Five for Friday, January 6, 2017

Thank you for this link time.  I've missed it!  We have returned to school.  Here's what we did this week and a bit more.

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I am hooked on author Richard Peck's books.  They filled my latest reading frenzy during Christmas break.  Even though I began reading the books from our elementary school library, I've found more at my local county library.  These writings made me laugh.  Try a few.  Hope you enjoy them also.

This door display began with using traced hands to make snowflakes.  And then more hand shapes to make a tree with student pictures.  Practicing tracing and cutting all the way!
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 We did star exercises. (a.k.a. windmills crossing our midlines and making diagonals)

STAR EXERCISES
First start off with our bodies, spreading feet apart (not in the splits).

Stretch out both arms.


 
Wave left hand with elbow straight and twist body.  Waving hand as it moves in front of their body.  (Wave at me.)

Now touch (opposite) right foot and stand back up.



Wave right hand with elbow straight and twist body continuing to wave hand. (wave at me)
Then touch (opposite) left foot and stand up.

 Then I show them with lines repeating their body movements.  Redrawing to show what they did next.


Hey!  They made a star!
They get so excited. 
Practice on Dry Erase boards talk through each movement to practice drawing a star!  
Make a paper full in different colors.  This helps some students who need practice physically crossing their mid line and then on paper.  It is important to be able to cross their mid line to make diagonal lines too.  Young children have the most difficulty with making these lines.  It shows when they struggle to write the letters  A or M, N, Kk, Vv Ww and Yy.
They will be making stars all over.  Use this excitement to have them draw sets of stars or stars in a pattern.  (big, little, colors...)

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I made snow scene cards and used snowflake and snowman erasers for math activities.  Story problems can be solved with lots of hands on practice. 



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I just took the photos of the kids acting out to 'catch snowflakes' for our snowglobe writing and craft project.  Step-by-step we will complete this next week.
Monday we will make our mini pine trees by folding a 3-inch square on the diagonal.  Save one, fold one to make the four parts.  I wrote about this in a December posting.
Tuesday- paint the puffy snow using glue, white paint and shaving cream.
Wednesday- I will show my snowglobe collection and talk about the things we would see, smell, touch, taste and hear in a snowy world.  I will also show many pictures of snow fun and read snow stories.
Thursday - We will write our ideas.
Friday - All parts will be put together to make our own paper snowglobe worlds.
The picture above was last year's class final hall display.  I like the use of the five senses to extend their writing of what they see, smell, touch, taste and hear.