Science and Social Studies Stars

Side note --- I really need to get better at posting more regularly, I have figured out so much in the past year - I figure if I can share anything I am doing, I definitely need to make it happen.

I am finally happy with Science and Social Studies in my classroom! It really helps that the curriculum that I have includes a 'mini' Science/Social Studies link at the end of each reading comprehension story. Always a one page story (or article) and 3 comprehension questions. While I would LOVE to have a hands on activity for SS and Science every week, I just don't have the resources at my current school and I can't spend any more extra money! So I decided to do the next best thing, I am fully integrating Language Arts into Social Studies and Science using Literary Circles. We have the same routine every week, the only thing that changes is the story! Best thing is, the kids are loving it!

Here is how it works:

I start with yet another collaborative group (we already have carpet buddies, desk groups, and reader's theater groups!)

Each group has 4 jobs:

Captain: Pick up the materials (a group folder and a stoplight) Keep the group on task, assign jobs if other group members can't agree, and keep an eye on the timer.
Writer: With input from all group members, writes down answers to the comprehension questions.
Illustrator: With input from all group members, illustrates the main ideas from the reading.
Speaker: Presents to the class at the end.

Each group makes a poster that must include: The name of the article or story, "Retold by:" and their names, an illustration and the comprehension questions. (I make sure to type up and print the comprehension questions before hand)

I give each group 10 minutes to WRITE ONLY, then 10 min to ILLUSTRATE ONLY, another 10 to catch up etc. It helps the captains keep them on task.

Another really nice thing about the SS/Science links is that they always include the CA Standard at the top of the page - last week I had an epiphany! Normally, the speaker just presents the poster to the class and I give the group (and individual students a grade based on a 1 to 4 rubric) but last week, I decided to ask them each the same question - relating to the standard - so now I have a standards based grade too! I just had my roster in hand and was able to give a very quick oral assessment.

Last week's project:

SCIENCE Link
"Smart Bears" by Maria Gonzo

Oral Assessment Question: How are bear cubs the same as their mothers?

Writing in first grade.... what I'm slowly learning

Stockton Unified, my current home, uses California Treasures ELA curriculum - at first, I was really thrown off my game since I am not as familiar with Treasures as say, Open Court (which I had a lot of exposure to while student teaching), but now I am LOVING it! Especially for Phonics, sound spellings, fluency, decodable readers... I have finally worked out a routine and I can really see improvement in my student's reading! yay! 

But I digress, this post is about WRITING.... which was really a struggle for me to teach effectively. So I came up with the first of many ideas. Treasures really focuses on the main idea/details graphic organizer (the formative assessments are all about it,) so I started here. Almost every day the kids take out a 'brainstorm bubble,' we think of a main idea together, repeat for details (I've found for management purposes that it helps to have ALL of them write as I write).

Once our brainstorm bubble is ready, we move on to our writing, again we do this together.

We write 1 sentence for each bubble, crossing out the bubbles as we go. Once they are done writing with me, I give them a stamp and they can work on creating 'tear art' for their writing (motivation! they love art)

Now, here's my problem - they are COPYING and not writing on their own :(

While it is great that we are thinking of details and sentences together, I really want more of my students to be able to write on their own by the end of the year.

So, here's the plan (at least for this last month of school! oh, there's never enough time!) .... I am going to stick with the brainstorm bubble (because they need to be familiar with it either way) BUT I am going to try to give them more opportunities to create their own writing using aspects of Interactive Writing (along with Direct Interactive Instruction) and LUCY CALKINS Writer's Workshop. I found a few blogs that mentioned Calkins and then I found THIS awesome video on YouTube to help me understand it a little better.