PreK Loves Pete the Cat!

Some days you just really need Pete the Cat to come in and remind you, "It's all good." We've been reading his books in preschool, including one about his four groovy buttons, and one about his white shoes. Readalong video below; pictures of Room 5 and 15 students and their Pete the Cat coloring after that.

Creating Tables with Room 3

Second graders are learning about how to read and create tables of information. We reviewed several examples of how to use the information you know to pick the correct column for finding the information you need. Then we practiced filling in missing information when we only had some.

Finally, the kids worked on creating their own original tables from scratch. Here they are at work; some of their tables are at the end of this post.

Abby and Brady:

People	Pets
Brady	Pomeranian (Rigby)
Abigail	Boxer (Rocco)
Corey	Cat (Jingles)

Jared and Libby:

Species	Example
Insect	Mosquito
Amphibian	Frog
Animal	Bulldog

Aaron:

Food	Kind of food
Apple	Fruit
Crackers	Junk food
Carrot	Vegetable

PM K Froggies

source: ricat.net

We read one of my favorite readalouds in K - Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.

Froggy is supposed to be sleeping for the winter, but he wakes up and wants to go out to play in the snow. He has to put on the right clothing to stay warm, but keeps leaving the house having forgotten something. His mother keeps calling him back in with a FRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOGGGGGGGGYYYYYYYYYY! (which the kids help me yell).

If you have a kindergartner at home, ask him or her about Froggy's final forgetfulness. It's a punchline that always has the kids giggling.

I downloaded coloring pages from Kizclub; students could bring them home, cut them up, and act out the story for their families. This link has the pictures if you want extra copies.

You can also download another set of activities, including a "card game," at this link. 

Room 14's Trillion Dollar Footprint

We discuss digital citizenship in library class, and Common Sense Media has some good lessons that I use with the fifth and sixth graders.

This month, we did "Trillion Dollar Footprint"; the kids play the role of television producers choosing a host for a talent show. They have to sift through online evidence that a"private investigator found via social media and decide which candidate should get the job.

The students were able to defend their choices with evidence - some picked "Linda," some picked "Jason," and some picked neither. All of their arguments were based on posts, photos, and comments that were found online. In the end, I think they all understood the objectives of the lesson:

• Define "digital footprint" as the profile that is created from all the information posted about you online
• Realize that your information can be searched, copied and passed on
• Understand that your digital footprint can be helpful or harmful to your reputation