Plane Geometric Shapes Monday :)

Shape egg hunt day!!!

I prepared 124 Easter eggs with slips of paper. On the paper, there was either one of the six shapes, the name of one of the six shapes, or environmental pictures the resembled one of the six shapes. A friend and I went and hid all of the eggs out on the playground.

I began the lesson with the story Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Then we reviewed the shapes, characteristics, and names of each shape. Then I partnered up the students with another student and provided them with a bag. The students went out on the playground and raced to find all of the eggs.

When the students found all of the eggs and headed back inside, I had them find a place in the classroom, with their partner,open up all of the eggs and lay out the slips of paper. They would group the slips of paper according to characteristics. Once students were done, I went around and checked each group to make sure they understood the shapes and their characteristics.

Tomorrow, I will have the students complete the Post-Assessment test.

Plane Geometric Shapes Thursday :)

Today, our review started as an 'I Spy Shapes Game'. I started off being the 'I Spy' person. I chose an object that was shaped in one of the six shapes and described to the students what I spied. The students would go and choose an object that they believed matched my characteristics. The students shared what they found.

Next, I created a matching game. Within each groups bag, I included the six shapes, the names of the shapes, and environmental pictures of objects that resembled the shapes. The students were in pairs and completed this matching game. When they were finished, they had an egg coloring page to complete.

Then, I had the students return to their seats and complete the "Flat Shapes" worksheet.

Plane Geometric Shapes Wednesday

Today we were going to construct the shapes using marshmallows and toothpicks. We started off reviewing the shapes and their names. We played with the geoboards and I had the students to start by creating any shape they wanted on their board. When they were finished, I had the students count their sides and corners of their shape they created. This helped them distinguish what a corner and side is on a shape. Next, I called out a shape and they had to create their shape on the geoboard and I chose someone to tell me some of the characteristics of that shape.

Next, we moved on to creating the shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks. The students created all six shapes that we had been learning. When they finished building their shapes, I came around and checked them.

The last activity I had the students do, was to complete a worksheet, called "Round and Round".

-One thing I would have changed about the marshmallow activity, was to already have the toothpicks and marshmallows in separate bags for each student. It took up a lot of time passing everything out.

Plane Geometric Shapes Tuesday :)

      Today my students worked on forming the shapes with their body and how to sort the shapes according to their characteristics.
      First, I had the students sit in their chairs that formed a circle. I reviewed the vocabulary and shapes with them. I went over the characteristics of each shape by calling on students to tell me what they know about the shape that I was holding in the air.
      Next, I demonstrated how we could form shapes with our bodies. As a class, we demonstrated how we could create a circle and oval by holding hands with the person next to them and move to where it created a circle and oval. Then, I picked students to come to the center of our circle and form a shape by laying down on the floor. I assisted the students to help them come up with ideas on how to form each shape.
     Then, I assigned students with a partner and had them complete a chart with six boxes and characteristics of a shape in each box. The students would cut out the shapes and glue them in the appropriate box. The six shapes names were listed at the top of the chart and they had to write the correct name of each shape in the appropriate box. I checked and conference with the students about the chart when the they were finished.

     When they had been checked, they completed a matching shape game. This game consisted of the shapes and the shape names. One person would complete it first, while the other checks that person; then they switched.
     Then the students completed a worksheet on their own that had them sort and identify shapes. They would color the shapes a certain color and then answer a few questions on the shape's characteristics on that worksheet.
     Before I dismissed them to their special, I had a person from each table to tell me something that they have learned about plane geometric shapes.  

Plane Geometric Shapes Monday :)

       For our Partnership class, we were required to create a week's worth of lesson plans for one subject of our choosing. We collaborated with our cooperating teacher and decided what we would be teaching for that week in that particular subject. I choose the subject, Math and decided that during that week, I would be teaching plane geometric shapes.
       So last Monday, I started my lessons. I had the students watch a you tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htcuPenTg38&feature=related. This video introduced the shapes and the number of sides and corners each has, with the exception of the oval and diamond.
      Then, I held a discussion of the shapes using visuals of the six shapes (oval, circle, square, diamond, rectangle, triangle, and diamond) and the names of the shapes wrote on index cards. I introduced how many sides, vertices (corners, square corners) each shape has. I also introduced vocabulary words such as geometric figures, plane geometric figure, right angle, square corner, corner, vertices, and side.

