When I first started my teaching career I was very fortunate to get a position teaching first grade. As time went I, I moved to a few different grade levels and positions because of budget cuts. Eventually, God saw fit to move me back to first grade, which I am ever so grateful for.
This is my second year back in my original grade level and since my first grade teaching partner and I moved to first grade, we decided to coordinate a Grinch Day for the little firsties. Last year we created a few Grinch themed literacy and math centers. Since our district transitioned over to common core standards, we adjusted our centers slightly and created a few new standards-based activities.
One of the best things I remember about art activities from my days in elementary school was creating our own ornaments. I researched a few different methods online and found one that I remember using when I was in elementary school.
At our math center, students used red and green M and Ms and math workmats to solve CCSS word problems that aligned with Engage New York curriculum. This fun and engaging math center kept students focused and on task.
While searching for a few Grinch related things last year, I stumbled upon a free gameboard for the Grinch. All it needed were some comprehension questions, so I developed them from the story. We did a book study a week or so before our Grinch Day and then used a graphic organizer to summarize the story.
My first grade teaching partner is very artistic and created this fantastic retell storyboard in which students organized the pictures from the beginning to the end of the story. When they finished, they colored the storyboard. It was so beautiful!
At one center, students decorated their own cookies! We watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas after literacy and math centers ended. Students decorated their cookies during centers and then, after recess, they came back inside the media center where we watched the movie, ate the cookies, and enjoyed hot chocolate!
At one station, a parent read the story to students. Sometimes making the ornaments runs a little late, so this made a nice little break/ catch up center for students.
