1st Grade Place Value and Digital Citizenship

1.NBT: Number and Operations in Base Ten

2. Understand Place Value

This standard is extremely important for 1st graders to learn because the concept of place value must be learned in order for them to be prepared for the math to come in future grades. Children need to have a concrete understanding of place value in order to be ready for adding or subtracting large numbers, estimating, regrouping, division, and multiplication. It is also helpful if students use digital citizenship to learn and practice the concept of place value. In today's society, technology is used in many parts of our lives. We use technology for work, play, education, online banking, shopping, and for many other functions. It is important that children learn and are comfortable using digital technology. The digital resources that I will recommend will be a great starting point for children to get comfortable using technology to enhance their knowledge on place value. Some of the resources will be for students to use in the classroom and at home, while others will be resources for parents to refer to. 

 Powtoon: Digital Citizenship

Before students begin using their Chromebooks or IPADs, I will have students watch a Powtoon on how to use technology responsibly. I want students to know how to be a digital citizen before using technology in our Place Value lesson. I will show this video to the whole class, have a class discussion, and end with questions the students might have on how to properly use the Chromebooks or IPADs. Once students have an understanding of how to be a digital citizen, they will be ready for the following resources. 

The following links are YouTube videos on Place Value:

  

Place Value First Grade - Tens and Ones From Math & Learning Videos 4 Kids

I will show this videos to the whole class prior to myself beginning the lesson. These videos will provide students with a quick over view of Place Value before I begin the full lesson. I have found these videos to be engaging and meet the needs of diverse learning styles within the classroom. Students will also be able to refer back to these videos on their Chromobooks or IPADs at their desk or at home. I will provide the link for them on Edmodo and our classroom web page. Edmodo is a website that allows me to communicate with my students, provide links, and assignments for them to access. 

Place Value Lesson - 1st and 2nd Grade Math From Math & Learning Videos 4 Kids

This video will also be shown at the beginning of a lesson to give students a quick over view of Place Value in ones and tens. I like how the video provides the concept through visual and audio to meet the needs of diverse learners. I will display this on the board for the whole class to see, but students will also be able to refer to this video at their desks or at home on their Chromebooks or IPADs. The link to this video will be on Edmodo and our class's web page, so students have access to it any time. 

The following links are for students to access free games on place value:

 ABCya! First Grade Numbers

The first grade place value games include: Base Ten Bingo, Base Ten Blocks, Base Ten Fun, and Comparing Number Values. These games can be accessed in the classroom on the students' Chroomebooks or IPADs. I would recommend having students try these activities after the lesson to assess their understanding of Place Value. The website provides the students with immediate feedback, or scoring, of the their answers. This website can also be accessed at home if students want or need extra practice through our class's web page. I might also have this website be a math center for students to practice.

1st Grade Interactive Math Skill Builders

This website offers 22 exercises and games along with 7 practice tests and quizzes. This is another website that I will have students use after a lesson to assess their understanding of the material. This website could be used as a center during math centers for students to have extra practice. The website provides students with the number of questions they answered correctly. This website will tell me and the students if they are understanding the concept of Place Value. The practice tests and quizzes are also another resource I can use for assessing students' understanding of place value. Students can also access these exercises, games, practice tests, and quizzes at home for studying for a math test or extra practice. This link will be provided for my students on Edmodo and our class's web page. 

 1st Grade Games - Understand place value

This is another website that offers 5 free games for students to play for checking their understanding of Place Value: Shark Place Value, Dino Place Value, Place Blocks, Count Up Place Chips, and Duck Golf. All of these games provide students and myself immediate feedback on their understanding of Place Value. Students are able to see right away the number of questions they answered correctly. This would be another option for students to do during math centers for extra practice. Students will access these games in the classroom and at home for extra practice and as a  method of studying for  a test. The link will be posted on Edmodo and our class's web page. 

