1st Grade Nurturing
Quarter 3, Week of February 11th
This week, First Graders learned more about the role that pollution can play on water. Students learned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of plastic debris that spans a large distance in the Pacific Ocean. We discussed the causes, effects, and possible solutions for the patch. Afterwards, students were told they would be taking on the role of scientists to solve this problem! Working in groups, students were challenged to choose from a group of recycled materials, using these materials to come up with the most cost effective plan possible for cleaning the water. Next week, they will present the costs and designs of their proposals, then will see the effectiveness of their ideas in making the water as clean as possible.
This week, First Graders learned more about the role that pollution can play on water. Students learned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of plastic debris that spans a large distance in the Pacific Ocean. We discussed the causes, effects, and possible solutions for the patch. Afterwards, students were told they would be taking on the role of scientists to solve this problem! Working in groups, students were challenged to choose from a group of recycled materials, using these materials to come up with the most cost effective plan possible for cleaning the water. Next week, they will present the costs and designs of their proposals, then will see the effectiveness of their ideas in making the water as clean as possible.
Quarter 3, Week of February 4th
When First Graders came in this week, they saw two samples of water from the Dan River near Eden, North Carolina. One was a clean water sample from 2013. But the other sample was from 2014... and by then something had gone terribly wrong! The water was black and full of a gooey substance. After learning a bit about watersheds and how water travels throughout the Earth, students were asked to make predictions about how this water pollution might have occurred.
Students then dove into videos and sources that told about the 2014 coal ash spill in the Dan River. We learned a little more about coal and how exactly this catastrophe had occurred. Students participated in an activity known as "Tug of War." They were asked to consider their opinions on whether or not we should continue using coal and state facts that supported their feelings. At first, almost all of us thought we should never use coal again. However, when we read another source giving the opposite viewpoint, we started to see that things were not so straightforward as we once thought. After debating, many of us concluded that coal might still be necessary to some extent, but we should work to use less (or see how we can use other materials instead).
When First Graders came in this week, they saw two samples of water from the Dan River near Eden, North Carolina. One was a clean water sample from 2013. But the other sample was from 2014... and by then something had gone terribly wrong! The water was black and full of a gooey substance. After learning a bit about watersheds and how water travels throughout the Earth, students were asked to make predictions about how this water pollution might have occurred.
Students then dove into videos and sources that told about the 2014 coal ash spill in the Dan River. We learned a little more about coal and how exactly this catastrophe had occurred. Students participated in an activity known as "Tug of War." They were asked to consider their opinions on whether or not we should continue using coal and state facts that supported their feelings. At first, almost all of us thought we should never use coal again. However, when we read another source giving the opposite viewpoint, we started to see that things were not so straightforward as we once thought. After debating, many of us concluded that coal might still be necessary to some extent, but we should work to use less (or see how we can use other materials instead).
Quarter 3, Week of January 28th
First Graders looked at the relationship between water and soil this week. We practiced making hypotheses and predicted what might happen when water is dropped into certain soils. Once we conducted the experiment, we were able to draw conclusions and see exactly how soil can act as a filter. We learned that some soils act as better filters, but all soils filter water to a certain extent! We then watched an informational video, which gave us more information about the different ways soil filters water and why this is important. Next week we will use the knowledge from this experiment to answer bigger questions about pollution and ground water.
First Graders looked at the relationship between water and soil this week. We practiced making hypotheses and predicted what might happen when water is dropped into certain soils. Once we conducted the experiment, we were able to draw conclusions and see exactly how soil can act as a filter. We learned that some soils act as better filters, but all soils filter water to a certain extent! We then watched an informational video, which gave us more information about the different ways soil filters water and why this is important. Next week we will use the knowledge from this experiment to answer bigger questions about pollution and ground water.
Quarter 3, Week of January 21st
First Graders started a new unit this week! However, the unit topic started out as a mystery. Students traveled through several stations, observing details and formulating questions about what they saw. After sharing our observations as a group, we were able to infer that we will be learning all about water! Using thinking maps, we worked in groups to brainstorm our own connections to that topic. We will use some of these connections as gateways to additional explorations next week.
