Grade 1 News for October

We spent time in the science lab doing crayfish investigations. Click on the link to see photos of the crayfish and also some of our work with pattern blocks! Students were excited to find out what color they would be for the Color Run.

In September, Ms. Andersen started her counselor lessons in each class, first graders will see her every other week this year!

First grade is visiting the library on Tuesdays. They are able to check out two books from our Everybody section. The books they select are choices made by each child. You may have heard about Claude the albino alligator. We went online to see Claude in his habitat. They may mention the Claude Cam. A Google search will bring you there.

Mrs. Aanerud's class: We were STEM students during our crayfish experiment when we collected data about crayfish.

Mrs. Dragseth's class: We were STEM students during our QFT (question formulation technique) activity when we asked questions to discover what we want to learn about our zoo animals.

Ms. Meuers' class: We were STEM students during our crayfish activity when we observed how they defend themselves.

Mrs. Nehring's class: We were STEM students during our crayfish activity when we investigated and found out how they use their defenses.

• CKLA reading - animals and habitats
• Writing - researching a zoo animal
• Math - using a variety of strategies to add and subtract
• STEM - zoo exhibit project

• Como Zoo field trip - October 14th
• The weather will start to get colder. Please keep an eye on the forecast and dress your student accordingly.
• Volunteer activity: Como Zoo field trip - please see communication from Stephanie Clark

One of the big ideas that first graders will be working on in their STEM unit is making simple drawings or models to show how plants or animals use their body parts to live and grow.

Around the house:

• Compare pets or stuffed animals. Ask - What parts help this animal get food? Move? Stay safe?
• In the kitchen: Look at vegetables we eat—carrots (roots), celery (stems), broccoli (flowers)—and talk about their jobs.

Animal models:

• Bird Beaks: Use spoons, straws, or tweezers to “eat” different foods (rice, small pasta, seeds) and compare which “beak” works best.

• Butterfly Tongue: Roll up a party blower (the kind that unrolls when you blow into it) to show how a butterfly uses its long tongue (proboscis) to sip nectar.

Draw and show:

• Draw an animal and label its body parts (ex: “fish fins help it swim”).
• Draw a plant and circle the roots, stem, leaves, and flower—then tell what each part does.

*source - ChatGPT