The following links are for students to sing and listen to songs on Place Value:

place value math song: ones, tens, hundreds From Mr. R's Songs for Teaching

This song and video have great visual aids to assist students understand the concept of Place Value. I also find that students are able to remember concepts better when they know a fun song or phrase. Students will see this on the board when I project it for the whole class to see. I will also have this website on Edmodo and our class's webpage, so students can access it at their desks or at home on their Chromebooks or IPADs. This song can be introduced at the beginning, middle, or end of a lesson. 

 Math Videos That Teach Place Value

This website provides math videos that will be shown at the beginning of a lesson to provide students with a quick over view of Place Value. These videos can also be used to prepare students for an activity during math centers. The website has both videos on place value and fun songs for students to sing and listen to. These videos can be shown to the whole class, or students can view them individually at their desks on their Chromebooks or IPAds. Students will have access to the link for this website on Edmodo and our class's web page. 

The following link can be used by teachers or parents:

 1st Grade Math Worksheets: Place Value

This link can be used by teachers to get worksheets for their students to complete on Place Value. They could be used as an exit slip or a quick quiz to assess student's understanding of Place Value. Parents can also use this website to provide their children with extra practice on Place Value for studying for a math test. I will provide a link to this website on our class's web page, so that parents and students have access to it.

The following link is for teachers and parents:

 Explain Place Value

This website provides lesson plan ideas and worksheets that teachers can use in their lessons on Place Value. I believe this website is just a starting point of ideas for teachers and should not consist of their entire lesson. Technology should be integrated in the lesson. This website is also for parents to refer to when they need to refresh their memory on Place Value. I will have a link to this website on our class's web page for parents to access it.

It is crucial that teachers integrate technology into our lessons as much as possible. Digital citizenship is growing, therefore, students need to use technology and feel comfortable with it at an early age. This is a great starting point of digital resources that teachers, students, and parents can use on Place Value for in the classroom and at home.

21st Century Communication Skills Necessary For Today's Students To Develop

The 21st century skills are a set of abilities that students need to develop for living and thriving in the 21st Century. Effective communication is the foundation on which many careers are built on. Communication skills will be necessary for students' lasting success in their personal and professional lives.

21st Century communication skills that should be developed in students are:

Collaborating
Use: This is when students are able to engage and discuss an idea or topic with fellow peers. This may be done digitally or non-digitally.
Necessity: This skill is important because collaborating is crucial for students' learning, mental, and emotional health. It is also essential for students to be able to work in a group to formulate ideas.

Communicating
Use: Students will develop the ability to use multimedia to express themselves in an appropriate manner.
Necessity: This skill is necessary for students to build personal interactions. Students' ability to communicate will help them to put forth their best representation of who they are as individuals in relationships throughout their lives. This skill will assist them in their personal and professional lives.

Social Skills
Use: Students need to be able to interact with various people, different cultures, and people of different ages.
Necessity: This skill is necessary for students to build human relationships and intertwine into society and cultural events.

Problem-Solving
Use: Students need to develop the ability to define a problem, create a solution, and follow through on resolving the problem.
Necessity: Students need to have the ability to devise effective solutions to real-world problems in order for them to be more successful.

Creativity
Use: Students need to be able to think and work in both digital and nondigital environments. They also need to have the ability to develop unique and useful solutions.
Necessity: This can be a method for students to express themselves and their uniqueness. Creativity is an outlet that helps students see who they are and what they can do. This skill also nurtures children's emotional health.

Strategies that I will use to assist my students in attaining the previous 21st Century Skills:

• Create lessons where students will discuss content as a whole class, small groups or in partners.
• Have opportunities for students to give oral presentations, for example, presenting a poster report to the class.
• Teach students to evaluate their voices to enhance their presentation. 
• Have students be able to express themselves by writing in a variety of formats.
• Provide opportunities for students to interact with one another to build social skills.
• Present a problem to the class and have the students create solutions. For example, discuss with students problems in their environment, have students brainstorm to create solutions, and then present their solutions to the class. 
• Students may also create a problem that they would like to find solutions for. 
• Allow students to complete an assignment in their own imaginative ways. For example, students may make a video, a poster report, write an essay, or draw pictures. 

Inspired Versus Deflated In My Own Education

When creating motivation strategies for my future classroom, I take moments to look back on my past experiences as a student and what my teachers did that motivated me. I think of examples from past teachers of mine that motivated and deflated me. I then try and incorporate the motivating strategies into my future own classroom.

One teacher of mine that immediately stands out was my 7th and 8th grade history teacher. She always had our class engaged and excited about the material we were learning. For example, when we studied the Civil War, we received the content from multiple resources. As a class we read chapters from our history book, watched Gone With The Wind movie, watched a show on the Civil War from the National Geographic channel, and read articles the teacher had printed for us. We also had our own Civil War in the classroom. The classroom was split down the middle into the North and the South. After learning the content for the day, each side would be given the chance to answer questions. Students were motivated to pay attention during the lesson and retain knowledge on the content because if a student answered a question correctly, their side (North or South) would be given a point and a chance to throw a soft nerf ball towards the other side. If the nerd ball hit a student, they would be "dead". We were also given the opportunity to answer questions to bring people back to life. The side with the most points at the end of the unit won the classroom civil war. This made learning extremely fun for students. I didn't realize this at the time, but how she offered the content through multiple sources met the needs for various learning styles.

A teacher can also deflate a student's motivation. The first teacher that comes to mind when I think of deflated motivation, I am reminded of my 9th grade history teacher. This teacher only provided the material in two methods; the teacher would lecture while sitting in his chair or we would read the chapter in our history book independently at our desks. This class was very boring, not motivating, and did not keep most students engaged on the content. The teacher would lecture in a mono tone and sat in his chair at his desk. The teacher appeared bored during his lecture on the material. I wish we had a collaborative discussion on the material in the class. I am a strong believer that if students can talk about the material, then they understand the material. I did not retain the information well from just reading it independently. It would have been more engaging to have a class discussion after reading the material. My father would take over teaching me the material in the evenings at home. He would read the chapter, then we would have a discussion on the entire chapter. My father took over the responsibility of engaging and motivating me in history. I was soon back on track and retaining all of the material.

This is why it is crucial teachers take the time and the effort to create strategies for motivating and engaging their students. I believe one of the most important strategies is to provide the material through various sources to reach all students' learning styles. I will always remember my 7th and 8th grade history teacher for showing me how much fun learning can be. I will try my hardest to create that same environment in my future classroom.

5 Outstanding Strategies for Increasing Reading Comprehension

While volunteering in classrooms, I have observed teachers use five outstanding strategies to develop reading comprehension. These strategies are: Think-Pair-Share, mind maps, shared reading followed with a collaborative discussion, independent reading followed with answering questions on the content, and by making predictions prior to reading. I am so excited to announce that I have also been using some of these strategies right away in the classroom because I have started substitute teaching while I finish getting my teacher's credential and master's degree.

The first strategy, Think-Pair-Share, is a collaborative activity that helps increase reading comprehension. Students may read independently, the teacher may do a read aloud, or the class may do a shared reading. The teacher may pause during the reading or at the end of the reading to ask a question based on the material read. Students may be given a moment to think about their answer to the question. Then, they will turn to a partner and discuss their answer to the question. Once students have discussed with their partners, the teacher will bring the students back to a whole group. The students will discuss with the whole class the answers they came up with their partner. This strategy allows students to collaborate and learn from each other. My best practices book A New Teacher's Guide to Best Practices by Yvonne S. Gentzler states an instructional strategy for use during a unit is to, " Ask students to work sometimes individually, but other times in cooperative groups" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 136). This is exactly what Think-Pair-Share does for students. 

