Have a great summer!

I feel very fortunate to have had a wonderful class of caring, hardworking, hilarious students for my first year teaching at Irving. Thank you to all the families and students for your support, and have a great summer!

In reading, students compared fiction and nonfiction books on the same topic. Students worked in partners to identify distinguishing text features of both types of text while reading Oscar de la Hoya and  Super Oscar.

For our last monthly writing piece, students wrote about their favorite moment in 1st grade. It was really fun to hear which activities and trips made a lasting impact on the students. Each student compiled their monthly writing into a folder and brought it home to share their progress. 

In math, we continued to learn about shapes by studying the different ways to compose familiar shapes with tangrams. Students also learned how to divide shapes into equal parts, such as halves and quarters. 

Students also learned how to tell time on analog clocks using their knowledge of quarter and half circles. We then played Time Bingo as a fun way to review telling time. 

We also went outside for Book and Board game day! The weather was perfect, and students enjoyed learning some unique games such as Sight Word Bingo and Rock Identification. 

It's hard to believe there are only two more days left in the school year!

In reading, students studied the main characters in a story and paid special attention to what they said and did. Students practiced this skill after reading How the Beetle Got Her Coat and Dot and Jabber.

In Writer's Workshop, students continued to polish their writing by using the word wall and checking for correct punctuation. Students then shared their work with a partner.

In science, students learned to identify examples of different parts of plants which we eat. We also read The Tiny Seed and discussed how seeds scatter. 

In math, students learned all about geometry! We studied the attributes of different 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes, and students used straws to recreate shapes. Students also went on a scavenger humt for examples of 3-dimensional shapes and explained their choices to the class. 

As a reward for their good behavior, the class had a picnic in Barrie Park! Luckily the weather cooperated and it was a lot of fun. 

In reading, students determined an author's purpose for writing and found support from the text to support their reasons. Students practiced this skill after reading All About Vets and Cool Jobs.

In spelling, students learned about the prefixes "re-" and "un-." Groups created words using prefixes and root words and matched these to the correct definitions. In grammar, students continued to study pronouns by matching sentences with underlined nouns to their coordinating pronouns. 

In math, students studied the relationship between concrete and abstract representations of two-digit numbers, such as cubes and coins. Students also practiced using various strategies to add and subtract, and explained their reasoning. 

In science, students compared and contrasted fireflies and beetles. Students also continued to note their plant observations in their science journals. 

Friday was Olympic Day! Our class displayed great enthusiasm and sportsmanship all day long. Make sure to check out the Photo Gallery for more photos from this week!

In reading, students examined how illustrations aid in the understanding of character, setting, and events in a story. Students practiced this skill after reading Timimoto and Whistle for Willie.

In spelling, students studied the "-au-, -aw-" pattern. Students went on a word scavenger hunt and played a Connect 4 game in centers to practice this skill. In grammar, students learned all about pronouns. Teams of students categorized words that were pronouns and were not pronouns, and students also created Pronoun Flowers to decorate their lockers. 

In math, students determined which of two values was greater, less, and if the amount were equal. Students also played "Which is greater?" to enhance their understanding of place value. 

In science, students learned all about beetles and continued their observations of the mealworms at various stages of its life cycle. Students also documented their plant's daily growth and learned about the parts of a plant. 

Janiyah was our Can-Do Kid this week! She read her favorite book, Because I Stubbed My Toe. We also learned that Janiyah loves to learn about science and also likes Habachi Grill. 

This week Irving students showed their original art during ArtFest! Students also submitted tall tales, sang songs, and performed poems during the Poetry Slam. Anja and Lucy did an amazing job reciting their poems!

Check out the Photo Gallery for more photos from this week!

In reading, students paid close attention to the characters, setting, problem, and solution in fiction stories. Students practiced this skill after reading Half-Chick and Olivia.

In spelling, students studied the "-oo-" pattern (as in "book"). The class went outside to practice their spelling words. In grammar, students learned about the parts of a sentence: subject and predicate. Students went on a scavenger hunt to find matching subjects and predicates around the room. 

In Writer's Workshop, students learned about fact vs. opinion and persuasive writing. Students categorized statements that were facts and opinions, and developed arguments for which food they would rather eat for one year, fruit or veggies. 

In math, students continued to become familiar with place value. Students examined different representations of numbers (dice, dimes and pennies, base-ten blocks) and determined which value was greater or less. 

In science, students learned even more about our mealworms. We studied the life cycle of a mealworm, and students added this information to their KWL charts. Students also planted their own green beans! We will observe these plants in the coming weeks to learn about plant life cycles. 

Zoie was our Can-Do Kid this week! We loved learning about all the things Zoie can do. Zoie wants to be a gym teacher when she grows up, and she also loves to cook with her mom. 

On Wednesday we visited the DuPage Children's Museum! Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to chaperone. The kids had a great time exploring the different exhibits, and many students got to bring home a souvenir from the woodworking station. 

Check out the Photo Gallery for more pictures from this week!