After reading many stories in our anthologies about animals, habitats and nature, the second graders did some research on some habitats and animals. The students worked in small groups to read through some nonfiction texts and answer some research questions on a habitat. Then, each student selected an animal from the habitat they studied to do some more research on. After answering additional research questions, the students worked to make their answered questions into a research paragraph. With the help of Mrs. L., the Lower School librarian and computer teacher, Mrs. D., the Lower School art teacher, and some Upper School technology students, the second graders completed a power point presentation which included their paragraphs, drawings of their animals and photos of their habitats. Stay tuned for the final product!
In writing, the students studied realistic fiction.  They learned some strategies to help them generate ideas and practiced some pre-writing strategies, such as writing “storylines,” designing a “road map” and drawing and writing a “character sketch,” to help them produce a piece that was well developed and organized.  Once again, after a month long study, each student chose a favorite piece to “publish” and celebrate.  Well done!

The students recently finished up a unit of study in math, which included studying place value to one hundred and number concepts such as rounding to the closest ten, identifying even and odd numbers, comparing numbers and skip counting. They also practiced counting change, making different combinations of coins to show the same amount and making change. Our next chapter is on using strategies such as mental math to solve double digit addition problems. This will get us more prepared to learn more about double-digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. Practice at home of skip counting by tens starting with different numbers such as 53, 62, 21, etc. would be helpful to students.  Also, play “Race to 100” and “Race to Zero” and keep practicing those math facts!

In Social Studies, the students have been studying “The World Around Us,” learning about countries, landforms, and bodies of water that make up North America.  They are also learning about U.S. regions as well as world regions, climate and weather, including what causes the change in seasons.  Our next unit of study, after winter break, will be “Caring for Resources.”

In addition to working in groups to study some habitats and animals, the students learned about a coral reef habitat. We learned that a coral reef is a colony of coral polyps, which looks like a rock, but is actually a type of underwater animal! Then, after learning about some different kinds of coral, we made “stag horn” coral. Also, the students learned about how many animals that live in the coral reef work together. This relationship is called symbiosis. After observing Mrs. Shannon’s salt water tank and actually seeing how a clown fish and sea anemone work together, we made our own sea anemones and clown fish to add to our coral reef display. Through to the winter holiday, the students will be working with Mrs. Curran to learn more about birds. Using their own identification card, the students learned about what to look for when identifying birds, such as size, color and beak shape, and practiced identifying some birds outside using binoculars borrowed from the Audubon Society. The students will also work with Mrs. L. and Mrs. D. again to create their own field guide to birds found around the Unquowa School. Great job, second grade ornithologists!

Language Arts

Reading

The second graders finished the first theme in our anthology—Silly Stories - and enjoyed reading some silly stories in small guided reading books, such as Rats on the Roof, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. As a response project, the students chose from a list of options to present the story they read to the rest of the class. Many students chose to pretend the book was being turned into a movie and designed a movie poster depicting an exciting part!

As a class, we enjoyed listening to Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. There are many sequels to Flat Stanley and the students had fun creating an original idea for a sequel and designing the book jacket, including a summary on the back with a headline to capture a reader’s attention. For example: Flexible Stanley: This time Stanley “stretches” it a bit too far!

Currently, we are into our second anthology theme: Nature Walk. The students are enjoying reading stories about nature, plants and animals.

Writing

The second graders just had their first author’s celebration—celebrating the best of their collections of small moment stories (personal narratives.) Throughout the unit, the students cycled their way through the writing process; first by using strategies to generate ideas. Then, students learned about bold beginnings—leads about the time of day/ year and weather, or someone or something saying or doing something. When learning about mighty middles, students incorporated sensory details and character dialogue, but with the most emphasis being placed on “storytelling” rather than summarizing. Next, the students learned about excellent endings, which are endings that tie together the big idea or feeling of the story and leave the reader with that thought or feeling. The students worked with writing partners to edit and revise and focused on basic conventions—such as capitals, end punctuation and appropriate spelling. Lastly, the students “published” their stories, by designing a cover, a title and a dedication page. Our next unit of study, realistic fiction, will build on the foundation established in our first unit.

