Fun in April!

With this week being Holy Week, I wanted to have the students learn about Jesus’ journey to the Resurrection. The class and I sat down, talked, and read through the Resurrection Eggs. The dozen eggs go through Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem, to Mary and Martha finding the tomb empty. I don’t have any pictures of us going through the story, but the children were silent as we went through each egg and discussed Jesus’ journey to the cross.

For a light-hearted activity, I had the class use paper strips to design their eggs. The next day, they wanted to write about their eggs, so, of course, I let them. Anytime they want to write, we find the time to write! This time did not disappoint – these are some of my favorite writings they have done this year. The creativity and sweetness of these stories are just what we needed before Easter break. The children were so proud of their writing that they wanted to stand in front of the class and share their egg and story with everyone. Their bravery and support for one another make me so proud to be their teacher!

First grade has been busy learning about shapes, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional. It can be tricky to keep all of the characteristics organized, so the class had some fun to help remember the features of the different shapes. When learning about the 2D shapes, I pulled out the geoboards. I would give the students several characteristics; for example, a closed shape with three straight sides and no square corners, then I would say “Go,” and they would make the shape. Not all shapes were as easy to build as the triangle; the students were challenged when they were told to make a closed shape with six straight sides. The hexagon and pentagon were difficult, but by having the students build the shapes with their hands, they were able to grasp and conceptualize the shapes.

When working with 3D shapes, the students built two different types of structures using two different materials. First, the students constructed 3D shapes using marshmallows and toothpicks. This allowed them to see that these shapes can be measured in three dimensions, not just length and width, but also in height. Then they had to work in teams to build a structure using 3D foam or wooden blocks. This activity enabled them to see how the depth of these shapes allows them to be stacked or not, and to problem-solve when there weren’t enough or the right sizes of shapes they wanted. After building their structures, they had to discuss which shape was used on the bottom and why they chose that shape, as well as defend why they chose not to use certain shapes. It was a great activity to help better understand and apply the shapes, and an even better activity to help the students practice communication skills and compromise.