Another extremely beneficial tool for developing reading comprehension that students can do individually or collaborate with a partner is to make mind maps. Mind maps are a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. Students may read individually, the teacher may do a read aloud, or the class may do a shared reading. Once the students are done reading, the teacher must give a detailed explanation on how to format their mind maps. I would recommend doing an example on the document camera or Promethean Board as a whole class before the students complete their own mind maps individually or with a partner. Students will use their mind maps to help structure information, analyze the material, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas. Gentzler describes this learning strategy, " Use a graphic organizer to create mind maps for students, thereby strengthening learning and subsequent recall of material" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 147) This strategy may also be differentiated based on the ability of the student. Gentzer recommended differentiating this activity, "A slightly different twist is to use pictures or drawings instead of words to create a mind map" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 147). This is a learning activity that can benefit different student learning styles in the classroom.

Another favorite strategy of mine to develop reading comprehension is through a shared reading. The teacher reads aloud while the students follow along. The other day when I was substitute teaching in a third grade classroom, we did a shared reading for Charlotte's Web. The teacher had the book on a CD. The students read along to Chapter 3 while it was played from the CD out loud. I would occasionally pause the CD when we came to words the students may not know or to ask questions on what was happening in the story. We discussed the Chapter as a whole class, which allowed me to check for understanding. Gentzler further explains the importance of shared reading as, "…you can teach thinking skills at the same time you are teaching the content of your subject" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 129). It is important we show our students how to think or what they should think about while they are reading. Pausing during the shared reading to ask questions helps teach thinking skills to students and will develop their reading comprehension skills. 

Students may also develop their reading comprehension skills by reading a passage or level guided reading independently. After their reading, students will answer questions on a worksheet and label which paragraph the answer was found in. When I was substitute teaching in a 6th grade classroom, I saw this strategy done during science. The students appeared to comprehend the material much better than if they had just read the material. I believe that by having the students state where in the reading they located the answer to the question helped them to develop their reading comprehension skills. They needed to really understand what the question was asking, have a strong comprehension what they read, and to be able to state where in the reading they located the answer. 

The last strategy I believe helps with developing reading comprehension is to have students make predictions. Predictions encourage active reading and keep students interested to see if their predictions were correct. I have seen predictions made prior to reading or after the students read the first paragraph. The teacher had their students write down their predictions on a piece of paper. She also wrote the students' predictions on the whiteboard, document camera, or promethean board. During the reading, the teacher would check in with the students to see whose predictions were correct or whose were incorrect and why they were incorrect. Gentzler also discussed an instructional strategy for use during a unit as, "Provide students with ways of thinking about a topic in advance" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 136). Here, Gentzler is also describing the importance of getting students thinking about the topic prior to reading. Gentzler also recommends, "Ask students to revise linguistic and nonlinguistic representations of knowledge in their notebooks as they refine their understanding of the knowledge" (Gentzler, 2015, pg. 136). This is when the teacher will pause throughout the reading to check in and see whose predictions were correct or whose predictions were incorrect and why. This strategy will increase students' reading comprehension and keep them more engaged and interested throughout the reading. 

I have seen these five strategies be a success in developing reading comprehension for students. I look forward to using these strategies while I substitute teach and in my own future classroom.

References
Gentzler, Y. (2015). A New Teacher's Guide to Best Practices. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing.

Hello everyone. I wanted to re-introduce myself for those of you just joining me now on my journey in Education. I am currently working on my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Master's Degree in Education. I have been volunteering in 1st grade- 5th grade classrooms since I was in middle school. I have always had a passion for teaching ever since I began my volunteering in middle school. I decided to pursue my passion for teaching last year in March 2015. Before pursuing my new career, I was working as a Department Manager in Nordstrom in Orange County. I was working at Nordstrom during my senior year at San Diego State University. My career took off and I was quickly promoted two times at Nordstrom within two years. This persuaded me to put my passion for teaching on hold. Last year, I began to feel like something was missing. I began volunteering in a 1st grade when I moved back to my home town San Diego and remembered the joy and passion I had for teaching. I knew that this was my calling and it was time to make a career change.

