Month: October 2023

Mrs. McClurg’s First Grade

Concepts Covered This Week:

Religion:

• We listened to the Gospel where Jesus reminds us that God keeps his promises.
• We learned that faith is a virtue given to us at Baptism.  With strong faith, we can become saints in Heaven.
• We learned that Saints are people who loved God and followed Jesus.
• We each chose a special saint to learn about.  We learned where to find his/her Feast Day and  
• We said prayers where we asked the Saints to pray for us.

Language Arts:

• We practiced reading and writing many words with the short sound of a.
• We practiced the correct formation of all letters.  We also practiced writing beginning and ending sounds.
• We practiced reading stories with high frequency sight words.
• We used these words to write sentences about clouds and fun times with friends.
• We read, then illustrated a poem about pumpkins.
• We practiced naming and writing the nouns in our stories.
• We listened to many stories about pumpkins and Halloween.

Math:

• We worked with the communitive property of addition by adding parts (addends) in any order to come up with the same whole(sum).
• We built, drew, and wrote problems that showed different number combinations to make a magic number.
• We played games with dice to practice our addition strategies.
• We counted to 41, representing the number of days in school by using dimes and pennies.

Social Studies/Science:

• We learned that many animals have body adaptations to help them get the food they need to survive.
• We used a straw and a cup to represent different bird beaks.  We practiced picking up food (elbow macaroni) with our beaks.
• We continued to practice active listening using the steps from the Second Step program.
• We learned about bats and owls. We made cute baby owls to decorate our classroom.

Specialist Classes- Physical Education/Art/Music/Spanish/Library:

• In art we explored the art of mosaics. They looked at different examples and got inspired by the beautiful fall season. Using the spaces between the tiles, they made their own mosaic artworks. It was a creative way to celebrate autumn!”
• In music we learned about the quarter note and eighth notes.  We sang and clapped rhythms with the song Today is Monday.  We also moved and responded to the fossils from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint Saens.
• In Physical Education we reviewed underhand and overhand throwing and catching cues.  We practiced throwing and catching various size balls.  We also played games using our throwing and catching skills called Catch Everything, Protect the Castle and Hungry, Hungry Monster.  
• This week in Spanish, we learned about the celebration of Día de los Muertos (Oct. 31-Nov. 2). We especially focused on the meaning of the ofrenda (alter to celebrate those who have passed on from this life) and the items it includes. Students created a booklet about the ofrendas to share with their families. We are looking forward to seeing the ofrenda that some of our ACS families will be building to share with our school next week!
• At the library, we listened to a Halloween story and checked out 2 books of personal interest.
  
  

Mrs. McClurg’s First Grade

October 9-20, 2023

Weeks 7 and 8

Concepts Covered This Week:

Religion:

1. We listened to the parable of the man and his vineyard.
2. We learned that God reveals his loving plan to us.
3. We discussed ways that we can know and love God.
4. We participated in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  We looked around the church for ways God revels his love to us.

Language Arts:

1. We practiced the correct formation of all letters.  We also practiced writing the beginning, medial and final consonants in words.
2. We began to long at 3-4 letter word with the short a sound.
3. We practiced reading stories with high frequency sight words.
4. We used these words to write sentences about the stories, often adding personal touches.
5. We identified the characters and setting in many picture books.
6. We made predictions of things that could happen in our read aloud stories.

Math:

1. We identified and practiced using the math vocabulary words; whole, part, sum, addend, plus and equals.
2. We used blocks and pictures to solve addition problems.
3. We learned to pick out the important information from math problems with words.
4. We learned that you could change the order of the addends and still have the same answer- The communitive property of addition.
5. We counted to 37 with coins by using dimes and pennies.

Social Studies/Science:

1. We continued to use helpful thought to help us get better at new things we want to learn.
2. We learned that trees have parts that act like superpowers to protect them from the wind.  These parts are deep roots, bending branches and trunks and leaves that move separately.
3. We used this information to draw a protype(picture) then a model of a beach umbrella that will not blow down with a strong wind.
4. We compared and contrasted baby owls and bats.

Specialist Classes- Physical Education/Art/Music/Spanish/Library:

1. In art we created textured Frankenstein head with meticulous care. We utilized burlap fabric, to add depth and character and to bring the iconic creature to life. In the background, we composed the scene, employing the fundamental elements of art, particularly focusing on lines. 
2. In music we sang a scale, explored ascending and descending pitches on xylophone.  We also listened to and added sound effects to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
3. In Spanish we practiced numbers 1-20. We even applied our knowledge by writing addition sentences in Spanish! We’re also having fun playing a game called Señora Dice to learn classroom vocabulary.
4. In physical education we learned how to underhand throw and catch various sized bean bags and balls, practiced the underhand throw and catch to self and to the wall and played a game called “Clean Up the Backyard” using our underhand throw.
5. In library we listened to a seasonal story and checked out books of personal interest.
   
   

We practiced the correct formation of all letters.  We also practiced writing the beginning, medial and final consonants in words.

We began to long at 3-4 letter word with the short a sound.

We practiced reading stories with high frequency sight words.

We used these words to write sentences about the stories, often adding personal touches.

We identified the characters and setting in many picture books.

We made predictions of things that could happen in our read aloud stories.

Math:

We identified and practiced using the math vocabulary words; whole, part, sum, addend, plus and equals.

We used blocks and pictures to solve addition problems.

We learned to pick out the important information from math problems with words.

We learned that you could change the order of the addends and still have the same answer- The communitive property of addition.

We counted to 37 with coins by using dimes and pennies.

Social Studies/Science:

We continued to use helpful thought to help us get better at new things we want to learn.

