March in like a lion out like a ???

  

Does March really come in like a lion and go out like a lamb??  Unfortunately, this year it looks like it's coming in like a lion and going out like a lion.  

We have been tracking the weather and have placed a lion picture on the calendar for lion days (cold, snowy, freezing rain, etc) and a lamb picture on the calendar for lamb days (milder days, sunny, etc.).  We have only had 3 lamb days in March... and that's a stretch!!  We can't wait for spring weather to arrive!!  One of my favorite books to read around this time is And Then It's Spring.

Author Julie Fogliano and Caldecott Medal winning illustrator Erin E. Stead do a fabulous job, in my opinion, depicting the transformation of winter to spring here in the northeast.

I love how Julie Fogliano says, "it is still brown, but a hopeful, very possible sort of brown."  Can you relate to this?  I know I can!  This weekend for homework the kids have to look for signs of spring.  Even though there is still snow on the ground and the little that we can see of the grass and trees looks brown, there are small glimmers of hope!!  And hopefully soon, just like in the end of the book, everything will magically and abruptly be GREEN!!

In order to make it through these yucky March days, we have done lots of fun things in the classroom.  We are just wrapping up our solar system unit.  The kids have learned a lot about the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets (including earth).  They will continue to research a planet of their choice during computer class on Tuesday.  Take a look at these fun projects that the kids made.  They created the moon by painting with a mixture of white paint and shaving cream.  That made it look bumpy, like the surface of the moon.  They made the "craters" by twisting a water bottle cap on the wet paint.  Then they wrote about what the know about the earth and moon. Some of the kids got really creative with their rocket ships. (Thanks for the idea http://rowdyinroom300.blogspot.com/)

Another learning experience was when we had our visit from The Traveling Museum.  The students learned about "Mirror Magic."  They learned how mirrors work, how light affects the mirrors, looked at many different kaleidoscopes, and then got to make their own:

Finally, to practice working with verbs, we had our "Angry Verbs" day.  Although I've never played Angry Birds, I know that it's a favorite amongst many of my first graders.  The students chose their favorite angry bird and then wrote sentences about it.  They highlighted the verbs in their sentences.  They are always a favorite hallway hanging.  The kids in other classes love looking at all of the "Angry Verbs!"

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to see all of the fun that we have had throughout the month of March.  Be on the lookout for signs of spring!  

Think Green!!