First Graders started a new unit this week! However, the unit topic started out as a mystery. Students traveled through several stations, observing details and formulating questions about what they saw. After sharing our observations as a group, we were able to infer that we will be learning all about water! Using thinking maps, we worked in groups to brainstorm our own connections to that topic. We will use some of these connections as gateways to additional explorations next week.
Week of December 3rd
Students are beginning to wrap up our constellations unit! We worked this week on paper folding and visualizing, then used some of these techniques to create our own designs. Afterwards, we thought about what we saw in our designs, making them into constellations. We are writing myths to explain the why behind what we saw in our own arrangement of stars. Some of us are choosing to imitate some of the myths we already read, and some of us are creating wholly new present day myths!
First grade students are also working to summarize what they have learned about perception. Many students have realized that we all have different perceptions, and learning more about ideas that are different than our own can give us new ideas and also make it easier to work with others.
Students are beginning to wrap up our constellations unit! We worked this week on paper folding and visualizing, then used some of these techniques to create our own designs. Afterwards, we thought about what we saw in our designs, making them into constellations. We are writing myths to explain the why behind what we saw in our own arrangement of stars. Some of us are choosing to imitate some of the myths we already read, and some of us are creating wholly new present day myths!
First grade students are also working to summarize what they have learned about perception. Many students have realized that we all have different perceptions, and learning more about ideas that are different than our own can give us new ideas and also make it easier to work with others.
Weeks of November 19th and 26th
We have continued to learn about how perception influences meaning, looking at constellations and their myths. Students read the Greek myth of the constellation Cassiopeia. They then participated in a procedure called Microlabs, student-led discussion groups that develop listening and discourse skills. This activity showed us that we can have different perceptions of the same myth, and we learned a little more about listening and responding to the different perceptions in our class.
Students also traveled around the world this week! We stopped in places such as India, Greece, and the Navajo Nation to read various legends about one constellation: Ursa Major. It was interesting to see how many of these stories featured bears. However, we also noticed each story had a slightly different perspective on the meaning behind these stars. Students began to see that perception extends beyond our classroom; people all over the world can have different views of the same constellation, which in turn effects the meaning of these stars for them.
We have continued to learn about how perception influences meaning, looking at constellations and their myths. Students read the Greek myth of the constellation Cassiopeia. They then participated in a procedure called Microlabs, student-led discussion groups that develop listening and discourse skills. This activity showed us that we can have different perceptions of the same myth, and we learned a little more about listening and responding to the different perceptions in our class.
Students also traveled around the world this week! We stopped in places such as India, Greece, and the Navajo Nation to read various legends about one constellation: Ursa Major. It was interesting to see how many of these stories featured bears. However, we also noticed each story had a slightly different perspective on the meaning behind these stars. Students began to see that perception extends beyond our classroom; people all over the world can have different views of the same constellation, which in turn effects the meaning of these stars for them.
Week of November 12th
First graders jumped into constellation myths this week! We read and retold the Greek myth of the constellation Pegasus through a Reader's Theater. We then wrote about what color we would choose to represent the ideas in the myth. Discussing our different ideas and the colors we chose showed us more about our big concept of perception; we started to see how our different perceptions can influence the meaning we take from a story.
First graders jumped into constellation myths this week! We read and retold the Greek myth of the constellation Pegasus through a Reader's Theater. We then wrote about what color we would choose to represent the ideas in the myth. Discussing our different ideas and the colors we chose showed us more about our big concept of perception; we started to see how our different perceptions can influence the meaning we take from a story.
Week of November 5th
First graders began a new thematic unit this week! Students are working to answer the big question "how does perception influence meaning?" through the lens of constellations! This week, students began to explore perception through art and photographs depicting constellations. We used visual thinking strategies to discuss what we notice in the art and generate deeper questions and wonderings about our observations. We noticed how our different perceptions could lead to diverse ideas about the meaning behind these constellations.