We learned that trees have parts that act like superpowers to protect them from the wind.  These parts are deep roots, bending branches and trunks and leaves that move separately.

We used this information to draw a protype(picture) then a model of a beach umbrella that will not blow down with a strong wind.

We compared and contrasted baby owls and bats.

Specialist Classes- Physical Education/Art/Music/Spanish/Library:

In art we created textured Frankenstein head with meticulous care. We utilized burlap fabric, to add depth and character and to bring the iconic creature to life. In the background, we composed the scene, employing the fundamental elements of art, particularly focusing on lines. 

In music we sang a scale, explored ascending and descending pitches on xylophone.  We also listened to and added sound effects to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

In Spanish we practiced numbers 1-20. We even applied our knowledge by writing addition sentences in Spanish! We’re also having fun playing a game called Señora Dice to learn classroom vocabulary.

In physical education we learned how to underhand throw and catch various sized bean bags and balls, practiced the underhand throw and catch to self and to the wall and played a game called “Clean Up the Backyard” using our underhand throw.

• In library we listened to a seasonal story and checked out books of personal interest.
  
  

Mrs. McClurg’s First Grade

October 9-20, 2023

Weeks 7 and 8

Concepts Covered This Week:

Religion:

• We listened to the parable of the man and his vineyard.
  • We learned that God reveals his loving plan to us.We discussed ways that we can know and love God.
• • We participated in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  We looked around the church for ways God revels his love to us.

Language Arts:

• We practiced the correct formation of all letters.  We also practiced writing the beginning, medial and final consonants in words.
  • We began to long at 3-4 letter word with the short a sound.
• • We practiced reading stories with high frequency sight words. We used these words to write sentences about the stories, often adding personal touches.
• • We identified the characters and setting in many picture books.
  We made predictions of things that could happen in our read aloud stories.

Math:

• We identified and practiced using the math vocabulary words; whole, part, sum, addend, plus and equals.
  • We used blocks and pictures to solve addition problems.
  • We learned to pick out the important information from math problems with words.
  • We learned that you could change the order of the addends and still have the same answer- The communitive property of addition.
  • We counted to 37 with coins by using dimes and pennies.

Social Studies/Science:

• We continued to use helpful thought to help us get better at new things we want to learn.
  • We learned that trees have parts that act like superpowers to protect them from the wind.  These parts are deep roots, bending branches and trunks and leaves that move separately.
  • We used this information to draw a protype(picture) then a model of a beach umbrella that will not blow down with a strong wind.
  • We compared and contrasted baby owls and bats.

Specialist Classes- Physical Education/Art/Music/Spanish/Library:

• In art we created textured Frankenstein head with meticulous care. We utilized burlap fabric, to add depth and character and to bring the iconic creature to life. In the background, we composed the scene, employing the fundamental elements of art, particularly focusing on lines. 
• In music we sang a scale, explored ascending and descending pitches on xylophone.  We also listened to and added sound effects to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
• In Spanish we practiced numbers 1-20. We even applied our knowledge by writing addition sentences in Spanish! We’re also having fun playing a game called Señora Dice to learn classroom vocabulary.
• In physical education we learned how to underhand throw and catch various sized bean bags and balls, practiced the underhand throw and catch to self and to the wall and played a game called “Clean Up the Backyard” using our underhand throw.
• In library we listened to a seasonal story and checked out books of personal interest.
  
  

Details

Details

Mrs. McClurg’s First Grade

October 2-6, 2023

Concepts Covered This Week:

Religion:

• We participated in a school Mass.
• We listened to the Gospel story where we learned the importance of doing what the Lord asks of us.
• We learned that God created angel to watch over us.  We drew pictures of our Guardian Angels
• We learned about Saint Francis of Assisi and participated in the Blessing of the Animals.
• We traced our hands to remind ourselves that we need to place our needs in God’s loving hand.

Language Arts:

• We practiced reading more sight words.
• We wrote words and illustrations for words in the –en and –et families.
• We practiced the correct formation of all the consonants and reviewed the sounds that these letters make.
• We read stories about things that we could get at a store.  We wrote sentences telling what we would get.

Math:

• We completed a first-grade assessment.  It was tricky!
• We identified and practiced using the math vocabulary words; part, whole, add, and (in math), addition sentence and sum.
• We used pictures and manipulatives to demonstrate addition.
• We counted to 27 with coins by using 2 dimes and 7 pennies.

Social Studies/Science:

• We discussed the role of many community workers.  We made illustrations of a community worker that could help our families.
• We read a news article where we learned about the different jobs that a firefighter does.  We also identified the different types of fire gear and how it keeps a fire fighter safe.
• We learned that when we get distracted, we can use helpful thoughts to remind ourselves to keep going.

Specialist Classes- Physical Education/Art/Music/Spanish/Library:

• In art continued to learn about surrealism and the art of the Argentine painter and sculptor, Xul Solar. We added cut out houses to our beautiful backgrounds.
• In music we listened to the book My Many-Colored Days by Dr. Seuss to learn about tone color, and how emotions can be expressed musically.  We moved to music and danced the Skeleton Dance. We also explored different classroom percussion instruments.
• In physical education we practiced leaping across hurdles, practiced the pacer test and felt our heartbeat faster, learned a new game called noodle dance tag and played various activities with the parachute.  
• Una nota de Señora Anna- This week in Spanish, we completed our Animales de la Granja (Farm animal) and greetings unit. We had fun playing lots of games like I spy and guess the animal to practice our knowledge of farm animal vocabulary!
• At the library, we listened to a story and checked out 2 books of personal interest.
• In our homeroom class, we listened to the story A Dark, Dark Tale and finished our fall landscapes.  Some are a little spooky.