Valentines

A few years ago I had second graders write Valentines from inanimate object to inanimate object.  It was a huge hit.  The last few years I did not do this project and I missed it immensely so I brought it back!

Students walk into this picture on the SMART Board.

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Then, I read aloud, Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat.  We discussed how Valentines Day was all about telling people how much you like them.  It did not have to be lovey dovey but it was about kind words.

I find that books by Diane de Groat are great on many levels.  The students are always interested in the story.  The characters are relatable, the images are large and interesting, and the while the story gives a lesson it is not so blunt that the students are bored; each lesson is carefully worked into the story so the students are well aware they are learning something but still get to laugh enjoy the story. She is always funny!

(Her books about Gilbert remind a bit of the Little Critter series by Mercer Mayer.  When I was little I loved these books.  I knew they were teaching me a lesson but I didn't care. Diane de Groat's Gilbert series seems a bit more interesting, but it is 2014.)

Students then helped me write a valentine.  I told them I was going to be a foot writing to a sock and I really wanted to tell the sock how much I needed it.  I always start them with... Dear Sock, I wanted to tell you how much I love you on this Valentine's Day.
One class came out like this:
Dear Sock, 
I wanted to tell you how much I love you on this Valentine's Day.
You are really comfortable on me and prevent me from getting blisters.
When you are one me I feel warm on cold floors.
When I kick a ball, you help the shoe stay on me.
Love, 
Foot

Then we brainstormed things that go together.  (Yes that last one says "Mom and Candy Crush")

Students then worked on their own to write their own valentines to and from inanimate objects (mostly). Their template is below.

Download template here

Then we learned from Microsoft Word skills, typed them up and added a picture.  Here are some examples. 

The student below has been in our school about 3 months.  She came in knowing little to no English.  I wrote her rough draft after she verbally told me what to say and she typed it all on her own.  Such progress!

This one is so creative for a second grader. I love it!

I was really happy to see one of the boys venture out into their own world instead of using one of our brainstorm ideas.

Of course, I had to include the Candy Crush one. :p The last reason is GREAT!

Students printed and brought these home this week.  Years ago I made a game out of it.  They didn't sign the letters and instead the class guessed who the letters were from.  Since I only see my classes once a week, it takes 3 weeks to complete this and I learned it is way to hard for second graders to keep a secret for 3 weeks so this year they signed them. 

Postcards From Pluto -Third Grade

The first science unit in first grade is the Solar System.  To correlate with the classroom curriculum the students completed a library and computer skills project related to the Solar System.

First we read "Postcards From Pluto" by Loreen Leedy.  Students I and discussed the mix if fiction and non-fiction as well as the outdated facts due to this books copyright date.

After students worked in pairs to research a planet using two books. Since books have different copyright dates students must compare the information they are getting.


Once we completed our research the students moved to the computer lab and learned some new skills in MS Word.  They learned about Page Orientation, adding a border to ClipArt, and inserting a text box.  The final product was a postcard to a person of their choosing mimicking the writing from Loreen Leedy's book.

Sample Postcard:

Common Core
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

             

Ocean Animals- second grade

This is the first time second graders are doing a real research project.  It starts out with encyclopedia skills and this is the second year I felt the students did not really need it.  Thanks to technology, students do not need to use the index to figure out which encyclopedia volume they need, they have a library automation system to search for topics.  If lucky enough, which my district is, students have a subscription to an online encyclopedia which requires an entire new set of skills.  My final decision is to teach students how to use the online encyclopedia first and look for books on their topic to support their research after.

This year though my students used the encyclopedias.  They each researched a different ocean animal to match the science unit in their classroom. Students completed the worksheet below and met a couple of of the common core standards:

After students opened Word and first time typed two paragraphs.  They learned about the tab key and how to import an image they drew.  It is one of my favorite projects because they learn so much.

Common Core
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.