H is for HOME

For summer school this year, we weren't provided with a curriculum, but we were told to make it an extension of the school year.  Well, we all know how kids get at the end of the school year... :/ So, I knew that if I stuck with the "same ol' routine," my students would hate coming to school each day.  So, I did some research and found this awesome curriculum map designed around the alphabet theme, and I tweaked it to meet my students' needs.  For H-Day, we discussed types of homes.  For Writer's Workshop, the students were to draw a picture of their favorite room in their own home, as well as support their opinion with reasons why it is their favorite room in their home.  Answering the question WHY is often the hardest thing for  a first grader to do, but they did wonderfully!  I was in awe of the ownership they all felt towards their own homes.  In math, we reviewed shapes and used polygrams to design our own homes.  It was a VERY fun activity and really reinforced number sense and shapes.  I was amazed of how creative the students were in being their own DESIGN STARS!

--Ms. Brandt

Notice the labeling!  Really emphasized the importance of this in
Writer's Workshop this year--writing for others to read!  

The students did this graphic organizer, also known as
four square writing, as a way to organize their thoughts
before writing their paragraph.  

Paragraph explaining why the room is her favorite in her home!

Designing our homes using polygrams. 

After the students designed their homes, they were to trace
the home and write down how many of each shape they used
to build their home.  

This was one of the most creative!
This student designed her home to be a DUPLEX!
(Notice the 2 doorways) 

Another finished product!

To download the DESIGN STAR document, please visit my TPT store here.