Mr. Ritzen's First Grade Class

                               Thanks For the great year and all your hard work.  Enjoy your summer.  And Remember...

                                                                           
                                                                                       The grass and sky may look like they go on forever, 
                                                  but today is a good day to move on to second grade.


                                                                                            Attention:
                                                       Our Last Discussion Question of the Year Has Been Posted.

Stellar job by  Hanyoul and Ian.  They posted an answer on the website to our last question of the year about giving advice to next year's first graders in Mr. Ritzen's class.  Their answers are still in the Discusussion section of the website.  I will leave up the question for a little while during the summer so you can give my next crop of students a helping hand.   Also please look at Ashwin's answer to the challenge about creating a Tall Tale about his academic success this year the Announcements Section of the website.  Throughout the year there will be a weekly discussion question posted in the Discussion Section of the website. The questions usually run from Friday to Friday.   I encourage students to go answer the question with their family.   It might take a day or two for me to accept your answer and place it on the website.  


Our class went on a field trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium on Thursday, June 12th. 

Thank you to the Following Chaperones:
1.  Tena Brown
2.  Luda Shevchuck
3.  Chami Ro
4.  Chamnan Mam
5.  Karisa O'Daniels
6.  Stephanie Knapp
7.  Connie Elliott
                    

What did Mr. Ritzens Class Spy at the zoo?  Click on the kookooskoos to find out!                                                                




Below were theChaperone-Led Field DiscoveryGuides we used on our field trip to the zoo.

Asian Forest Animals
Arctic Tundra Animals
Marine Mammals (Rocky Shores)
Ocean Invertebrates (North Pacific Aquarium)
Red Wolves
Sharks















                                                                                                  
                                              Jump to Reading/Writing Activities                                                 Jump to Landforms and Habitat Activities                                

                                                                      
                                                       
               Jump to Math Activities                                         Jump to Science Activities                                 Jump To Citizenship/Participation 


   
As the students move on to second grade, they had a little fun writing and  putting Mr. Ritzen in some bizarre scenarios.
                      
           Christina's Cover Page                                                                        Isabelle's Writing

                            
               Grace's Writing                                                                                   Ashwin's Writing


                          
                                             Attention Parents:

Our class Dibels testing took place on Wednesday, May 28th.  A report regarding the results will go home with your students in their reading assessment book on June 13th.   Click Here to get more information regarding the Dibels and reading expectations for your student.  





Even though Sun Boy's Torch was absent on our field day, the students made the most out of the altered indoor activity schedule.  We were able to slip outside between Rain Maker's showers and take this picture of the students wearing their 2008 Field Day autograph hats that includes the signature of everyone in the class.   

                                                    
                               Let's Get Ready to Caucus!

 
Hanyoul and Chris out to get some votes for their book.            Josie wants people to read her team's opinion papers.
      
   
         Teams hard at work on campaign row !                               Voters read  student opinion papers before they vote. 

                                              
                                                      Voters casting their book caucus ballots.

 

  Congratulations to Traction Man is Here! The winner of the 2008 Discovery Primary Book Caucus


 Read Mini Grey's response email to winning the 2008 Discovery Primary Book Caucus.   




Click Here to print out the Traction Man cut out Min Grey sent the class.









              Mini Grey                                                   
         
Thank you to all the friends and families that attended our book caucus on May 8th featuring the top four vote getters from the 2007 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award.  All the students did an outstanding job on their presentations, opinion paragraphs, and campaigning for their book. The evening was a great success.    
                
   
Click Here to view and compare our caucus results with the results from the 2007 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award. 




Click on the Traction Man is Here! team to view the vetted
results of the Discovery Primary Book Caucus. 

                    

         First                              Second                               Third                                         Fourth

                         
                                                 Click on each book above to read the summary and  view the campaign team.



The students have learned the process of  how to write a cohesive opinion paragraph about one of the top four books from the 2007 Washington Children’s Choice Awards using the TREE strategy. 

                                                            

The roots are like your reasons -- they support your Trunk (Topic).  It is
important to examine the Roots.  If they are strong, the trunk and the whole
rest of the tree (paragraph) will be strong.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Let's Play Ball! 
                 Christina's "Who's on First?" Baseball Field.
The students measured with a ruler their own baseball field and then completed it with color.  However,  this is not just any baseball diamond. This ballpark is is labeled with the position players on Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's team from the classic skit "Who's on First?"  After Labeling the positions, the students watched the comedy routine and used their completed baseball field to try and keep up with the comedy duo. Then the students used their their fields as a game board for an old fashion baseball dice game.  

