Shapes Galore!

Learning about shapes is huge in first grade.

Here are the standards folks:

Reason with shapes and their attributes.

CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.1
Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.2
Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.

Mrs. Roundy's art lesson with shapes was so much fun and it was time to get some more practice! This lesson started off by drawing shapes onto our whiteboards and defining their attributes (for example a square has four equal sides and four points). 

Then we drew lines in certain shapes to create new shapes. We talked about three different types of lines: vertical, horizontal and diagonal and did a kinesthetic activity by showing each with our arms. When we drew a diagonal line through a square we would get two triangles and if we did a horizontal or vertical line through the square we would get two rectangles.

Then it was time to work with shapes! Out came the foam shapes and the students completed a few worksheets that involved composing and decomposing shapes by bringing shapes together to form new ones or drawing lines in some to create new ones:

At the end, they were allowed to create objects or scenes using the shapes. They are such creative little ones, I love seeing their creative juices flow!

Love Your Mother, Y'all

I cannot express how much I love Earth Day. I know many people say this, but I think Earth Day should be everyday. It is so important that we take care of our Earth so others can enjoy it in the future. Like almost all other things in life, being educated and learning about the importance of this kind of preservation and sustainability will help others become aware of these ideas and take action to keep this world a better place. 

So, this Earth Day, our first grade class talked all about the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We completed a worksheet listing the ways in which we can reduce, reuse and recycle different things and simple ways to save valuable resources. 

All of course were encouraged to recycle the work sheet when done instead of throwing it away :)

 

As they were hard at work I played a song called "With My Own Two Hands" by Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. It went very well with the Earth Day vibe. 

Here is the YouTube video of the song:

Afterward we went outside and cleaned up the front and side lawns of our school. The students were very focused and did a wonderful job. Our school looked much better and the students were very proud of the work they did. Many said they were going to go home and do the same for their neighborhood...all because of a little bit of education and knowledge. 

It sure can go a long way.

Here is a picture I snapped of the breathtaking mountains here in Ogden on this beautiful Earth Day:

Ship-Shape First Graders

The best part about ArtsBridge is that it brings the arts into the classroom while teaching important parts of our core. This week Mrs. Roundy brought in paper shape cut-outs and the students go to manipulate them to make new shapes. As groups, the students worked together to compose rectangles and squares using other shapes. This activity allowed the students to see the ways in which shapes are similar and unique and how they can be used to create new shapes as well.

After this fun shape activity Mrs. Roundy gave each student a sheet of card stock with different sized shapes printed onto them, as well as a booklet of different animals made up of shapes. The students got to pick which animal they wanted to create and cut out the correct shapes and assembled them onto a new piece of paper. I loved this idea because some students who wanted the guidance to create an animal had it, while others who wanted the freedom to create their own animals or scenes were able to do so as well. Their individual creativity was very evident in this project. See for yourself:

This project really helped these little ones understand the idea of composing and decomposing shapes while letting their creativity run wild and giving their fine motor skills some practice!

Fingerprints

This week for Artsbridge Mrs. Roundy had the students use part of themselves to create tiny little works of art....their fingerprints!

The project was inspired by Ed Emberley, an artist and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. She gave each of them a handout filled with different animals that were created using fingerprints and adding details with a marker. Each table had ink pads of all the complimentary colors and the students pressed their fingertip into the color of their choice and then onto the blank square paper to create the body. After, they were able to add details to it with fine tip markers. The students got to choose their 9 most favorite ones and got to work creating the most adorable little animals you have ever seen!

They turned out so cute! I just want to take them all home with me and hang them up all over my house :)

Junior Achievement

Mrs. Hoggan came into our class everyday this week to teach the Junior Achievement program. This program goes over the dynamics of a neighborhood, families, wants vs. needs and community jobs. The students had a lot of fun making up their own businesses and creating job coupons to give to their parents to help out around the house. At the end of the week they were awarded with certificates saying they passed the program. It was a great time!

A coupon made to offer help carrying in the groceries:

Merci's Famous Cake Shop:

Taegan's Art Shop:

Bake My Day Bakery: