tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24420747068021195682024-03-05T20:18:38.988-08:00Curriculum TipsJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-37777106655508551242013-11-06T13:12:00.000-08:002013-11-06T13:13:50.325-08:00A Song for Remembrance Day
This song about a poppy for Remembrance Day is easy to teach your class. I taught it to my grade one class for our Remembrance Day assembly.The class learned it easily. You can repeat the last phrase to bring the song to a pleasing close. Click to enlarge and print.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLpkipsyp-VhB78BqUSkIoeJ0-nqBCNMdZTsVANPbOXVZtAs9h3DYy6L8ckVzO_QUjE-n5cuYEdODsfG-GIF1Fv2LnQaoX7vusHXs638piWddTXP1YiCsYoa9ErYSMaaml1aZs4ClOzA/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLpkipsyp-VhB78BqUSkIoeJ0-nqBCNMdZTsVANPbOXVZtAs9h3DYy6L8ckVzO_QUjE-n5cuYEdODsfG-GIF1Fv2LnQaoX7vusHXs638piWddTXP1YiCsYoa9ErYSMaaml1aZs4ClOzA/s640/scan0002.jpg" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-38691187909439723572011-11-25T17:57:00.000-08:002011-11-26T07:49:53.544-08:00Stories and Songs for Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijU2PRm0V0GJFcvrmXLBKwziTOIqhM1iav2ysWM3VuFHzuvl_zmPAzpqredXCxwv0U8lysFgelKhyhBJ1KhqHbL_aCpZIUbyf954NoBF9XKzmXiBqduoAB8baAuvwl8US8x4MArXU63Us/s1600/scan0003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijU2PRm0V0GJFcvrmXLBKwziTOIqhM1iav2ysWM3VuFHzuvl_zmPAzpqredXCxwv0U8lysFgelKhyhBJ1KhqHbL_aCpZIUbyf954NoBF9XKzmXiBqduoAB8baAuvwl8US8x4MArXU63Us/s400/scan0003.jpg" border="0" alt="Pippin the Christmas Pig"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679122509454140274" /></a><br />I have a great collection of picture books with the Christmas theme. Since Christmas is part of the fabric of our country and of our heritage, we have a responsibility and the right to celebrate Christmas through its stories and songs.<br /><br />"Pippin the Christmas Pig" by Jean Little is a new twist on the Christmas story. It is a beautiful story that appeals to young and old alike.<br /><br />The perfect song to teach the class along with this story is "The Friendly Beasts". You can find a lovely version of this song, sung by children, on Youtube. <br /><br />Find three other songs: Spanish Carol, Ring, Ring the Bells, and Les Cloches Sonnent under the label, "Teaching Music".Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-1788414190991618182011-10-19T14:16:00.000-07:002011-10-20T14:22:23.465-07:00Remembrance Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YGpD8Y8a1ffTsTLWFyEVQ9KfnNIrD-y1NixR9dtwuhEZV48yXmq_cyOtdP86jB1M6F-HpHJOfizVB4e-8wI-BC5cmbkSigwVQz3iNC9OlBtOeS_5WZbZa1BRqWh-uaBMQuxVKnZ5ipY/s1600/scan0002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 325px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YGpD8Y8a1ffTsTLWFyEVQ9KfnNIrD-y1NixR9dtwuhEZV48yXmq_cyOtdP86jB1M6F-HpHJOfizVB4e-8wI-BC5cmbkSigwVQz3iNC9OlBtOeS_5WZbZa1BRqWh-uaBMQuxVKnZ5ipY/s400/scan0002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665319962158955234" /></a><br /><br />I always felt it was important to recognize Remembrance Day in my grade one classroom, even though it was not a part of the curriculum. I am glad that recently there has been a greater effort to observe Remembrance Day. Teachers need to remember that they are responsible to model good citizenship for their students.<br /><br />Observing Remembrance day with grade one students is a sensitive issue. I wanted to emphasize the idea of remembering the contributions of many people over the years, and the responsibility of each individual to work for peace. For grade one students, they could do this in their school and community.<br /><br />In 2004, Heather Robertson published "A Poppy is to Remember". (It was even printed in Canada!) It is a beautiful picture book for primary grades, and it includes the poem, "In Flanders Fields" by Dr. John McCrae, as well as the story of the poppy and Remembrance Day in Canada. I read it to my class every year as an introduction to Remembrance Day.<br /><br />I designed a worksheet for the students to colour and write what I felt were the important concepts they were to remember. This sheet was included in their poetry duotang after completion.<br /><br />Click to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xy2zLwE6QvuoOZbTqEHRXa7Upemnh8NLST3w8kIemFuNUmFrTPUo71NkYqYLYpFx9w9J4OhmGoSW8Ru8fBARKO41aOGb3dAhqNLuTwphLFJ35v5TiaURC5eeHMtjqN0wgPHVQZBWj8M/s1600/scan0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xy2zLwE6QvuoOZbTqEHRXa7Upemnh8NLST3w8kIemFuNUmFrTPUo71NkYqYLYpFx9w9J4OhmGoSW8Ru8fBARKO41aOGb3dAhqNLuTwphLFJ35v5TiaURC5eeHMtjqN0wgPHVQZBWj8M/s400/scan0001.jpg" border="0" alt="remembrance day"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665315735730424338" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-35287972916792648872011-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:002011-09-30T08:22:31.331-07:00The Dingle Dangle Scarecrow<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv4TlSxHOfL6zALLA9kEIMfXnukNBG4BMKOkFVh0XA4cVd8ZJR9KA51NYluskYrvEN0L50q6udtKT8g60CqF1jIuFWb2_xwE4gzSQiRgEq5FHUFxsNfCI5TZKqFsLpYywxp8vB2OT7hg/s1600/Scarecrows.