We are Readers!

The Stanford Trees have been falling in love with reading! We are growing so much as readers, as we have been exploring and reflecting on what great readers do, and learning more about how to use our classroom library.

We have learned:

Some of our special places to read are...

What's YOUR special place to read???

Penguin Families

We ended our penguin unit by turning our classroom into Antarctica and acting out penguin life as penguin families! We had made penguin puppets a couple days before to reinforce the physical characteristics of penguins, and why they need each of their body parts. We used our puppets to slide on ice, dive into water for fish, and care for our eggs.

Stanford Trees were so careful and deliberate about not letting their eggs touch the ice, and keeping them safe on their feet and on their brood pouch. We were so surprised when halfway through caring for our eggs, they hatched!!! Stanford Trees marveled at their fuzzy chicks with downy feathers. We had a great time!

Tide Pools at EPACS

A couple weeks ago, we got a wonderful visit from the Marine Science Institute. They brought creatures from our estuary, and let us explore and observe them with our five senses.

Our guides were so wonderful about explaining all about our creatures, and teaching us new vocabulary words!

Ask your first grader to explain:

Estuary

(The Mermaid)

Brackish water

Sea star

Penguins Here, Penguins There, Penguins, Penguins Everywhere!

We have continued our penguin study exploring penguins' unique physical characteristics, their harsh environment, and how penguins' adaptations help them thrive in their environment.

We experienced first hand how waterproof feathers are critical to a penguin's survival by feeling the difference between ice on our bare hand, on a sock-covered hand, and on a waterproof glove.

Stanford Trees exclaimed

• "The waterproof glove helps my hand from freezing just like the waterproof feathers help the penguin from freezing!"
• "The penguin has waterproof feathers because the ice is so frigid!"

In Science, we explored how ice freezes, and made predictions and observations about the differences between water and ice.

We learned more about ice by reading about ice-filled Antarctica!

Stanford Trees couldn't believe how cold Antarctica is, but decided they would like to be one of the 4,000 scientists that travel to Antarctica each summer to learn more about the environment!

Antarctica!

We have been exploring a penguin's environment, and learning all about their habitat. This past week, we explored a penguin's home--icy water, by building our own! Each Stanford Tree created their own penguin, and played like penguins do.

We explored the penguin's favorite place to be--icy water, by freezing water to make ice bergs. The Stanford Trees acted out hiding from leopard seals up on the ice berg, sliding on their bellies, and diving deep into the ocean to catch fish and krill. It was a blast playing like penguins do!

Doin' the Ornithologist Bugaloo!

We have been spending the last two weeks transforming into Ornithologists as we study perhaps the funniest, most interesting bird of all--the PENGUIN! We have been partaking in...

Observation Charts

Narrative Input with the beautiful story A Mother's Journey

Collecting Facts on our Penguin Book Matrix

(The stories we have been reading are on the left, with the categories of the facts we have been collecting above.)

We have been reading so many stories, learning so many facts, and are realizing that the more we learn, the more we wonder!

First grades are wondering...

"Why are ice bergs so thick?"

"How do penguins climb up ice bergs?"

"Why is there sand in Antarctica?"

"Why is the water so cold in the Southern part of the globe?"

We have been keeping track of all our new knowledge in our very own Penguin Journals.

C-O-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N in Action!

We have been learning all about cooperation -- working together to get the job done, and having fun doing it! It has been such a blast seeing our super stars explore math tools, learn math games, start workshop, and discuss complex ideas in partners and teams while showing cooperation. I love it!

Welcome to 2011-2012!!!!

It is my pleasure and honor to welcome you to the 2011-2012 school year! I am so excited for what we have in store this year! The Stanford Trees are already off to a great start, and I have loved every moment I've had with them so far!

Here's a sneak-peak of the classroom before the students arrived:

We have already kicked off our Penguin Unit! Thanks so much to those of you who sent back your Home-School Communication form about Penguins! It was so fun learning about your knowledge of penguins, and how much you have to share with your kiddos!

Make sure to ask your student what new facts they are learning about penguins. We are working hard to collect facts each day in our explorations.

Here's a photo from one of our favorite activities with penguins this week, a penguin/human compare/contrast pictorial:

I can't wait to post more photos of our superstars working so hard as scientists, readers, writers and thinkers!