We start our first grade year reading the many books that feature Clifford, the big red dog. He's a familiar character to most students, and they feel comfortable with him as they enter the new world of first grade. In addition to Clifford stories, we read books about Ribsy, Harry the Dirty Dog, McDuff and Biscuit, as well as other storybook dogs. We also incorporate our science unit on mammals into this theme by reading many nonfiction books that feature dogs and puppies. The unit ends with each student bringing in a toy dog for Clifford's birthday party!
In October we begin a unit all about night and nocturnal animals. We read both fiction and nonfiction books about bats, owls, skunks, raccoons, mice, flying squirrels and so much more. This unit ends with a Pajama Party, and everyone wears their pjs and brings in blankets, sleeping bags, flashlights and pillows. We spend most of the day in the dark, with lots of napping too!
During the two busy months of November and December we are immersed in an author study of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We read "Little House in the Big Woods" as well as all of the picture books based on her novels. We spend time learning about pioneer life and comparing it with our lives today. We learn about frontier school experiences as well as how Laura celebrated the holidays with her family. We watch many of the episodes of the classic TV series "Little House on the Prairie" and wear bonnets and cowboy hats. At the end of this unit, we have Pioneer Day. It begins with pioneer school, where everyone works on slates and recites essays. Then parents come in for the Pioneer Party and Frontier Feast. We play checkers, marbles, hopscotch - we even toss a pig's bladder! The foods served are the same that Laura enjoyed, including pancakes, cornbread, bread and butter sandwiches and "pigs' tails" too! It's a highlight of our year and something that most first graders will never forget.
In the chilly month of January we read lots of books about quilts. We find that many of the quilt stories are pioneer stories and we recall our Laura Ingalls Wilder unit. A highlight of this unit is making our own class quilt. I have quilts from almost all of my years teaching - almost 20 quilts - and each one helps me remember those students. The students design a quilt square using fabric crayons, which is then ironed onto a white fabric square. With the assistance of parents, each child sews a running stitch around the diamond of their square, and then a parent volunteer takes home all of the patches and sews them together into our quilt. While waiting for our own quilt, the children spend the cold months snuggling up in the quilts of years gone by , reading the names, asking questions about the students - even finding their siblings' patches!
February is the month of friendship, and it's fitting that we read about the friendship of Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad. These delightful stories always speak to first graders, who can identify with the traits of each character. During this month we also learn about amphibians and study features of nonfiction books. The unit culminates in writing All About books on frogs and toads, complete with chapters, glossaries, diagrams and captions.
In March we travel to the rainforests of the world. We continue to explore nonfiction texts and features and therefore read TONS of books about the wildlife of the rainforest. We use that knowledge when we write our next All About pieces. This time each child selects an animal to "research" and then they write about its description, habitat, diet and other facts. Some years we display these reports on tissue boxes that we decorate to resemble our chosen animal. They are then displayed in the library and are read and reviewed by second graders.
In April we welcome the coming of spring by reading "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" as well as many of the other tales of British author Beatrix Potter. Beatrix lived during the 1800s, at the same time as Laura Ingalls Wilder, so we compare their lives and writing styles. At the end of the unit we have Bunny Day. Our class is hopping with the toy rabbits that students bring in and we enjoy carrot-shaped cookies too.
Our year ends "happily ever after" with our final literature unit - all about fairy tales. We read traditional and nontraditional versions of many of the classic stories. Each time we do, we add an item to our treasure chest. Each item is a reminder of that fairy tale. We collect a bear after reading "Goldilocks," a glass slipper after reading "Cinderella," an apple for "Snow White" and so many more. Last year we had over 30 treaures - that's a lot of fairy tales! The year ends with a show called "Fairy Tale Finale." At home students create a diorama, poster or book report about any of the fairy tales we've read. They are displayed in the classroom and parents are invited. Each child enters the classroom on that day wearing a crown and we recite poems for our families, and then proudly show off our projects. Then we enjoy a Fairy Tale Feast with Snow White's Apple Juice (non-poisonous, of course!), Hansel and Gretel's Gingerbread, Red Riding Hood's basket of muffins and so much more.