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv4TlSxHOfL6zALLA9kEIMfXnukNBG4BMKOkFVh0XA4cVd8ZJR9KA51NYluskYrvEN0L50q6udtKT8g60CqF1jIuFWb2_xwE4gzSQiRgEq5FHUFxsNfCI5TZKqFsLpYywxp8vB2OT7hg/s400/Scarecrows.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658173351657193506" /></a><br /><br />This is one of my favourite fall poems. The words create very vivid images and the rhythm is very appealing to young children. I have two scarecrows that I use as a focal point while we recite the poem. We spend a month approximately with this poem and I always begin it on the first day of fall.<br /><br />Poetry is an effective tool for learning to read. Shorter poems of four to eight lines can be learned in a week, and the students put the sheet in their duo-tang on Friday. They point to the words as they recite the poem and learn to move their finger under each word as they "read" the words.<br /><br />Click to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cD4sNipRTMsUIRwcaO_0NhrvlJ5oifIcixe04_LbYq_yL4ggmn6XDBBSGTrbZqJcjOJT-mdt0NoTFBQ7ZG2auALu9k03qZaOHZ1fnhsivmul4w2h0dgxVOpTkbEE8SDwSMKcqwNi3zc/s1600/scan0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cD4sNipRTMsUIRwcaO_0NhrvlJ5oifIcixe04_LbYq_yL4ggmn6XDBBSGTrbZqJcjOJT-mdt0NoTFBQ7ZG2auALu9k03qZaOHZ1fnhsivmul4w2h0dgxVOpTkbEE8SDwSMKcqwNi3zc/s400/scan0001.jpg" border="0" alt="The Dingle Dangle Scarecrow"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657440396162811682" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-23249722846575894602011-09-15T17:21:00.000-07:002011-09-15T17:57:13.947-07:00Nature DeprivationI have heard that young people are suffering from "nature deprivation". I saw this very clearly recently when I was watching a tournament for high school students on Jeopardy. The young "whiz kid" was shown a picture of two acorns attached to a branch with a leaf visible. The correct answer was "oaks" from the proverb about the acorn and the mighty oak. The girl said "pines". I concluded that she did not recognize oaks or pines. <br /><br />This anecdote definitely indicates a trend. Young people are being separated from nature because of lifestyle. When was the last time you saw a child lying in the grass looking at the clouds? <br /><br />Most people think chickens lay eggs. What is a hen? What does a rooster do? (Besides crow, that is?) And how many people younger than 50 have heard a rooster crow for that matter?<br /><br />How many young people have seen vegetables growing in a garden? <br /><br />Something to think about!<br /><br />I would like to suggest a wonderful book for parents to buy for their children: <br /><strong>In My Backyard </strong>by Margreit Ruurs, illustrated by Ron Broda, a Canadian who does paper sculpture art.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-2074331779595160822011-09-09T14:13:00.000-07:002011-09-09T14:37:04.849-07:00September in Grade OneAnother year at school has begun and most of the students in grade one are very excited to be back at school.<br /><br />The most important thing to teach in grade one is routine, routine, routine! Remember that two months ago, these students were in kindergarten.<br /><br />In fact, introducing students to the grade one curriculum needs to be secondary to routine. Do not panic and think that you will not cover the curriculum if you don't start immediately! Students who understand the classroom routines will feel secure and learn more efficiently.<br /><br />I usually leave social studies and science until the third week of September. I spend the first two weeks concentrating on reading stories, learning rhymes, simple numeration, and most important of all, beginning a writing program. <br /><br />The students have a journal of course, but I like to begin right away teaching them to organize a notebook and to copy a sentence from chart paper. The first page has two sentences:<br /><br /><strong>My name is______.</strong><br /><br /><strong>I am a girl. (or boy)</strong><br /><br />The notebook has the same format as their journal, and they are expected to illustrate what they have written.<br /><br />This notebook is a very important part of the students' writing program because they learn to organize, copy, and they are using words that are part of their experience.