My first grade team and I are taking our students on a journey around the globe to learn about the oceans and continents. So far, we've taught about North America, Europe, and Antarctica. With only 61 days of school left, we better get moving if we're going to finish the tour!
This week, we introduced Asia, with China being the focal point, and celebrated Chinese New Year. They l.o.v.e.d. learning about the firecrackers, the dragon, the parades, the feasting, the red envelopes of money, the chinese alphabet, and most importantly, that it symbolizes a renewal.
To start off, I re-visited our world map and reviewed what we'd covered already and then labeled Asia and China. We looked at an Atlas and discovered that Russia is actually on two continents (I never realized). See? We all learn something every day!
Since we have only 3 days to cover this, I went straight to my big book called Lion Dancer, a non-fiction account of a little boy named Ernie and his experiences getting ready for the new year. The fact that he learns two languages and has to go to school on Saturday is not lost on my students! They also loved learning that most of them were born in the year of the Rooster.
I then used a GLAD strategy called "10/2" and let them turn and talk to each other about the story. Then I asked questions about it, and what I love about getting this training is that if someone can't answer a question, a friend can tell him/her the answer and then that student can in turn answer the question. It seems like such a simple thing, but one that I had never used before. It gets them ALL talking on topic!
The next day (today, actually), I taught a poem my colleague found online. I don't even know who it's by, but it was a lovely short and simple review of Chinese New Year that rhymed and had tons of phonics and sight words for them to hunt for and find. After they read it again later today, I let them choose what they wanted to draw...fireworks, lions, red envelopes, or "I could teach you how to draw a dragon." That was a bit hit!
To go along with the theme, we made red Chinese lanterns by folding a piece of construction paper in half the long way, cutting slits (not all the way through). I gave them a phonetic Chinese alphabet so they could write their name on their lantern in Chinese in gold crayon. When all that was done, they rolled it into a cylinder to be stapled and hung up with string.
They're all "kid made," meaning I didn't help them much, and beautiful. Beauty, is truly, in the eye of the beholder. When they were done, they wanted to write in their journals in Chinese...THIS is why I love first grade. While some of them did that, I read Dragon Dance. What is it about lifting a flap?
Tomorrow, to wrap it up, they will hear another story called The Dancing Dragon, which is folded accordion style and will be one long dragon when it's finished, and given a fortune cookie. I know they'll love it. Next week, we will get into Komodo dragons, pandas, and bamboo... Whew!
This week, we introduced Asia, with China being the focal point, and celebrated Chinese New Year. They l.o.v.e.d. learning about the firecrackers, the dragon, the parades, the feasting, the red envelopes of money, the chinese alphabet, and most importantly, that it symbolizes a renewal.
To start off, I re-visited our world map and reviewed what we'd covered already and then labeled Asia and China. We looked at an Atlas and discovered that Russia is actually on two continents (I never realized). See? We all learn something every day!
Since we have only 3 days to cover this, I went straight to my big book called Lion Dancer, a non-fiction account of a little boy named Ernie and his experiences getting ready for the new year. The fact that he learns two languages and has to go to school on Saturday is not lost on my students! They also loved learning that most of them were born in the year of the Rooster.
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| photo by amazon.com |
The next day (today, actually), I taught a poem my colleague found online. I don't even know who it's by, but it was a lovely short and simple review of Chinese New Year that rhymed and had tons of phonics and sight words for them to hunt for and find. After they read it again later today, I let them choose what they wanted to draw...fireworks, lions, red envelopes, or "I could teach you how to draw a dragon." That was a bit hit!
To go along with the theme, we made red Chinese lanterns by folding a piece of construction paper in half the long way, cutting slits (not all the way through). I gave them a phonetic Chinese alphabet so they could write their name on their lantern in Chinese in gold crayon. When all that was done, they rolled it into a cylinder to be stapled and hung up with string.
They're all "kid made," meaning I didn't help them much, and beautiful. Beauty, is truly, in the eye of the beholder. When they were done, they wanted to write in their journals in Chinese...THIS is why I love first grade. While some of them did that, I read Dragon Dance. What is it about lifting a flap?
 |
| photo by amazon.com |
Tomorrow, to wrap it up, they will hear another story called The Dancing Dragon, which is folded accordion style and will be one long dragon when it's finished, and given a fortune cookie. I know they'll love it. Next week, we will get into Komodo dragons, pandas, and bamboo... Whew!
 |
| photo by amazon.com |
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Sounds wonderful and I love the lanterns. Gung Hay Fat Choy! Those kids are so lucky to have a teacher who is excited about teaching as well as being creative and inventive.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nancy! I feel bad because they always say, "Do we get to take these home?" and my answer is always, "eventually!"
ReplyDelete