  1.  Click Here for the "Who's on First" Llne-up.   

   2.  Click Here for the Baseball Dice Game Rules.   
                                                                                                            
                                                                            Click 

Click on Abbott and Costello to to listen to "Who's on First? 
                                             






                                                     
                                                Tall Tales
                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                  
                                                                                               
    

The students have started learning about four American Tall Tale Icons.  They will be completing a characterization book on each one and charting their travels in the United States on maps.  



If you think you know these Tall Tale Characters Click Here to Take a Quiz!











The truth about John Henry as the strongest man alive is obscured by time and myth, but one legend has it that he was born in the1840s and fought his famous battle with the steam hammer along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in Talcott, West Virginia.
A statue and memorial plaque have been placed along a highway south of Talcott as it crosses over the tunnel in which the competition may have taken place.





Click above to hear the story of John Henry.


              The students illustrated some exaggerations about John Henry by making some comic panels.
                                                                                        
      
Hanyoul:  Jonh Henry could break through boulders as big as a city        Whitney:  John Henry's hammer could break through large boulders.



      
Chris:  John Henry's feet were faster than a car.                                          Julie:  John Henry had more energy than a horse. 

  Below is a newspaper comic written as a tribute to John Henry




Now click on the picture above to create your own comics online.




   Click below to paint Johnny Appleseed 
Johnny Appleseed was a legendary American who planted and supplied apple trees to much of the United States of America. Many people think that Johnny Appleseed was fictional character, but he was a real person by the name of John Chapman.  Johnny was a skilled nurseryman who grew trees and supplied apple seeds to the pioneers in the mid-western USA. Appleseed gave away and sold many trees. He owned many nurseries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Indiana, where he grew his beloved apple trees. Although he was a very successful man, Appleseed lived a simple life. It is said that as Johnny traveled, he wore his cooking pot on his head as a hat! Click here for a Johnny Appleseed recipe.  As years have passed, the truth about Johnny
Appleseed has been stretched a bit.
     
            Facts about John Chapman                       Tall Tales about Johnny Appleseed.

 Click below to see a map of Paul Bunyan's travels.
Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack who appears in tall tales of American folklore. The character originated in the work of American newspaperman James MacGillivray in Oscoda, Michigan in 1906.   Historically, the character has been popular in the northern region of the United States, around Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  However, Paul was said to have traveled across the United States and was said to be responsible for making the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes.  It is also to be reported that he was supposed to be responsible for making a little trench that is now known as the Grand Canyon. 
      
                                                             CLICK ON me to read            Paul Bunyan Dress-Up Game              Paul Bunyan presents 
                                                                             Flapjack Frenzy                                                                                Sourdough Sam EGG-CATCHER
                                                                                                                                                                                    

Click below to here the Ballad of Casey Jones!

Our last Tale Tale Character is Casey Jones.  The engineer was called "Never Late Casey" because he always had his train arrive on time.  Casey Jones became a legend by saving all the passengers riding on his train when it smashed into a stalled freight train at Vaughn, Mississippi in April of 1900.  A railroad worker by the name of Wallace Saunders wrote the first song about his engineer friend and so created the legend of Casey Jones.  It is a legend that is brought to mind every time we hear the whistle of an old locomotive.    

In honor of Casey Jones always being on time, the students made a matching math game to see who can build their train first (Click Here for the rules!).   The students will be bringing home all their Tall Tale characterazation books the week of June 2nd.   



                                                                          
                                                                                       Chris and Chayce
     



            Let The Games Begin!
Both our Mancala Madness Tournaments are complete.  The students played the games during first recess and  have got very adept at strategizing their moves. Students will soon be bringing home their own mancala boards they made.  Besides learning the math based game mancala, students learned sportsmanship and respect during the competition.  Before each match, the students shake hands and cite the Player Pledge: 
           1.  I will play fairly
           2.  I will pick-up what I take out
           3.  I will be a good sport.
The winner will get to take home and keep the tournament board and stones.  
Click Here for the results of our first tournament.     

Click Here for the results of our second tournament.
                                                                                                                 

Brian watches Christina think through a move in the championship
match of Mancala Madness II.

                           
Christina won the final game and won Mancala Madness II                                       Brian's great mancala skills earned him 2nd place in the tournament




The class has begun its study on the ancient game of mancala.  Students recently got to choose their playing stones and will be painting their own boards in the near future. Many believe that Mancala could be the oldest game in the world. People have been playing it for 7,000 years or more!  Click here for a quick slide show about mancala.