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-91055850059308693382011-03-10T07:24:00.000-08:002011-03-10T07:55:24.552-08:00Earth and space strand integrates with mathI discovered that I loved science when I started teaching science to grade one! I really liked using the earth and space strand for teaching graphing in math. The first time in the year that I used this technique was the month of November. We kept track of the weather every day, and made sure to record the weekend weather every Monday. I chose November because there is always a wide variation in the weather. I used adjectives: sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy. I chose these four because they were fairly objective, and we always checked off the weather after first recess.<br /><br />At the end of the month, I photocopied the 8x11 sheet with the class record of weather for each student. Each student had a graph with 4 columns and 30 rows, with the labels at the bottom. They were already familiar with making bar graphs because we had previously spent time graphing objects in the classroom as a class activity, and smarties after Halloween.<br /><br />At this point in the year, I did not have them answer written questions about their findings, but I expected them to make oral comparisons.<br /><br />During the month of March, we tracked windy and calm days. I sent home a sheet for them to keep track over the March break which they were to return to school afterwards. (This sheet was decorated with clip art for St. Patrick's Day which they had coloured in class on the last day before the holiday.) At the end of the month, each student used his own sheet along with a photocopy of our class record to complete a bar graph and answer written questions about the information.<br /><br />The month of April was another good month for tracking weather because of the variable weather April usually brings! When they completed their bar graph at the end of the month, I expected them to record their findings independently. I usually did a survey about whether there would be snow in April as well, and made a record on chart paper - a variation of probability!Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-33026851105119272432011-02-28T13:19:00.000-08:002011-02-28T13:45:52.274-08:00Another fabulous story for tangram shapesI read this story to the class after we had read Grandfather Tang's Story. This story went well with the strand for structures in the science curriculum. The class was already familiar with the Three Little Pigs; in fact,I always included this story as one of the picture books for integrating language and science.<br /><br />This is the story of three other little pigs who meet a wolf. Each pig is given seven magic shapes by an animal. Two pigs choose unwisely and are eaten by the wolf. The last pig (a girl!) makes a better choice.There are eight different shapes in the story.<br /><br />Every class loved this story. Afterwards, each student used his own set of plastic tangram shapes to reproduce the shapes in the story. Then each student reproduced one shape with construction paper, and then told the story of the shape he chose. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pC4BhLKb_wZVdaV6SyG_xGmWBQNPjKlSsjAXLFB-XnKRcGJpmnrrCqqnPFQ4tdQu4QLEc88rEGPqjhmdca0kc8T6dHNzUbvLrvfwpqwX6hyphenhyphenMAGgxD-kDpxAPvfTwi0I9lcgNBKbljaQ/s1600/Three+Pigs%252C+One+Wolf+and+Seven+Magic+Shapes0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pC4BhLKb_wZVdaV6SyG_xGmWBQNPjKlSsjAXLFB-XnKRcGJpmnrrCqqnPFQ4tdQu4QLEc88rEGPqjhmdca0kc8T6dHNzUbvLrvfwpqwX6hyphenhyphenMAGgxD-kDpxAPvfTwi0I9lcgNBKbljaQ/s400/Three+Pigs%252C+One+Wolf+and+Seven+Magic+Shapes0001.jpg" border="0" alt="Three pigs, One Wolf, and Seven Magic Shapes"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578854949778516450" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-13648785193179154052011-02-14T16:47:00.000-08:002011-02-14T17:00:33.307-08:00The Key to Your Primary Music Program: List of songs with lesson plansI want to post the list of songs that we published in our Primary book so that you can see the variety of songs in the book. I must stress that you should not be fooled by the apparent simplicity of the songs. They are all from the public domain, and have stood the test of time. These songs were selected because they are suitable for use when teaching the skills that are required in the curriculum. As your students become more skilled in singing on key, you can choose other songs for themes and seasons. <br /><br />I have written about our two music books in more detail in previous posts. You can also check out our <a href="http://www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com">website</a>.