STEM Bins!

STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) are two ideas that are very popular in the education field right now and it's for good reason.  When implemented in the classroom, these concepts foster creativity and ingenuity in children.

Each week on Monday afternoon (our "no break" afternoon) the kids get a dedicated time of 30 minutes to use our STEM bins.  In these bins are materials and idea cards the kids can use to plan and construct various structures and shapes.  This week was only the second time we've used the bins due to MAP testing and Labor Day. We're still working on learning more about the STEM concepts, but it was fun to see their creative minds at work! You can see what some of the groups were working on in these pictures. Some of them plan to continue building their structures next week and some already have plans for what they can do to improve them!

A super playground (made with paper towel and toilet paper rolls) is under construction!

Can you tell this is the start of a maze...using small, disposable cups?!

There is a finished race car made from Legos!

What do you think this is?? Using index cards and tape they're constructing a bridge!

Flashlight Friday...on Tuesday?!

Here's a sneak peak into what we do on Fridays during our reader's workshop...we read by the light of a flashlight with all the classroom lights off!  Of course we had to learn about what this looks like and what it means to use the flashlights responsibly.  In order to have this privilege we must show that we're doing real reading at all times and not use the flashlight as a toy.  The first day was a success so I'm hopeful all the future Fridays will follow suit!

Contraction Construction!

Contractions have been our focus for word study the past couple of weeks.  Today we began some contraction stations where we can put our knowledge to the test!  Working in our groups we were able to play contraction dominoes, match up and write some rainy day contractions, and become doctors as we "heal" the damaged words with contraction band aids.  We'll finish up our work with them this week!

Matching up the doctor who had the 2 "damaged" words with the contraction band aid...great teamwork!

Playing contraction dominoes!

Working as a team on rainy day contractions...luckily we didn't get wet!!

Fall MAP testing

Just wanted you to get a peek into what our MAP testing time is like!  The kids did a great job and I'm very proud of their efforts!  We'll talk more at conference time about some of the changes in the 1st grade version to the 2nd grade version because they are significant!  We are finished with our testing for the fall so we'll wait until winter now before taking the second round of tests.