Potato Planting Time

On Friday, we went out to the Chets Creek garden and planted potatoes. The children learned that you can grow a potato by cutting one in half and planting it with at least two "eyes" facing upward.

The trench had to be least eight inches deep. Students used the trowel to dig and cover the hole. Dr. Zenk helped the children in the planting technique.

 After they planted the potato, students went over to the lettuce patch and learned how to pull weeds.

The final step in the planting procedure was to cover the planted potatoes with two inches of mulch. In this case they used dried leaves. It was a great experience for the students and we will be checking back in a few weeks to see how our potatoes are doing. We may use them for our "Cooking Wednesday" cooking class when they are harvested!

Read Aloud Before the Day Starts

Children come in the classroom a little earlier than usual on Tuesdays. We have our morning reader, Mrs. H. who reads the students a few books before the first bell rings. They have the opportunity to hear the books and answer questions during and after the reading. They love sharing their experiences and talking about the book. It is a great way to start the day and we appreciate Mrs. H. coming in each week.

Cooking Wednesday: Nutella Cookies

 Measuring, pouring, mixing and baking were all included in this "Best Cookie Ever" as described on Pinterest.  With only three ingredients, it made for an excellent example of  how easy it can be to make a batch of cookies. After mixing and rolling the cookies in small balls, they were placed in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. From the general reviews of the cookie, it was a thumbs up!

This recipe calls for:  1 cup of nutella, 1 cup of flour, and 1 egg per batch. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Now how simple is that?

Bulletin Board: Common Core and Technology For First Grade

 The purpose of this bulletin board was to display the work of four students who used the computer to write a fiction story. The characters in their story were taken by our recent Kevin Henkes Author Study and the setting was the field trip to Diamond D Ranch. With this background, they got to work "tip tappin" each day until their story was completed.  According the Common Core Standards for First Grade in Writing it says:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers. All of them completed this project on their own each day during Writer's Workshop. They typed their stories, added clip art, and drew their own pictures digitally. By incorporating technology into our daily lessons, we are not only meeting the standard but we are making lessons interesting, challenging, and fun for the class. 

How to Eat a Candy Cane

 After a few weeks off, getting back into the swing of school takes a little time. However, when there is a sweet treat involved, it always spices up the school day and makes for an especially fun Writer's Workshop. Today, the children watched as a big box of cherry candy canes was opened. We talked through each step: opening the box, snipping off the end of the wrapping, carefully peeling back the plastic and then enjoying eating it. They listed the items needed for this activity on the bottom of the sheet and included pictures and captions.  When they were finished writing, they followed their own directions and enjoyed eating their candy cane.  What a great way to get back into writing!!