Math

Currently the students are studying place value to 100, strengthening their ability to skip count up, or down, from any number by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Other objectives included using groups of tens and ones to count large quantities of objects, reading and writing number words and ordinal numbers, comparing numbers, even and odd numbers, and estimating and rounding to the closest ten. Problem solving skills included using data from a chart and making an organized list. To reinforce these skills at home, play Color to 100 and Capture 5.

Other activities:

• With your child, count the number of fingers and toes of 3 to 5 people at home, first by ones and then by tens.
• Create secret number riddles for your child to solve. For example: It is greater than 47. It has 4 in the tens place. It is an even number. What is the secret number?
• Order 20 objects and ask your child to name the sixth, the 18th, etc.
• Visit the website http://resources.oswego.org/games/ for some excellent interactive math games that reinforce basic skills and extend and enrich. (My favorite is Power Lines…)

To get your child ready for the second part of the chapter; in a set of coins, have your child identify the name and value of a penny, nickel, dime and quarter. Students will learn to:

• count sets of coins, starting with the coins with the greatest value through to the coins with the least value
• show the same amount of money using different sets of coins
• Compare values and count on from the price of an object up to the greater amount paid in order to make change.

Reinforce these complicated skills at home by letting your child count and make change as often as possible. I’m sure you won’t have to convince them to play with money!

In Socials Studies we have been learning about different kinds of communities, including urban, suburban and rural. We learned how communities, states and our country all have their own governments with government leaders whose job is to help citizens. We exercised our right to vote as citizens of the classroom community by voting on a classroom nickname. It was a close election, but “The Bulldog Class” received the majority!!

We were lucky to have Ken Flatto visit with us and talk about his job as the first selectman of Fairfield. Then, we focused on learning about the branches of United States government, including the names of the branches, their leaders and their jobs. The students learned about the Constitution and the Preamble and wrote and signed a “Class Constitution.” As a culminating project, the students created a “branches of government bouquet,” went on a virtual tour of the White House and designed a post card from our “field experience” to Washington, D.C!

We enjoyed watching some School House Rock videos about “How a Bill Becomes a Law,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ, and another about the Preamble http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMyfGo-Pv58&feature=related. Another great site for kids to learn more about government is “Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids,” http://bensguide.gpo.gov/.

Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2nd—Election Day!

Our next unit is “The World around US”. We will learn about landforms and bodies of water, US holidays and other cultural holidays and traditions.

Science

In Science, we learned some characteristics to sort and classify animals as mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish, bird, insect or spider. Do you know the difference between a reptile and an amphibian? How about an insect and a spider? Also, what do you call a mammal that can fly? (A bat) What do you call a bird that cannot fly? (A penguin) What do you call a fish out of water? (A dead one! Haha! Thank you, Lisi, for that clever joke!) We also compared and contrasted the life cycle of a mammal and a bird. Currently, we are investigating the life cycle of a beetle; observing mealworms (larvae) as they go through metamorphosis and change into a pupa and then an adult beetle. As a sub-unit, the students enjoyed learning about the life cycle of some marsupials from Australia, including kangaroos, koala bears, wombats and possums. And boy! Is that platypus a conundrum..!

Currently we are learning about how people grow and change. We are learning about how muscles and bones work together, how our heart and lungs work together and ways we can take care of our bodies and stay healthy.

Our next unit will be homes for living things and will include a focus on animal adaptations.

Language Arts

We have reading stories from our Basal Anthologies. The theme is silly stories, and some comprehension strategies and skills taught have been summarize, monitor to clarify, story structure and telling the difference between fantasy and realism. The students have enjoyed hearing the silly story Flat Stanley. We have also been learning about parts of a sentence and practicing writing in complete sentences. In writer’s workshop the students have been studying and writing small moment stories. We have learned some strategies for generating ideas for small moments, such as think of an event, a person or a thing and try to find a small moment that holds a big feeling, or think of a big feeling and think of a moment that shows it. We learned how to select “Just Right” books by practicing the five-finger rule. After selecting a book that looks interesting, read the first page and keep track of the number of times you get stuck on a word or idea. If it is less that 5, make sure the book isn’t too easy—we don’t learn to be better readers unless we challenge ourselves! But if it is more than 5, it is too difficult. A just right book is one that we can read most of the words and understand most of the ideas.

Math

The second graders began studying chapter 2.  We have been learning addition and subtraction strategies to help us solve basic facts quickly and easily. Recognizing facts that make ten, doubles, and doubles plus one are some examples. Students have learned that counting on is only a good strategy for adding 1, 2, or 3! Any number bigger, and it is not quick and it is not easy! We will continue to learn and practice strategies for subtraction. For practice at home, play “Make Ten,” “Turn Over Ten,” and “Beat the Calculator” for practice. Also, play “Doubles” with 18 pennies. Count out 7 pennies and say, “double it!” your child then counts out an additional 7 pennies, and together you say, “7 plus 7 equals 14 in all. 7 cents plus 7 cents equals 14 cents.” Take turns, using other numbers . In chapter 3 we will study place value to 100 and money.

Social Studies

We have been learning about what a citizen and community is. We have learned that a community is a place where people work and play together. We have learned that we are citizens of many communities, and as citizens of a community, we have responsibilities. We also discussed how in addition to being a citizen, we play many roles, such as student, family member, etc. And that with each role comes different responsibilities. We have discussed the importance of rules and laws, how they keep us safe and help us get a long, and that not following rules or laws has consequences. Discuss the rules in your house and talk about the importance of these rules and consequences for breaking them. Throughout Unit 1- Governing the People, we will learn about functions of and parts of government, government services and taxes, on the community, state and national level. We will also learn about leaders, ways we choose leaders and identify local, state and national leaders. We will also learn about the Constitution! On Oct. 13th we will visit the Fairfield Museum and History Center to learn about the history of Fairfield. Students will tour the museum collection and walk the old town green, visiting the old school house, burying ground and tavern/ inn. Do you know the name of the Native American tribe from which Roger Ludlowe bought the land which was developed into the town of Fairfield? Also,that George Washington once spent the night at the old Fairfield Inn?!

Science

We have begun our unit on how living things grow and change. We have learned about the parts of a plant and their different functions. For example, the leaf makes and stores the food and the flower makes the seed. Also, a flower can grow into fruit! Do you know the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? We do! The next time you visit the vegetable section of the grocery store, bring along your second grader and have them identify the part of the plant which is the vegetable that we eat. We are also conducting our first experiment, by testing how light changes the way a seed grows and changes. We set up a fair test, giving 2 beans food, air and water. We gave one bean light by putting it in the window. We did not give the other seed light by keeping it in the closet. We made a hypothesis to tell which one we think will change more, and we are in the process of observing the results. We learned how to classify, by collecting leaves and sorting them into groups to show how they are the same. What kinds of plants and trees grow near your house?  Next we will learn about how animals grow and change, and discuss classification characteristics. We will also learn about homes for animals, and animal adaptations. We will visit the Audubon Society in the start of November.

Language Arts

The second graders have completed the theme “Amazing Animals” in their anthologies. The stories included Officer Buckle and Gloria, Ant and the Great Ball Game. Students practiced comprehension skills, including drawing conclusions and cause and effect. Currently, students are reading stories from a new theme, “Family Time” and are practicing skills such as making generalizations. After completing this theme, the second graders will take a break from our anthologies to study fables.

Some “critical thinking” skills that we have been practicing are understanding pictures , comparing word meanings, identifying main ideas and identifying relationships.

April is National Poetry Month and the students are studying poetry! The students are learning how to see the world with a poet’s eyes; being keen observers and using not only our 5 senses, but also our hearts and our imaginations. The students are also learning about line breaks and how to hear the “music” in poems. They will learn more about thoughtful word choice and poetic language, and how to use comparisons to convey feeling. As a culminating project, the students will work with Mrs. L. to select poems by either Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein. They will practice reading their poems with expression and fluency and insert their recorded recitals into a power point presentation accompanied by a digital drawing.

Math

The students have been learning about time. They have practiced telling time to five min. before and after the house, determining elapsed time, using a calendar and identifying equivalent expressions of time. Currently, the students are learning how to collect, organize and analyze data. The students are practicing giving surveys and collecting data and organizing it in either a tally table or a graph. Some graphs that the students are studying are pictographs, venn diagrams, bar graphs, line plot graphs and coordinate graphs. In our next chapter, we will study measurement and probability.