I am not currently working in a classroom, however, during my time of volunteering I have observed multiple strategies to use for meeting the needs of diverse learners. The teacher emphasized the importance of grouping students based on their needs. For example whole class grouping, small groups, or working individually with a student that needs additional support. During these groupings, the teacher also differentiated her instructions. For English Language Learner, Special Needs Students, and struggling students the teacher used manipulatives and pictures to further explain the unit. She also used various delivery formats including videos, readings, lectures, audio, or pictures to assist in presenting the material for the lesson. I also observed the teacher provided different activities for the students to show their understanding of the content.

I feel my personality will assist me in meeting the needs of my students and to building a strong relationship with my students. I took the Teamtechnology personality test and found my results to be a true description of my personality. The personality test suggested that I prefer to deal with reality, facts and tangible outcomes. I feel this will help students that need to use manipulatives and learn by using concrete examples. The test also revealed that I enjoy taking a more personal approach when communicating with people and I care about people's feelings. Children need to feel that their teacher values their thoughts and their feelings. I feel these strengths in my personality will help build strong relationship with my students.

I also took the Felder and Soloman Learning Style Survey and found my learning style will assist me in teaching my students so they will be more successful. The results of the survey stated that I am an active learner as opposed to a reflective learner. This learning style is comparable when students collaborate with fellow classmates after a lesson on the material. I also found that I learn best by collaborating with others rather than reflecting quietly. I appeared to be a well balanced visual and verbal learner. Having a balance with both visual and verbal learning styles will assist me in making sure I present the material visually and verbally for my students. This will meet the needs of diverse learning styles in my classroom.

Lastly, I took the Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Survey and found some of my teaching styles will also increase my students' abilities to be successful. The results of the survey stated I was ranked high in expert, formal authority, personal model, facilitator, and delegator. One of the sections that stood out to me was how I scored high in Facilitator. Facilitator is the ability to focus on the students's needs/goals, display willingness to be flexible and explore options for students' learning, and use different methods for how students will show they have achieved these goals. I also found my score was high in delegator; to assist students to perceive themselves as independent learners. I feel it is important to hold students accountable and responsible for their learning. I will make an effort to help students feel confident and comfortable in the classroom, which will lead to students' success in the classroom.

After taking the personality, learning style, and teaching style surveys, I am confident that I made a great choice in changing my profession to teaching. I will continue to look for best practice strategies while volunteering in classrooms to bring to my own classroom one day.

Equivalent Fractions Teaching Plan

Equivalent Fractions Teaching Plan

California Common Core Standard 4.4.NF Number and Operations-Fractions

4.4.NF.1- Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n x a)/(n x b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions. 

Set the Purpose:

• In this lesson, we will use fraction strips to show equivalent fractions. Equivalent fractions name the same part of a whole.

Content:

1. Students will use fraction strips to show equivalent fractions. The students will go to the end of 2/3 on the fraction strips. Then students will use a ruler to find equivalent fractions that comes to the same end as 2/3. This method is best for English Language Leaners, Special Needs Students, and the students that fear math.

2. Multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number to make an equivalent fraction.

    For Example:  1  =  ?     This method is commonly used with On-level students and Advanced/
                             3      6                                                                                            Gifted Learners.

3. Divide the numerator and denominator by the same number to find an equivalent fraction.
    For Example:  6  =  2      This method is commonly used by Advanced/Gifted Learners.
                            15      ?

Delivery:

The teacher will start with the entire class by introducing equivalent fractions through the use of fraction strips. Then the teacher will explain the methods using multiplication and division to the entire class. After explaining all methods, the teacher will ask the students questions. The students will write their answers on whiteboards and hold them up to show their answers to the teacher. Based on the students' answers, the teacher will determine if the students may complete their worksheet individually or in groups. Students are then grouped based on similar abilities. There will be 3 groups for each differentiation of content as listed above. 

If a paraprofessional is present in the room, they will work with the English Language Leaners, Special Needs Students, and the students that fear math on the content with the use of fraction strips. ELL's and Special Needs Students are more successful and engaged in the content though the use of manipulatives. The teacher will float between the On-level students and Advanced/Gifted Learners to see if they need additional instructions or support. 

