Why so GROUCHY???

We continued our learning of insects last week, with a focus on LADYBUGS.  After reading many non-fiction texts on these fiery creatures, we read the fictional book by Eric Carle "The Grouchy Ladybug".

Click on the link below for a reading of "The Grouchy Ladybug"...

We created a story map of the book:

We also read "The Ladybug Girl"

Playing the review games in our groups...

We also had some fun talking about what makes us GROUCHY....the students wrote what makes them grouchy, and then gave their best GROUCHY FACE...here's a look!!!

"It makes me grouchy when my sister screams, when my dog barks, and when my mom screams."

"It makes me grouchy when I get in trouble, and when I get hot."

"It makes me grouchy when my brother gets me mad."

"It makes me grouchy when my brother takes my toys, and when someone takes my spot on the couch, and when somebody takes my t.v."

"It makes me grouchy when my brother bothers me, and when I get grounded."

"It makes me grouchy when my sister is mean and when my dog barks at me, and when my mom yells at me."

"It makes me grouchy when my game loses in my iPod touch."

"It makes me grouchy when I have to wake up early in the morning and when I have to go to the grocery store."

"It makes me grouchy when my brother fights me, and when I don't take a nap, and when I get out of something."

"It makes me grouchy when I don't get a new toy, and when I stay up too late, and when I don't feel good."

"It makes me grouchy when my brother annoys me, and when my dog barks loud and when my neighbor's dog barks loud."

"It makes me grouchy when my sister doesn't let me in her room and when my brother doesn't let me play the Xbox."

"It makes me grouchy when my sister makes fun of me and when my friends won't let me ride their scooter."

"It makes me grouchy when my sister comes in my bed, and when she bothers me, and when she talks a lot."

In math, we are learning all about nonstandard units of measurement...we had TONS of fun measuring different objects in the classroom using both cubes and paperclips...here's a look!!!

Measuring the folder box

Measuring the clock

Measuring the marker organizer

Measuring Raymond!!!

Measuring Juliette!!!

Measuring the TEACHER!!!  (90 cubes long...lol)

What's the BUZZ?

This week in first grade, we continued studying insects and focused on BEES...now, it is only fitting that at my house this week we had the BIGGEST, SCARIEST, GROSSEST (LOL) bee I had EVER seen!!! Luckily,  Mr. Spouse was home and saved us from from DANGER!!!!  However, with that being said, the MONSTER BEE made a FABULOUS show and tell for our BEE week discussion...the students were ECSTATIC to see it up close!!!

We began, as always, reading a variety of nonfiction texts to gather as much information as we could about bees.  We compliled all of the information on a BEE anchor chart...and the students used the chart to take notes, and eventually completed an informational piece of writing about bees...

Now, one of our FAVORITE things about studying bees is the fact that bees make honey, and no unit of study about bees could be complete with out a HONEY TASTE TEST....so, I posed this questions to the students "How Do You Like Your Honey?"  The students were given samples of: honey grams, honey comb cereal, and pure honey to taste.  They then had to choose their FAVORITE, to which we created a bar-graph of the results...here's a look:

Tasting the honey samples

Coloring in their choice of favorite honey sample

Class bar-graph results of honey samples

I also introduced the students to "Bill Nye the Science Guy" and had them view an episode on insects...you can find the link below...

Next up, LADYBUGS!!!

Hey, Little Ant

Here in First Grade our next science topic of discussion will be INSECTS.  First, we started learning all about ANTS.  We read several nonfiction texts to gather information about these pesky picnic critters...we gathered our information and organized it onto a CAN/HAVE/ARE chart...

The students then took all of the information we gathered and wrote an informational piece about ants...here are some examples...

Here are all of the writings on display...

We then read "Hey, Little Ant" by Phillip and Hannah Hoose.  The book is about a little ant and a giant (to the ant) kid who is about to stomp on him and end his life.  While this sounds terrifying, the book is all about the ant making an argument for his survival at the hands of the kid.  The boy gives many reasons for squishing the ant, and the ant counters everything with his own reasons for being able to stay alive.  The ant talks to the kid for a while, and the kid also shares that his friends are watching and encouraging him to squish the ant.  The story ends with the line: "What do you think the kid should do?"  We took this question and created our own endings for the story...here's a look:

"I think the boy should step on him! Because they took their food."~Kaytlin

"I think the boy should not squish the ant.  It's one of God's creatures, because it is very nice."~Julianna

"I think the boy should not squish the ant because he's God's pet.  I will be nice to it." ~Nathanial (This one knocked me off my seat when I read it!!!)

 Here are all the writings on display...

Click on the link to take you to a reading of "Hey, Little Ant"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coSgBLs6UmI

Happy Mother's Day

I would like to wish a very special Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers out there!!! 

 I would especially like to thank all of the OLP mothers who entrust their children with us everyday!!!!  There is no greater gift in this world than the gift of a child!!!

Butterfly release PARTY!!!

Our time had come to part with our special visitors ..our BUTTERFLIES!!!  We had a special day full of fun activities to culminate our lesson on the Life Cycle of a Butterfly.  We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and created a story map of the book...

We then completed a little craft to help us retell the story.  The students were given a picture of all of the foods that the caterpillar ate, and then had to put each item on a different plate and write the day and what they ate...they then acted like their arm was the caterpillar and placed each paper plate through their arm naming each thing that the caterpillar ate...here's a look...

THEN IT WAS TIME!!!! Time to release the butterflies...the students from kindergarten, first and second grade all gathered outside in the front of the school to watch the butterflies fly free...they were SUPER excited...

Finally, we came back to the classroom to enjoy a butterfly snack...we put cream cheese on a celery stalk and used raisins for eyes and pretzels for wings to create our beautiful butterflies...

And no celebration is complete with out a little music, here we are singing the butterfly cycle song!!!! 

Enjoy!!!!

May Crowning...

Here at OLP, we celebrated Mary by having a May Crowning...We gathered as a school outside of the church then processed to the Middle School singing "Immaculate Mary".  When we reached the Middle School, the Eighth Grade students led us in a ceremony to honor Mary.   Monsignor Andy

was on hand to bless us and celebrate with us as well....