A Blue Whale is Very Big

I love this book! and I think you will too.  It is wonderful when teaching size and comparing.  So you thought the blue whale was big? wait until you compare him to the colossal size of Mt. Everest! You will be surprised. And there's more.  When you finish reading this book, you might feel very, very small. This book delights children of any age.  You could use this book to teach size, measuring and relativity.  It can be a springboard for making graphs in a fun way.

The pages are bright...primary colors.  It is a great read aloud.  And I love books that present questions right in the beginning.  The title can be your introduction because I know the children will start talking and thinking about what this book might be about. Happy Imagination and Reading!

Click HERE to grab an easy Grade 1 book response for this book.

Mini Offices for Writing

Here is an example mini office you might want to make for your writing time.  I am teaching reading and writing Grades 1-5 and every grade loves them... a bit of time to be quiet, peaceful and a time to gather our writing thoughts.  Depending on the level of writer;  using a binder clip attach  different writing resource pages to the inside. (and of course, they also could be used for Math or any other subject).

I used 12"x12" scrapbooking paper...a perfect size. 

1. Cut cardboard to size. 

2. rubber cement paper to cardboard (or any art glue that glues smoothly)

3.  Use clear mailing tape to attach each side; making trifold. Only edges are   taped.  Open to a trifold; close to one side for easy storing.   You can purchase fun school scrapbooking paper at Michaels or A.C. Moore. 

I used binder clips to attach appropriate mini office printables.  I teach different levels and this allows me to change the printables very easily for the different grade levels.  The one shown was used in the first grade classroom.

 

The middle section reads: I Can Be A Quiet Writer

The left section is a list of writing words (dolch or sight words) listed in ABC order.  The right side has a list of occupations.  We used this particular mini office when we wrote about the book Someday. (see my blog post for this book)  We wrote a see-saw pattern (modeled in the book) Someday I would like to...but today I am....

Each child has a 'mini office' at their desk or table and although I am a big advocate of a community of learners, readers and writers; there are times when we just need a bit of quiet space.

Allow enough time for directions and settling in and try to have your students sustain with times of quiet.  Making smart choices and independent decisions is also encouraged.  After using them a few times, the children get used to answering their own questions, writing independently and being quiet. You will see, they will ask you

"when can we use the mini offices again?"

these mini offices will take some time to make if you are making them for your whole class but I think you and espcially your kids will LOVE them!

We read an Informational Text today in First Grade.  We read Whales by Gail Gibbons.  What a great book...she is the best for informational text for the little ones.  When introducing the book, I asked the children if they knew what a topic was...we talked about different topics and how many, many there are. Then, I asked my students to listen for new facts...new interesting information.  They loved the book.
Check my TPT store for the writing response we did after reading this book.  The writing response includes a space to write the topic, three things that I learned, and a space for an illustration.  The lines on this response encourages excellent handwriting.
I have some more inviting lessons planned for whales so check back
 

Grab this writing response HERE

Frog and Toad

"The Story" from Frog and Toad are Friends is another heart-warming story by Arnold Lobel.  One day Frog is not feeling well and while he is resting he asks Toad to tell him a story.  And this is where the fun begins, Toad, being the good friend that he is, tries very hard to think of a story to tell Frog.  Toad tries and tries.... a good place to teach perseverance. 

Read this book to see delighted and interested children in the simple lessons of friendship and caring.  Check my TPT store to find written book response for The Story and also vocabulary for word study.  The written response for this story teaches the reading comprehension strategy of
beginning-middle-end.  After reading "the story",  ask children to complete the writing response and then ask them to retell their story orally, either in class or at home.  Get children talking about reading and books!

Remember to include word study, writing and independent reading in your reading lessons.  I always find real books very motivating to get the task done.  Happy reading!

Welcome March!  this month comes in like a LION!  and  I am reading In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer, to my first grade students.  I purposely stopped reading after the lion tracks through the boy's cozy home and leaves a trail of snow flurries and muddy footprints.  The boy observes quietly, as will your class, the pouncing, howling and growling lion.  After reading the first part of this book, the children made a lion by following directions in the pocket chart.  We read each direction together and children were told that order is important. There were 6 steps in all.  This lesson is from a great resource from Scholastic.com, entitled Follow the Directions Pocket Chart Activities.  You will need sentence strips and templates for a lions body, head, tail and mane.    Display the following on sentence strips in a pocket chart.

1.  Trace and cut a brown body.

2.  Trace and cut a brown head.

3.  Trace and cut a brown tail.

4.  Trace and cut a yellow mane.

5.  Glue your lion together.

6.  Draw a face.

I displayed each step along side the sentence strip (i.e. a brown body next to #1, brown head next to #2, brown tail next to #3, and so on...).  I didn't draw a face so that my students would create their own and I wasn't disappointed! Their lion faces were fun and fabulous!

After reading directions, encourage the children to quietly 'build' their lion by rereading the steps and checking back to the pocket chart.  Hopefully, you will find a busy room of reading, tracing, cutting, glueing and drawing and finally writing!  Lovely!  I allowed children to walk up to pocket chart to reread...some need a closer look.  I encouraged no talking as they worked more diligently.

After making their lion, pass out paper for writing.  The discussion about March and making the lions are a perfect authentic writing prompt. The children loved reading their writing aloud to the class.  We will finish the story when our weather turns warmer and March goes out like a lamb.  I have many questions and requests about what the lamb is like...children are looking forward to finishing this book with anticipation and curiosity, and, of course, they asked if they can make a lamb.

Enjoy reading with your class!  Mrs. Quimby



themes and concepts for this lesson:

Spring...seasons...lions...lambs...weather...comparing and contrasting