What will you leave for Santa? And an updated "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies" unit

Hello Everyone!
What a fun day!  Yesterday we began a little study on the sweet story, "Santa's Stuck" by Rhonda Greene. We followed that reading with another treasure, "Santa Claus is on a Diet" by Nancy Scott-Cameron. Today the whole problem in the first story (Santa eats too many sweet treats and gets stuck going back up the chimney) and the second book (Santa gets slim by eating healthy and exercising) tumbled into our math lesson on balanced equations. The kids had to balance our round and roly Santa's diet while balancing equations. Kids got paper cookies, broccoli, and carrots with number sentences written on them.  We worked hard to balance a cookie with a healthy snack!  Writing out the balanced equations on mini whiteboards was key!

 We will continue to work on balanced equations! The kids are getting it!! 
We then of course as a quick reader's response, had to write about what we were going to leave Santa on Christmas Eve. 

I love that the kids are thinking healthy!!
Click here for the Santa's Stuck Unit!

Now I wanted to quickly share an updated, revamped version of my "If You Take A Mouse To the Movies" unit. I added some sensory detail pages, a fun circle story retelling bracelet activity, abc order, word search, needs and wants, goods and services, compound word activity and more! Even if you have this unit already, please re-download from the following link.  
Here are a few pics:

Click HERE for the new unit "If You Take A Mouse To The Movies"
Warning ! Unit is 69 pages long! It includes patterns and directions for everything!
Phew! This post was longer than I intended!! Sorry! Just too much to share!  First grade is the place to be this time of year!!  Stay tuned for more fun learning experiences later this week!!
Thanks for stopping by our little blog. We appreciate you!! We hope our learning will spark some learning somewhere else!! Let us know if it did!!
Have a great rest of the week!
Joyfully!
Nancy

Write to Teach

Hello Everyone,
We are about to begin our unit on "How To" writing pieces.  Our youngest authors will be learning that they can use their writing to teach someone how to do something.  They are all experts at doing something, right? :) What a way to share their enthusiasm for telling how something is done.  Let them write!!  I am sharing my mini unit on how to teach this important component of our littles' writing portfolios.  This unit can be used in conjunction with any theme, science, social studies, etc. that may be in your curriculum already.  During our landforms unit, I will have them write about how they made the Edible Landforms Cookie.  You can get that unit ***Here! :)
Here are a couple of shots of what is included in the writing unit.

Teaching the concept of using transition words is emphasized in this unit.

The mini unit is 16 pages of mini posters, planners, and mini book pages to help your young authors become teachers.  You can get it ***Here! :) Please leave me a note if you think this is something you can use, or if you would like to see a different format. 

Thanks for stopping by our little window and taking a peek!  

Have a wonder-filled weekend! 

Joyfully!

Nancy

what and How animals Eat---And a free Geometry Unit!

Hello Everyone!
We had so much fun today learning about animal eating habits and dental tips!  After reading a couple of our new favorite books,and singing a new song on this topic, we created a quick anchor about what kind of animal teeth we would like to have. We began a written expression response to this same idea and tomorrow we will create our self portraits with animal teeth!  Can't wait!!

My Quick What Animals Eat Unit is available (yes, for free!) here! Click!!

I fixed a couple of typos if you already have the unit.  Please redownload.

On another note, this next unit is for my sweet teacher friends who have geometry coming up in math!  We start next week learning about plane and solid figures. Our math book does not sufficiently cover this topic, so I decided to work hard to come up with some engaging activities that fit more precisely with our objectives.  The unit ended up being over 60 pages long with lots of fun activities, poems, math tub and extension ideas. There are a couple of craft connections and some edible projects as well.  Here are a couple of pics.

Some mini posters are included

An example of a math tub activity

There are 3 - way match games for both the plane figures and the solid figures.

I have...Who has games for both plane and solid figures

Poetry!

Craft connection

Tangram story and template

If this is something you think you might be able to use, click here for your printables!

 Unit also includes patterns for pattern blocks, some pattern block pictures, and opportunities for kids to create their own designs. Kids love and learn through using pattern blocks. 
I truly hope you can use some of this.  I know I can't wait to get started!! 

Til next time, thanks for taking time out of your busy day to take a peek at ours! We appreciate you!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

Munch! Crunch! Slurp! Smack!

Hello Everyone!
Thanks for stopping by to take a peek into the window of wonder that is first grade!  Spring break is coming!  Open House is this week! I love that the kids get to show off some of their hard work and progress.  The beaming smiles on their faces as they share is absolutely priceless!!  I hope all you moms and dads out there can make it!! I'll take a few pictures in case you can't come. Stay tuned! :)
 My post tonight is just a quick one.  I am sharing a mini unit on something we will be working on when we get back from Spring Break.  Our science lessons will center around what animals eat.  Of course, we had to find a good piece of literature and informational text to help connect that learning.  My teammate and friend found the perfect book!!  Have you seen it??  "What Would You Do With Animal Teeth!?" by Sandra Markle has it all!! Thanks, Mary!! Information and fun literature, along with amazing photographs and delightful illustrations!  This little 40 page ELA/Math/Science unit centers around this fun book. Here are a few pics of what is included!

 A fun little craft connection and written expression opportunity!

 Of Course I had to include a poem!!  My favorite thing!!

 Mystery picture is revealed through subtraction up to 120!! 

This game helps kids with data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

 Here's the link to get your free printable unit.Slurp and Click here!!

As always, pleeeeeeease holler at me if you spot a typo!!  I am notorious for not editing my own work very well!!  Thanks, friends!!

Have a great night!!
Stay safe all those in the middle of the snowstorms!!
Joyfully!
Nancy

Eat Your Words and "If I had a Fishbowl..."

Hello Everyone!
We had a "fin"tastic day today!  The kids have been working so hard on everything first grade!  Yesterday we definitely built our stamina by writing for almost an hour! We are focusing on editing, and revising.  Today we were ready to publish one of our pieces big time! After writing about what they would put in a fishbowl, the kids got to create themselves holding a fishbowl with their written expression displayed.  They did an amazing job!!! I can't wait to put these up for open house! It amazes me how they can make their little faces look like them!!!

 

This craft connection including patterns is available for free here!

 

We haven't forgotten about word work!!  This week we are working on the fun little ee vowel chunk.  I decided to do another little "Eat your Words" activity and gave the kids some Cheez-its for the ee's!  So fun!!  I think they will remember the ee!!

 

 

Here's your printable...click!

 

Hope you're having a great week as well!! 

Joyfully!

Nancy