SEL Kindness Lesson - ALE/1st grade Our ALE class is so proud of the “Change the World” posters they created after we read and discussed the books A Small Kindness and Be Kind together. The boys wrote ways they can “save the world by being kind” on their traced hands (see picture below). Our first graders also enjoyed this lesson.
Six Word Memoirs - 5th grade. For the end-of-year Awards Ceremony, our 5th graders worked with Mrs. Philippus on writing Six Word Memoirs. In this project designed with the 5th grade teachers, students created a six-word statement that gave advice to future Northwood students or was a reflection on their life and learning so far. Students used technology skills to place the memoir onto a slide with an appropriate background image that complemented their advice or reflection.
Bluebonnet Books/Hispanic Heritage/Sora - 3rd-5th grades. During September and October, our 3rd, 4th & 5th graders learned how to use Sora, read a Bluebonnet book to check off their lists, and explored Hispanic culture by digging into the book Sharuko. This 2-part library lesson concluded with a draw-along YouTube video in the classroom, in which students drew a cabeza clava, the archaeological artifact that Julio Tello (a.k.a. Sharuko) is credited with discovering.
Food Chain research - 1st grade. After Spring Break, our 1st graders studied pond and grassland food chains using 2 print books, PebbleGo, and BrainPop Jr. In their research booklets, they developed questions, defined words, and created a drawing of a food chain. This 2-part lesson was developed in conjunction with the 1st grade teachers.
Local community customs - Kinder & ALE. Kindergarten students celebrated the return of Fiesta in April! “Tradition” has been a focus word for kinder lessons all year. Prior to King Antonio’s visit, students located San Antonio on a map, watched a TV news clip of Fiesta, read & discussed Fiesta A-Z with Mrs. Philippus, shared their background knowledge of the pinata tradition, and later created a fun “flat pinata” decoration using a cardstock line drawing and tissue paper squares. Viva Fiesta!
Students take notes about earthquakes for slide show project
3rd grade Rapid Changes Research. Students used Guided Inquiry research to do some deep learning about rapid changes to the Earth’s crust. Pairs of students selected a natural disaster, gathered information from print and digital library resources, and prepared a slide for a presentation called “25 Things You Didn’t Know About Natural Disasters!” Students were excited to find 3 new facts about the disaster so that they could “surprise” their classmates! This fun collaborative project resulted