Persuasive Writing for First Grade

Last week we began a new unit to first grade - persuasive writing. The kids have been thinking about things they would like to persuade others about (i.e. getting a dog, ice cream every day). During the process they have learned how to write letters. They have had a great time thinking of all the things they would like to change and who they should write. This week we will be finishing some of our letters and mailing them. Watch for some of the letters to be posted at the end of the week! Don't forget to ask your child about some of his/her ideas.

Kevin Henkes Reader's Theatre

Untitled from dayle timmons on Vimeo.

A Look at the Work

After many weeks of studying Kevin Henkes, the students published a final Response to Literature piece. There were many great pieces of writing - too many to share of course. We have posted them outside our room so please come by and take a peak. Here are two examples of work.


Valentina







Peter

Kevin Henkes Celebration

We had a great time with our Kevin Henkes Celebration Day! Here are some of our highlights from the day.

Kevin Henkes Characters

This week we shared our chacter puppets from our favorite Kevin Henkes stories. WOW - they were so cute! We loved to see how different the characters were and how creative the kids are. They had a great time presenting them to the class and being able to do a retelling with their friends. Here are favorite characters!

Important Highlights

Here are some important highlights for the week:
1. On Friday we will have our Kevin Henkes celebration. Kids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character. (please send in a change of clothes just in case he/she gets uncomfortable).

2. We will also have a Reader's Theatre presentation in our classroom at 1:00. Please come and enjoy. Students have the scripts in their planners. Please make sure you practice and return the scripts the next day so we can practice in class.

3. It is Corporate Contribution Contest time! Please send in any of the following products to our classroom by March 13th.
* Campbell Product UPC's
* Box Tops
* Coke Reward Caps
* Tyson A+ Labels
* Ink Cartridges - any type
* Cell Phones - any type

Thank you for your continued support!

Extra Expedition 3/6

This weekend your Aussie Adventure is to find living/non-living things around your yard. You can bring them in to add to your bag on Monday. We can't wait to see all the different items you can find.

Taste of the Rainbow

Today we were treated to a special program put on by Aramark (our food service provider for the county). The students were invited to listen to a presentation by the head of the cafeteria.

She discussed the benefits of eating healthy and making good food choices. The more colorful the fruit or vegetable - the healthier it is for you. Then students were treated to a tour of the kitchen. They were able to see the freezers and all the storage areas.



We even were able to see them preparing our lunch for the day.



At the end of the tour, there were trays filled with different kinds of yummy fruits and veggies. We tasted lots of different things such as tomatoes, corn, celery, grapes, blackberries, bananas, apples, oranges, kiwi, and much more.

Ask me what my favorite thing to eat was...then post it on our blog!

Kevin Henkes - So Much to Talk About!

For the last couple weeks we have been immersed in Kevin Henkes. We read his books, we talk about the characters, we think about the story elements, and we write about what we have learned about his work. One of the greatest things about an author study is that students are able to learn how to look at literature a different way. They are not just listening to a read aloud. They are making connections, asking questions, comparing characters, and wondering how his life impacted his work. As we get deeper into the unit, students work on a response to literature with a lead, complete retelling, connection, and a closing. Here are some lessons (shown through charts) that have lead up to our responses.