Lately in 1st Grade...

We have been learning about nonfiction text features. We have read lots of nonfiction books, went on a 'nonfiction feature' hunt and now we are learning to use the features in our writing! 

We will be writing nonfiction animal books soon. I'd like them to use some of the nonfiction text features in their books so I made this little 'nonfiction feature' sheet (ignore my typo in it...oopsies!). This way they could practice using the nonfiction features before we start making our books. 

For the last 26 days of school we have an ABC countdown. Each day we have an activity that corresponds with that letter. I LOVE it...it keeps things fun and exciting during the last few weeks of school when everyone (teacher included!!!) is burned out! 

We had Insect Day for the letter I. We read books about insects and made an anchor chart of what we learned. 

We also did a fun activity called 'Build a Bug'. I gave each student a handful of shapes and they got to design their own insect. Once they built it, their neighbor checked to make sure it had the 3 body parts (head, thorax, abdomen) and 6 legs. 

L was Ladybug Day. My original plan was to get REAL ladybugs from home depot...and let them take one home at the end of the day! But...I went to home depot and they haven't gotten their ladybugs in yet. I was so BUMMED! Luckily, I didn't tell my kids so they had no idea my plans fell through :) Instead, we played a ladybug math game. I gave them each a blank ladybug and some mini chocolate chips for the ladybugs spots :) We are doing story problems in math, so I told problem stories and they had to figure out using their chocolate chips. After I told some, I had them turn to their desk buddy and they made up story problems and their desk buddy had to figure out the answer. 

When we were done, I let them use markers and decorate their ladybugs for a few minutes. They love this activity! Especially because they got to eat the chocolate chips when we were finished :)