Gingerbread Math

This week we read  many different variations of the story "The Gingerbread Man' this was a great hook to investigate how many ways we could bring math into the story.

First students received a grocery list of candy they could purchase.  They were allotted 20 cents each to purchase different amounts of candy at different price points.  Students then had to use their addition skills to add up their totals!

Afterwords students were pulled into small groups to bake with our expert baker Mrs. Mckenzie in the staffroom.  We learned that baking is all based around scientific and math concepts.  We explored how to measure and count how many ingredients we needed and how time and temperature also involve math!

Students then designed their cookie before they got their icing and candy.  Then came the best part...Decorating!!  We had a blast learning in math and science this week!

Check out some of our pictures:

 

Senses

In the past few weeks we have been learning about our 5 senses in Science.  We have been exploring our senses through a number of hands on activities including:

-Mystery bags for touch
-Shaking tests for hearing
-Taste testing with a variety of foods
-Looking at close up pictures and making predictions and wonders about what they might be
-Smelling vials of mystery scents

Students have been using the scientific method to record and describe their predictions and observations in their visual journal.

We have been incorporating adjectives we have learned in science into our descriptive writing.  We wrote a descriptive piece on cake and popcorn so far using our 5 senses to paint a picture in ours readers minds.

We are now connecting the knowledge we have learned to animal senses.  We have discovered that animals use their senses in different ways than humans.  Students have also learned about predator vs prey and how their senses differ from each other. 

Counting and Adding

In grade 1 we must know how to skip count by 10's to 100, 5's to 100 and 2's to 20

We have been practicing this in math talk by making groups on the smart board and counting them in the most efficient way.

We also watch Youtube videos to practice counting as well.  Here are some of our favorites you can watch at home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbJtwg1K4ic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0dJWfQHF8Y

We have also been working on early addition strategies through number bonds
Here is what is looks like:

Colour words and Number words

This week we learned and practiced colour and number words.

Please practice these words at home: 

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten 

Red 
Yellow
Green
Blue
Purple 
Pink 
Orange 

Here are some great YouTube Videos to help recognize 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5jHECX6uyU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzfFzJGwwZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0dJWfQHF8Y

Popcorn words and Writing Criteria

This week we practiced 10 new sight words.

Here are the words so that you can practice them at home:

-in

-is

-it

-for

-be

-at

-to

-not

-up

-go

We have been working on how to write a sentence.  We came up with a list of criteria that a list that our sentences need.  

Here is what a 1,2,3,4  on a reporting scale will look like in November

Sight Words

Sight words are critical to reading not only because they are used so frequently, but also because many of them cannot easily be sounded out or illustrated. ... Because they are used so often it is important that readers be able to recognize these words on sight.

In our grade one classroom we call these words popcorn words.  Each week we select 10 new words to practice reading and spelling.  We do this in many ways so that is engaging for students.  For instance we watch YouTube videos 5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5NANKteuVs We also make words with letter magnets, play-do, wiki sticks and letter tiles.

Here are the words that we learned this week: 

-and

-the

-me

-am

-play

-my

-look

-you

-see

-can

You can practice these words with your child by highlighting magazines, news papers, cutting out the letters to make words, or by making the words in sand or Play-Doh and playing I-spy with books that you are reading together.

Making cue cards with these words on them is also a great way to practice these at home. 

Representing Numbers

This week students have been learning to represent numbers 1 to 20.  Our goal by the end of Grade 1 is to represent numbers 1-100. 

Why is number sense and representing numbers important? 
It encourages students to think flexibly and promotes confidence with numbers. It also promotes the foundation for simple arithmetic and more complex mathematics later on.

This week we brainstormed a number of ways we can represent numbers.
-writing the numbers numerically
-writing the number word
-drawing pictures
-tally marks
-addition or subtraction equations

We asked students this week, 'How many ways can you make 10?'  This will be a ongoing task throughout the year to demonstrate their progress in representing numbers in different ways

Here are some games you can play at home with your child https://www.splashmath.com/number-gameshttps://www.splashmath.com/number-games