Leprechaun Twist and Super Scientist in Full Swing!

So I know it's been forever since I've posted, and I could tell you all about my horribly busy life...(teacher, mother, student, wife, etc.) - so pretend I did {Blah, Blah, Blah} - Now I feel better! :)

I just had to share these Leprechaun posters we did when we returned from Spring Break.  The wanted posters are from Erica Bohrer and you can find them here.  Instead of drawing a picture this year, my kiddos dressed up as leprechauns.  Yep!  I bought a green plastic hat, bow tie, shamrock sunglasses, and some stick on beards and my students were transformed!  We laughed so hard and had so much fun taking these pictures. Here are some of my students  leprechauns!

Even the GIRLS wanted the beard and mustache! 

I printed out their pictures, cut them to fit the poster and they loved writing about the wanted leprechaun (themselves)!

I wanted to share some photos of my SUPER scientists (and I do mean SUPER)!  I am amazed every year at how excited and very serious my first graders are about their experiments.  If you would like to know more about the Super Scientist Experiments in my room, you can read my original post along with some freebies that accompany this project.  Now to see the magic:

  Erupting Volcano

Tornado in a Bottle

Oil Bubbles

Rising Heat

Magic Milk

Liquid Mix-Up

Screaming Glass

Acid Test

Dancing Raisins

Air Pressure Water Rocket

We still have many more left and they can't wait until it is their turn.  I love to see their eyes light up, and the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" and "wows" as they perform their experiments.  I hope to make a presentation with all my super scientist experiments so that students (and parents) will have a keepsake of all the awesome science experiments we did throughout the year.  

Tomorrow is Friday... Yay!  Going to see Hunger Games this weekend.  Any fans out there?  Can't wait!

Have you lost your rainbow?

Have you read the book "The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow" by Sean Callahan?  We created some rainbows this week!  In this story, the leprechaun is named Roy G. Biv.  We talked about the colors of the rainbow and the order of the colors using this leprechaun's name.  The little girl in this story has to help Mr. Biv build a rainbow by putting items into his hat that match these colors.  When he has something for each color a rainbow magically appears out of his hat.  This story inspired me to create this fun writing prompt and craft that goes along with the story.  

The students had to think of items that belonged to them that were a color of the rainbow and write about it.  In the story, the little girl had to place one item that was very special to her that she did not want to give up, but sacrificed in order to make the rainbow. At the bottom of the paper, the students had to tell me which item was the most precious to them and why.  Here is a student example.  I apologize for the pics. I took them with my iphone and they are just not very good.  

Here they are lined up in the hall:

I guess it's time to take my snowflakes down.  They are clashing with our spring writing!

The kids enjoyed coming up with items they would put in the hat and what item they would sacrifice.  I have included the writing page I used below.  The kids loved this book and as soon as I put it back on our seasonal shelf, they were fighting over who gets to read it again first.  

On another note, our super scientists have been going great!  I can't wait to paste some pictures and information about what awesome scientists we have in first grade.  Happy Wednesday!