Oct 23 - 27, 2023

 Hello, Grade 1 Families, 

Learning Intention: I can identify measurable properties of objects. I can observe and describe plants in Alberta. I can describe personal experiences about pumpkins and how humans use them. I can count within 100 forwards. I can add within 20. I can measure the height of an object. I can identify patterns in nature. I can create and extend a pattern, and identify the pattern rule.

Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!

We have had so much fun learning with our pumpkins. Thank you again for sending them in for us to use. 

Math: We measured our pumpkins and compared the different sizes in our room. We used blocks to measure, a non-standard form of measurement. Students created patterns on their pumpkins, described the pattern rule and recorded their patterns. We also learned about the ridges and sections of a pumpkin,  counted them and compared the numbers to other pumpkins. We continue to work on counting forwards and backwards between 0-20.

Science: We have been learning about the lifecycle of a pumpkin and what happens when a pumpkin starts to break down. Luckily, one of our pumpkins started this process so we could see first hand! Students also learned the difference between drawing like an artist and a scientist. Ask your child what the difference is. 

Oct. 16 - 20, 2023

Hello, Families

Learning Intention: I can engage in and describe an investigation. I can ask questions sparked by curiosity. I can demonstrate safety and respect during investigations. 

One of our learning outcomes this year is the Scientific Methods. We have begun our learning by focusing on our 5 senses and what an investigation is. We went outside and drew/wrote about what we saw in nature. We also completed an experiment where students had to identify what I was doing using their sense of smell and hearing. Ask your child how they knew what I was doing. During this unit, I am looking for students to create a question around a problem, make a prediction, describe the steps of the investigation, make observations, record data, and make conclusions based on the data they collect. We will continue to talk about safety throughout this unit. Ask your child why we do not use our sense of taste in science experiments. 

Oct. 9 - 13, 2023

Hello, Grade 1 Families, 

Learning Intention: I can print letters and words with appropriate size and spacing. I can include my own name on messages created. I can create written messages. 

For the past couple of weeks we have been writing in our journals. We began by labelling our work with the initial letter, then using best guess spelling to label and now we are copying sentence starters from the board and completing the sentence using best guess spelling. Students are expected to write the date at the top of the page and begin printing on the lines from left to right, like how we read books. Students are also expected to copy the correct spelling of the words from the board as given to them. When they complete the sentence starter, for example, "My superpower is ___", they write down the sounds they hear when they say the word out loud. When reading their writing, I am looking to see if the letter sound patterns we have learned are being transferred over to their writing. Reading and writing are connected! 

As a self-check, students look at their writing to see if they have written the letter in the correct shape and have added spaces between their words. Our goal is to have letters all the same size, with finger spaces between words and have all letters sit on the lines. Daily writing is also a great time to ensure students are forming letters from top to bottom and left to right. Think of the letter 'A'. We start at the top to make the slant down, lift the pencil to make the other slant down (top-down) and then make the cross in the middle from left to right. Ensuring we are forming our letters correctly leads to letter formation automaticity and reduces the load on our working memory, allowing our working memory to focus on what we are writing about and spelling patterns. It will also help when students learn cursive writing in Grade 3. 

Some additional photos from Fish Creek Park!