If a paraprofessional is not in the classroom, then the teacher will begin with the ELL's, Special Needs Students, and students that fear math to provide additional interactions and assistance on the fraction strips. Once these students are more comfortable on the content and answering questions correctly, the teacher will float between the On-level students and the Advanced/Gifted Learners to provide additional instructions and support if needed. 

Assessment:

1. The teacher will assess the entire class by having students write answers to questions on their whiteboards. The students will hold up their answers for the teacher to review. Based on the student's answers, they will be grouped by similar abilities. 

2. The teacher will assess the ELL's, Special Needs Students, and students that fear math by students being able to show equivalent fractions through the use of their fraction strips.

3. On-level students and Advanced/Gifted Learners will be assessed by the teacher asking questions and observing their answers on their worksheets while the teacher floats between both groups.

4. The entire class will be assessed at the end if the lesson by turning in exit cards for the teacher to check for understanding of the content. ELL's, Special Needs Students, and students that fear math will be allowed to use the fraction strips to complete the exit cards. The On-level group will use multiplication to complete their exit cards, while the Advanced/Gifted Learners will use both multiplication and division to complete their exit cards. 

Example of Fraction Strips

    

Describing the Lesson: Which way can we go?

Introduction

Students will locate objects in the classroom by using the cardinal direction flashcards found in a jar or container.  

Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling

Students will learn how to label a compass rose. Using the town map, students will state which direction they are going between two locations on the map. 

Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling

The town map will be displayed on the interactive whiteboard. Each student will have their own paper doll. Each student will the opportunity to walk their paper doll from one location to another. Classmates will name the direction of the paper doll's movement on the map. This procedure will continue until each student has the opportunity to move their paper doll. 

Independent Working Time

Each student will have their own piece of drawing paper or construction paper to create their own map. The students will draw arrows on their map from a starting point to an ending point. They will then write sentences describing the movement of the arrows while using cardinal directions. 

Technology Integration

An outline map will be displayed on the interactive whiteboard. A specific location will be located on the map. Students will explore places that are to the north, south, east, and west to that location.

Extend- Differentiation 

Advanced/Gifted Learners will use the state directions map to gain an understanding of the directions of northeast, southwest, etc. Students that need extra support will use the position and direction worksheet.   The position and direction worksheet reteaches concepts of cardinal directions. 

Assessment

Students will be asked to label a compass rose. They will be asked to use the compass rose to answer questions about the map. Questions will be read aloud to the students by the teacher. The teacher is assessing the students' knowledge of directions. 

Review and Closing

Cardinal direction flashcards will be placed on the wall throughout the classroom. The teacher will tell students that they spy something on the north, south, east, or west side of the classroom. The students will then guess what object is in the direction the teacher mentioned. The student that answers correctly will choose the next object in the direction north, south, east or west.

Differentiation Within the Lesson in Terms of Increasing Leaner Access to Content:

The various activities used in this lesson provides the students with an increased access to the content on cardinal direction. The students are accessing the curriculum through visual-spatial, kinesthetic, verbal, and interpersonal. The students were introduced to the material though multiple learning styles, which increased their access to the content of the lesson. For example, the differentiation on activities in the enrichment section of the lesson enhances the material presented to Advanced/Gifted Leaners based on the students' abilities. 

Assuring Responsibility for the Learning of Each Child Within the Lesson

The teacher assures the responsibility for the learning of each child within the lesson by actively engaging each student on the activities through the various learning styles. The teacher also assures the responsibility for the learning of their students through differentiating the activities to meet the individual needs of the students. The teacher offers many opportunities for the students to display their understanding of the content. If a student does not understand, the teacher may reteach the material to ensure the students are comprehending the information being presented. 

Project Based Learning

Lesson: Which way can we go? (50 minutes)

First Grade

Standards: RI 1.5, W 1.2

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify on a map the directions North, South, East, West. Students will also be able to write sentences with the use of cardinal directions. 

