Winter Break!

What will you be doing over the winter break?  Write a paragraph letting your classmates and your teacher know what you will be doing during your 12 day break from school.  Be sure to let us know what you are most excited about!

Winter Story Problems

This week you should type some of your own winter or holiday themed story problems.  They could be addition or subtraction problems, just make sure you know how to get the answer!  Be sure to ask a question at the end of your problem.

Here's an example:
Mrs. McMahan was rushing through the airport to catch her plane for winter break.  She passed 3 book shops, 2 coffee shops, 1 souvenir store, and 4 restaurants.  How many businesses did Mrs. McMahan pass in all?

Vocabulary

Fishers: Choose 3 of this week's vocabulary words.  Look up the definition at www.wordcentral.com.  Then use those 3 vocabulary words in a sentence.

Swimmers: Choose 2 of this week's vocabulary words.  Look up the definition at www.wordcentral.com.  Then use those 2 vocabulary words in a sentence.

Hikers: Go to www.wordcentral.com and look up the words arithmetic, admire, and dialogue.  These are words from our story, "Gooney Bird Greene."  Write a sentence for each of those vocabulary words.

Spelling Word Challenge

With your table, work to come up with as many words as you can that have -ir-, -ur-, and -er-.

-ir-                                           -ur-                                                -er-

It's About Time- Owls

Explain why the numbers "60" and "24" are important to learning about telling time.
Also, name something you do that takes about 1 minute and name something you do that takes about 1 hour.

Fractions- Bears and Squirrels

A fraction is part of a whole.  Answer the 4 questions below.

1.  What fraction of the circle is colored?

2.  What fraction of the apple is shown?

3.  What fraction of the cake has been eaten?

4.  If my pizza was cut into 8 slices and I ate 4 slices, what fraction of the pizza did I eat?

Fractions of a Set- Bears

Tommy's mom made 4 cookies.  Tommy ate 1/4 of the cookies.  Jack's mom made 4 cookies too.  Jack ate 1/2 of the cookies.  Who ate more cookies and how do you know?

All in the Family

Write about your family!  Who is in your family?  What does your family do together?  Why do you love your family?

Heeeyyyyyy! Compound Words

Write 3 (or more) sentences that each include a compound word you know!

Spelling Word Challenge

Work with your tables to come up with as many words as you can for the word families below.  The table with the most originial words will receive 2 tallies!

-art                                                         -arm                                                          -ark

Bears and Squirrels- Which Shape Doesn't Belong

Look at the 4 shapes below.  Decide which one you think doesn't belong.  Tell which one you will take away and explain your reason.

  

Owls- Measuring Tools

 Look at the objects listed below. Tell what tool and what unit you would use to measure each (tools- ruler, tape measure, yard stick, odometer  units-inch, foot, yard, mile).
1. couch
2. pencil
3. soccer field
4. around a basketball
5. distance from school to Newtown Park  
6. your height

Spelling Word Challenge

Today you'll work with your table groups to come up with as many words as you can from the -ork, -ort, and -orn families.  The table with the most original words by the time the bell rings will receive 2 tallies!

-ork                                 -ort                              -orn

Bears and Squirrels- Shape Hunt

Everything around you is made up of shapes.  Look around the classroom or think about your house and neighborhood.  List 3 everyday objects and describe the shapes that create that object. 

Here's an example:
My laptop has a rectangle shaped screen and the keys on the keyboard are squares and rectangles.

Owls- Coin Trades

I need to buy a pack of pencils that cost $1.00.  I do not have a dollar bill and I have no pennies.  I do have 3 quarters, 6 dimes, and 11 nickels though. List three different combinations of those coins that I could use to pay for the pencils.

A Puzzle for the Owls

See if you can figure out the missing parts of this addition puzzle.  Each row has to add up to the last number of that row and each column has to add up to the last number of that column.  When you figure out the number for one triangle, that's also the number for the other triangle.  When you figure out the number for one square, that is also the number for the other square. 
Use number sentences and words to type your answer to the puzzle!

A Graph for the Bears

Use the above graph to answer the following questions:

1.  How many ice cream bars were sold in May?

2.  How much is half of an ice cream bar worth on this graph?

3.  In which month was the most ice cream sold?

4.  Which month was the worst for ice cream sales?

5.  How many ice cream bars were sold in September?

6.  How many more ice creams were sold in May than in April?

A Graph for the Squirrels

Use the above graph to answer the following questions:

1.  Which type of apple should the store order the most of?

2.  How many Red Delicious apples were sold?

3.  How many Golden Delicious apples were sold?

4.  How many more Red Rome apples were sold than McIntosh apples?

Spelling Word Challenge

Today you'll work with your table groups to come up with as many words as you can from the -ang and -ing families.  The table with the most original words by the time the bell rings will receive 2 tallies!

-ang                                                -ing

Picture Update

Here are some photos of recent happenings around our room!

Football tallies and first initials with base ten blocks.

Scarecrow glyphs and candy corn that show different ways to represent a number.

Mo Willems characters!