<br /><br />Click on the image to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIjoTliKL-FGHkuG8x_sCwkID3ATh3Vy4ip5IB1Ba56Y5oOi5bMmUR_Z6i27C0jHXnyDhPEeMzUUs-Sey1bq9Rcq_y5ZkZZPdmuSAlaa_VNHp0IU83jA2mDDkYd8v-GPmJ3usYmWMLrw/s1600/list+of+primary+songs0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIjoTliKL-FGHkuG8x_sCwkID3ATh3Vy4ip5IB1Ba56Y5oOi5bMmUR_Z6i27C0jHXnyDhPEeMzUUs-Sey1bq9Rcq_y5ZkZZPdmuSAlaa_VNHp0IU83jA2mDDkYd8v-GPmJ3usYmWMLrw/s400/list+of+primary+songs0001.jpg" border="0" alt="List of primary songs with lesson plans"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573712617882682514" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-73712742068979882672011-02-11T09:26:00.000-08:002011-02-14T16:47:03.359-08:00The Key to your Junior Music Program: List of songs with lesson plansI have referred to this book in a previous post. The songs are all public domain, and they have stood the test of time. These are songs that my sister (my co-author) taught her grade 4, 5 and 6 classes over her many years as a music teacher in Ontario. Check the list and consider buying our book from our <a href="http://www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on image to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wIJ_R2I9C6nWnY8Gz1X_33iOx2rzvxDjh7JhEwhC8JjI5QniZDF1SNDtMz8vFt6fJA3N28Ow08RRChKahtn-jnZZpz3GiFmKDf8P5sffJ3bFqbRQYnjOC_ur4N74H2B-EZ1poybXZm4/s1600/list+of+songs%252C+primary0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wIJ_R2I9C6nWnY8Gz1X_33iOx2rzvxDjh7JhEwhC8JjI5QniZDF1SNDtMz8vFt6fJA3N28Ow08RRChKahtn-jnZZpz3GiFmKDf8P5sffJ3bFqbRQYnjOC_ur4N74H2B-EZ1poybXZm4/s400/list+of+songs%252C+primary0001.jpg" border="0" alt="list of junior songs"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572485535942089474" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-18156205893327930242011-02-04T08:41:00.000-08:002011-02-04T09:05:02.311-08:00Alexander Mackenzie: the first European to reach the Pacific by land.As part of my February Heritage studies for grade one, I would read the story,"A Dog Came,Too" by Ainslie Manson. It is illustrated in beautiful detailed watercolours by Ann Blades. <br /><br />This is the true story of a dog that accompanied him and his guides and voyageurs on their trek overland to the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br />When I taught this story, I would have the class imagine a trip without maps, and no roads. Because all children love animals, they loved this story. I must warn you that it is difficult to read to the class even though it has a happy ending!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQvOj9QOzk-c40i31nt5-nKNXCdcl4s5NtDwZQuGgZth5qBUtKuR5hoCyeUdNeceIhp_yJtADKljKXS85UJidraZbl0Tahh3jq-9wNJFmCXTgHQt1WF1UARnDKybZZj8Ua_6aTqvZrsA/s1600/A+Dog+Came+Too0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQvOj9QOzk-c40i31nt5-nKNXCdcl4s5NtDwZQuGgZth5qBUtKuR5hoCyeUdNeceIhp_yJtADKljKXS85UJidraZbl0Tahh3jq-9wNJFmCXTgHQt1WF1UARnDKybZZj8Ua_6aTqvZrsA/s400/A+Dog+Came+Too0001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569876792220881218" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-22838232492385505542011-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:002011-02-03T14:43:12.902-08:00Grandfather Tang's Story (told with tangrams)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyJl_eWZx7vx3NhmQ4IvUO4D1XnBBVe8h6A6RqKmJOXoOV7S1FdRZt4lDKmI5DVr0VWQPoDvVPb9EmPXPP2G-qgT4SDs-QFTKDGpZW3-kTOhb2PH92JTKck9-p_hPfzZ-UlhQEHm0J70/s1600/Granfather+Tang%2527s+Story0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyJl_eWZx7vx3NhmQ4IvUO4D1XnBBVe8h6A6RqKmJOXoOV7S1FdRZt4lDKmI5DVr0VWQPoDvVPb9EmPXPP2G-qgT4SDs-QFTKDGpZW3-kTOhb2PH92JTKck9-p_hPfzZ-UlhQEHm0J70/s400/Granfather+Tang%2527s+Story0001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569597447553618930" /></a><br />I described tangrams in my February 9, 2009 post.Tangrams are ancient Chinese puzzles which are comprised of seven pieces, or "tans". <br /><br />This story is about two fox fairies. In Chinese folklore, they are believed to have supernatural powers of transformation.<br /><br />Before I read this story to the class, I enlarged the tangrams and made the shapes from construction paper. I then glued each shape onto cartridge paper and laminated the sheets. As I read the story,I held up the new animal shape for the students to guess the next transformation. They really enjoyed the challengeand the story!<br /><br />The class then worked with a set of tangrams to duplicate the shapes. <br /><br />I found that integrating stories with math concepts was rewarding for both my class and myself.