It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen. ~ Frances Burnett
March is filled with mystery. And some of its mystery is written in the whirling winds, changing from Winter to Spring.
This Mysterious Month encourages your Imagination to create a tale or two, observes Windy Weather, celebrates the Green of another Spring, and/or engages that sense of Humor you may have lost inside Winter’s cave.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in March’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at March’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ March Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
March’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. ~ Dr. Seuss
Week One of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 42-page unit entitled Use Your Imagination. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Use Your Imagination: A Guide in a personal journal format for recording “your fantastic ideas” with graphic organizers & “curiosity queries”.
Let’s Write A Script with templates for a storyboard, playbook covers & script pages.
Triangular Prism Diorama Sets with directions for constructing stage sets.
The wind said, ” You know I am the result of forces beyond my control”. ~A.R. Ammons
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 26-page unit entitled Windy Weather. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Wind ~ Wise includes informative text with a Comprehension & Vocabulary Fill-In component
Wind Power has a Positive & Negative comparison Match Chart as a lead-in for a Book with a Page Insert Template
Wind Catcher with instructions & a Diagram for creating an outdoor Wind Catcher
Wind Vane is a multiple activity with directions & a Diagram for constructing an outdoor Wind Vane as a tool for gathering data to fill-in a Wind & Weather Data Log table
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, colors, scissors, ruler, glue, specific Wind Catcher & Wind Vane construction materials
You can access the Windy Weather unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 20-page unit entitled A Wee Bit O’ Green. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Better Than Gold Poster with directions, images & Better Than Gold ideas for creating a Leprechaun/Rainbow-themed visual
A Book O’ Green includes page templates & answers for categorizing all things green
General Supply List: poster board, card-stock, printing paper, paper scraps, markers, green pens, reference materials
You can access the A Wee Bit O’ Green unit by clicking on the link below:
Spring-an experience in immortality. ~ H.D. Thoreau
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 20-page unit entitled Spring Into Spring. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Sprout A Mini Garden includes instructions with a materials list for starting seeds to plant in your Spring/Summer garden
Watch It Grow Flip~Book with directions for converting your observation log into a flip-book
Nature~Watchers’ Spring Journal is a book & vocabulary template with page inserts for recording the changes in plant & animal life in Spring
Humor is humankind’s greatest blessing. ~ Mark Twain
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 41-page unit entitled HUMOR: Now THAT’S Funny! As a lead-in to April Fools Day, it contains the following Projects/Activities:
A Comedian’s Handbook: Helpful Hints is a 24-page informative booklet with front/back covers and includes presentation ideas.
SOOOO FUNNY! : My Favorite Jokes & Riddles has a category list for you to include as you construct a book of your favs to share.
Create Cartoon Strip has dialogue templates and a sample cartoon frame to use for your new cartoon series.
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, notebook paper, cartoon strips, adding machine tape. construction paper
You can access the HUMOR unit by clicking on the link below:
Welcome to Part Three of The FLC First Grader’s Series
Your 6-year-old is asking MORE questions than s/he usually does.
And even though s/he LOVES rules and boundaries in his/her expanding world, those very important inquiries are giving you clues to the puzzles being solved in her/his broadening brain.
Your First Grader’s Inquiry Skills are growing. They are becoming an important part of his/her brain development and academic success.
A “How-To……” book of instructions for everything in life right now would be just fine with her/him!
PART THREE : Inquiry Skills
It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. ~ Eugene Ionesco
There is a philosophy that an answer can be found within the context of its question…..or at least its beginning is….
Your First Grader comes home with many new & wonderful ideas to share. S/he LOVES explaining how explorations became discoveries.
And, THEN, “what if…..?” Oh, the imagination of the inquiring mind!!!!
This state of inquiry, however, is not satisfied with thinking about things.
Your 6-year-old and his/her longer attention span likes to learn & problem solve by doing: experimenting, planning, building, collecting, and, maybe even , performing magic tricks just to solve what “appears” to be unsolvable.
You can promote these Critical Thinking questions. BLB’s Library has several ideas for you to use in an interactive resource:
provide storage boxes for her/his special collections of rocks, seeds, shells, leaves
Add nonfiction books to the library about animals, plants, sun, moon & stars, seasons, weather, holidays & celebrations, world cultures, community helpers, inventors & inventions, machines & transportation
Take field trips to history & science museums, work places & factories, other neighborhoods
encourage his/her growing awareness of time & days of the week by including him/her in planning daily events
S/he probably has lots of Giant Ideas (where DO they come from) with lots of Important Questions (how DOES s/he think up all of them)…….