Materials

• 1 Set of direction flashcards
• A jar or container
• Cardinal directions worksheet
• Town map PDF
• White drawing paper or construction paper
• Class set of pencils
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Writing paper or sentences strips
• Precut paper dolls
• Position and directions worksheet
• State Directions worksheet
• Cardinal Directions flashcards
• Tape

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Place the direction flashcards in a jar or container.
• Have direction flashcards posted in the classroom to help students with directions.
• Pull out a card and read it to the students.
• Ask the students to point and name something that is in that direction. 
• Continue with the remainder of the cards.

Explicit Instruction/ Teacher Modeling (10 minutes)

• Display the Town Map worksheet.
• Show the students north, south, east, and west.
• Using the sentences on the bottom of the map and a paper doll, demonstrate how the students can find the direction and name the directions of north, south, east, and west. 

Guided Practice/ Interactive Modeling (10 minutes)

• Invite a student to come up to the interactive white board or the enlarged Town Map worksheet.
• Give the student a paper doll, and tell the student that he can start at any location on the map and move the paper doll somewhere else on the map. 
• Invite other students to name the direction of the paper doll's movement.
• Continue with the same procedure, inviting other students to come up and model the movement of a movement of a paper doll while the other students name the direction that the paper doll is moving. 

Independent Working Time (15 minutes)

• Direct the students to use the map as a model and to create their own maps on a piece of white drawing paper or construction paper. 
• Ask the students to draw arrows on the map and then write sentences about movement and direct on the map. For example, students could write: The playground is north of the post office.
• As needed, provide additional modeling and sentences examples. 

Extend

Differentiation 

• Enrichment: Teach a mini-lesson on combining directions to be more specific. Challenge students to use more complex descriptions of direction, such as northeast, southeast, etc. Have students complete the State Directions worksheet.
• Support: Use the Position and Direction worksheet to reteach concepts of cardinal directions. Provide illustrations of ties of buildings and landmarks students could use in creating their maps. Label students' papers with the cardinal directions.

Technology Integration

• Use an online map to help students explore more about the cardinal directions.
• Guide students in locating your location, and help them explore places that are tot the north, south, east, and west of that location.

Related Books and/or Media

• Up North and Down South by Doreen Gonzales
• There's a Map on my Lap by Tish Rabe
• The Compass Rose and Cardinal Directions by Caitlin McAneney

Assessment (5 minutes)

• Use the Cardinal Directions worksheet to assess students' knowledge of directions.
• Read the questions aloud to students, and ask them to write the answer beside each question.

Review and Closing (5 minutes)

• Play an "I Spy" direction game.
• Place the Cardinal Directions flashcards in the corresponding location around the classroom, taping them on the wall.
• Using those direction, tell the students that you spy something on the north, south, east or west side of the classroom.
• When a student answers correctly, ask them to spy something in one of those directions.

Rubric for Lesson: Poster Report on California's Regions

RubiStar

Rubric Made Using: RubiStar ( http://rubistar.4teachers.org)

Making A Poster : Presentation/Poster Rubric Teacher Name:  Jennifer Dolainski Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Use of Class Time	Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the project done. Never distracted others.	Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the project done and never distracted others.	Used some of the time well during each class period. There was some focus on getting the project done but occasionally distracted others.	Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others.
Graphics - Originality	Several of the graphics used on the poster reflect a exceptional degree of student creativity in their creation and/or display.	One or two of the graphics used on the poster reflect student creativity in their creation and/or display.	The graphics are made by the student, but are based on the designs or ideas of others.	No graphics made by the student are included.
Required Elements	The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information. Information is organized and well placed.	All required elements are included on the poster. Information is organized and well placed.	All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster. Information is organized and well placed.	Several required elements were missing.
Attractiveness	The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness and easy to understand the content.	The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. It is easy to read.	The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. Needs some improvement in design.	The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.
Content - Accuracy	At least 7 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. The project has excellent spelling, grammar, punctuation and original content.	5-6 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. The project has 1-2 spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors with original content.	3-4 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. The project has 3-5 spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors with original content.	Less than 3 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. The project has multiple spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Some content is copy and paste.
Knowledge Gained	Student can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster.	Student can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster.	Student can accurately answer about 75% of questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster.	Student appears to have insufficient knowledge about the facts or processes used in the poster.

