RUN RUN as fast as you can ...... We are making a GINGERBREAD MAN!

GINGERBREAD UNIT

 

 

 

I did not create a lot of the resources I use for my Gingerbread Unit... but these are links for units I purchased on TPT!

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Unit-996775

I start the day off with Gingerbread Centers! Each center is reviewing a skill we have already learned. My classroom is arranged into 5 groups, so using 5 centers works perfectly. I allow each group 15 minutes and then they move to the next center! All the centers have recording pages that students must complete, so the students take these with them as they move along the centers. At the end I staple their pages into a packet for them to take home.

 

Check out our Gingerbread Centers:

 

Center #1 Gingerbread Opposites

Students match the Gingerbread Boys to their opposite Gingerbread Girl. When all the cards are matched, they record the answers on their recording sheet. For example, the boy gingerbread reads "short" and they match it to the girl gingerbread that reads "tall."

 

 

Center #2 Real vs. Nonsense Words

Students read the words on the Gingerbread cards and sort them as Real words or Nonsense words. Then they record the words correctly on their recording page.

Center #3 Gingerbread Sentences

The students copy the sentences from the Gingerbread sentence strips and must fix the mistakes in the sentences.

 



 

Center #4 Gingerbread Contractions

Students must match two Gingerbread men to the house that has their matching contraction. When all of them are matched they record the answers on their recording sheets.

 

Center #5 Gingerbread Cookies

This is the BEST center!

Students come to me at my back table and cut out gingerbread men using cookie cutters and gingerbread dough. I place their cookie on a cookie sheet (from our cafeteria) and label so I know which cookie belongs to which student. I will bake these while the students are in special classes!

 

 

Makes the classroom smell sooooo YUMMY!

When the class returned from special class, we found that our cookies were missing!

We read this book...

 

... and went on a Scavenger Hunt around the school until we found our missing Gingerbread Men cookies!

 

 

Then we decorated our Gingerbread Men of course!!

Check out all the YUMMY ingredients my wonderful parents donated to help us decorate our cookies!

 

 

Don't forget the crafts!!

Each student had a Gingerbread Man cut-out and used various art supplies to help their Gingerbread Man/Girl come to life!

 

 

 

 

 



Oh DEER ... Christmas is almost here

Oh DEER...Christmas Break is almost here!!

 

With a three day week right before Christmas Break, we have the perfect opportunity to review taught skills in a FUN way.

 

I complete a different Unit each day .... This shows you a glance at my REINDEER unit!

 

I did not create these units myself so here are links to units that I purchased on TPT.

 

We kick-off the day by creating Reindeer antlers to wear! I then paint the kids' noses red/black.

 

 

 

Now that we look like reindeer we learn about Reindeer using a flipchart I created from the Reindeer Unit pictured above. We complete a Fact and Opinion sort about Reindeers using the facts we learned in the flipchart! 

 

We read "Rudolph" and "Olive the Other Reindeer" and compare and contrast the characters.

 

We complete the day by making Reindeer Food!

 

 

 

 



Letters to Santa

Dear Santa...

What better way to practice our writing skills than writing letters to Santa!

The students were instructed to include several questions for Santa, list a few items they want, and tell them something interesting about themselves. They did a really great job!

Its amazing how hard they are willing to work when they think Saint Nick will be reading their work.

 

 

 

Our Elf on the Shelve was kind enough to deliver our letters to the North Pole!

 

Can you believe Santa wrote us back!!!!??

The next morning we came into the classroom to find letters on each student's desk along with a brand new Christmas pencil as an award for such great writing!!!

 

The kids were so excited to read their letters!! I received several parent notes expressing how they treasured the letters and will save them forever! I will definitely have to make this an every year activity!

 



Contraction Surgery

DOCTOR...DOCTOR

These words need SURGERY... STAT!!

 

Today I introduced the concept of contractions!

I LOVE INTRODUCING CONTRACTIONS!

 

Every year I prepare this activity, and I get excited every time!

(I guess I just like to role play in my classroom, it's so much fun!)

 

When my kiddos entered the room from our RTI time they found me wearing a medical mask!

 

The questions flooded in:

Mrs. Jessica are you sick? Are you ok? Why are you wearing that? What's on your face?

Well I got their attention!

 

 

I introduced the concept of

 

taking two words and shortening them! I call the apostrophe a "Band-Aid."

They just LOVE IT!

Then I give each student a mask, gloves, and a Band-Aid.

 

I issue out to them their first patient. They first must work in pairs, because they are training to be doctors.

