Gung Hay Fat Choy!

     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.

photo by amazon.com

     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?
   

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!

February in First Grade

     I love February in First Grade, mostly because it's a turning point.  Most of my students have become readers and they can write a sentence or sentences on a topic.  Since my GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) training, my students, I believe, have learned to love learning.  I hear, more and more, phrases like, "I LOVE Martin Luther King, Jr.!" and "I LOVE the presidents!"  I don't believe I've ever heard anyone exclaim that before this year.
     I've found two children's books about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln that I cherish and that really make these two beloved presidents come alive for children.  Not only do the kids learn a lot from these two books, but I learned a little something as well.  George Washington actually had very bad dental problems and lost his teeth while he fought the Revolutionary War!  Since children in first grade are in the midst of losing their own baby teeth, they can relate.  The timeline at the end of the book, along with pictures of his false teeth, only adds to their fascination.

photo by amazon.com

     Another book I really like is called Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers.  It's about a little girl named Grace Bedell, who wrote to Mr. Lincoln about growing whiskers.  The back of the book has a photo of her actual letter.  This book also brings to light the issues of equal rights (they gasp at the fact that women couldn't vote!) and are appalled at the idea of slavery.  They also get a glimpse of what life was like before tv, cars, internet, and cell phones!

photo by amazon.com

     I sometimes feel bad that I make them genuinely care about these historic figures and then they get the bad news:  they're dead.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.  Abraham Lincoln was shot.  At least George Washington died of natural causes (I think).  

     But on a lighter note, I taught them how to draw each president, mounted the drawings, and then they wrote sentences about each one.  I gave them the first sentence to copy, then after they discussed as a group what other facts they remembered, I had volunteers tell me some facts they might like to write for their second sentence.  I wrote those on the board.  

Here are some samples:

    I cut gray paper to 8" x  6".  I used gray so white crayon would show.  I also had visuals of both presidents and I talked a little about how artists use colors to show shadows (the picture of Washington had hints of purple and blue in his white hair).  When I was a new teacher, I got Art for All Seasons by Evans and Moore, which had a lesson on drawing Lincoln and Washington, which is very easy to follow.  This is the version I have:

photo by amazon.com

     

     Another great book I have, that's on a lighter note and fun for the kids, is Abe Lincoln's Hat.   My students really liked the notion of putting important things up inside a stovepipe hat, so they got to make a hat to wear and write what they'd put in their own hat.  I loved the responses...my stuffed bunny, my mom and my legos, and "my shrink ray, so I can fit all my toys inside."  Awesome!

photo by amazon.com

     And then there's Valentine's Day...

Base Ten Blocks

     This may seem obvious to everyone else on the planet, even people who aren't teachers, but this week, after having taught place value for I don't know how many years, I finally had the light bulb go on in my own head.

I try to throw in related questions...is this number odd or even?  How do you know?

      While the kids used their own manipulatives, green foam base ten blocks and workmats, I could model the same number on the board big enough for them all to be able to see.  I used to draw the tens and ones, but it took sooo much time out of the learning, so today I made myself a large set from one piece of green construction paper.  I had a roll of magnetic adhesive tape so it was easy (even though I ended up having to glue stick the allegedly adhesive tape to the back).  Please ignore my dirty white board...
   
Here is what my kiddos did at their desks while I was fooling around at the board:

Ahhh, meticulous!

     To manage all this stuff out on tables, I have the ones and tens in plastic crayon boxes and before we start, I remind them all about grabbing and I have them sort the tens and ones into the separate sides.  They each have their own mat and pen and are told their finger is the best eraser of all, just wipe it off when you make a mistake or need to start over.  We spent 45 minutes building numbers today.  It was great!
   
