As part of our spring PBL unit, first graders explored the classic literature of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. In addition to multiple read alouds of the story, students also created story maps and both written & oral retellings of the story. We also added a fun twist by creating QR codes of each oral retelling. In doing so, students became the narrators of their own stories and will forever be able to listen to them! Oral Retelling & QR CodesStory RetellsStory Maps
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Today first graders celebrated all of their hard work on their Plants PBL unit! And...what better way to connect our learning to real life experiences than by eating some plant parts! Students had great fun bringing in seeds (sunflower seed kernals), fruits (tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, grapes, tangerines), stems (celery, broccoli, cauliflower), leaves (butter lettuce, kale), and roots (carrots). We also enjoyed watching the movie, The Lorax, as we nibbled on our tasty (and healthy) snacks! The donations provided by our families is very appreciated and helped make our celebration possible...thank you!
Throughout our Plant PBL, students have been conducting seed/plant observations and documenting their findings in their booklets. We took our learning a step further this year by using the resource Discovery Education, in which students also created digital journals of their seed/plant observations. Once their seed investigations & illustrations were completed in their booklets, students took pictures of their work and also of their seed/plant using iPads. Students then uploaded these images onto their "Plants Board" in Discovery Education. Lastly, students practiced keyboarding skills by adding text to complete their journal entries. These kiddos amaze me with their ability to work through and successfully accomplish tasks that incorporate technology into our learning! So proud of them!!! One of my favorite literature activities that connects to our Plants PBL is The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. This story follows the journey of a seed through the seasons of the year. After listening to the story, students made connections to our learning of seeds and plants. Then, they wrote and illustrated about the tiny seed. Next, using paint, crayons, and construction paper, they recreated the book cover. Once it was all put together, students then added a QR code of the read aloud to their finished piece. Lastly, they were able to find a quiet spot in the classroom and listen to the story independently using their iPads. Love tying literacy into our PBL's! This past week has been filled with planting, growing, and observing! Students worked in groups to plant bean seeds. Then, each day throughout the week students dug up and observed changes in the seed. After sharing and discussing with their partners and group, students then documented their findings in their Tiny Seed notebooks. It's been great fun listening to the conversations and seeing all the excitement that this learning of the seed lifecycle has brought to the class! We'll repeat the process this week with another round of seed explorations! Seed Investigations!Planting Bean Seeds! |
AuthorMrs. Archer teaches 1st grade at John MCCandless Charter School. She is excited to be a part of building a STEM school together with staff, students, and families! Archives
October 2019
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