Encouraging The Critical Thinking Process of Inquiry
Do you remember the KWL (What do you Know, What do you Wonder about, & What have you Learned) your teachers may have used during your classroom discussions?
Although it can be time-consuming, I found a KWL chart to be a very valuable exploration & discovery tool. Used interactively, it provided me, and my students, with knowledge already in place~no wasted time on redundancy~ and ownership of what was to be learned ~ with a few prompted questions, ideas, & vocabulary clues from me.
When Do We Use A KWL ?
You can use this tool with your child in a variety of scenarios:
to enrich & reinforce a variety of science, social studies & geography topics being taught in school
to increase reading comprehension elements in fiction & nonfiction reads at home and for school
to use as a home-management builder in a number of arenas: chores, safety, nutrition, clothing/weather, etc.
SO~I’ve created something a little different that includes a Resource section in this discovery chat titled KQRL. Here’s a downloadable 8.5×11″ PDF template you can print, laminate & re-use during you & yours’ Inquiry Investigations: KQRL Template
Wondering what science, social studies & geography concepts your First Grader will be learning in the classroom?
Your child’s school district can provide you with a list of objectives & expectations. Ask her/his teacher for assistance and explanations.
Science Explorations in First Grade
Using My 5 Senses-KellySikkema
Your child will engage his/her 5 Senses to observe, ask questions, and, then, record what s/he is learning. Entering data on graphs (pictographs & bar graphs), hand-drawings as well as written words are products used to show what s/he understands.
This is a “general” list of science concepts your child may (or may not) be learning throughout his/her year in First Grade:
Physical Science
Forces in Motion: push & pull, balance, magnetism, electricity
Changes in States of Matter (solid, liquid & gas)
Properties of Liquids
Sound Production & Travel
Properties of Air
Earth Science
The Universe: day & night sky, moon, stars, sun
Weather: seasons, temperature measurement
Properties & Uses of Earth Materials: soil, rocks, minerals, water
Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun. ~ Mary Lou Cook
PBSParents offers some very useful suggestions on how to explore science concepts with your child in everyday scenarios. And just for you, I created a table -YIPEE- to help with that!
Home~Grown Science Explorations & Discoveries
FAMILY ENVIRONMENT
PHYSICAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
EARTH SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
LIFE SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
Backyard/Front Lawn
Park/Playground
Nature Trail
Forces in Motion: trikes, bikes, scooter, wagon; playground equipment
Matter: solids, liquids, gases
Sound:different machines in the air/on the ground
Properties of Air: balloons, paper airplanes, Frisbee, kites, leaves
Light/Dark: day & night sky elements, moon phases, shadows, shade, self-reflection in water
Weather: clouds, temperature, precipitation
Materials:different rocks, soil varieties, waters(lake, pond, brook, river, mud puddles)
Different Plant & Animal Ecosystems
Stages of growth in plants & animals
In the Car
On the Bus/Train
Forces in Motion: Push / Pull
Sound: Machines at work
Travel: Speed
Light/Dark: self-reflection in window, vision adjustments to sight, building sights, day vs night sky visibility in different environments
Weather: cloud formations in open sky, visibility during precipitation at different speeds
Materials: landforms, bodies of water
Different Plant & Animal Ecosystems: city/country, desert/plains/forest/seaside
In the Kitchen
At the Market
Forces in Motion: push/pull of different utensils, float/sink of different food elements
Matter: changing states from solid to liquid to gas
Liquid Properties: changes with heat, cold, mixtures
Properties of Air: forces of air when applied to different foods, like meringues
Weather: on foods' stability, spoilage, growth in the garden
Materials: how rocks, soil, water affect foods
Human Body: nutrition, food groups, menu/recipe combinations, extra foods
Plant & Animal Ecosystems: growth, food sources, omnivores/herbivores/carnivores
Life Cycles: plants from seed, growth/harvest, preparation
I don’t know about you, but, there are questions children ask that defy an explanation…..So, instead of trying to give reason that might not be understandable or accurate, a more “scientific” approach will probably satisfy those questions. Wonder, inquire & investigate along with your child, encouraging him/her to explain why s/he thinks the way s/he does. Yes~answer a question with another question.
Ready to Set Up A Home~Grown Science Lab ?
Your Primary learner LOVES to investigate his/her Inquiries!
I’ve created 4 of them for you & yours, addressing several of the objectives found in the Physical, Earth, Life & Ecology Sciences. Each contain several investigations with sequential activities for observations, predictions, explorations, experiments & discoveries appropriate for children, ages 5-8. You can visit these “Labs” in BLB’s Shop by clicking on the links below:
Your First grader will, also, be learning about the diverse cultures & countries of the world. Using the Inquiry approach to these studies is a great interactive way to engage her/his learning.
