GET TEACHING TIPS AND FREE RESOURCES

The Brown Bag Teacher

Teach the Children. Love the Children. Change the World.

Celebrating the Kentucky Derby in 1st Grade

The 141st Kentucky Derby is in the books, and our 1st Grade Kentucky celebration was a blast. I’ll have to admit Derby is one of those topics that as a former intermediate teacher I said – “Really?!” It’s one of those topics/themes that gives Primary Land the rap of fluff. So, over the course of our week, I intentionally surrounded us with great literature and integrated our learning – math and writing – as much as I possible.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working hard on learning to write compare and contrast paragraphs looking at texts, characters, and things around us. This week was the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast Race Horses and Domesticated Horses. We used Reading A-Z’s Wild Horses for the base of our comparison.

Since our school is officially out of white bulletin board/chart paper, we used an online Bar-Graph generator to chart our Derby predictions. We chose 5 horses (obviously the ones that had the coolest names) and then, took a class vote. This is a perfect math tie-in, as we’re starting to learn about data and graphs next week!
In preparation for running the Derby, we took time to create our own racing silks. I then printed pictures of the kids, cut their faces out, placed them on the silks, and put together a “Run for the Roses” bulletin board for the hallway. The kids love seeing their faces like a ‘real’ jockey!
Now for Derby Day (Friday, that is) – at the school where I taught last year, the grades not racing made and wore Derby Hats to the races. This year, only the 1st graders and their families attended the race and when we finished the other grades greeted us in the hallways for a Derby Day parade. 
Each 1st grader parent made a shoebox float to drag/pull down the hallway for our parade. The older students did a fabulous job of cheering on our students and shouting praises. It was such a sweet moment. Our 1st grade friends rarely go upstairs to Intermediate Land, and they felt so special to hear the BIG kids cheering for them. One of my sweet littles said to me afterward, “My eardrums are so fragile. I was worried they might break!” #blessthem

To keep the actual races fair, we ran girls heats and boys heats. The top 2 boys/girls from each class raced the other 1st grade winners. Ultimately, two 1st grade winners were name – a boy and girl. As you’ll see below each student race with a stick horse that they decorated and named. They attempted to gallop, but in the end, running was what actually happened. 🙂

Since my friends knew all about the Derby being nicknamed “The Run for the Roses”, I awarded my top girl and boy winners with 4 roses. It was such a special moment!
After an afternoon of racing and parading, we came back to the classroom. We enjoyed a final Derby book together and a sweet Derby treat. I would have loved to served Derby pie, but with food allergies we opted for nut-free mini-cupcakes from Kroger. #ohtoteach1stgrade
Well friends, it was a fabulous Derby Week. Although not completely educational, we kept it as focused as possible, and we throughly enjoyed a 1st grade rite of passage – racing the KY Derby. 
Do you celebrate the Derby at your school? I would imagine only my KY friends would, be who knows?! Are their other state-specific events your school celebrates? If so, I love to hear about them! 🙂

Get Free Teaching Resources!

Join me for weekly classroom updates and free resources that are just-right for your guided math classroom!

Powered by Kit

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Cassandra Anderton says

    DR. ODUNGA IS THE BEST SPIRITUALIST ONLINE WHO RESTORED MY BROKEN RELATIONSHIP AND I HIGHLY RECOMMENDS DR. ODUNGA TO ANYONE IN NEED OF HELP! My husband left me for another woman 3 months ago and ever since then my life has been filled with pain, sorrow and heart break because he was my first love whom I have spent my entire life with. A friend of mine told me he saw some testimonies of a spiritualist called Dr Odunga that he can bring back lover within some few days, i laugh it out and said i am not interested but because of the love my friend had for me, she consulted this great man on my behalf and to my greatest surprise after 11hours my husband called me for the very first time after three months that he is missing me and that he is so sorry for every thing he made me went through. He came back to me and now we are happy together. I still can’t believe it, because it’s highly unbelievable. Thank you Dr.Odunga for bringing back my lover and also to my lovely friend who interceded on my behalf, for any one who might need the help of this great spiritualist here is the email address: [email protected], you can also add him on Whats’app: +2348167159012

    Reply

  5. Ivan says

    I love seeing creative ways teachers bring the Kentucky Derby to life in 1st grade! It’s amazing how simple crafts and themed activities can make history and traditions exciting for young students. When I try to replicate fun, hands-on projects at home or in small groups, having access to professional-quality printing and design resources really helps elevate the result. That’s one of the reasons I often use https://ssstudios179.com/ — their custom printing solutions let me create colorful, durable materials that make lessons and crafts more engaging and memorable for kids.

    Reply

  7. Broken and Replacement Garage Doors Service says

    New Braunfels Garage Door Repair is a family-owned business dedicated to providing top-notch garage door services in New Braunfels, TX, and surrounding areas. With years of experience, they specialize in both residential and commercial garage door repairs and installations. Their team of skilled technicians is equipped to handle a wide range of services, including spring replacements, opener repairs, track alignments, and panel replacements.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *