Map Unit

As part of our Social Studies curriculum, I have been teaching my first graders about maps. We learned different features of maps including a map key, symbols, and a compass rose. We learned how to use symbols in a map key to find places on a map. We played this game to help us locate places on a map.

National Geographic Interactive Map Game

We also learned directions on a compass rose. After learning the directions North, East, South, and West, we played a game to practice the directions. I would say a direction and they had to point to that direction. After they got really good at pointing, we played a dancing game where students had to follow my directions. I said things like "two steps north, 5 steps east, 3 jumps south". They had so much fun! I also had let students create their own way to remember the directions on a compass rose. After they created their silly mnemonics, they shared with their classmates and got them laughing! Take a look at what they came up with!

To finish our unit on maps, I had students create their own treasure map. I told students they had to write directions for someone to get from the circle to the X on their map. They needed to include a direction to walk and what they would walk that way. For example, walk north to the volcano. My students had so much fun pretending to be pirates!

100th day of school

Yesterday was our 100th day of school, so we did a lot of things to celebrate being 100 days smarter! The first thing we did was go on a hershey kiss hunt. I wrote numbers 1-100 on the bottom of 100 hershey kisses and hid them around the classroom. My kiddies walked around the classroom looking for the hershey kisses. Once they found one, they looked at the number on the bottom and placed it on the corresponding number on a hundreds chart. Here are some pictures of us on our hunt!

Next, each student wrote a bucket list of five things they want to do before they are 100 years old. I also took each student's picture using an app called AgingBooth, which made them look like they were 100. The results were so funny!

Click here to view and download the bucket list worksheet.

Later in the day, students drew 100 sprinkles on a cupcake using 10 different colors, wrote what they would do with $100, guessed and tested out how many of different exercises they could do in 100 seconds, drew themselves at 100 years old, and came up with a list of 100 things we have learned so far in first grade. 

They also made crazy 100th day hats! I had my kiddies draw 10 of a shape or picture on 10 strips of paper, to total 100 shapes on their hat. Take a look at the results!

Last but not least, some of my students dressed to look like they were 100 years old. Their outfits were creative, and when I asked them to pose for a picture, of course they all bent over like they couldn't stand up straight, just like someone would do if they were 100. They sure are silly!

Snowmen at Night

As a winter writing project, I read Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner with my first graders. We talked about things we do when it snows including have a snowball fight, build a snowman, drink hot chocolate, and build a snow fort. Before I read the book, I told my students to think about what their snowmen do once they go inside and go to sleep. We had a discussion and then I read the story. I also showed the YouTube version (Snowmen at Night) since they love hearing someone read besides me! They loved seeing the crazy things the snowmen did in the story. They especially loved how it said the snowmen drink cold cocoa, since most of them drink hot cocoa after playing in the snow. After reading, I told my kiddies to imagine they were a snowman and to think of things they would do at night. They wrote about what they would do and then created a snowman by ripping up pieces of construction paper.

Here is what they came up with!

February Bulletin Boards

For this month's bulletin board, my kiddies wrote a narrative paragraph telling what they would do if they had a love-bot. I told them to imagine their love-bot was their valentine for Valentine's Day and to think of things they would do with them. We came up with a list of ideas including buy them flowers, go to the movies, go out to dinner, buy them jewelry, and make them breakfast. Then we created our cute little love-bots. They got a kick out of them!

We were learning about fractions, so I had my students color parts of shapes and write the fraction they colored in on each shape. 

February is American Heart Month, so my students wrote two things they do to keep their heart healthy. They had so much fun creating their healthy heart characters!

Hi!

I have seen so many wonderful teaching blogs, so I decided it was about time to make my own! This is my fifth year teaching first grade and I absolutely love it! I will be posting activities, crafts, and units I teach in my classroom. Keep an eye out for updates!