Navigating the World Through Investigations
World Traveler – TeddyKelley
I found Social Studies & Geography an easy way to integrate reading & writing. Not only are they inter-related, they are incredibly relevant & engaging for most children. Who doesn’t want to explore his/her home country, ancestral roots, holiday traditions, and, then, navigate the way there?!
Here’s a general, sequential inquiry map several fellow teachers & I used in our classrooms before the curriculum timeline rules changed. It’s a thematic approach that blended & covered all required objectives, including some Math, Health & Science expectations. We began at the beginning~the Home.
Family & Home
Where do you live: apartment, house, duplex, trailer, shelter?
Can you draw a map of the inside of your home?
Who is part of your family at home?
What are the needs of most families?
How do families meet those needs?
Are chores & shared responsibilities part of your family?
Neighborhood
What other buildings are in your neighborhood?
How is an apartment complex like a neighborhood?
Do your friends and/or relatives live nearby?
Is there a park or playscape in your neighborhood?
Are these other places in your neighborhood: school, gas station, restaurants, markets?
Can you draw a map of your neighborhood, using a few symbols & a compass rose for directions?
The Communities in A Town or City
Community
What is a community?
How are neighborhoods & communities the same? Different?
Do you know where these buildings are in your community: retail shops, restaurants, fire & police stations, schools, churches, hospitals, clinics/offices, athletic fields, cinemas?
Who are the community helpers in these places?
How do you know ( uniforms, special jobs)?
When do you need these community helpers?
How do some of them keep communities safe?
What are “goods” and “services”?
Which community helpers provide services? Goods?
City/Town
What is the difference between a town & a city?
Do you know how many people live in our town/city?
How many of these places have you visited: concert hall, opera house, theater, museum, historical sites, sports arena, transportation hubs ~ bus terminal, train station, airport?
How did you travel to those places?
Where can you find a major waterway in our town/city? What is its name?
Have you ever traveled to a different town or city?
Was it in our state or a different state?
Can you locate our town/city on this map?
Widening the Scope
A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils. ~ Ever Garrison
State
What is the name of the state we live in?
Is a state larger or smaller than a city?
Are there only towns & cities in our state?
Do you know the names of some other towns or cities in our state?
Do you know the names of any other states?
Have you ever traveled to any other state?
What did you see/do there?
Where is it on this map?
How did you travel there?
Can you locate our state on this map?
What are those other names a part of on the map?
What is famous about our state?
Country
These states are all part of a what?
What is a country?
Do you know the names of any other countries?
What is the name of our country?
Why is our country called “The United States of America”?
Click on the link below to download, copy & print a PFD I created for celebrating USA Symbols, Citizenship & National Holidays:
There is another, more in-depth way to encourage your child’s Inquiry Skills. It’s a technique called UbD.
Big Ideas & Essential Questions
An idea is “big” if it helps us make sense of lots of confusing experience and seemingly isolated facts. It’s like the picture that connects the dots or a simple rule of thumb in a complex field. ~ Grant Wiggins
Another Question-Elijah’sSong
Your child’s classroom teacher may, also, (or maybe not) be using a learning technique called UbD~Understanding by Design ~ especially during science, geography & social studies units, which are, then, coordinated thematically with fiction & nonfiction reads. Projects & knowledge are student-driven through exploration & discovery guided by questions the students have formed regarding the subject.
The “Essential Questions” will usually help define the “Big Idea”, which is usually a general, or abstract statement.
When forming the Questions, keep these insights in mind:
They have no right or wrong answers
They promote inquiry to help learn the Big Idea.
They encourage critical thinking, curiosity & real life problem solving.
Basically~ What do you see? What do you think about what you see? What do you wonder about when you see it? How & where can you find out more?
Need more info and tips on how to provide your child with inquiry-based explorations? George Lucas Educational Foundation’s Edutopia is a great site to visit. Just click on the link below:
Your First grader’s wonder is nutrition for his/her brain. encourage, promote & nurture those curious questions with exploratory & discovery investigations.
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Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. ~ Dr. Seuss
The wind said, ” You know I am the result of forces beyond my control”. ~A.R. Ammons
Nature’s first green is gold. ~ Robert Frost
Spring-an experience in immortality. ~ H.D. Thoreau
Humor is humankind’s greatest blessing. ~ Mark Twain
context of its question…..or at least its beginning is….
