Non- Fiction Book Fun With Facts ...

Hi everyone.  I know that it has been so long since I did a real post about what has been happening in my classroom and I would really like to thank you all for sticking with me!!!

Well I have been really lucky again this year and have a temporary contract for Term 1 at the same school as last year (and in the same classroom).  So that means I am again teaching a composite Yr1 / Yr 2 class.  We are just starting week 6 of term and it is just flying by!

Our theme this term is Dinosaurs and we have had so much fun already.  Last week we started looking at non-fiction books and using our recalling of facts about dinosaurs.

Firstly we studied the features of non-fiction texts and we used our checklist to identify all of the features of the text and then did a Venn Diagram to compare features of non-fiction texts and the narratives we have read so far.

Then we used the 'I Remember' strategy on our mini whiteboards to recall three dinosaur facts from a small part of our non-fiction book.  The kiddies had so much fun constructing this fabulous craftivity Dinosaur that I found by Leslie Ann from Life in First Grade.  You can download the craftivity as a Freebie HERE.

They look really cute and it was a fun way of displaying their 'I Remember' facts.

Finally, we created Webs of Understanding.

We read the entire non-fiction text together as a class and then the kiddies were grouped at tables (this was a really fabulous way of including the few year 1 kiddies who still cannot read or write properly).  Each group had a different colour ball of yarn and each member had to say a fact they remembered from the text and then roll the ball of yarn to another group member.

It was a wonderful communicative activity that allowed all the kiddies to feel successful, regardless of their literacy abilities and gave my Yr 2 kiddies a chance to develop leadership skills.  The class had so much fun and the huge number of facts that they were recalling was fantastic! It is certainly a technique that I will be using more often in the classroom!  It can be used for all kinds of activities.  I think I will try it in maths groups this week!

I would love to hear the ways in which you have used Webs of Understanding with your kiddies!!

Wishing everyone a fabulous week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by.