 

 

After they mastered their first surgery with their partners, I assess them to see if they are ready to do surgery independently!

Check out my room full of doctors!

I'm hoping that in 20 years or so some of them come pay their old 1st Grade teacher a visit, and I can learn that some of them aspire to be a doctor! I'll just pull out this picture and take credit for their inspiration!

 

 

 

 

 



Place Value Centers

Reviewing our Place Value Skills

 

We have been working hard on our Place Value Skills in my class. I wanted to make this weeks B.U.I.L.D Math centers all about Place Value!

 

Check out what we did at each center:

 

 



 

Buddy Games: The students had two sets of cards. One set had a picture of base ten blocks representing various number. The other set had the corresponding numbers. They had to flip one of each card over and see if they got a match. If they matched they got to keep the cards and take another turn, if they didn't match they turned them back over. With each turn you could watch the students counting their 10 rods and cubes and strengthen their place value skills!!

 

 

Using Manipulatives: The students had a bag of buttons (or you can use beans), 4 small Dixie cups, and this page template that I had laminated so they could write on it with Dry Erase markers. The students scooped up a cup (I modeled how to get small scoops to make their work easier) of buttons. Then they had to make groups of ten and place the "leftovers" in the circle. Finally they could count using their place value skills and record the number in the square. Then they just simply erase, clean up their buttons, and get a new scoop to do it all over again!

 

 

Independent Work: The students are given the worksheet template, two dice, marker, and an eraser. I placed the worksheet template in a dry erase sleeve so they can use their dry erase markers. One dice indicates how many tens they have, the other dice indicates the number of ones. The student rolls the dice (I use my dice containers to limit noise and projectile dice) and records their tens and ones on the worksheet. Then they must record the number that it creates. Once the student completes the entire worksheet they have a partner check their work. Then they simply erase and do it all over again!

 

 

Learning about Numbers: Students will have a 120 chart in a dry erase sleeve. They roll a dice and color in that many on the 120 chart. Then they roll again and add. For example: If a student rolls a 5 they color up to 5. Then lets say they roll a 3. They must then say 5+3=8 and color up to 8. The goal is to get to 120 as fast as possible. Once they reach 120 I then make them go backwards all the way to 0 to practice their subtraction skills! If you want to spice it up give them a timer and have them time how long it takes them to get to 120!

 

 

Doing Math: The students are given a spinner page and a worksheet template that is placed in a dry erase sleeve. They spin the spinner to get their tens and ones. They record this number on their recording sheet. Then they must record the number that is created! Once they complete the whole page, they simply erase and repeat!

 

 

Kingdom of the Diagraphs

Once upon a time....

in the land of the Diagraphs...

 

This week we were exploring some Diagraph sounds!

After some brainstorming (which entails surfing the web/Pinterest) I came up with "The Kingdom of Diagraphs."

Of course you can't have a Kingdom without Kings and Queens!

 

I made a crown template, pulled out my sentence strips, and TAA-DA! My class became the Kings and Queens of the Diagraph Kingdom!

 

 

I labeled the crowns a variety of Diagraph sounds and then passed them out. The students had to record words that had that sound on the sentence strip. Then they cut the crown out, glued it on the sentence strip, and I stapled the sentence strip together to form the "hat." When I placed the crown on their head I said "I now pronounce you King/Queen of the (diagraph sound) Kingdom!
I explained that they had to KNOW their sound ... in case anyone in the school asked them what they were wearing and why!

MY KIDS LOVED THIS!
They took ownership of their learning and were BEAMING with confidence!
I of course took it off the deep end! We even walked in the hallway with our noses in the air ..... just like King and Queens do of course!!


I Don't Know What I've Been Told ....

Left, Left, Left, Right, Left

We worked on Place Value Skills

ARMY STYLE!

 

 

 

When checking out my favorite blogs for ideas on teaching Place Value I found this fun video!

I took this idea and ran with it!

Grabbed my army hat at the local Dollar Tree and practiced my "Drill Sergeant" voice!

The kids LOVED it!

 

For our "partner work" in the lesson I found a WONDERFUL Place Value scavenger hunt complete with exercise cards! The students walked around the room with their recording sheets. Some of the cards posted on the walls had base ten block pictures, and some of the cards had exercise activities. The students had to look at the base ten blocks and write the matching number on their recording sheet. If they found an exercise card they had to complete the exercise!

GREAT way to motivate, keep them moving, and practice place value skills!

Check out the pictures of my boys and girls on their Place Value Scavenger Hunt!

Working hard counting base ten blocks!

Push-ups anyone?

It is so fun to watch little ones do jumping jacks!