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-5795105437136795792011-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:002011-02-12T17:10:47.160-08:00Fox and Geese: a tag game in the snowIt is time to add to my blog - after a year-long absence!<br /><br />I want to explain a game that we played in the wintertime at our one-room country school. I played this game with my siblings as well in a snowy field on the farm. We called it "Fox and Goose", but it is technically "Fox and Geese".<br /><br />I taught the game to my grade one students, and I explained it as a tag game in the snow. The first time we played, they had a hard time understanding that they had to stay in the pathways. Have the students follow you as you tramp out a large circle in the snow. Make several paths into the centre of the circle like the spokes of a wheel. The centre spot is "safe". They will probably catch on that the fox is "it"! <br /><br />The difficulty of playing this on a school ground with hundreds of students is that you need new snow, with no tracks! On the morning after a big snowfall, I would take the students outside about twenty minutes before morning recess. We could make the track and then play before the recess bell brought everyone else outside! My class loved the excitement of designing the course and then playing the game!<br /><br />I encouraged the children to teach the game to their parents and siblings and play at home.<br /><br />When I played with my siblings, we "upgraded" from the simple circle to more convoluted pathways. Half the fun was designing the course!Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-76109848225943426412010-01-24T13:52:00.000-08:002011-01-08T06:58:55.377-08:00Grade One Social Studies in FebruaryI would like to suggest some ideas for grade one social studies for the month of February.<br /><br />As a French teacher, I used this month as the opportunity to link French and history by having my classes learn about the Voyageurs and the Fur Trade. This inevitably led to studying the habits of our famous symbol, the beaver as well as the bison. As a grade one teacher, I included these studies as part of the social studies curriculum. The class learned about Canadian animals in the life systems strand of science: beaver, caribou, elk, deer, moose, and bison.<br /><br />Once again, I had some favourite picture books:<br /><br />Little Caribou by Sarah Fox-Davies<br />Little Beaver and the Echo by Amy MacDonald<br />A Dog Came, Too by Ainslie Manson<br />Boris the Beaver by Marcus PfisterJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-79815181355431609782010-01-19T06:23:00.000-08:002010-01-19T07:41:10.429-08:00Picture books for January<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XHwr3RXjzuG0tCwNAK4WlcBl2JnhGxHbM3Kn8Nt-QHuwhV3VtbjH5Cz5T6WKpLSV6Os0TNVkB-sMVF1ESHZN0B22LiRxrtcMJ6Dma17FamZAN7YNp7Pa1bTViyhQGsIGUcNDtQ8oiak/s1600-h/The+Snowy+Day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XHwr3RXjzuG0tCwNAK4WlcBl2JnhGxHbM3Kn8Nt-QHuwhV3VtbjH5Cz5T6WKpLSV6Os0TNVkB-sMVF1ESHZN0B22LiRxrtcMJ6Dma17FamZAN7YNp7Pa1bTViyhQGsIGUcNDtQ8oiak/s400/The+Snowy+Day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428476419508468610" /></a><br />The month of January is the obvious time to teach more of the earth and space and living things strands of the Science curriculum. The excitement of Christmas is forgotten and the students are returning to your classroom feeling refreshed and eager to learn new things. The new winter season can be the basis of your science unit. <br />I always approached the new seasonal studies based on: <br /> the weather:- how it affects the behaviour of animals;<br /> - our activities and clothing (this approach allows the students to<br /> relate their learning to their own experiences)<br /><br />I have a list of favourite read-alouds for January to arouse the interest of the class. These books as a perfect way to integrate the language program to social studies, science, math, art and music. There are also many information books written at the primary level of comprehension as well. Many of the best books of this type draw on the experiences of primary students. <br /><br />"The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats is a great picture book to start the unit. It was written in 1962 and remains a perennial favourite. <br /><br />The list of other books that I used follows:<br />Footprints in the Snow<br />Millions of Snowflakes<br />Amy Loves the Snow<br />Sadie and the Snow<br />A Winter Day<br />Penguin Pete<br />Animals in Winter<br />I am Snow<br /><br />There are many other great books which I will list in a later post. <br />When Winter Comes (by Robert Maass)Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-23036463999698443132009-12-09T15:57:00.001-08:002009-12-09T17:03:54.859-08:00Another song for your class for ChristmasAnother great song that is a favourite of mine is "Over The River and Through the Wood". It is actually an American Thanksgiving song. It is copyrighted so I can't publish it for you. I have shown copies of two books that have wonderful pictures, as well as the lyrics and the music. The lyrics evoke the kind of "olden days" magic. The first verse has the same images as Jingle Bells, and since there is no mention of Thanksgiving, the class can learn it as a Christmas song. The melody is catchy and bright.