Sorry for the late post this week. I blame the Super Bowl!
Last week was another busy one. We did quite a bit of art, and it turned out so well!
In writing we started talking about Personification. The students discussed different things that people do that we could use to describe inanimate objects. For example, the leaves danced in the wind. Leaves can not actually dance, but it is a beautiful way to describe how they move on a windy day. They all practiced writing different personification sentences, and then made a personification poem in the shape of the object they are writing about.
We have been focusing on subtraction in math. We used our knowledge of Fact Families to try and find the missing number from a number sentence. For example, if the question was _-8=4 we would change it around to 4+8=_ to help us solve for the missing number. Subtraction can be very hard for grade 2's, but our class is working hard to understand!
We combined science and art last week as we finished talking about Hot & Cold and created 4 different trees for the four seasons. For each tree we used a different medium or style to create a different effect.
In health we have been reading books by Todd Par, and we created our own self portraits in the style of the art in his books. We also did some writing to go with our art about how we are different, and what our favorite thing about ourselves is. We will be displaying the art and writing in the hall to share with our peers.
***Don't Forget***
Insulation projects are due on Thursday. If you would like to send them in early we will label and store them until Thursday. Please let your teacher know if you have any questions.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Week 19
It was a strange week for weather, but we all survived! Thank you to all the families who are remembering to dress your child for the snow! Depending on how icy it is tomorrow we may be having an indoor morning body break.
For writing this week we have been practicing analyzing different stories and discussing the lessons that are being taught through the story. We read 2 stories, Omar on Ice and Skating with Bears. The students then took their observations from both stories and compared the ideas from both of them. We will practice with more stories later in the year, but we are looking forward to learning some new writing skills as we start our exploration into poetry next week!
In math we practiced making fact families this week. We practiced on whiteboards, on snowmen sheets, and in our math books. We will be using this concept as we progress into harder math skills, such as double digit addition and subtraction. Next week we will be focusing on finding the missing number in number sentences that are addition or subtraction.
We had some great conversations this week about germs and how they can effect the body. We watched a magic school bus where Ms. Frizzle took the students on an adventure into Ralphie's immune system to learn about how our bodies fight off germs. We finished off the week with an art project around how the weather changes in the 4 seasons. We will continue that project this week, exploring the seasons using different mediums and tools to create our art.
Raz Kids is returning! Accounts will be set up this week and we will be sending home passwords so that you can now read books on Raz Kids as well at home.
For writing this week we have been practicing analyzing different stories and discussing the lessons that are being taught through the story. We read 2 stories, Omar on Ice and Skating with Bears. The students then took their observations from both stories and compared the ideas from both of them. We will practice with more stories later in the year, but we are looking forward to learning some new writing skills as we start our exploration into poetry next week!
In math we practiced making fact families this week. We practiced on whiteboards, on snowmen sheets, and in our math books. We will be using this concept as we progress into harder math skills, such as double digit addition and subtraction. Next week we will be focusing on finding the missing number in number sentences that are addition or subtraction.
We had some great conversations this week about germs and how they can effect the body. We watched a magic school bus where Ms. Frizzle took the students on an adventure into Ralphie's immune system to learn about how our bodies fight off germs. We finished off the week with an art project around how the weather changes in the 4 seasons. We will continue that project this week, exploring the seasons using different mediums and tools to create our art.
Raz Kids is returning! Accounts will be set up this week and we will be sending home passwords so that you can now read books on Raz Kids as well at home.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Week 18
Week 2 back from holidays was a bit colder than we have experienced so far this year. Make sure that your children are dressed appropriately, as we take them outside every day.
In writing both classes have been experimenting with a picture prompt to inspire a story. The picture was a sleeping polar bear, with a penguin holding cymbals standing over him. They loved the picture, and were able to create good stories by remembering the story writing lessons we had before winter break. They also have been working on responding to a story that has been read to them, trying to make personal connections to what happens with the characters.
In math the students have been practicing problem solving. They are building the skills to figure out if a problem is adding or subtracting, and are using pictures, number sentences, and word sentences to show their thinking and how they found their answer. This week we will be learning about fact families. Students will learn how to move numbers around in an equation so that they can use addition or subtraction to find their answers.
In science we have continued to learn about hot and cold. The students have been learning about how animals insulate themselves in the winter, and how buildings stay warm when it is cold outside. We will be doing another insulation experiment this week with ice cubes.
Gymnastics has been going great! Just a reminder that if you child is dealing with warts on their feet, they do not have to take off their shoes. It is recommended as students are better able to climb on the equipment, but for health reasons they should keep their shoes on if they need to. They will still be able to participate.