Social Studies

In social studies the second graders learned about economics in a unit called “People at Work.” The students learned about goods and services, producers and consumers, raw materials and factories, income and how to earn and use money and volunteerism. The students also learned about how businesses depend on each other, and trading and bartering. We are looking forward to our next field trip to TD Bank on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. The students will participate in a community service program called “Wow Zone!” In addition to receiving a tour of the bank including the safe where all the money is kept, the students will learn about how to responsibly manage their money. They will practice using an ATM machine, and fill out their own deposit slip!

Currently, the students are studying some concepts of geography. They have learned about some different landforms and bodies of water specific to the United States. They have compared maps and globes and are learning how to read maps. They are also learning about many different kinds of maps, including a political map, a land and water map and a grid map.

Next, we will learn about natural resources: what they are, the difference between renewable, nonrenewable and inexhaustible resources, and talk about pollution and the importance of conservation. We will be participating in many related activities, including visiting Sport Hill Farm with the kindergarten, and celebrate all that we learned on Earth Day on April 22nd!

Science

After studying weather and how the seasons change, the students learned about what causes the seasons to change, as well as what causes day and night. We also learned about why there are 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, and 30 days in a month! Do you know?

After that, the students learned about how the planets got their names. Did you know that Jupiter, the largest planet, was named after the Roman god of all gods? (Or, according to Greek mythology, Zeus) And that Venus was named after the goddess of love and beauty? Also, do you know what the three rules for being a planet? Do you think Pluto should still be a planet?

Our next unit is connected to our social studies unit on natural resources and conservation. We will conduct a soil investigation and learn about composting by making mini-composters using recycled tennis ball canisters.

Language Arts

The theme in our anthologies these months has been “Around Town”. Many of the stories, including Chinatown, Big Bushy Mustache and Jamaica Louise James, had a multicultural element. In addition to practicing our comprehension strategies, such as asking questions, making predictions, summarizing, etc., we learned and practiced applying some comprehension skills, such as making judgments, outlining main idea and details, making inferences and drawing conclusions. Before we begin a new theme, “Amazing Animals,” we are taking a break to study fairytales! What is your favorite fairytale? Mine is “Rumpelstiltskin”!

In writing, after learning more about the parts of a fiction story and writing our own, the students did an author study of Angela Johnson. As we read many of her stories, such as The Sweet Smell of Roses, Do like Kayla and The Leaving Morning, we learned about comeback lines and elements of expression, such as ellipses. To apply what we learned, we revisited “small moment” stories and learned ways to lift the level of our writing, incorporating the important skill, “Show, don’t tell”. Ask your child to share what they know! Currently, we are studying the parts of a fairytale, such as “Once upon a time,” good vs. bad, fantasy or magic, happy ending and elements of three. After reading many different classic fairytales and funny, original versions of such classics, for example, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, the second graders are writing their own. Our next unit of study will be “All about Books”.

Math

After studying double-digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping, the students are now studying geometry. They are learning more about the difference between plane shapes and solid figures. They are also learning more about the concepts of congruence, orientation, symmetry, and fractions. As an extension activity for home, encourage your child to identify objects that approximate geometric solids (such as cylinders and cones). And keep studying those math facts! In Chapter 8, the students will study time, data and graphs.

Social Studies

The students recently finished up their study of culture. They learned that groups of people express their culture in many ways, including dress, music, games, language, etc. To celebrate the holidays and our cultural differences, we created a class book of holiday traditions. We also learned more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks and made a class book of “Martin’s Big Words”. As an introduction to our study of fairytales, we read many multicultural versions of the classic fairytale, “Cinderella,” such as the Korean Cinderella, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (African) and The Rough Faced Girl (Native American.) Unit 6 deals with economics. The students will learn more about goods and services, producers and consumers. Are you following the Olympics? Discuss this current event with your child. GO TEAM USA!

Science

The students have been having a blast learning all about matter! Did you know that everything in the whole universe is made up of matter! In addition to learning about the three states of matter, the students learned about some properties of each state and how adding heat and taking it away can make matter change states. We learned about reversible and irreversible mixtures and were “kitchen chemists,” making jello, play dough and waffles. Do you know what “oobleck” is? It’s an irreversible mixture of water and some “mystery matter”—ask your child for the recipe to make some at home! In our next unit we will study weather. How fitting, considering the severe weather we have been having!