     

Ceramic SnowPeople

     The time period between when we come back from Thanksgiving Break to the beginning of Winter Break is hectic and fun.  At my school, we still get to participate in Christmas holiday cheer, so we go all out.  Kindergarten does a very cute performance and nearly all grade levels hold special events and activities.
     First Grade is no different.  Every year we teach the kids how to make snowpeople out of ceramic clay, fire, glaze, fire again, and then dress the snowpeople up with pipe cleaners and hot glue.  In addition, they make a ceramic clay tree ornament (may as well, right?  Since we're firing the kiln anyway!).
     The following are the the steps to teach the snowperson.  The trees will be in another, separate post.  Before I teach anything, I read to them The Biggest, Best Snowman by Marjorie Cuyler, because it's about a girl who is "too little" to be helpful, but she teaches her animal friends how to make a snowman, step by step, but any book about snowmen/women will do.

photo by amazon.com

Materials:
Bag of ceramic clay (to fire to cone 06)
Clay cutter made of wire
Paper towels
old pencils or bamboo skewers
water (acts as "glue")

      I gather the kids together on the rug and demonstrate how to make a complete snowperson before breaking out into small groups.  On my lap I have a board, a chunk of clay, a skewer, and a small bowl of water.  Once I've done that, kids make their own snowperson during a small group rotation, and pretty much know what to do.  I also have a completed snow person, but the head is not attached, an example of what will happen if you fail to score and slip the ball together...but they don't know that yet.  Ha!

1.  Make three balls from the chunk of clay, a large, medium, and a small one.  Roll each so the cracks are minimal, but stress that it's not that important.  If they overwork the clay, it will begin to dry out and not be as flexible.

2.  Use a pencil or skewer to make "tic tac toe" on each ball of clay .  This will act as teeth, or a lock, so the balls can be connected and not fall apart once the clay is dry.  This is actually called "score and slip" but I've found over the years that this simpler language works better.

3.  Once two balls have the tic tac toe scratched on, put a tiny drop of water on one of them (the "slip" part of score and slip), then match up the tic tac toes.  Gently push and twist (a 1/4 inch either way) the balls together.  I make a "chk, chk, chk" sound when I do it so they can get an idea of how much pressure and how many twists to do.  To test the strength of the bond, gently pick up the whole thing by the top ball.  If it stays, chances are it's bonded well.  Continue with the third ball, remembering that both balls need to have the scoring so they bond.  If too much twisting occurs, take it apart and re-score it.  "If you don't do this step this is what happens..." then I tap the head of the completed snow person and they crack up as it rolls away!

4.  Let the kids use the skewer to add facial features and buttons (dots) if desired.

5.  Have an adult use the skewer to create a hole through the center ball.  Put the skewer all the way through to the other side and wiggle a little as the hole will shrink slightly when fired.  This is for the pipe cleaner arms at a later time.

6.  Add student's name on the bottom ball.  If the bottom ball is larger than about 2 1/2 inches, slide a straightened out paper clip up the center (yes, like a you-know-what-hole) so any residual moisture can escape during firing.

7.  Let them dry for at least 7 days, longer if you have the time.

Wet snowmen will dry for at least 7 days.

8.  Once the kiln is loaded, I preheat for at least 6 hours.  That means the kiln will heat up to 180 degrees and hold there for 6 hours (this year? 10 hours because we had to rush it).  This allows the snowpeople to get completely dry before firing.  I fire to cone 06, as any hotter than that is not necessary.

     When firing is over, the clay has turned white!  The kids are joyous when they arrive and see the transformation.  Next we get to glaze.

Glazing
Glaze is literally liquid glass.  It used to be that it was really tricky for kids, with green glaze actually looking like red paint, but now it's more straight forward.  There is an element of fun and mystery, as glaze is pretty muted when they paint it on and very bright and shiny once fired.  It also dries very quickly and kids are usually astonished at that for some reason.

Materials:
Non-toxic glaze (clear gloss or matte)
old paintbrushes
water

1.  Demonstrate how to cover the entire snowperson in glaze, even the face, the head, the back, all over, (I say all this because they will ask!) EXCEPT the very bottom.  If any glaze gets on the bottom, it's important to clean it off with a wet sponge as it will fuse to the shelf during firing.