We then tied constellations to geometry, discussing the attributes of shapes in constellations and looking at how geometric figures can be composed of other shapes. Our groups finished the week with a partner activity, which challenged us to compose a larger "constellation" shape of smaller shapes. Again, our perception often influenced the path we took to solve the challenge, and we had to think flexibly about how shapes can be composed of other shapes in order to successfully build our constellations.
First graders began a new thematic unit this week! Students are working to answer the big question "how does perception influence meaning?" through the lens of constellations! This week, students began to explore perception through art and photographs depicting constellations. We used visual thinking strategies to discuss what we notice in the art and generate deeper questions and wonderings about our observations. We noticed how our different perceptions could lead to diverse ideas about the meaning behind these constellations.
We then tied constellations to geometry, discussing the attributes of shapes in constellations and looking at how geometric figures can be composed of other shapes. Our groups finished the week with a partner activity, which challenged us to compose a larger "constellation" shape of smaller shapes. Again, our perception often influenced the path we took to solve the challenge, and we had to think flexibly about how shapes can be composed of other shapes in order to successfully build our constellations.
Week of October 29th
First graders jumped back into Enrichment this week with a Halloween themed STEM challenge! After reading a Halloween tale, students were challenged to work collaboratively in groups to build the tallest spooky structure, using only marshmallows and popsicle sticks. We found that sometimes our designs had to be adapted from our blueprints. We also learned that triangle shaped structures (rather than cube structures) provided more support and helped our structures grow stronger. We also learned a lot about how to use collaborative group work to get through challenges, a lesson that will definitely help us with our new unit this quarter!
First graders jumped back into Enrichment this week with a Halloween themed STEM challenge! After reading a Halloween tale, students were challenged to work collaboratively in groups to build the tallest spooky structure, using only marshmallows and popsicle sticks. We found that sometimes our designs had to be adapted from our blueprints. We also learned that triangle shaped structures (rather than cube structures) provided more support and helped our structures grow stronger. We also learned a lot about how to use collaborative group work to get through challenges, a lesson that will definitely help us with our new unit this quarter!
Isabel the Inventor had a problem this week, and first grade students helped her solve it! Isabel needed a way to move a rather large pile of acorns into her house at the top of her tall, tall, tree so they can be properly stored. However, she couldn't lift them, so she decided to use some spare parts around her house to invent a contraption that could help her. After reading a text about simple machines, first graders helped Isabel with this task! Applying information from the text, as well as what they had already learned about force and motion, students used pieces to build a machine that could move the acorns. We then practiced some "scientific" writing, outlining the procedures and steps that helped our machine to function. We found that writing our processes can sometimes help us to refine and rework our thinking!
This week, first grade students tied divergent thinking to force and motion! Given certain materials, students were challenged to design a machine that could easily lift and move heavy objects. We drew our designs, brainstormed many possibilities, and got to build our models using the materials. We then read the book How Do You Lift A Lion? to learn more about how simple machines such as a lever, pulley, and wheels can influence motion. After reading the book, many of us saw that levers, pulleys, and wheels could be another possibility that could be created out of our materials!
First grade students tied divergent thinking to literature this week. We read Little Cloud by Eric Carle and thought about clouds in many different ways! We explored how the character of Little Cloud changed throughout the story, and then worked to brainstorm and create our own ideas out of clouds. We had to think abstractly to make our clouds into a variety of possibilities and wrote about our ideas. We also began looking at how divergent thinking can be applied to relationships, brainstorming answers to questions such as "how can a cloud be like an elephant?"
This week, first grade students got to meet Ms. Melvin, Ms. Antol, and Isabel the Inventor! Isabel is a divergent thinker, who works to problem solve by developing many solutions. With Isabel, students discussed what it means to be an inventor. Students then used brainstorming to think divergently, which means they had to be fluent, flexible, and original as they invented their own possibilities for scenarios. For example, they brainstormed how a kitchen whisk can be used in ways other than mixing and were challenged to invent many possibilities out of bubbles.