1st Grade
The Puddle Pail - Introduced in September of 2013, this lesson begins with the reading of The Puddle Pail by Elisa Kleven. This is a story about finding beauty, value and inspiration in nature as opposed to material items. After reading and discussing the book, students go outside with their journals and crayons to explore puddles (made by the teacher) that have been placed in various locations in the garden. Students are given the opportunity to explore the many reflections created by these puddles and color pictures of the ones they like best. After returning to the classroom, students reflect on this experience and write a journal entry based on their observations.
Dream for the Future in honor of Earth Day - In April 2013 the children watched a Magic School Bus episode on recycling in order to provide background information. After discussing what they learned about the need for recycling, they discussed and brainstormed what they can do to make the world a better place to live. The students worked with the journal prompts, “I dream of a world……I can help by…….” The students work was then sent away to be published by Nationwide Learning Inc. Each student had an opportunity to buy a copy and our originals were put into a hardback book for our classroom library.
1st Grade Environmental/Fish Release Day at Patapsco State Park: As the culminating activity to raising fish in the classrooms, the surviving classroom fish are released by the students into the Patapsco River in the Spring. (5/22/13, 5/23/12, 5/20/11; mixed grades on 4/23/10). This event has been happening at Hillcrest Elementary for over 10 years but the trips have evolved into a much more comprehensive outdoor learning experience than just releasing fish into the river. For instance, when the Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff helped run the event, they taught the students about horseshoe crabs, led games on predators and prey, and other activities not specific to the Patapsco River or this park. In 2013 the Environmental Committee along with the 1st grade teachers (and the art teacher) took over full coordination of the field trip. They planned topic and age-appropriate activities such as a game about who pollutes the Patapsco, a nature hike, and a creative activity such as watercolor painting of the river. Teachers also conducted lessons on the environment prior to the field trip and discussed what students learned afterwards. Each of the past three years approximately 120 first graders have gone on these field trips.