I was having a hard time trying to find a way to get my students hooked into persuasive writing. I finally thought of a way to capture them. This is a great lesson for all grade levels. I put out a plate of Oreo’s and set them on a stool in the front of the classroom. I told my students (after going over the standards for persuasive writing) that they needed to persuade me to give them some of my Oreo’s. If they stated their opinion (I really need Oreo’s because…) and listed at least three reasons why they needed them, and then restated their opinion again then they could have some of the the cookies. Many of my first graders did very well. One students said:
“I really need two Oreo’s. I need them because they taste good, they make my mouth water, and I’ve never had double-stuffed Oreo’s before. These are the reasons why I need Oreo’s.”
With a response like that, I knew I had them. Now that I have them intrigued, let’s hope I can capture them for the remaining two weeks of persuasive writing. If you have any questions, please contact me and let me know. I’m happy to offer suggestions and ideas. I would also love to hear your suggestions and ideas as well.
Money can be one of the most difficult skills to teach first graders. The curriculum is not supposed to be introduced until the middle of the year, however, I introduce it from day one. I find that the large print out coins, like the ones below, are very helpful when teaching coin recognition. I always start with the penny, hold it up and ask students what they notice about the penny. We then talk about how much money it’s worth, what’s on the front and back, etc. We will discuss the penny for about a month. When I feel students understand it’s value and recognize the coin, I introduce the nickel next and so forth. The large cut-outs of the coins make it easy to hold up and for the students to see. I’m not sure what I would do without them.
Lakeshore Learning
Functional writing is a lot of fun at any age. This genre can be very exciting for the students. It’s a time to make things and have fun. Here is a list of functional writing ideas that I’ve used over the past few years.
- How to draw a turkey (5 steps)
- How to make green eggs and ham (Read Green Eggs and Ham By: Dr. Seuss first)
- How to tie your shoe
- How to make your bed
- How to make an ice cream cone
- How to make a snowman ornament
- How to make pancakes
- How to carve a pumpkin
- How to make cinnamon toast
- How to make a reindeer
- How to hang an ornament
- How to jump rope (I tend to take them outside and jump rope with them; they love this)
- How to wash a car
- How to feed your dog/cat
- How to make a cake
- How to make a friend
These are just a few of the many functional writing ideas I have used. My students love this genre and love being able to eat and create things. It’s a great way to get them to love writing!
I was trying to write lessons for the functional writing genre this past week. I wanted to really hook my children in on how they could write directions for something. I decided to do something simple such as cinnamon toast. Many other teachers do a how-to make a peaunut butter sandwich, but I have a child in my class with peanut allergies so that was a no can do. I put all the ingredients in one spot on my desk so that the children could see what was needed. Then as I made the toast I would say the steps out loud. The students then made their own and began writing their functional papers. It was a great success and the children loved it!
Ingredients: Loaf of bread, cinnamon sugar (yes they sell them together), butter, plastic knife, and toaster.
This would be a great activity for all ages. It’s a simple template that can easily be incorporated in all subjects or have students try and complete the activity on their own by seeing if they followed directions. Check out the link below for printing instructions as well as more information.
Jack-O-Lantern Mobile
Clown Shapes
I was trying to find a fun activity for my students that incorporated shapes. Luckily I came across a great activity for my students. Students are given a large circle (clowns face) and several smaller shapes (various size triangles, circles, moon, etc.). The students must cut out the shapes (which is also a great way for them to practice their fine motor skills) and place them on the face/large circle. I found this cute activity at First School along with many other informative activities.
Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, but you can make Friday a lot of fun for the children. I decided to do a pumpkin theme the entire day of school.
Math: Buy pumpkin stickers. Put them on paper and scatter them all over. Have students make combinations of 10 using the pumpkins. Another option, create a pumpkin graph. You can purchase pumpkin candies such as M&M’s and give about 15 or so to each student. Have them create a graph to see which color they have the most, least, etc.
Writing: Bring in a pumpkin, carve it right in front of your students. Have them write a how-to (procedural) on how to carve a pumpkin.
Reading: Read a spooky Halloween story such as Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. Have students do a re-telling of the book (listing the beginning, middle, and end).
Science: Plant pumpkin seeds three different ways (in a cup of dirt, in a plastic bag with water, in a wet paper towel). Have students predict which way the seeds will grow the best. Watch them over a weeks time and have students keep a daily response in their science journals.
Art: Buy or have your students bring in mini pumpkins. Have them decorate their pumpkins by cutting out body parts and limbs from magazines. They can paste them onto their pumpkins and create their own Picasso Pumpkins.
We (and I mean our school) are constantly telling our students to recycle, plant trees, and be green. I found some great materials from abcteach.com The resources may be helpful when introducing the topic. They have everything from posters and games to arts and crafts. This can be tied into social studies and science or you can create an entire unit on the topic. It can be incorporated with all subjects. Another great website is Back to School with Family Education. They too offer an assortment of topics and ideas to use in your classroom.
