The Hungry Alligator Lesson

Last Thursday I taught the whole classroom of first graders for the first time!! Probably the most awesome feeling ever.  This is the first time I have gathered activities and materials and put them together AND taught it all.  I suddenly feel like a real teacher and it feels pretty good.

So anyways, let me fill you in on the details.

My teacher asked me to review the students on comparing numbers.  You know!  The greater than and less than signs that barely make sense to us (or maybe just me) still.  Well the first thing that popped into my mind was the hunger alligator.  I used to always draw and eyeball and teeth on my greater than/ less than signs.  I started thinking of what could I do to make this stick in first grader's heads?  And this is what I came up with...

          Tada!           


I used green poster board for the head, the biggest wiggly eyes I could find, and copy paper for the teeth.  I didn't get the sturdiest poster board so I broke one of my old coat hangers to keep the mouth open. 

I printed out a lot of paper fish.  I used the paper fish to help the students

Creating a Unit

   As I have mentioned before, the scary 'Unit Class' is something that all education major's at ETBU have to conquer.  Well we have finally started digging in to the project.  Let's just say that I'm neck deep in lesson plans and schedules.  Our unit is focused on learning how life in Marshall, TX in the past is different from the present.  We will have the third graders create an online book that will be available on the App Store!  Pretty exciting if you ask me, but we have a WAYS to go before its ready to be presented on December 5th!

   On top of all of that, I am teaching a 45 minute lesson on comparing numbers next week in my first grade classroom.  This is the first time I will be in control of the whole classroom AND teaching and reviewing them!  I was super nervous at first, but now I feel more confident and excited.  I have been brainstorming fun ideas (a.k.a.: reading blogs, Pinterest, TpT, etc.).  I think my main, fun activity will be having a few students come up and divide into uneven groups.  Then I'll have and oversized alligator head (googly eye and all) for another student to come up and pick which group the alligator would like more.  I think this would be fun and memorable for them!  I will keep y'all posted.  I obviously have a lot more to figure out, but I'm excited with what I have so far!

   Below, I have ideas that I like too!  I haven't decided what else I'm going to use yet though!  Please leave some ideas, modifications, or anything else!

Comparing Numbers Brad's
Comparing Numbers Spinners


Thank y'all for reading!