I do like green eggs and ham!

We are studying How-To's this week. The kiddos made their own How-To's on how to make green eggs and ham. They came out really good! First we watched the movie, just for fun. :) Then we talked about what how to's are and what they need to include. We discussed how when writing one, you have to be very specific with giving directions. I told the students that whatever they wrote, those are the exact steps the have to follow to make their green eggs and ham. So, if they didn't say to crack the eggs and only said to put the eggs in the bowl, they literally would only be able to put the whole eggs in the bowl and make it like that.

Setting SMART Goals

Today we set up our GEAR Binders and made SMART goals. We discussed how we needed to 'Start with the end in mind' and 'Make a plan' when setting goals. The students did a great job!

You can get this awesome SMART goal flipbook here.

We went over what a SMART goal was. When making goals, it's important that the students follow this criteria, otherwise it's hard to see when and if they've met their goals.

After discussing the different criteria for a SMART goal, we talked about what a goal was vs. a dream. The students then brainstormed different goals they would like to have this year and exaggerated their goal to make it a dream. We discussed how goals needed to be realistic so they are achievable.

The students then picked on goal they would like to focus on. We discussed how it needed to be a measurable goal and needed to have a time for when they will meet their goal.

We are learning about the 7 Habits by Sean Covey in our school. The students then came up with a plan (Habit 3) so that they know how to meet their goal. We discussed how when making a plan, you need to decide on what you are going to "let go" of in your life to make time to take the steps necessary to meet your goal. To introduce how to do this, we used a suitcase with several different types of clothes in it. There were summer clothes and winter clothes. I told the students that we were going on a vacation to go skiing and that we were only able to bring 5 articles of clothing. We decided on what would be the most appropriate clothes for us and why. We talked about how some things we would like to bring, but aren't as important as others, just like when making goals. We need to prioritize certain things in life so that we become successful people and the best we can be!

The students then drew a picture of them achieving their goal. You can do it!

Each student then chose a "Goal Buddy". They shared their goal with them. This person will check in on their friend throughout the year to see if they are being successful and following the plan they came up with. This is their accountability buddy. :)

The students made GEAR binders to keep track of their progress towards specific goals. This is where they will keep their data for Reading, Math, AR, etc. We will be adding to this throughout the year. These binders will be used for their student lead conferences with their parents at the end of the year. The parents will be able to see what goals their child has set for themselves and see the progress they've made towards those goals.

Cause and Effect Stations

Today the students rotated through different stations writing either a cause or effect on a piece of chart paper. I wrote a cause or effect on the top, and the students had to come up with a possible cause or effect that would go with it. We played music while they wrote and when the music stopped, they put their caps on their markers and froze. Then they switched and the music came back on and they wrote again. It was really fun!

Proactive Choices and Their Effects

This week we have been talking about cause and effect. We watched some Christmas movies, read some books, and watched some PowerPoints and determined the cause and effect. The students have also been playing games with cards and matching up the cause with the effect. Today we talked about different ways we could be proactive in life, not only in the classroom, and the good effects that come out of those choices. The students worked in partners and wrote a proactive choice on the green strip and the good effect that comes out of that choice on the red strip. We made a proactive chain to decorate our classroom with. The students will continue to add to this chain throughout this year. Whenever they make a proactive choice that results in a positive effect, they will write it down and add it to our chain. We are trying to make it really long to show how proactive we are! We will start a new chain in January. :)

I Spy Arrays!

The kids went on an 'I Spy' hunt for arrays and recorded what they found on their recording sheet.

Winter Wonderland

Today we made snowflakes and put fact families on them. We decorated our classroom with them and created a winter wonderland! It looks amazing. The kids have decided that we would keep something hanging from the ceiling at all times throughout the year. Butterflies, rain drops, flowers. They're so creative!

Mouse Traps!

We have been studying force and motion. The kids made 'Mouse Traps' of their own. Remember that awesome game?! We looked at the game, then the kiddos made their own. They had specific criteria they had to follow. One rough surface, 2 ramps, one curved surface, and a tunnel. The objective was to see whose group could get their ball through their maze the quickest. They did amazing jobs! We tested them today but didn't have enough time to actually discuss the factors that influenced balls going fast or slow. Here are some pictures of them constructing their mouse traps/ mazes. I'll post pictures of their final products tomorrow. They made some AWESOME mazes!