2.  Once all kids have glazed, make sure you clear the center holes of any glaze, as they will be clogged if you don't.

3.  Fire to cone 06 again, but hold for 10 minutes at the peak temperature.

     Now the snowpeople are white and shiny!

Getting Dressed

The kids love this entire project, but I think this is their favorite part!  They get to choose what their snowperson wears and dress it up.

Materials:
fabric strips or yarn (scarf)
brown pipe cleaners (arms)
colored pipe cleaners (hat)
fuzzy balls for the hat (hat)
hot glue gun  (adults only)
scissors

     Again, in small groups, follow the steps:

1.  Cut a brown pipe cleaner in half and put it through the center ball.  Curl the ends or otherwise make it look like sticks.

2.  Use a colored half pipe cleaner for the hat.  Twist the pipe cleaner around your finger to make a swirl and squish it down so it looks like a beanie.  Hot glue it to the head.

3.  Choose a fluffy ball and hot glue it to the hat.

4.  Choose fabric strip or yarn for the scarf and tie it around the neck.

Voila!!

     On the final day, kids get to wrap their snowpeople in tissue and put them in a Dollar Store plastic gift bag (the ones that come 25 to a pack and usually used for baked goods).

     This project, and other ceramic projects I do throughout the year, is one of the things I love best about teaching.  What a great way to build confidence, foster acceptance and responsibility for their own work, and create a one-of-a-kind-mothers-can't-live-without heirloom!  It doesn't have to be a "Christmas" project if your school's policy doesn't allow for holidays.  Make the snowmen in January and create a winter wonderland!
     During this time period, I also go on a "field trip" to the room that houses the kiln.  It's just an oven that gets really, really hot (about 2,000 degrees), but for some reason the word "kiln" makes people shutter.  In addition, I teach about the properties of clay-that it's from the earth, it's a "viscous" liquid a soft solid! (because it keeps its shape) until it's fired and then it's a solid  (bad teacher!), they learn about "moisture" and tiny molecules, etc.

Troubleshooting*

*Sometimes after firing, heads roll!  No biggie.  Just glaze the pieces and make sure they are put back together when you put them in the kiln, glaze touching glaze.  The glaze will fuse the pieces together.  If you forget to do that, just use some Elmer's glue when the project is complete.   DO NOT glue them together before firing though, as the glue will just disintegrate.

*Remember to not let any glazed areas touch the kiln shelves.  A tiny amount will not matter, but unless you want a shelf stuck to your project, clean it off or set it on top of a pedestal with metal teeth.  I once had to let a child take his turtle (different project) home with one of those pedestals permanently attached, so watch out!

*Glaze is water soluble.  It is cleaned up with water and can be thinned out with water if it's too thick in the jar.   It will melt in the kiln and re-harden as the kiln cools, so minor scratches/dents/mistakes in the glaze probably won't show.  Make sure you are using NON TOXIC glaze.

*Since the materials are comparatively expensive, we return unused glaze back into the bottle.  This is not what a professional would do, but since it's elementary school, we are fine with a little "stuff" in our glaze.

Have fun with this and don't be afraid to make mistakes!

One Thousandth Viewer

At 999 views, my blog is now on Teachers Pay Teachers, buried on about the 10 page of blogs that are also about teaching first grade.  Hey, it's not at the end!

Be the 1,000th viewer and get.........a chuckle?  I hope so.

We bloggers love to see comments and delight in each new follower.  If you have the inclination or the time, I'd be delighted when I check back and see a new friendly face.

One thousand reading what I have to say is a milestone for me!  Thanks for reading.

