Professional Semester I
I spent my PS I in Medicine Hat at Riverside School. I had a wonderful experience teaching grade one. A major focus of the school was Kagan Cooperative Learning, and I incorporated the structures into many of my lessons. Over the course of the practicum I taught every subject including: math, literacy, art, social studies, science, gym, music, and drama. I also acted as an acting coach for the students with speaking parts in the Christmas Production. I worked with students from grades 4, 5, and 6, on Lights! Camera! Christmas! Here are some highlights from my time in grade one. |
Tori the Puppy Meets the Cosmic Wolf—Literacy, Art, and Drama
I created a short unit combining literacy, art, and drama, in which the grade ones with help from the grade fours, created a character, puppets, masks, and a reader’s theatre script. I introduced grade one to a children’s song that I wrote called Everett the Elephant. We created a class character and I wrote another children’s song about the character, Tori the Puppy. We used the song to work on reading aloud and identifying sight words. In art we created puppets based on Tori the Puppy, and later Cosmic Wolf Masks. I created a fill in the blank reader’s theatre with the two characters and had the grade fours fill in the blanks making their own unique scripts. We used the scripts during reading buddies. The grade fours shared their scripts and the grade ones shared their puppets and masks.
Math Centres
I used math centres to work on the children’s counting, adding and subtracting. I set up four centres at a time and the children would cycle through them during the period. Many of the centres used the Rally Coach structure. Children worked in pairs and helped each other to succeed in the activity.
1. Grab a Handful: The children work in pairs. They take turns counting a handful of manipulatives and recording the number on the sheet.
2. iPads: The children played basic addition and subtraction games in the school iPads.
3. Match the Date: Children remove coloured, pre cut numbers from the bag and place the number on the calendar in the correct space. Children work in pairs, taking turns and assisting each other.
4. Rally Coach Addition: Children complete basic addition work sheets in pairs. They consult each other as they work. They use one paper and one pencil.
5. Rally Coach Subtraction: The Rally Coach structure with subtraction work sheets.
6. Subtraction Race: Children roll dice and subtract the smaller number from the larger one. They work together to complete the race themed work sheet.
7. Block Counting: Children attach blocks of different colours. They count the amount of each colour and the total number of blocks. The children again work in pairs.
Sight Word Hunt
I created a scavenger hunt for the children to work on their recognition of sight words. I hid small letter tiles all around the room. I divided the children into small balanced teams and gave them index cards with sight words on them. The children searched for the letters to make the word. After finishing a word they returned to me for a new word. This was another instance where the children had to work cooperatively and help each other to find all the letters to make each world. It was useful for children of varying levels of ability, to work on recognizing letters and sight words.
I created a short unit combining literacy, art, and drama, in which the grade ones with help from the grade fours, created a character, puppets, masks, and a reader’s theatre script. I introduced grade one to a children’s song that I wrote called Everett the Elephant. We created a class character and I wrote another children’s song about the character, Tori the Puppy. We used the song to work on reading aloud and identifying sight words. In art we created puppets based on Tori the Puppy, and later Cosmic Wolf Masks. I created a fill in the blank reader’s theatre with the two characters and had the grade fours fill in the blanks making their own unique scripts. We used the scripts during reading buddies. The grade fours shared their scripts and the grade ones shared their puppets and masks.
Math Centres
I used math centres to work on the children’s counting, adding and subtracting. I set up four centres at a time and the children would cycle through them during the period. Many of the centres used the Rally Coach structure. Children worked in pairs and helped each other to succeed in the activity.
1. Grab a Handful: The children work in pairs. They take turns counting a handful of manipulatives and recording the number on the sheet.
2. iPads: The children played basic addition and subtraction games in the school iPads.
3. Match the Date: Children remove coloured, pre cut numbers from the bag and place the number on the calendar in the correct space. Children work in pairs, taking turns and assisting each other.
4. Rally Coach Addition: Children complete basic addition work sheets in pairs. They consult each other as they work. They use one paper and one pencil.
5. Rally Coach Subtraction: The Rally Coach structure with subtraction work sheets.
6. Subtraction Race: Children roll dice and subtract the smaller number from the larger one. They work together to complete the race themed work sheet.
7. Block Counting: Children attach blocks of different colours. They count the amount of each colour and the total number of blocks. The children again work in pairs.
Sight Word Hunt
I created a scavenger hunt for the children to work on their recognition of sight words. I hid small letter tiles all around the room. I divided the children into small balanced teams and gave them index cards with sight words on them. The children searched for the letters to make the word. After finishing a word they returned to me for a new word. This was another instance where the children had to work cooperatively and help each other to find all the letters to make each world. It was useful for children of varying levels of ability, to work on recognizing letters and sight words.
torri_the_puppy_and_the_cosmic_wolf.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
File Type: | doc |
math_centres.doc | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
File Type: | doc |
sight_word_hunt.doc | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: | doc |