Guess who ghosts.

Hat day, twin jackets, math games, and coming in from recess.

Wizard of Oz character books.

It's been a great first quarter and we're looking forward to learning lots in our next nine weeks too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spelling Word Challenge

Today we'll do the group spelling word challenge again!  Whichever table group has the most original words by the time the bell rings will receive a prize!  List as many words as you can for the following spelling chunks:
-ub                             -ug                         -ump

Owls- Regroup

1.  Explain what it means to regroup in an addition problem.  What models can we use to show regrouping?

2.  Do you think being able to regroup is important for subtraction too?  Why?

Bears and Squirrels- Number Riddles!

This week we are working on relating numbers to other numbers and continuing practice with talking about and describing numbers.
First, you will read my clues to figure out the mystery number. 
Then, you will write your own clues for a number of your choice.  Next week, your classmates will try to figure out the number riddles you each created!

So, here are the clues for your first mystery number!
- I am less than 100.         - I am more than 50.       - I am close to 70.      - I have a 2 in the ones place.
- Ten more than me is 82.       - One less than me is 71

What number am I???

Spelling Word Challenge

With your table groups, come up with as many words as you can for these spelling chunks:
-ill                               -ell                              -all


Make a list of all the -ill words you can. Then push enter to do the -ell words and enter again to do the -all words.
When the bell rings, be sure to write your table's color before you publish your list. 

Work hard!  There may be a prize for the winning table!!

Addition Strategies- Owls

1.  Use the problem 15 + 7 to explain (in words) how to use the "make a ten" strategy. 

2.  Explain another way or another strategy that you could use to solve the same problem.

Skip to My Lou- Bears and Squirrels

We have been practicing skip counting.  Use what you know to fill in the missing numbers below:
1.  8, 10, ___, ___, 16, ___, 20, ___, ___, ___
2.  70, ___, 50, 40, ___, ___, 10
3.  10, ___, ___, 25, 30, ___, 40, ___, ___, 55

4. Why is it important to be able to skip count?
5. If you are counting place value rods, what are you skip counting by?

What Would You Want From the Wizard?

We know what each of the characters from our story would like from the Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, but what would you like?  Are you like Dorothy?  Do you need help getting somewhere?  Maybe you are like the Scarecrow and would like some more brains.  Maybe you need more love like the Tin Woodman.  Perhaps you need courage like the Lion.  Or, maybe there is something totally different that you would wish for.

If you had a chance to meet the Wizard of Oz, what would you ask him for and why?

Proper Blog Responding

Happy Monday!
Today's computer lab lesson is on the correct way to leave a blog comment.  We are going to work on adding detail to our responses, answering every part of a post, and remembering our initials at the end of a comment.
Respond to these two questions:
1.  What did you do over the weekend?  Write a few sentences describing the activities you did, who you did them with (without using names), and how you felt about them.
2.  Our theme this week is football.  What do you know about football?  Write anything you'd like about the topic of football!

View my comment as an example!!!

Owls- Place Value Check In

Answer the following questions for the number   2,458

1.  What digit is in the hundreds place?
2.  What is the value of the 5?
3.  In which place is the 2?
4.  Write the number in expanded form.
5.  Write the number in word form.

Bears and Squirrels- Study the Graph!

Use the graph to answer these questions:
1.  What type of graph is it?
2.  What is the most popular pet?
3.  How many people like cats best?
4.  How many more people like fish that frogs?
5.  How many people like cats and frogs?
6.  How many people took this survey?

Doubles Rap

Here we are singing our Doubles Rap!

Brains or Heart?

We've been reading the Wizard of Oz and know that the Scarecrow thinks brains are the most important thing.  The Tinman thinks a heart is the most important thing.  If you could only have one of those things, which one would you choose and why.  Add detail to your answer.

Apple Writing

Apple is our theme this week!  Tell your classmates and me anything you want about apples.  Have you ever been to an apple orchard?  Did you ever help your mom make an apple pie?  Do you love to eat applesauce for snack?  Have you ever been bobbing for apples?

Write a few sentences about anything related to apples!

Bears and Squirrels- Adding Strategies

Tell me about your favorite addition strategy!  Why is it your favorite and how does it help you add?

                    Number Line          Doubles             Picture            Counting On

Owls- Numbers with Base Ten Blocks

Take a look at the 3 pictures above.  What do you notice?  Explain your observations in complete sentences.

Short "a" Spelling Practice

This week we are practicing our first group of spelling words.  We are working on words with the       "-ap" and "-at" chunks.  Write at least one of your own sentences, using a spelling word of your choice!
Here is an example:

We can find Georgia on a map of the United States.

Don't forget to sign your comment with your initials.

Welcome!

Welcome to first grade!  I am so excited to be your teacher for the 2012-2013 school year.  I know we are going to have a lot of fun and learn so much.  This blog will be a great place for us to practice skills, communicate our understanding, and connect with family members and other classes.
I'm looking forward to meeting you all and getting this year off to a wonderful start!

-Mrs. McMahan