Date Created: Feb 12, 2016 11:45 pm (CST)

Lesson: Poster Report on California Regions

Objective: Students will research one California's regions and collect information on the region's vegetation, wildlife, geographical features, major destinations, historical landmarks, and other fun facts.

Students will be placed in a group to search for a variety of images representing their region and add related captions based on their research and images of their poster. Research will be displayed on a poster board and presented orally by all members of the group.

Directions: 

• Include 4-8 pictures representing the characteristics of the group's region.
• Research information to add captions to your pictures on the group's poster.
• Include the following information on the poster:
• Types of plants in the region.
• Animals living in the region.
• Natural features of the region.
• Activities people do for recreational fun.
• Major destinations/ attractions of the region.
• Show natural resources with pictures.
• Show commercial uses with pictures.

Differentiation of Tasks:

English Language Learners and Special Needs Students will be in charge of drawing the map of California and where the cities and landmarks are located on the map. The Advanced/Gifted Learners and rest of the students in the group will show where to draw and glue the pictures, do all the coloring, and research for the captions written on the poster. When the group presents their poster orally, each student will be given time to speak. ELL's will discuss the pictures on the poster. Special Needs Students will talk about the animals and plants of the region. All facts written on the poster will be shared by the Advanced/Gifted Learners and the rest of the students in the group. 

Various Learning Preferences:

This lesson addresses various learning preferences. ELL's and Special Needs Students will benefit from using pictures to learn information on the California region. Some students are visual learners and comprehend better by using pictures as opposed to reading and writing the information. The kinesthetic learning preference is also addressed in this lesson. Some students will work better on the poster due to the ability of standing up and having some movement while working on their poster. Working in a group will also help the students feel more comfortable. They can all work together to find pictures on the internet to copy for their poster. ELL's and Special Needs Students may become frustrated when left alone to complete their work. Working in a group will help them learn the information without having them read material above their level. I also really like having students of different abilities work together in groups to support one another. A poster board allows for many different jobs to be performed by students at different levels. 

Hello. My name is Jennifer and I am currently working on getting my teaching credential and masters degree from National University. I have desired to be a 1st grade teacher since I was in elementary school. I put this dream on hold when I was promoted quickly into management while working in retail when attending college and San Diego State University. While working in retail, I felt like something was missing in my life. I began volunteering in a first grade classroom and was immediately reminded of my passion for teaching. I knew right away that it was time for me to go back to school and get my teaching credential.

While volunteering in a first grade classroom, I quickly learned the importance of differentiating instruction. Classrooms are filled with a wide diversity of students whom receive and comprehend information from various methods based on their abilities, interests, and background knowledge. For example, some students learn best visually, while others retain information better from audio. Teachers must get to know their students, assess their students, then differentiate their instructions based on the student's ability and needs. In a general education first grade classroom, I observed a teacher begin a new math lesson on multiplication by presenting the material to the entire class. At the end of the lesson, she check for understanding by asking questions and having students answer practice questions on the board. Students that understood the math lesson began their worksheet at their desks independently. There was a small group of students that did not understand the lesson and needed further assistance through differentiated instruction. The English Language Learners in her classroom had difficulty with understanding the problems on their worksheet. The teacher drew pictures to further explain the math lesson. For 2 X 3, she drew two groups of 3 apples. Then she had the students add all of the apples and put their answer on the worksheet. Other students used cubes to complete the problem 2 X 3. They had three cubes together in two rows. The teacher also had some students work in partners on the worksheet. The students were grouped based on their abilities, for example, a student of higher level ability was grouped with a student of lower level ability. It is extremely important teachers create various methods for presenting material to their students to meet all their students abilities and needs.