Why Should I Eat Apples

My first grade students did a Project Based Learning Unit on Johnny Appleseed and Apples.  One of their assignments was to work in pairs, groups, or by themselves to create an advertisement convincing people to eat apples.  We then took their advertisements and used VoiceThread to make commercials.  I hope after watching this you will be convinced to go and get an apple or have a glass of 100% apple juice.

http://voicethread.com/share/2151812/

What Every Teacher Wants to Tell Parents

I saw this article on Facebook and 100% agree with it. I only wish we could tell our parents what they really need to hear. Please read it. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html

Apple Discipline

Our class and school rules for the year.
1. Give Respect.
2. Allow Learning
3. Think of Others
4. Observe Safety.
5. Remember Responsibility
Each child will have a large apple with five small apples. If they follow the rules, they get to keep their small apples. If they keep all their apples all day they will get a chomp ticket at the end of the day. If they keep 20 apples all week they will get a special treat. Students will be rewarded for having a certain number of chomp tickets throughout each six weeks.
The following is what happens if they pull an apple:
1 apple = warning
2 apples = time out/modified recess
3 apples = silent lunch
4 apples = contact parents
5 apples = principal

Crayon Wreath

My coworker and friend Sarah Cates made me this awesome crayon wreath. She used about 2.5 boxes of crayons, a cardboard wreath shape cutout, some hot glue, and ribbon. My students really LOVE it!!! Thanks Mrs. Cates

Salt Art = Teamwork

My favorite first week of school activity is a lesson on teamwork. Everyone in our class (adults included) works together to make salt art. This is so easy. You just pour some table salt on a paper plate. Next you rub a piece of sidewalk on the salt until it changes the color of the chalk. Last you pour the salt in to a jar. When we finish the project we discuss how it took us all working together to complete the project. We talk about how if just one person did not do their part the salt art would not have been complete. We then relate that to the class and how important it is for all of us to work together to make our classroom run smoothly. I leave the jar of salt art where the students can easily see it. When the students stop working together, we refer back to the jar of salt art. My students LOVE doing this and always beg to do it again.

Calming Down

Each school year one of my first lessons is to talk to students about what to do when they are upset or mad. We read, discuss, and interact with Shubert is a S.T.A.R. After the story, students draw on a star what they can do when they are bug crazy mad to change to caterpillar calm. We use their stars as one of our first boards.

Color Hunt

One of my favorite first week activities is Color Hunt. My students work in groups of two or three to go through magazines to find pictures to match the color construction paper they were given. The students always does an awesome job working together. What I love to hear during this activity is students sharing pictures with students not in their group. I love seeing the children working together. Here are a few pictures of my students during their color hunt.