America Unit Wrap Up!

A couple weeks ago I posted the start of my America Unit and I planned on posting each week after that...I am not quite sure what happened haha! So here is a little wrap up of some other activities we did during our unit and let me tell you...this unit may have been my children's favorite unit this year!!

Throughout the unit we continued to write in our 'All About America' books. The children had a total of 7 pages included in their book by the end of the unit - The American Flag, Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, Bald Eagle, White House, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. 

 They were SO proud of these books and so excited to take them home to share with their family!

We had lots of centers going on throughout our unit! In our last math chapter we were working on numbers 11-20.  This is something my children definitely needed extra practice with. I have a handful of students that are still writing their numbers backwards, so this center was the perfect practice for them...Washington's Roll and Write!

 We have also been working on unscrambling sentences. I saw a HUGE difference in my children's ability to complete this center independently during this unit then from our last unit.

 Write the room...always a favorite! This time I actually put this center as a part of their 'read to someone' center.  After they wrote all of their words, they had to sit in the library and read the words to their buddy.  I love watching them read together!

 We are continuing to work on addition and subtraction.  Not going to lie...my students are getting awesome with their addition facts! ;)

 We also used this Label It sheet from Deedee Wills February Writing pack. I love her writing centers pack!

During the America unit I tried something new...QR codes! This is a listening comprehension pack from Mary at Sharing Kindergarten on Presidents.  Before centers started I demonstrated how to use QR cards. The children were super excited to get started!  

 I made sure to show them how to rewind as well.  This way, if they missed an answer for their recording sheet, they could rewind and listen again.  My students actually did really well with the QR center for their first time.  I had some students that had to rewind a couple times because they kept missing answers; however, that just showed me that we need to continue using centers like this (and I already have my next QR center for weather ready to go).

We added the Presidents poem into our poetry notebooks.  I am proud to say that my entire class knows ALL of the presidents!!  

Loved this picture of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, I just had to share it! SO cute!

This last activity was something that I totally 'winged' one day and it ended up being my absolute favorite!! It is nothing new and I am sure you have done this activity in your class before, but it was awesome!

In our social studies text books the previous day there was a little section where the children had to write about what they would do if they were the president.  After we wrote in our books I had each child stand up and read what they would do.  Then I decided to give each student a small piece of paper and let them vote on one person who they would like to be the class president for the day (after hearing what they wrote). I explained to them that voting is a secret and it isn't something we should discuss.  We even talked about how you don't just vote for someone that you like the best, it is important to think about what they are going to DO for YOU! After they voted I tallied up the ballots and one of the little girls won who wrote, 'I would put bad people in jail and give free money to all the good people.'  So for the rest of the day the kids had to call her President Rebecca :)  At the end of the day they asked me who was going to be the class president tomorrow?  So I told them that we could do this one more time, BUT if they wanted to win, they needed to think about what a good president would say.  I told them they may want to go home and talk to their parents and brainstorm some good ideas!

Sure enough, as soon as I opened my door the next morning, the first little one said, 'My mom told me a great idea of how I can become the president!'  I was so happy that they got their parents involved! 

 During writing they all filled out their sheet I found free HERE at First Grade Fanatics.  Then, each child stood up and read what they would do.  They had the cutest ideas!!

The student below ended up winning and he gave total credit to his mom for the wonderful idea: "When I become president I will give an iPad to everyone and make a water park at the school."  (I think the kids are over getting sand in the shoes at the sand park everyday!)  He was so cute after he won, he drew plans for the future water park!

"When I become president I will make better food at restaurants and schools and give free money."  I think they thought the free money from yesterday would be a sure win on this day! haha

Now we are moving on to our Weather Unit, but we sure did learn a lot during our America Unit!!

America Unit: Week 1

The America unit is definitely one of my favorite units to teach! We learn about the American symbols for the entire month of February.  

I started the unit off this year with a KWL on America/American Flag. 

After a couple days of reading books on the American Flag we began to learn about the Liberty Bell. Since I love making our KWLs on the white board (even though I know it looks like a mess!), I had to erase the American Flag KWL to make room for our next one. So, I transferred all of my students knowledge onto an anchor chart that I will leave hanging for the remainder of the unit.

When we wrapped up learning about the American Flag, students added their new knowledge into their 'All About America' nonfiction books.

After reading America Is...by Louise Borden, we water colored the United States (just like the children in the book). 

They had a blast with this!  I think anytime I let them use paint they stay quiet and on task ;)

When they were finished drying, we cut the map out, glued it onto red paper, and added a title.  They are currently hanging on one of our bulletin boards and they look great!