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkq3uPZ9kesovRaVw-Qz5JZqtIpZC4yXBZ3fBPLAjBXDfhfZZtYtyR8PU2hvyZflqDUxe8ph6YQvFbInVz23X2EPQAkoi__Q0KME-wj8Min1mF4ygZDvQX8y_qszNykE2m-L_nzw9Rcg/s1600-h/Over+the+River+and+through+the+Wood+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkq3uPZ9kesovRaVw-Qz5JZqtIpZC4yXBZ3fBPLAjBXDfhfZZtYtyR8PU2hvyZflqDUxe8ph6YQvFbInVz23X2EPQAkoi__Q0KME-wj8Min1mF4ygZDvQX8y_qszNykE2m-L_nzw9Rcg/s400/Over+the+River+and+through+the+Wood+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413390503013093058" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlXu9wJUBAuRbPsVCkPZB2Rwgi9e-xndpzHAU0VEZrjn6jVFPiMvJEQEQQB2yHZ7Y77zVO-jUplvt7xmlM_LepDWXV8iG6dH0RpMcdA_fjEpfB3RSj1TClKyIKpNRRS9lpqdvCsePrNk/s1600-h/Over+the+River+and+Through+the+Wood.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlXu9wJUBAuRbPsVCkPZB2Rwgi9e-xndpzHAU0VEZrjn6jVFPiMvJEQEQQB2yHZ7Y77zVO-jUplvt7xmlM_LepDWXV8iG6dH0RpMcdA_fjEpfB3RSj1TClKyIKpNRRS9lpqdvCsePrNk/s400/Over+the+River+and+Through+the+Wood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413390199867537042" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-81194712587498591632009-12-05T16:45:00.000-08:002009-12-05T17:01:55.675-08:00Another Christmas song: Ring the BellsThis song is another simple round to teach your class. It is set in the key of D and begins on <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">do</span></span>. Use your pitch pipe to help the class find the starting note. Once the students have learned the song well, divide the class in half and have them sing it as a round. The results are very effective! You and your students will be amazed! <br /><br />If you would like more music for your class, check out my website <a href="http://www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com">www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com</a> and purchase a book online.<br /><br />Cick to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQt91BNsNkeJMtuMuPe0J2Yt8-2UgxkR-77NQAZHkFdWeaSJdsDIHcumIjUMxEGC5iPiZo5BdQZZD0dXb-rGIMuSTfntvlZ1K42w4OOdBv4SvBhHezISaluFTYwUoJs8Pmt5d4HdvRwo/s1600-h/Ring+the+Bells.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQt91BNsNkeJMtuMuPe0J2Yt8-2UgxkR-77NQAZHkFdWeaSJdsDIHcumIjUMxEGC5iPiZo5BdQZZD0dXb-rGIMuSTfntvlZ1K42w4OOdBv4SvBhHezISaluFTYwUoJs8Pmt5d4HdvRwo/s400/Ring+the+Bells.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411918318794180274" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-3999686089285591862009-12-04T14:24:00.000-08:002009-12-04T14:37:44.696-08:00A French song for your class for ChristmasSince I had taught French Immersion and Core French before I began teaching in the primary grades, I had a small repertoire of French Christmas songs.<br /><br />I taught the following song to my grade ones and they performed it for their parents. You will recognize the tune of Frere Jacques. Use your pitch pipe to start the children on key. It begins on <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">do</span><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>. <br /><br />When the class has learned the song perfectly, divide the class in half and have them sing it as a round. It sounds beautiful, and my students were thrilled to be singing in French. At the completion of the song, the glockenspiel can be used for the last line as an extra touch!<br /><br />Click to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB03q6nPRBxIFDY5fHaMlVYe9pjYG-nY9XJl2WF32KX68zfR9t-Sd1uFSJxLbCJ-m7is2Sua9BM49nlZHrdMmATcemBQ1hoFLOQlqB1q4kX3wMbX45gOmJ45Yvj9LA8IA76NpwgbWW8Y/s1600-h/Les+cloches+sonnent.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB03q6nPRBxIFDY5fHaMlVYe9pjYG-nY9XJl2WF32KX68zfR9t-Sd1uFSJxLbCJ-m7is2Sua9BM49nlZHrdMmATcemBQ1hoFLOQlqB1q4kX3wMbX45gOmJ45Yvj9LA8IA76NpwgbWW8Y/s400/Les+cloches+sonnent.