Nonfiction in First - Thanksgiving

One of my 2017 goals is to blog more.  Most of the time it feels like I need to ignore my kids to write so, my posts often get left in the dust. I have got to figure out how to stay up past my bedtime - and my son needs to figure out how to fall asleep before 11pm! Anybody else have kids that just don't sleep!? Currently, I am writing my month-late Thanksgiving post while my kids run in and out of the room leaving messes in their wake! We just returned from Disney World and their Christmas high is still lingering even in the aftermath. At this point I'm just following them around with a dust pan and broom. So, about November...

My class and I did some fun activities centered around the Wampanoag this year. We crafted Wetus (after using this amazing resource by AisforAdventuresofHomeschool to read about them and how they're constructed in a kid friendly way) and we "planted corn" the way Squanto taught the Pilgrims, and we made Thanksgiving timelines too. I used this resource by First Grade Wow to teach about The Five Kernels. I had never heard about this legend before and the entire resource is great. And free! Go download it now! For the timelines, I used an activity from a pack I bought my first year teaching. It's also awesome. Teachers are some of the most creative people!

We enjoyed our candy corn, Goldfish, and Oreos after we planted them.

Hosting Thanksgiving at my home has become tradition and I had fun this year decorating with my mom. We cut some greenery from our yards and found Styrofoam gourds and pinecones at the dollar store to create centerpieces. I also used some authentic falls leaves my aunt sent me from Massachusetts a few years ago that I saved. I'm from Florida so an authentic fall leaf is a thing to me! Haha!

I also love to use the leaves during the Fall season in my classroom. I usually read There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves and Fancy Nancy Fall Foliage before we explore the many shapes, sizes, and colors, of these strange alien objects known as oak tree leaves.

I also made a Cookie Butter Pie for Thanksgiving. It was insane! Here's the recipe I used and I would encourage you to try it for sure. Next time, I think I would do mini pies instead! My daughter made a very cute apple pie. Check out the cute leaf cut-out crust!

I love teaching nonfiction during the months of November and December because between Thanksgiving and winter, there are so many interesting topics. Our December was packed with polar bear and penguins and we also learned a lot about the Arctic. We did tons of KWL charts to anchor our learning, fun experiments, and constructed igloos with icing and marshmallows. I'll be posting those pics soon.

I hope everyone is enjoying their break so far. Happy Holidays!

Read Across America: Celebrating Seuss

We celebrated Dr. Seuss with lots of books and activities this year! I'm lucky to have a fun team that works well together and we decided to do rotations through each others classes. Each teacher read a Seuss book and did an activity with each class. The kids had a blast! 

My door! I do love KG Fonts, but I had to improvise for a few missing letters. Silly printers.

We sent letters home that announced March 2nd would be Wacky Wednesday and the kids delivered on their outfits. They had so much fun!  Some of the second grade team also came dressed to the Seuss-y nines! 

I look like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter but I had fun!

For my book, I chose Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose and was excited when I realized that many students had never heard it before. If you haven't either, it's about a sweet, unsuspecting moose that lets an ungracious group of guests aboard his antlers as permanent residents. Even when his moose friends ditch him to search for food in winter's cold, Thidwick doesn't kick out his unwanted companions. In the end he sheds his antlers and outruns the guests and some overzealous hunters. 

We made Thidwick bags and a simplified version of Moose Munch to fill them with. To make the bags, the kids cut out a printed picture of Thidwick and traced their hands to make antlers.

We added a few friends to the antlers with stickers too!

The munch was a combo of buttery popcorn, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and shredded coconut. It was a big hit! 

The kids also got to make Oobleck, a Horton head piece, a Cat in the Hat mask, Yertle Turtles, and cotton candy Truffla trees during their rotations with my teammates. It was a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!