Rainbow Activities

Each year, my first thematic unit is Colors.  We choose a color a day and do  literacy, math, and science activities for each color.  To end the unit, we have Rainbow Day.  Here are 2 different activities I like to do for Rainbow Day.

For our first art center activity, we make Rainbow Hearts.  This is good practice for reading and following simple directions, plus tracing and cutting skills.  Here is a picture of the completed project.

I write the directions on sentence strips and place them in a pocket chart.  You can also write the steps on chart paper and hang on the wall.  I make 6 hearts in different sizes.  Print these on card stock for sturdiness.  Then cut them out.  These will be your templates.  On each template, write a color word so students will know which color of construction paper to trace the heart on.  Make red the biggest, then orange slightly smaller, and so on with yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Another fun (and edible) activity is a primary and secondary colors activity.  You simply mix vanilla icing and red, blue, and yellow food coloring to make the 3 primary colors.  Then you mix the 3 primary colors to make 3 secondary colors.  Here are some pictures of the activity.

 

        

         

         

After mixing each color, I have students spread a little bit on a vanilla wafer.  Then the best part is to eat it!

Teacher Talk Tuesday

1.  Be flexible!  There are so many times when things don't go as planned, so just smile and go with the flow.  It will be ok.

2. If you don't know, ask somebody.  You never realize how much nonteaching time you will have.  All the little things add up, so it's good to have an experienced teacher to help show you the ropes and fill you in.

3. Be a great communicator!  Communicate clearly and often.  Let your parents know what skills you are working on, how their child is doing, what they can do to help at home, etc.

4. Be strict from the start.  It is easier to lighten up on the kids later than it is to try to gain control after being more relaxed.

5. Look for ideas everywhere!  On the internet, in teaching publications, from colleagues.  I love to find new ideas and strategies to use in my classroom.

6. Learn from it!  You will never have a 1st year of teaching again, and you will learn so much and gain so much confidence.

7. Enjoy it!

Meet the Teacher Monday for Blog Hoppin

 

Tell us a little something about you...

I'm Jeannie, and school has been in session in my part of Tennessee for 12 days (but who’s counting, right?)  I have only recently started blogging, so I’m still getting the hang of all this technology.  I have been so inspired by the creativity of so many wonderful teachers and their willingness to share their ideas. 

How long have you been teaching?

This is my 13th year teaching. I taught 6th grade for the first 2 years, then made the life-changing move to 1st grade.  I hope to teach in 1st grade for the rest of my career.  I love teaching reading and literacy and everything 1st graders love to do!

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

I'm most looking forward to having a pirate theme in my classroom this year.  We have PIRATE books for home-school communication, plus I have pirate-themed bulletin boards and areas in my classroom.  Plus, the kids are really into pirates.

What do you need to improve?

I really need to get better organized!  I always prepare and work so hard over the summer, but as soon as school starts I revert to my old ways.

What are some supplies you cannot live without?

Books!  I buy books from Scholastic, used book stores, yard sales, Amazon, you name it.  I love books!

Blog Hoppin

Just wanted to let you guys know about Blog Hoppin’ – “a new teacher blog authored by some of your favorite teacher bloggers and dedicated to creating a virtual smorgasbord of the best in the business. We’re committed to providing you with posts about, links to, and recommendations for the best teaching resources on the internet.”

 

This year’s Teacher Week will run August 22-26th, with each day dedicated to a post related to all-things educational. We’d love for you to post along with us on your own blog and then link up here!

Below you will find a description of each day…

- Meet the Teacher Monday – Introductions, please! Tell us all about you!

- Teacher Talk Tuesday – A day dedicated to providing advice for new teachers :)

- Where it All Goes Down Wednesday – Pictures, please! Show us your classroom!

- Three for Thursday – Link to your favorite font, favorite blog, and favorite online resource.

- Free for All Friday – Everyone loves a freebie! Link up with a printable that you’ve created and would like to share out with the teaching community.

Sounds like a great place to meet some dedicated teachers and get some great teaching tips and ideas. 

Beginning of the School Year

Well, as always, it has been an exhausting and busy start to the new school year.  My kiddos have started the year with our color unit.  It is a great way to review end of the year kindergarten skills, plus have some fun.  All of our 1st grade classes do the same activities on the same day.  We wear the same color clothes daily, plus do literacy, math, science, and art activities that go along with the color of the day.  So far, we have had red, blue, and yellow.  Here are some of the activities we have done so far.

On Red Day, we read Clifford the Big Red Dog and made our own take-home Clifford.

On Blue Day, we read Blueberries for Sal and made Little Sal’s blueberry pudding.  (Of course, I was enjoying the food to much to take any pictures.)

On Yellow Day, we read The Chick and the Duckling and compared the 2 main characters.  Then my students made chicks and ducklings as an art project.

 

There are so many ideas and activities that you can do with each color.  Go to Teachers Pay Teachers and download my free lesson plans with lots of ideas for each color.  Hopefully, I will post more pictures of activities and projects in the next few days.