Remember that Library is first thing Monday morning, so don't forget to pack your library books!
In writing both classes have been experimenting with a picture prompt to inspire a story. The picture was a sleeping polar bear, with a penguin holding cymbals standing over him. They loved the picture, and were able to create good stories by remembering the story writing lessons we had before winter break. They also have been working on responding to a story that has been read to them, trying to make personal connections to what happens with the characters.
In math the students have been practicing problem solving. They are building the skills to figure out if a problem is adding or subtracting, and are using pictures, number sentences, and word sentences to show their thinking and how they found their answer. This week we will be learning about fact families. Students will learn how to move numbers around in an equation so that they can use addition or subtraction to find their answers.
In science we have continued to learn about hot and cold. The students have been learning about how animals insulate themselves in the winter, and how buildings stay warm when it is cold outside. We will be doing another insulation experiment this week with ice cubes.
Gymnastics has been going great! Just a reminder that if you child is dealing with warts on their feet, they do not have to take off their shoes. It is recommended as students are better able to climb on the equipment, but for health reasons they should keep their shoes on if they need to. They will still be able to participate.
Remember that Library is first thing Monday morning, so don't forget to pack your library books!
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Week 17
Happy New Year!
It has been a great start back in 2019, with many exciting things planned for the year. The first, and most exciting, is welcoming student teachers Rebecca Deobald and Jessie McCauley to our classrooms until April 12th as they build their teaching practice under our supervision. They have already shown so much potential, and the students are quickly warming up to them, and it is only the first week!
First of all, Winter Sports Day on Friday was cancelled due to ice on the compound and in the field. It will be rescheduled for March. We will let you know more information closer to the day.
We hope that you all enjoyed the winter stories that the students brought home before the break. They worked so hard on them, and were so proud of what they created! Definitely a keepsake that you will have for years.
This week we talked about New Years Resolutions, and came up with at least 3 of our own. Each student had to come up with a resolution for themselves, something to help others, and one to help the world. As the week went on the children referred back to their resolutions when they were building new skills or thinking of their evening plans.
In math we continued our talk around balancing equations. The students practiced using the greater than, less than, equal to, and not equal to. We reminded ourselves that a number sentence can be reversed, or that both sides of the equation can have an addition or subtraction question.
We began looking at hot and cold for our science inquiry, and even did an experiment led by Ms. Deobald. We were looking at the effectiveness of 3 different insulators on a boiling cup of water. We used tinfoil, newspaper, and a wool sock. Ask your child which insulator held in the heat the best.
We learned a bit about pointillism this week, and how we can use dots to create art. We used our prior knowledge about how to draw a snowflake, and then used white paint and a q-tip to make dots on our drawings. The finished snowflakes look amazing!
This week we will be beginning to look at poetry in writing, creating our own problems for math, and continuing to look at hot and cold, with more focus on cold!
It has been a great start back in 2019, with many exciting things planned for the year. The first, and most exciting, is welcoming student teachers Rebecca Deobald and Jessie McCauley to our classrooms until April 12th as they build their teaching practice under our supervision. They have already shown so much potential, and the students are quickly warming up to them, and it is only the first week!
First of all, Winter Sports Day on Friday was cancelled due to ice on the compound and in the field. It will be rescheduled for March. We will let you know more information closer to the day.
We hope that you all enjoyed the winter stories that the students brought home before the break. They worked so hard on them, and were so proud of what they created! Definitely a keepsake that you will have for years.
This week we talked about New Years Resolutions, and came up with at least 3 of our own. Each student had to come up with a resolution for themselves, something to help others, and one to help the world. As the week went on the children referred back to their resolutions when they were building new skills or thinking of their evening plans.
In math we continued our talk around balancing equations. The students practiced using the greater than, less than, equal to, and not equal to. We reminded ourselves that a number sentence can be reversed, or that both sides of the equation can have an addition or subtraction question.
We began looking at hot and cold for our science inquiry, and even did an experiment led by Ms. Deobald. We were looking at the effectiveness of 3 different insulators on a boiling cup of water. We used tinfoil, newspaper, and a wool sock. Ask your child which insulator held in the heat the best.
We learned a bit about pointillism this week, and how we can use dots to create art. We used our prior knowledge about how to draw a snowflake, and then used white paint and a q-tip to make dots on our drawings. The finished snowflakes look amazing!
This week we will be beginning to look at poetry in writing, creating our own problems for math, and continuing to look at hot and cold, with more focus on cold!
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