Measuring in the Classroom

Our math unit on measuring has been exciting! Instead of using standard units of measurement like a ruler or yardstick, we have been using cubes, tiles and paper clips to compare lengths and measure distances. The paper clips were the unit of measure of choice. We found that our meeting rug is 112 paper clips long and the classroom is 357 paper clips long and 469 cubes long. We learned that it’s hard to get precise measurements using these tools. Also, it takes longer to take the paper clips apart than to put them together!

Mystery Readers

Our Mystery Readers continue to surprise us on Friday afternoons and read some of our old favorites and introduce us to their family favorites.

Goodbye 2010!

The last few weeks of 2010 were lots of fun. We learned about the origins of winter festivals around the world and celebrated our own traditions. We got together with other classes for various celebrations and enjoyed our Winter Concert. Our Holiday Party was a great way to commemorate our time together so far and look forward to a new year!

Cultural Exhibits

After researching a country of their ancestry, the first graders set up exhibits about their country. They included a map showing the location of their country, its flag, and a paper doll dressed in traditional clothing. They also added artifacts to help their classmates and families learn more about their country.

Class Gift

The primary team teachers purchased a goat from Heifer International in honor of all the first and second grade students. WE read the book, Beatrice’s Goat to help us understand how a single goat can help a family make enough money for the things they need, particularly sending the children to school. We also ate goat-shaped cookies to celebrate our gift. If you’d like to know more about Heifer International, follow this link: http://www.heifer.org/.

Mystery Reader

We had a special treat when Palmer’s mom and sister read some holiday favorites to us!

Holiday Party

To celebrate the end of 2010 and in honor of all the holiday festivals that we celebrate at this time of year, we made gingerbread houses together. Parents sent in different types of candy for the houses and the children did the designing and decorating. Some of the houses have garages, second stories and security alarms! We ended our party with pizza and games.