November has flown by and I have not had a minute to update! We have been really busy in First Grade!
This month we spent a lot of time learning about habitats in science. We looked at lots of different animals and where they live. We learned why some animals are able to live in some places that others aren't and what the different characteristics of animals in each habitat are. We also learned that we are animals and that we need the same kinds of things to survive as most of those animals! We learned that we all need food, water, air, and shelter to survive.
We have also begun studying the Solar System in Science. We have learned about the Earth's rotation around the sun and why the sun is important to us. Yesterday we had a great conversation after we talked about the sun's energy. We brainstormed why we need the sun and the children came up with really great ideas ! If we didn't have the sun, plants wouldn't grow and then we wouldn't have any food to eat. They also realized that without the sun's energy there would be no trees, which produce oxygen for us to breathe. I was really impressed at the children's thought processes while they were thinking about this.
We also learned about the First Thanksgiving and how it was different for the pilgrims than it is for us. In reading center the children read a book and complete a graphic organizer about a very important man named Squanto who helped the pilgrims out a great deal. We watched Charlie Brown's Mayflower Voyagers, which gives a very accurate representation of the first Thanksgiving and all of the trials that the pilgrims faced. We also spent some time thinking about what we are thankful for. Answers included friends, family, pets, our homes, food, and toys. It is always good for us to stop and think about the things that we are thankful for, especially since we have so much!
