Cereal Box Report

The purpose of this assignment is to expose the first grade students to book report content. In second grade, the students will be asked to write several book reports throughout the school year. This is a great activity to introduce and familiarize them with the meaning of a book report.

Material Needed:

• cereal box
• crayons or markers
• glue stick or bottle
• scissors
• construction paper
• pencil
• cereal box book report printable

Directions:

1. Select a book that your child has recently read.
   
   Explain: He/she will be writing a book report to share highlights of that book with other readers.
2. Cover the front and back of the box with construction paper (I will provide construction paper upon request).
   
   On the Front: Design a book cover using markers or crayons. Include the title of the book and a picture that will encourage another reader to want to read the book.
   
   On the Back: Draw a picture of his/her favorite part or event from the book.
3. Cereal Box Book Report Printable:
   
   Left Side of the Cereal Box: Summary: Write a summary describing the main problem and how it was solved.
   
   Right Side of the Cereal Box: Characters: List the main characters and write a sentence about each one.
   
   Setting: Describe where the story takes place. If the story takes place in more than one setting, choose one to describe.

Click the Pinkalicious book below
to obtain the printable.
    

Mystery Readers

Every month, I invite a Morton faculty or staff member to visit our classroom and read a story to the students. He/she is called the "Mystery Reader". Before the "Mystery Reader" arrives, I share three clues about him/her. The students make a prediction based on these clues.

The purpose of this activity is to allow students to become acquainted with various members of the faculty and staff. Most important, it shows students the "Mystery Reader" values reading. Students begin to realize that in addition to their family, friends, and teacher, others also want them to be motivated and successful readers. The importance of reading is emphasized.

Once the "Mystery Reader" has completed the story, he/she chooses several students to choose a "story wand" (Lakeshore Learning product). The student reads the question and answers it.

I take a picture of each "Mystery Reader" and create a wall outside my classroom to honor them. See for yourself!

Will you start your school year with a
"Mystery Reader"?



  

Flashlight Fun

Turn out the lights. Give one student a flashlight. He/she will stand facing the Word Wall. Say this poem with your class:

“Flashlight, Flashlight, oh so bright,
Shine on a word with your light.”

The student will “shine” the flashlight on a Word Wall word. He/she will choose various students to guess the word. When the word is recognized, the students will write it on the recording sheet. It can be obtained by “clicking” on "Word Wall" picture below. The student who reads the correct word is the next one to hold the flashlight. Repeat the process over until all ten words are completed.

My students LOVE this activity!!! Not only are they practicing word recognition, but all of them are thoroughly engaged in the process.

  

Technology Activity

Technology is a part of our children's lives. It engages students to acquire and use higher-order thinking skills and their imagination. Imagination helps children grow up to become adults who are creative thinkers.

Each month, my students participate in a technology activity connected to a piece of literature which requires them to use their imagination and reinforces keyboarding skills.

This month, I read The Wartville Wizard. In this story, a man has the power to get rid of all of the trash forever. When someone litters, that piece of trash sticks to them! My students thought this was hilarious!!!

Using the Kid Pix program, I displayed a picture of a student on each computer. Then he/she used the rubber stamp option (comprised of various objects) to "stamp" objects on the following body parts: hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, cheeks, chin. These objects represented the trash the students threw away while walking through the town of Wartville. Here are some of the finished products:

    

    

These creations were displayed as a hallway bulletin board entitled "The Wartville Wizard". "Click" the recycling icon below to obtain the explanation of the activity. It was placed in the hallway to give "curious" viewers background knowledge.

I bet you will never litter again!
Happy Recycling!

Rain Sticks

After exploring the rainforest, students learn it rains almost every day there. Then, I share a "real" rain stick with my students. When tilted slowly, you can hear the rain trickling down from the sky. We discussed what materials could possibly be used to acquire that sound. Once this background knowledge is built, the students will be ready to create a rain stick of their own.

Materials Needed:

• paper towel tubes
• masking tape
• straight pins
• rice
• white construction paper

Preparation:

• Tape one end of the paper towel tube with masking tape
• Assign one bowl of straight pins per group (five students).
• Cut white construction paper to cover the tube.
• Trace and cut out two circles per student (to cover the ends of the paper towel tube)
• Discuss: How to slowly remove pins from the bowl so students do not prick their fingers. The teacher will model how to remove pins from the bowl and how to insert them into the tube.

Directions:
Give each student a paper towel tube. Tell them to begin inserting the straight pins. Remind students to scatter them around the tube. When there are enough pins, the teacher will place a small cup of rice in the tube. She will seal the other side of the tube with masking tape. Students will listen to the sound of their rain stick. If it does not sound like the original rain stick, they will need to add more pins. The straight pins slow the speed of the rice from dropping to the bottom so rapidly. Once the sound is imitated, give them a white piece of construction paper. The students will create a design on one side of the paper. The teacher will use Scotch tape to secure the paper onto the paper towel tube. Finally, the students will color two circles. The teacher will attach them using masking tape.

***While the students are working, put on "rainforest" music so they can feel the experience of walking through a rainforest.***

Enjoy!

Counting Coins

Counting coins is a challenging skill for first graders. Once they master pennies, nickels, and dimes... a quarter comes along. Sound familiar? Here is a little trick to help your students along the way.

What do you need? large U.S. coin cut-outs and a marker or dot stickers

By this time of the year, first graders should be very comfortable counting by 5s. Display a nickel and represent it with one dot. Each dot on the coin is equivalent to the value of five. A dime would receive two dots and a quarter has five dots. Since a penny is worth one cent, no dots (count on by ones).

Once you model this strategy to your students, allow them to work in pairs using slates and dry-erase markers to practice the application of this skill. Draw a series of coins. Ask the pairs to work as a team to create the dots and find the sum of these coins. Remind the teams to count each dot as five and count on by 1s for any pennies.

After reinforcing this activity several times, the students will begin to build the confidence needed to create the dots and count individually. They will become more enthusiastic about counting money. Satisfactory guaranteed! This framework is also known as the "Gradual Release of Responsibility".

Show Me the Money!