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411510941753773906" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-38486378348358425242009-12-03T11:55:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:06:36.953-08:00A Christmas Song for Primary ClassesIt may be late to teach this song to your class this year, but it is fairly simple and your class will learn it easily. This song works well for a simple presentation at a Christmas concert. One of your students could play the last two lines on a glockenspiel after the class has sung the song. <br /><br />Click on the image to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy8JeoxDTgKi0VrNwlRzNX1-0KK8H45w_M0BgK9UFbr55M8y9bQFjBd5L4qyfkwRnS9h6TwDgm7kaHiYtj9HMMHFhaJ4j12YYEWbJmO09w4xYXqZnw8SAsq1xzGvBdME0of8KMb04su8/s1600-h/Spanish+Carol.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy8JeoxDTgKi0VrNwlRzNX1-0KK8H45w_M0BgK9UFbr55M8y9bQFjBd5L4qyfkwRnS9h6TwDgm7kaHiYtj9HMMHFhaJ4j12YYEWbJmO09w4xYXqZnw8SAsq1xzGvBdME0of8KMb04su8/s400/Spanish+Carol.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411102941341599906" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-30042155801459430252009-05-23T13:41:00.000-07:002009-05-23T13:54:47.493-07:00Taxes on Pet foodI think we have a distinct contradiction in the fact that food for pets is taxed.<br /><br />The Ontario Government finally updated their laws on cruelty to animals. This new law has some teeth, and hopefully, people who mistreat animals will pay a heavy price.<br /><br />But if the government really believes in this new law, how can they tax food for pets? I know that the standard argument holds that pets are a luxury, and therefore, their food should be taxed. <br /><br />But every one of the five cats I have owned has been a rescued cat. I saved their lives and they needed food. All pets are living creatures who need food to stay alive. <br /><br />So how can the government tax pet food?Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-2103955673025509082009-04-21T06:01:00.000-07:002009-04-21T08:25:21.109-07:00Another Song for Music Class: Michael Finnegan"Michael Finnegan", a traditional Irish song, is a neat song to teach your grade one class. We didn't have room for the following version in our primary book, <a href="http://www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com">"The Key to Your Primary Music Program",</a> although a different version is included in our second book, "The Key to Your Junior Music Program".<br /><br />Children love this song for a variety of reasons. First, the lyrics appeal to the grade one sense of humour! The melody and rhythm patterns are very pleasing and children learn the song easily. <br /><br />This song is perfect for practising echo clapping and learning to write and clap blank rhythms.<br /><br />I also transposed the song into the key of C so that the class could play it on the glockenspiel. They loved that activity!<br /><br />The students will love returning to this song in grades two and three after learning it in grade one.<br /><br />Click the image to enlarge and print.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrd9X_jpBdGHWTcbJ-KcO50170L0mewxwbIz6wzf783UCQARWXifbIihq68_sUNe049Cny7OSXAl70Zb7gMGO3HPnebT8pZfSG_DmAT4CylJnxRP3R-RPjya9A6vMnJ5XL43KdRO4Bj-E/s1600-h/Lesson+plan+for+Michael+Finnegan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrd9X_jpBdGHWTcbJ-KcO50170L0mewxwbIz6wzf783UCQARWXifbIihq68_sUNe049Cny7OSXAl70Zb7gMGO3HPnebT8pZfSG_DmAT4CylJnxRP3R-RPjya9A6vMnJ5XL43KdRO4Bj-E/s400/Lesson+plan+for+Michael+Finnegan.jpg" border="0" alt="Michael Finnegan"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327141205654159234" /></a>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-63453758044860228082009-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:002009-03-31T17:52:25.691-07:00Did you say "out of"?I guess it is time for me to concede my battle against "out of" to the all-powerful "usage" rule.<br /><br />In his column of March 21 in the Toronto Star, James Travers wrote, "... decision to pay executive bonuses <span style="font-weight:bold;">out of</span> a bailout."<br /><br />The word "from" should replace "out of".<br /><br />I heard the same term on the news tonight: "The last workers walked <span style="font-weight:bold;">out of </span>the building today." A better form would be: "The last workers <span style="font-weight:bold;">left</span> the building today."<br /><br />"Out of" can always be replaced with a better choice of words. Unfortunately, "out of" has become acceptable everywhere. I have just finished reading a very good novel, and the author used "out of" many times.<br /><br />It is especially discouraging to find myself making this terrible grammar mistake as well! Usage has won the battle!Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-6261110427082541982009-03-19T08:51:00.000-07:002009-03-19T09:14:54.168-07:00Did you say "had not took?"I must say that I am completely discouraged about the future of the English language. It is gradually and relentlessly being destroyed by people who should know better. The basic problem is that these people are totally unaware of how little they know about the structure of our language. <br /><br />The problem to which I refer in the title is based on inadequate understanding of verbs in the English language. The past tense of a regular verb is formed by adding "ed" to the base. For example, the verb, "to walk" (this is the infinitive form):"walked" is the form used for the past tense. <br /><br />However, many of our frequently used verbs are irregular in form. For example, "to take". The simple past tense is "took", and you say, "I took". But if you want to use the pluperfect past tense, you must use the past participle "taken" with an auxiliary verb: "I had taken". <br /><br />I was disgusted this morning to read an article on the MSN Sympatico home page written by Jeffrey Baynes (MSN shopping editor)in which he said, "...and wonder why <span style="font-weight:bold;">I had not took</span> the plunge yet"! <br /><br />That affects me like fingernails on a blackboard!<br /><br />Refer to my previous post from March 2, 2009.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-54546085920672214932009-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:002009-03-14T13:54:02.479-07:00Pension BenefitsIt has been an enlightening experience to learn about the perks that auto workers take for granted. The news conference with details of the proposed contract with GM on March 8, 2009 provided me with information that I never had before. <br /><br />The "copay" idea for health benefits, for example! As a retired teacher who stayed home to raise her children, I have a small pension based on nineteen years of teaching (the first three were part-time). I am presently paying 10% of my gross annual pension for drug and extended health care coverage. The premium I pay does NOT include dental coverage. I didn't think I could afford the extra $100 a month for dental coverage that in reality provides only 50% coverage.<br /><br />But as I listened to the news conference, I learned that the pensioned auto workers had total health care benefits provided completely by their former employer. I also understand that the workers also have a complete and free package of health benefits! I don't know whether this amazing coverage is based on a group plan with an insurer, or whether it is completely financed by GM.<br /><br />The head of CAW apologized to the pensioners, saying that they have the best record for looking after their pensioners! How true! I would love to only pay $15 a month for a complete benefits package!Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442074706802119568.post-91113412176849203002009-03-02T16:02:00.000-08:002009-03-10T10:48:45.778-07:00Did you say "between you and I"?Too many people in high places are ruining the English language. This is the outcome of grammar no longer being taught as a subject in our schools.<br /><br />When I was taking my teacher training at the Ontario College of Education in Toronto in 1966, we were given a publication from the Ministry of Education which stated that grammar would no longer be taught as a subject.<br /><br />The outcome of this poor idea is audible everywhere. Many principals, teachers and reporters lack an understanding of the basic grammatical function of certain parts of our language.<br /> <br />For example: "Between you and I" is incorrect. An easy way to test this is to change to the plural form: Would you say "Between we"? No, you would say, "Between us". Therefore, the correct form is "Between you and me".<br /><br />Why is one form correct, and not the other? Why do most people have no problem with one, but can't solve the problem when "I" is in the mix?<br /><br />Have you heard "for you and I"? This is not correct! Would you say "for I"? NO! You would say "for me". When "you" is added, the correct form is still "for you and me".<br /><br />There are two forms of pronouns: the subjective and the objective form. The subjective form is the subject in the sentence (the subject of the verb).<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">I,he, she, we, and they<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span> are subjective pronouns.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Me, her, him, us and them</span><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> are objective pronouns. That means that after a preposition such as between, for, from, etc., you do not use "I"; rather, you must use "me".Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12559171386912991715noreply@blogger.com0