My New Scooter

     I've been walking around on a foot that has a crush injury, caused by an angry child, for over a year now.  I've been prescribed creams and patches, have custom orthotics, and must wear jogging shoes for their cushion and shock absorption.  Nothing works, even on the rare occasion when I can stick to the 15 minutes I'm allowed to be on my feet per hour.
     I find workers' compensation a mixed bag.  It's nice to know that if I get hurt at work, I'll be taken care of.  I was given prompt treatment and treated quite well on the phone, and have been given appointments, diagnostic tests, and treatments in a timely manner.  I appreciate getting paid for time off (not for writing sub plans, though!) to go to appointments and for my mileage. The reality is, though, that the patient still has to be her own advocate.
     After walking around on a foot that needed to be rested for over a year, being deprived of my active lifestyle, getting crabby by lunchtime, and becoming more and more resentful of my condition, a student of mine arrived at school with a broken foot and a scooter.
     Around the campus he zipped.  Around the campus I hobbled.  His foot healed, mine still has not.  Granted, they are not the same injury.  So at my next six week appointment, I asked/told the doctor that I wanted one.  So he ordered me one.  That's what I mean, I have to ASK for what I want and can't just trust that my own doctor is looking out for me.  I didn't even know such an apparatus existed!  Why didn't he suggest it?
     So it arrived the day before the last day before Thanksgiving break.  It needed to be assembled, which I tried to do myself (I'm a master at assembling Ikea stuff), but couldn't figure it out.  So my husband tackled the project.  He ended up having to get a hammer......a few grumbles later (this thing is definitely not of Swedish design and I'm glad I'm not an arthritic, little old lady living on her own!) it was ready for use.

     I was a little self-conscious, but not so much so that I was willing to put up with this foot any longer.  I used it whenever I needed to travel around campus, which on a Friday, is about five+ times.  It made a HUGE, HUGE difference!  So much so that I wonder how my foot would be doing if I'd had this thing from the very beginning.  Only time will tell.
     It needs some tweaking as it's a little hard on the knee I must stand on.  I would suggest bicycle-like tires and/or shock absorbers.  The breaks aren't that great either.  But overall, it's an improvement over walking up and down the corridors all day long.

    Take my advice and avoid this entire ordeal:  Don't make a child get out from under a table.  Ever.
     

Airborne, Anyone?

     I can now count on being sick at exactly the same times of year like the countdown of the space shuttle.  Last conference starts (3), last conference wraps up (2), parents leave the room (1), I don't know what to do next because there is so much that has been neglected (blastoff!).
     As if on cue, after a week of conferencing, my throat got scratchy and has progressed into extreme tiredness.  Hopefully, Airborne, which claims to have been created by a teacher, works.  I believe it does, and if it's ever scientifically proven that it doesn't is no guarantee I'll stop using it.  I've tried nearly all the cold and flu preventions I know of...Airborne, Zicam, vitamin C, echinacea tea in various brands, doses, and frequency, Super Antioxidant tea, getting 8 hours of sleep every night, eating healthy, washing my hands 20,000 times a day and not ever, EVER touching my face.  Yet, still.  I must touch my face here and there because there is no reason I should be sick.  I'm exposed to more germs than the average bear on a daily basis, my body forms antibodies that work on viruses like Wonder Woman blocks bullets with her wrist thingies, so shouldn't my immune system be that of Wonder Woman's?

     

    Look at her...all physically fit and healthy, hair and makeup done to perfection, outfit and accessories perfectly "going" together.  She is the vision of a strong immune system, strong intellect, and strong super powers, and she never comes in contact with even one child.  Well, maybe she saves one once in a while, I'll give her that.

     I thoroughly enjoyed conference week.  I always feel like I've accomplished the hardest part of the year, marked by the closing of that very last meeting.  NOW we can get down to business, all that wiggling around on the rug, the running (not walking) to go nearly everywhere, and the excessive, loud talking will stop now that my students' parents and I have spent 30 minutes talking about them.  l. o. l.

     But seriously, I always feel like meeting with the parents forms a better bond between us, that we create a  little team that has the same goal, and the lines of communication are more open now that we've had a face to face conversation.  We all know each other a little bit better and everyone (I hope) feels more comfortable approaching each other about this or that.

     As for me and my little illness, at least I have the means to get remedies, the time to rest, and live in a comfortable home that feels like a safe haven.  It can always be worse, and I'm never oblivious to that.  Come Monday morning, I bet I'll be walking around campus in an awesome outfit with stars shooting out my back, too.