it's such a crazy month.

You can tell the parents and students are ready for school to end. The beginning of the year the projects are elaborate and this time almost everyone just colored their flower.

5. I forgot to share these beautiful crosses we made for Easter!

I gave each student a card stock cross, messy glue, and tissue paper.  They folded the tissue paper over the end of the pencil (eraser end), held onto the tissue paper and dipped in glue.

Look the end result!

Now for a week I won't think about teaching or find any super cute ideas that I want to use, right?? Because it's Spring Break! Happy Saturday!