Week 5

Insect Research

We listened to an online encyclopedia to research an insect of our choice.
We made a class about the insects.  Enjoy!

• Click to view my tale.
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Week 4

Fishing Trip

Homecoming photos

Week 3

What is Daily 5?

The Daily 5 is a way of structuring the reading block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read and write. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students.

When it is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the Daily 5, which are comprised of:

• Read to Self
• Work on Writing
• Read to Someone
• Listen to Reading
• Word Work

There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily 5 component.  We have spent our first weeks working intensely on building our reading stamina.  Today we have reached 20 minutes of independent reading!!! EVERY student read books for entire 20 minutes without getting distracted or losing focus!  What a great achievement!  I am so very proud of my first graders.  Here is a clip of us celebrating our accomplishment:D

Week 2

First Week

Monarch Butterflies

We have started learning about insects this week.  Charles from Dickinson County Nature Center came to our class to teach us about butterflies.  Here are some things that we learned from him:

Caterpillars make chrysalises. (Aiden)
Caterpillars eat a lot so they can turn into a chrysalis. (Payten)
First egg, then turn into a caterpillar and they turn into a chrysalis and then butterfly. (Kelso)
The caterpillars eat their egg shells.  (Ava)
Butterflies are insects. (Tyler)
They go through life cycles. (Jazmine)
They lay their eggs under the leaves.  (Nick)
They eat milkweeds.  (Izzie)
Once they hatch they can grow big in two weeks. (Madison)
They don't stay in Iowa for winter.  (Fran)
They fly to Mexico. (Alisha)
The caterpillars eat their egg shells.  (Dillen)
The caterpillars turn into a chrysalis.  (Levi)
If the butterflies look orange, it is telling other animals not to eat them. (Charlotte)
They lay their eggs. (Tavin)
We tagged a butterfly and let it go.  (Leila)



Every year, I find some Monarch caterpillars so that we can observe their life cycle in the classroom.  This year I have not been able to find any caterpillars.  If you have a chance to go on a hunt for a caterpillar and send it to school, it will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!