      Next, I provided sandwich baggies with the six shapes in them. I called out a shape or the shape's characteristics, and the student would dig in their bag and hold up the shape they believe is correct. This activity was for me to formally assess the students to see if they have some understanding of the shapes and it's characteristics.
      Finally, I had students complete a worksheet with me. The worksheet had the students trace each shape carefully, while we determined how many sides and corners each shape had. Having the students trace each shape, helped me stress to he students how important it is to make these shapes accurate. For example, a square needs to be drawn so that all four sides are equal. As for a rectangle, the students needed to make sure they knew that two sides were longer than the other.

Tutoring and Five Senses Activity

    I am finally getting into the fun stuff of my tutoring lessons. In the beginning, I was a little worried that my tutoring student was not going to be excited about working with me and wanting to strengthen his/her reading skills. Since we have finished with all of the assessments, he is becoming more interested in what we are doing in the lessons. I start the lessons with a new reading book for us to work on, then I choose a word sort that I believe is an area that that the student needs help on. The student likes these word sorts because he/she thinks of it as playing a game. Then, we do a writing activity that relates to the new book that I introduced. At the end of each lesson, I give my tutoring student a prize ("Cars" pencil, vehicle stickers, eraser, or candy).
    Every Tuesday and Thursday, I am doing calender and SOL question time with my partnership class. I am starting to do progress reports every week now and I was able to help fill out report cards! This past week we did a fun activity with the five senses. The teacher arranged the students desks in a half circle. She had pictures of the nose, tongue, ear, hand, and eye on big posters. She provided cinnamon for them to smell. Then, she taught the students the different taste buds that are located on the tongue. She had the students to taste lemon juice, sugar, and a chip. The teacher cut the lights off and then back on and had the students to look into a partner's eyes to see how the pupils change to the light. Then, she had the students feel how a piece of banana and marshmallow feels in their mouth while closing their nose. Lastly, she had a student blindfolded and had someone go to the corner of the room and say something. The blindfolded student would guess where the noise came from. The students had a blast with this activity!

    Partnership is becoming more stressful with the work load, but one of our professors keep reminding us to take one day at a time :)

Feeling in control :)

      Last Tuesday, Mrs. Jane had a meeting to attend to and lasted until 12:15. There was a substitute available but Mrs. Jane wanted me to lead the class and let the substitute sit back and be an assistant. I started the morning off with calender time and the sol questions for the day. After the students finished the sol questions, we checked them and gave them a Hersey kiss if they got all of them correct. We met with the students that may have missed one and discussed what they did wrong. Then, we did a writing lesson on the similarities between two pets of their choice. After that, we had reading time where the students were broken up into groups according to their reading levels. My group ended up having to do a benchmark test. When they were finished, they played vowel games. After reading time was over, we came back as a class and did an activity with comparisons (-er and -est). Overall, the day went smoothly and I didn't have any behavior issues. Meeting with Mrs. Jane the day before and going over the activities that I would be doing with the students the following day, helped me feel prepared. I believe that being prepared that day helped with the positive behavioral outcomes. I felt that morning, I had control over the classroom. I believe that this helped with the positive behavior also.

   This partnership experience has been good so far! :)

First Impression of My Partnership School

Starting off at my partnership school, I really liked how the day is structured for 1st graders. The students know what is expected from them and what schedule they follow everyday. Every 1st grade class is structured the same and the teachers meet at least 3 times a week to discuss what lessons they are doing with their class and what the outcomes are. Most of the 1st grade teachers are using the same lessons, worksheets, and books with their students. I love how my cooperating teacher, let's call her Mrs. Jane, does not have students complete worksheet after worksheet. Mrs. Jane incorporates fun activities into her lesson plans.  She allows students to discuss about topics relating to the lesson that is being taught. I also like how Mrs. Jane conferences with her students to help them figure out problems or why they may have incorrect answers to problems. Every Thursday, Mrs. Jane gave a spelling test. At the end of the test, students are asked to draw on provided scrap paper while Mrs. Jane, an assistant, and I walk around to each student, grade their spelling test and conference with each student about their incorrect spelling. It is very noticeable that Mrs. Jane has respect from her students and she has control over them. Overall, my first week and impression of my partnership school in first grade was great and portrayed a fun learning atmosphere! :)