Animal Teeth

First graders are learning about special features that different animals have, and we started with teeth!  We read "What if you had Animal Teeth?" and learned about the interesting teeth that some animals have and why they have them.  Then students chose an animal and made a picture of themselves with that animal's teeth!  Here is a sneak peek!  Soon the rest will be hanging outside our classroom in the hallway. Check them out!!

True or False??

First graders started learning about the concept of balanced equations today.  We had a great discussion about the meaning of true and false, and worked that into another great discussion around different equations, and whether or not they were "true" or "false".  We also came to a new understanding about the equal sign - that it actually means "the same as" and not "the answer is next". 

Here are some of our discoveries!!

New Science Unit

First graders began a new science unit this week on Organisms.  The first part of our unit focuses on traits and heredity.  Students will focus on the concept that "young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents". 

One activity that we did this week was a matching game.  Students had a large set of various animals which included a picture of a baby and its adult.  Their job was to match all of the babies with their adults, and then look critically at a few sets, describing the similarities as well as the distinct differences.  Pretty interesting when you take a close look!!

New Year's Resolutions

We read Squirrel's New Year's Resolution today and made our own resolutions for the upcoming year. These first graders came up with some excellent and impressive resolutions!

More From Sweden

While visiting Sweden this week, first graders also learned about the the tradition of gingerbread cookies and houses, as well as the Northern Lights, and the limited day light hours there this time of year.  They listened to a story called The Fiddler of the Northern Lights by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, and then painted their own version of the lights while watching them dance across the sky with soft music playing (thanks to YouTube!). 

Students also got to create some gingerbread houses our of paper.