Animals

Today I have prepared two activities to work some concepts about ANIMALS.

With this kind of worksheets, we are dealing both with some Science concepts (animal’s characteristics, types of animals…) and also some English Language structures.

Before using the worksheets, we should teach the kids the concepts they need to know to be able to complete the sentences about the animals.

We can use this activities as a mini-project at the end of a unit, or as a warm-up activity at the beginning of the animal unit the second year you teach about animals. 

Hope you enjoy them!

Animal riddle from Alba Candela

My favourite animal from Alba Candela

Hoy traigo un par de actividades para trabajar conceptos sobre los ANIMALES (en inglés).

Con estas fichas, trabajamos tanto los conceptos del área de conocimiento del Medio (características de los animales, tipos, etc) a la vez que estructuras de la lengua inglesa.

Antes de utilizarlas, debemos haber trabajado con los alumnos los conceptos que se trabajan, para que sean capaces de completar las oraciones sobre los animales.

Esta actividad se puede utilizar como un mini-proyecto al finalizar la unidad sobre los animales, o como una actividad introductoria al principio de este tema, si en cursos anteriores han tratado los conceptos que se trabajan.

Espero que os gusten.


Alba 

Hand signals (trying to have a quieter class)

I use to have very noisy groups. I know it's in part my fault, because I make them move,and think and share, and I always have something prepared for the fast-finishers, or for the slower students, or whatever.
Nevertheless, my last group (that wil be my students again in September), is specially noisy, and disturbing. I cannot spend half a second talking to another teacher, o looking at an activity..they ALL start wishpering, talking, playing and shouting. It's crazy!!

Another annoying thing about 1st and 2nd grade students, is that when you are explaining something important, they raise their hand and you think that they have a questions or a doubt, buuut...NO!! they just want to go to the toilet, or blow their nose... Or..you ask a question; that student that never participates in class raises his hand, and you think "Finally he is going to give an answer"...but NOOOO!! He opens his little mouth ans says "Can I sharpen my pencil?" aaahahhahahahahha!!! It's frustrating!

Surfing lots of teacher's blogs and websites, I found a quite good idea that will help with both problems. USING HAND SIGNALS.I have created different signals taht children can do with their hands so taht they do not need to speak: this way the do not interrupt an explanations or something important..and THEY DON'T SPEAK (I have the hope that the less I let them speak, even for simple things, the less they will...)

Hand signals from Alba Candela

Suelo tener grupos muy ruidosos. Sé que es en parte culpa mía, pues hago que se muevan, y piensen y compartan sus ideas, y siempre tengo algo preparado para el que termina pronto o para los estudiantes más lentos, o lo que sea.

Sin embargo, mi último grupo (que volverá a serlo en septiembre), es especialmente ruidoso y molesto. No puedo parar ni un segundo a hablar con otro profesor, o preparando algunaactividad .. TODOS empiezan a susurrar, haglar, jugar y gritar. ¡Es una locura!

Otra cosa molestas de los alumnos de 1er y 2 º curso, es que cuando estás explicando algo importante, levantan la mano y piensas que tienen una pregunta o una duda, peeeroooo.... ¡NO! Lo que quieren es ir al baño, o sonarse la nariz ... Otras veces .. haces una pregunta, y el estudiante que no participa en la clase levanta la mano, y piensas "Por fin sva a participar" ... pero ¡NOOOO! Abre  su pequeña boca y dice "¿Puedo sacar punta?" ¡Aaahahhahahahahha! ¡Es frustrante!

Navegando en blogs y sitios web de maestros, he encontrado una excelente idea que ayudará solucionar ambos problemas. GESTOS CON LAS MANOS. hE creado diferentes señales que los niños pueden hacer con sus manos para comunicarme algo y que no necesiten hablar: de esta manera no interrumpiran una explicación o algo importante .. y no hablan (tengo la esperanza de que cuanto menos les deje hablar, incluso para cosas simples, menos lo harán ...)


Alba

Picasso Project

I have here another art project I did with my 2nd grade students last year.
Here you are the Teacher's notes for the project, ansd the booklet I gave the students to keep make some of the activities and to keep their work.

Meet picasso booklet from Alba Candela

During the first lesson, we were discussing what is an artist, with the kids ideas an thoungts. Then we saw a PPT presentation with some Picasso artworks. On the booklet they had to answer to some questions about the different paintings ansd to say what the pictures make them feel.

Later, we learnt about Picasso's life and the periods of his art.
We focused on the Blue and Pink periods to learn something about cold and warm colours, and how they make us feel. We painted the same drawing with different colours (cold and warm) to see how they looked different.

Aftehr that w discovered what Cubism and Impresionism is, and how Picasso  drew people imagining he was looking at them from the front and from one side at the same time. We alsomade some Picasso Portraits.

To finish with the project, we studied Picasso's famous painting: "El Guernica". We were looking for the details of the painting in a book, and trying to understand it. We learnt that it talks about war and suffering. We tryed to change it to making the "Ghernica of Peace". We had some silhouettes form the painting on large construction paper and in groups we coloured and decorated it, to finally put them on a great and colorfull background. (I took the silhouettes from www.padreshispanos.com)

We finished our project visiting "Reina Sofía" Museum and there we could see some Picasso paintings and "El Guernica" that is amazingly big!!!


Whole project materials