In reading, I have really been focusing on sight words and CVC words with my beginning reader group.

They played I Love America, which is very similar to Bam! These games are their favorite!

We also made our very own American flags to display in class.

Each student had to cut 7 red stripes.

Then they added the blue canton.

And used their finger prints to make the stars! 

They are so proud of these flags. They keep asking me when they can take them home!

We also worked on listening for middle sounds.  These 'Monument Middle' cards had the wrong middle sound and students had to figure out which middle sound to change it to. They did great!

 In math we are currently working on numbers 11-20.  In this activity, Patriotic Ten Frames, students had to count the number of images on the card and record the number on their activity sheet. 

 Then, they had to fill in their ten frames correctly.  This will definitely be a center I continue.  I still have some students writing their numbers backwards ('61' for '16').

 In word work students matched up their beginning sound pictures to the correct letter to build the White House!  

Next week we are focusing on the Statue of Liberty and 

Bald Eagle! 

All of these activities can be found in my American Symbols Unit or February Word Work Unit on TPT.  The American Symbols Unit was just recently updated and I added over 50 pages.  If you already own this pack, make sure to download it again!

Weather

I am almost officially ready for SPRING BREAK!! Well, I am ready....but, I am almost all prepped for my 3 week weather unit when I return from spring break :) It is nice knowing that I am all ready and will have no worries over break! Here are some of the activities in my weather unit...

 My students will be working on their reading skills by unscrambling sentences. They love this center!

It's Raining Cats and Dogs! This one-to-one correspondence activity is wonderful for some of my low ones and also great independent practice for my other students. I love when they can work independently and don't have any questions!

'Sum'where Over the Rainbow has my favorite activity name--thanks to my Facebook Followers for naming this one!! :) Some of my students are still counting the 'cube train' even though we continue to discuss that it has 10 cubes. I am hoping this activity will help that!

 Reading Rainbows is another great independent center for this time of the year. Students will match the CVC word with the CVC picture.

All of the above activities can be found in my new weather unit. There are 10 literacy centers, 8 math centers, lots of writing, and tons more!! ;)

We wrapped up on America Unit last week and I snapped a couple more pictures...

 Writing the Room is always my students favorite! They notice the cards around the room the second I open the door to say good morning!

My class is still working on digraphs. I feel like I have taught this so much, that they should be experts by now...but I still have a group that is having some difficulties with th, ch, and sh. So we will practice on! ;)

I hope if you are on spring beak now that you are enjoying every second of it!! I know I can't wait for that bell to ring on Friday!

American Symbols

Almost all of the units I have taught this year have been 3 week units; however, there are times where we are just having too much fun and learning too much to end the unit! So, our 3 week America Unit has now turned into 4 and half weeks. It ended up working out perfectly because that will take us right to spring break and when we return we will have a new start in our weather unit!

So 4 and half weeks!! ...what have we been doing for that long? I spent one week on the Statue of Liberty, a couple days on the American Flag, Liberty Bell, and Bald Eagle. We will wrap up with a week on President Washington and President Lincoln. We have been practicing the President's Song in class....almost all of my little ones know ALL the presidents! So proud of them!

Here is a look at what we have been up to :)

Patriotic Ten Frames-they are becoming experts at this!!

We have also been focusing on shapes in math. They had to sort the shapes and fill out their activity sheet when they were done.

We worked on our middle sounds! 

and of course, we wrote about some of the facts that we have been learning! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their non-fiction 'All About' books and so do the kids....and the parents!!

In one of my Five for Friday posts I showed how my students 'measured up' against the 4.5 foot tall Statue of Liberty nose. The kids just loved this activity, and most of them wrote about it too! I love when something really 'sticks' with them!

These activities can be found in my American Symbols pack on TPT :)

Next up...weather!! I can't wait!! I already started printing, cutting, and getting ready to laminate!!

Five for Friday!

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday!!

1. We are in the middle of our 4 week unit on America. My kids are absolutely LOVING every second of it. We have already learned about the Statue of Liberty, The American Flag, and the Liberty Bell.  In this photo they are seeing how they 'measured up' against the 4.5 feet Statue of Liberty nose! You can check out some of our centers HERE :)

2. I left south Florida last night and headed to Charleston for the weekend! I am loving the cold weather up here!!

3. I am staying with my sister and her husband this weekend and look at the cool gift she had waiting for me!! A new phone case!! <3

4. Today I 'traded' in my kindergarten class for a fifth grade class! I went in to my sisters class (she has a blog too--Little Lovely Leaders). It was so much fun! I was in charge of a small group and we got to play a multiplication game--loved it!

5. A little sneak peak of what I am currently working on!! :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!