Student Blogger: Maya

Whales have teeth and baleen. The orca whale has teeth. The blue whale has baleen. The orca whale has a big white spot that is not an eye. The blue whale eats krill and plankton. The blue whale is the biggest whale on Earth. Did you know that the orca whale can do tricks? Did you know that the blue whale is a mammal? The blue whale can float in the water. The orca whale is a carnivore. The blue whale is a baby born alive.

Student Blogger: Colin

Colin and his first grade friends got to feel how blubber keeps whales warm in cold temperatures!

First, I learned that whales migrate when it’s too cold in Antarctica even though they have blubber. They move to a warm place so they won’t get too cold.
Then, I learned that blue whales weigh about 150 tons! Blue whales are my favorite whales because they swallow almost everything.
Next, I learned Orca whales can weigh 12,000 pounds!  The orca whale in the book “Sea Life” said “I am an orca whale.  Some people call me killer whale.”
Finally, I learned whales eat fish and seals.  Leopard seals eat penguins! Penguins eat fish, squid and eels.

Love,
Colin

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Student Blogger: Angela

Hello, my name is Angela.
I am a new student, and I love Star Academy. The things that I like the best are art and the writers workshop. Today, I would like to talk about STAMINA days.
The kids and I get to write about anything we want. Sometimes I write a story about a super hero pup, and sometimes I write about my favorite music. I also try to write parts of songs that I know. I like STAMINA because I feel like I get to work forever and I will never stop. When Miss Kloczko puts the timer on, we start to write, and Miss Kloczko does too. I think she writes about us, or she might write about her life. Sometimes, I don't finish my work, but I don't feel bad because Miss Kloczko lets us go back to our old work and finish it the next STAMINA day. I get to write things that I forgot and new things too. I like STAMINA because it is quiet and independent work time. I think that it will help me to be a better writer, and it will make me smarter.

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Student Blogger: Emily M.

Today's student blogger is Emily!

I have learned a lot about whales this week at school.

I learned that whales have blow holes to breathe.

Baleen whales eat plankton and krill.

Whales live in the ocean.

Whales are mammals.

Baby whales weigh one ton.

Whales make a mmmaoow sound.

When the whales pop up to see what is going on, it is called spyhopping.

A bunch of whales is called a pod.

Orca whales have sharp teeth.

Whales have flukes.

Thanks,
Emily M.

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Student Blogger: Elliott

First grader in Miss Kloczko's class, Elliott, tells us all about whales!

Whales have baleen plates and they eat krill and plankton. They eat them by breathing in water through their mouths. Blue whales are cetaceans, which means mammals that live in the ocean. They are the largest mammal in the world. The Orca whale is a toothed whale that usually eats seals or sometimes penguins. Orca whales are black and white. The Orca whale spyhops, which means when a whale pokes its head out of the water to see what is going on. Whales are not oviparous like penguins, which lay eggs.  Whales have babies born alive.  Blue whales weigh 200 tons!! I like whales because they are so big. 



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Blubber?

Last week in first grade, we began our Antarctica and the Polar Habitat unit!

First, we talked about what we already know and what we want to learn.

We learned some new chants with tons of new vocabulary! 

We learned about the Orca Whale, a toothed whale! (This week we will be learning about the Blue Whale, a baleen whale!)

We have an awesome box of Antarctica/Polar Habitat books to choose from during reading times! Thank you families for letting us borrow your books! 

Not once, but TWICE this week, I was called over and asked "Miss Kloczko, is this a rookery of penguins?" The second time, I was so excited, I took a picture!

We heard a story called Sea Life about a puffin! We use the pictures of the characters to help us retell the story. We will use this story to practice remembering smaller details later this week!

During Writer's Workshop this week, we learned about using sequence when writing a narrative. We watched this clip from Finding Nemo and then we retold the story, starting our sentences with words like "first," "next," and "finally." We also made predictions about what we thought would happen next.

One question that was asked on Monday, when we discussed what we want to learn about Antarctica and the Polar Habitat, was "How do the animals survive the cold temperatures?" On Wednesday, we did an experiment and found out the answer! Many animals in Antarctica and the Polar Habitat, such as whales, walruses, and penguins have blubber, which helps them stay warm!

 

The next day, for writing, we wrote about the experiment, using the same sequence words! 

We also did some Orca Whale art this week! 

Just for fun... say one of these signal words to your first grader and see what they can tell you! 

• persuade
• hemisphere
• external
• spyhopping
• conclude

Last, but not least, IT'S FAMILY BLOGGING MONTH! Here's what some of our first graders had to share this week...

      "I liked the Nemo video, because it was super funny when Dory acted like a whale and was like, 'Mwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!'" -Sophia

       "I have learned that in Antarctica, they have six months with light and six months with darkness. Also, I have learned that Macaroni Penguins live in Antarctica.

        My teacher always inspires us to read. Since I've been in first grade, my reading is getting better. For example, I've been reading lots of chapter books like The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. By reading, I notice that my writing is getting better. Thank you Miss Kloczko for being an awesome teacher. And that's my blog." -Mariana

     "I enjoy reading books about what we are learning about.  We learned about whales and their blubber keeps them warm from the cold water." -Peyton

Leave a comment on our blog! 

• First graders, what was your favorite thing we did at school this week? What is the coolest thing you learned? What do you hope to learn this week?
• Family and friends, what do YOU know about Antarctica? Maybe you have a question that one of our first graders can answer!

All About Whales!

Leave a comment on our padlet!  What have you learned about whales this week in first grade?

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