Groundhog's Day With the "Firsties"....

So, I survived another Groundhog's Day!!! I have to admit.....I do like this day:)  I like keeping up with "Punxsutawney Phil" every year!!! I got up early to watch it on the news....then once I got to school, I pulled it up to show the Firsties!!! Go HERE to check it out!

We did some Groundhog activities today....a BIG shout out goes to Christie at First Grade Fever for this adorable Groundhog's Day book that my kids REALLY loved today:)  .....GREAT review on our daily timeline also:) 

Then, we read an adorable Groundhog's Day book, Wake Up, Groundhog!!!

They REALLY liked this book!!! So cute:)

We also made use of an old Groundhog Puppet Pattern from a Teacher Created Book that I've had for years....except, this year, I wanted to do something different with it, so I used a NEW, handy little app that I purchased for my iPhone called Turbo Scan!!!  I LOVE this app....used it many times just this week!!!  Once I scanned the Groundhog Pattern, I was able to add Math Facts to it for a more "productive" tool besides working on fine motor skills with coloring and cutting:)  ***Disclaimer...I am not circulating this document...I just used it for my own class!!!  I also made a Math Mat Working Table to go along with it so that my Firsties could show their work.....it also joined the two pieces of the Groundhog Puppet together:)  They looked a little like this.....

Then.....we read another REALLY cute book.....I like that it brought in a little bit of TEXAS with the Armadillo:) The book is titled....Substitute Groundhog!

We played some fun online Groundhog Games that a fabulous blog called Technology Rocks. Seriously. blogged about:)  Thanks for that!!!

We also did a cute writing activity with a template pattern and writing prediction page from First Grade Blue Skies!!!!  Thanks for the great ideas and activities!!!

and a little closer look....

Okay....sorry for the length of this post....but to end it....DON'T laugh my little "crafty" blogger, clipart guru's!!!  I'm learning...OKAY?????  Here is my 1st little product....not much to look at, but I think he's cute:)

Mr. Groundhog by 1stgraderocks.blogspot.com!!!

Leave me a comment if you can.....I would love to hear how your Groundhog Day went!!!

Great Finds....

Just like lots of people these days, I am HOOKED on Pinterest!!! What a great way to find things....with the help of your friends!!!
Here are some of the new math ideas that I have started my school year off with!! So far, they are a HUGE hit!!!

from a great webiste....www.oceansoffirstgradefun.blogspot.com. 

This is a great place value game from ....http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/.  The "Firsties" love it!!!

And to go along with Everyday Math, I found this smart board "Rolling for 50" game from....http://tekyteach.blogspot.com.  They also have the Dice, Roll and Tally Game, Penny Nickel Exchange and Bunny Hop!!!  I let the students choose Smart Board Games as one of their Math Game Rotation choices.  It makes learning so much fun!!!!

"ZERO 1st Grade Day's Left!!"

On Thursday, my Firsties and I celebrated our last day together!!! We had half of a day to tie up the loose end's on our Calendar Wall....which they LOVED!!!  Every day we charted our "Growing Number" and determined what color of day it would be according to the weather.  This helped them understand the thermometer and the effect the weather/seasons had on our temperature.  We were at day #180!!!  With that number, they were able to make $1.80 in change using quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies.  (Counting coins can be very tricky for First Graders, but since we had this practice as part of our routine from day #1, my students had a pretty good grasp on adding money.)  With the number 180, we also built our Base Ten Blocks with flats, longs and units.  This practice helps them to learn place value and number relations.  We then would chart how many days we had left in First Grade....this was a BIG HIT with my Firsties!!!  At the beginning of the year, we started with 180 and of course, on Thursday, we ended up with ZERO!!!  We always wrote the written date, the digital date and we would locate the correct place on the calendar to write the number.  (Yesterday was Wednesday the 1st, so today must be ?????, the ????)  And of course, we couldn't end our Calendar Wall activity without doing a very "Third Grade" way of writing our Growing Number....180.  It would look something like this.....100 + 79 + 2 - 1 = 180 OR 7 quarters and 1 nickel = $1.80 OR 180 x 1 = 180!!! My student's love to try to think like a Third Grader and be the one with "out of the box" way to make that number!!!

I enjoy this time with them....it starts our day....sets the tone and gets us off to a great LEARNING start!!!  I'm going to miss them....but I'm going to LOVE my summer:)  After all, I have to get ready for Growing Number ONE!!!