Inferring and Fractions!

My Grade Ones are Inferring!
As you know, I have a super student teacher who is eager and keen to teach anything and everything. She is fab! I have been really wanting to teach the concept of inferring, so this week I am taking over in the read aloud department! A couple of weeks ago, I introduced students to the concept of inferring by reviewing schema and evidence, and then we did a cute little activity that involved searching through my purse. The activity was called "What's in Mrs. Campbell's Bag?" 

This is what we did this morning:

Activation: Prior to introducing the book, No David! by David McPhail, I reviewed the terms “schema” and “evidence”. We talked about using our schema and evidence to “infer” or make “inferences”. I reviewed the following anchor charts with them.

In order to engage students and get them excited about this, I introduced the “I’m inferring game.” Here’s how it works. One student leaves the room. The other kids hear a secret word. They are told that they have to give clues to the person in the hall when he/she comes back into the room. The goal is to give great clues so that the person in the hallway will be able to guess what the secret word is. For example: If the secret word is sad. A clue might be “I felt this way when I lost my favourite toy.” Then, have the person guessing/inferring say “I’m inferring that the word is sad.” The secret word can be feelings, people, places, things, actions, etc…)

I introduced the book, No David! We looked at the front cover of the book. I glued a photocopy of the cover onto a piece of chart paper and made a T-chart below.

Students used their schema and evidence from the picture to fill out the chart. We did this as a whole group. This is what they came up with.

After students understood the concept, I gave them another picture from the book and they broke off in pairs to fill out their own charts. This is what their charts looked like.

Once students completed their charts, they presented them to their classmates. They did a fabulous job of inferring and really seemed to understand the concept. Tomorrow, I will continue this by giving students pictures from different parts of the book. They will complete the chart together in pairs (as they did today), present them to the class, and then I will read the book! Wow, it's going to be great!

Stay tuned for more inferring and point of view activities using the book No David!, David Goes to School, and David Gets In Trouble.

Math Fraction Pizzas!

I found some super cute ideas on Pinterest, as well as on www.thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com

My student teacher and I sort-of tweaked the ideas we found to work for our own group. Students in grade 1 in Ontario are required to know the terms, whole, half, and quarter. We decided to make pizzas with the students to make it a fun, authentic learning experience for them - one they could relate to! Who doesn't love pizza?

A few days ago, my student teacher started introducing the concept of fractions, and they have re-visited this concepts a few times since. This afternoon, the children had a re-cap with an excellent smart board activity, and then they were given the instructions on how to create their own pizzas! They were required to make two pizzas. One that showed it cut into halves, and the other into quarters. Before hand they brainstormed toppings that they might like to have on their pizzas. Fun!

Here are the samples that my student teacher created.

Students were sent off to create their own. Here are some of them working diligently on them.

Aren't they cute? Students brought these pizzas home with them today. Tomorrow they will be participating in an awesome pizza fraction math centre (pics to come), and then on Friday as a fun finale, we will be making our own personal pizzas - for real! I promise to post some pics!


Loving Grade 1 (and hoping I will be teaching it again next year!)


- Amanda