Continents and Oceans Interactive Notebook

We have accumulated and created so many things for our Continents and Oceans theme, it was time to condense some things and make it a bit more "kid-friendly".  Instead of making our Continents and Oceans lessons a "writing/paper/pencil" activity, we thought it would be good to just have the kids focus on one key fact about each of the continents and oceans.  Using this format, student would just be building the one key fact we would like them to remember about each of the continents or oceans.

The lesson sequence I plan to use for each continent and ocean lesson:

• Gather students on carpet for read-aloud
• Continent Mini-Books or Ocean Mini-Books (you can find them in my TPT store)
• Continent or Oceans song (you can find them in my TPT store HERE)
• View PPT slides on each to learn facts
• Brainstorm facts about each of the continents using the mimio for recall of details
• Build the cut-apart sentence in interactive notebook

How to Use this Interactive Notebook:  You can purchase it HERE.

• After reading your favorite read aloud book about each of the continents/oceans, watching videos, and brainstorming facts they remember, have your students piece together the fact for each continent or ocean. Then have them color the black line illustrations.

How to Assemble:

• Copy single sided or double sided and staple on the left hand size. 
• Copy the words that will be glued in the book separately. There are three on each page. Only hand out the sentence your students need.

Cut-Apart Sentences Included for Interactive Notebook:

• Australia: Australia is called the Land Down Under.
• Antarctica: People cannot live in Antarctica because it is too cold.
• Asia: Asia is the biggest continent in the whole world.
• North America: North America is made up of mostly three countries.
• South America: There are rain forests in South America.
• Africa: The Sahara Desert is in Africa.
• Europe: Europe is the smallest continent, and it is made up of many small countries.
• Southern Ocean: The Southern Ocean is around Antarctica.
• Arctic Ocean: The Arctic Ocean is by the North Pole.
• Indian Ocean: The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean.
• Pacific Ocean: The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean.
• Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic Ocean was the first ocean to be crossed by ship.

Space and Planets Interactive Notebook

Going on a few years of doing our Space and Planets theme and it seems like we revamp it every year to make things go a bit smoother.  This year we are going to try doing an interactive notebook where students have to assemble one fact for each of the planets after we learn about it and brainstorm facts they remember.  We are hoping this will help learning one main fact about each planet a little easier for first graders to remember as they do the final project at the end of the unit (where they match the fact to the planet as they put together a Solar System display).

If you are interested in this interactive notebook, you can find it HERE at my TPT store.

How to Use this Book:After reading your favorite read aloud book about space, stars, the sun, each planet, watching videos about space concepts, and brainstorming facts they remember, have your students piece together the fact for each space word. Then have them color the black line illustrations to match the colors of each of the planets and other pictures. The sentences included in this interactive notebook are the exact sentences that are used with my Space and Planets Cut Apart Sentences.  So if you liked those sentences, but you wanted it put together as a book, here is your thing!  I have also included optional pages on how many planets there are.  Some people like to still teach that Pluto is a "planet", but a dwarf planet.  And other people like to just say there are only 8 planets.

How to Assemble:Copy single sided or double sided and staple on the left hand size. Copy the words that will be glued in the book separately. There are three on each page. Only hand out the sentence your students need.

Answer Key:Solar System: There are nine planets in the solar system.
Solar System: There are eight planets in the solar system.
Sun: The nine planets orbit around the sun.
Sun: The eightplanets orbit around the sun.
Star: A constellation is a group of stars that make a shape.
Mercury: Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
Venus: Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
Earth: Earth is the only planet that animals can live.
Mars: Mars is called the red planet.
Jupiter: Jupiter has a giant red spot that is a storm.
Saturn: Saturn’s rings are made of rock and ice.
Uranus: Uranus spins around on its side.
Neptune: Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun.
Pluto: Pluto is called a dwarf planet.
Earth’s Moon: An astronaut has been to the moon.
Comet: A comet is made of ice, dust, and rock.
Astronaut: An astronaut wears a special suit to travel in space.
Asteroid: Asteroids are rocks that orbit the sun.