It is already the beginning of a new school year! This week we began full ESL Science classes, and students are just beginning to learn to observe and use science words and sentences to communicate their thoughts about science. We have already begun to use interactive strategies this week, and I have begun an ipad portfolio for each student so we will be able to document and reflect on their progress in English and their good work throughout the year. Next week we will begin our first unit- Pebbles, Sand, and Silt! I am looking forward to bringing students outside to explore, and to hearing great discussions between students.
So here we find ourselves in December... the last few months have come and gone so quickly! Students are completing a science unit on Organisms, for which they planted seeds and observed and recorded their change over time, and observed, described, and compared a variety of organisms- moss, tree seedlings, pill bugs, and millipedes in a terrarium, and elodea, cabomba, snails, and guppies in an aquarium.
We are also now all experts in many interactive strategies that help us learn English and science. Four Corners and Talking Chips are two of our favorites. We will be writing our first "How To" book in the weeks that come, as students explain the procedures of planting a seed. This week, our first grade geologists continued to investigate rocks by exploring how rocks interact with water. They saw bubbles in the water, and even learned that rocks have tiny specks of dust that can make the water go from clean to dirty looking.
We also learned the names of our first three rocks: basalt, scoria, and tuff. They come from the ashes, or dust, and the hot lava in volcanoes! Many students predicted that the rocks came from Mexico. We learned that since there are volcanoes in Mexico, some of the rocks could have come from Mexico. We also began exploring river rocks this week. Students have been so successful in sorting their rocks with a partner- many pairs came up with five or more ways to sort their rocks! We have also been practicing talking about our rocks by saying things like, "This rock is...." and then a rock property word, or "These rocks are the same/ different". Students have been communicating with each other about their experiments through turn and talks and also through our first jigsaw activity. Next we will use screens to separate and sort our river rocks by size! Today in science, first graders applied their knowledge of four senses (see, smell, touch, hear) to OBSERVE their first rocks. They also learned that a GEOLOGIST is a special scientist that studies rocks.
Students made some awesome observations by using their senses and a hands lens, and even worked together at their table groups to talk about their rocks. Students practiced writing describing words for I have been so excited to watch students as they learn to think like scientists by observing and asking questions. Students asked cool questions about rocks like, "Can rocks break? What do rocks smell like? What colors are rocks?" Then, students have made some great observations. Check out our peek of the week (9/12-9/16) for pictures of students communicating their observations of rocks in writing and speaking activities! Today is our first whole class instructional day for first grade ESL Science! The beginning of the school year has been busy and exciting as I have been able to meet with many of my first graders to do language assessments. I am looking forward to meeting each one of the first graders, and I am also excited to work with classroom teachers Mr. Tony, Ms. Valedon, and Ms. McLean.
This year, we will conduct exciting investigations to uncover concepts in science ranging from Earth Materials, Organisms, Electricity, and Magnetism. We will start this year out by discovering what rocks are, how they can be described and sorted, and where they come from in our Pebbles, Sand, and Silt unit. Not only will we learn about science, but we will have a special focus on literacy and language. Because we are all English Learners, we will pay close attention to reading, writing, and speaking in English in Science class! Stay posted for exciting updates on our learning process! |
AuthorMs. Jenny Archives
September 2012
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