Timelines

After reading How You Grew, a story in our Macmillan Treasures book, my students created their own timelines.  These were so easy to create:

• Cut 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper into quarters. 
• Give each student 4 pieces of paper.
• Students label the top of each page:  baby, 1 year old, 3 years old, today(that way age is not an issue with students who have been retained)
• Students draw a picture of what they could do at each age and write a sentence about it.
• Give each student a 9 X 18 sheet of construction paper - any color
• Students glue their pictures in order along the bottom of the paper
• Students write My Timeline across the top.

I encourage the students to use color in their drawings and let them use markers to write the title.

Pepper Experiment

At the beginning of the year we spend a lot of time working on science process skills.  This year our first experiment was called the runaway pepper experiment.  It is a very simple experiment using household items.  I used it to teach hypothesis.  My students had to make a hypothesis telling what they think will happen with the pepper.  All of my students said the pepper would either do nothing or would move toward my finger.  They were surprised to see the actual results. Here is our quick video clip of the experiment:

Zero the Hero

Have you heard of Zero the Hero?  I first learned of Zero last year.  He is a superhero that comes to visit my classes every ten days beginning with the 10th day of school and ending on the 100th day of school.  He leaves a note and a treat shaped like a zero.  He brings the message of the importance of the number 0.
This year I found a PDF book about how Zero became a hero.  Here is the link.  There is a song by Dr. Jean , Number Stomp, that we sing and dance to.  Here is the link to the words for the song.