Language Arts

After finishing up the first theme in our anthologies; Silly Stories, the students enjoyed reading Flat Stanley as a whole class. We answered response questions after each chapter and learned how to look up unknown words in the dictionary. As a response project, the students wrote letters to selected friends and family summarizing the story and sharing a recommendation, and redesigned the cover. After that, the students read the next theme in the anthology: Nature Walk. Stories included Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night, Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett and Around the Pond Whose Been Here? This theme tied in well with our current Science unit of study:  animal adaptations and habitats. Comprehension skills that were discussed and practiced included distinguishing fantasy from reality, compare and contrast, categorizing and cause and effect. Next, students will work with Mrs. L. to do some research and write a research paragraph about various land habitats.

In writing, the students finished their first unit of study on small moments (personal narratives.) After learning some editing symbols, the students picked one of their many stories to edit/revise and publish. We had our first “author’s celebration” to celebrate their good work! For Halloween, the second graders wrote creepy stories about a haunted house. Their stories included a lot of sensory details and thoughtful word choice. The students learned how to use a thesaurus and brainstormed different words for “afraid”. After Thanksgiving, we will begin our study of the genre of fiction.

Math

After studying and practicing addition and subtraction strategies, our recent focus has been on place value to 100. The students have been practicing grouping and counting by tens to read and show numbers up to 100. They have also practiced comparing numbers, rounding to the closest ten, skip counting, identifying even and odd numbers, reading and writing number words and ordinal numbers. To develop our problem solving skills, we learned how to make an organized list to make a number in different ways, and solved many “secret letter riddles” and “number puzzles”. Throughout the next month, the students will study money; counting and comparing sets of coins, showing different ways to make an amount, and making change. Some activities to do at home for practice: collect 100 of something. Practice counting the items by 1s, then 2s, then 5s. Group them by 10s and count the sets. Break up one of the sets and show different numbers. Play “Race to $5.00”.

Science/Social Studies

After studying the history of Fairfield, the second graders moved on to studying government. We compared and contrasted the 3 different parts of government on the community, state and national level. The students participated in an election by casting ballots and voting on a class name. The results were unanimous and we are now nicknamed “the gecko class!” The students had a thoughtful discussion about the characteristics of a good leader and made campaign posters with a message for Election Day. Throughout the next month, the students will learn about some national symbols, including most of the symbols found on U.S. coins. They will also learn more about Thanksgiving and the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans as we prepare to assume our roles as Native Americans at the Thanksgiving feast!

In Science, the students are wild about animals! We studied some classifying characteristics of animals with a focus on life cycles. Throughout the last month, the students have been observing the life cycle of a beetle and watching the mealworm (larvae) change into a pupa and then a live adult beetle! We also had a lot of fun learning about the marsupials of Australia. After studying some animal adaptations, the students learned more when they visited the Audubon Society. They also learned more about the Larson Sanctuary, a fresh water habitat, including the animals that live near and around it, and explored the pond for signs of life. Next, the students will work with Mrs. L. to do some research on some land habitats. As they are doing this research in partnerships, we will study the Great Barrier Reef as a whole class

Language Arts

In reading, we have been reading stories from our anthology. The first theme is “Silly Stories” and students have been learning about some elements of fantasy. In addition to strengthening our decoding strategies, we have been discussing and applying some comprehension strategies; including summarizing, monitoring for meaning and making predictions. We will also discuss cause and effect. We completed a character sketch of an interesting character named Horrible Harry after listening to Horrible Harry in Room 2B, by Suzy Kline. When we finish the theme, we will all read the same chapter book about another interesting character—Flat Stanley, by Dan Brown. We will read the book together and respond to questions from each chapter in our journals. Upon completion, we will complete a reader’s response project.

In Writer’s Workshop we have been writing many “small moment” stories. A “small moment” story is a story that takes a “big watermelon” idea (like our summer vacation,) and instead focuses on a “watermelon seed” idea, like catching fireflies. These are real moments drawn from real life experiences. In addition, we are learning that good writers use techniques like “bold beginnings” to get their readers excited for their story. An example of a bold beginning could include a lead about the weather. “Mighty middles” include lots of sensory details and “excellent endings” leave the reader with a thought or a feeling. The students have been listening to stories like Fireflies, by Julie Brinkloe and Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen to learn more about these concepts. In the upcoming weeks we will develop and practice our editing and revision techniques and will pick one of our many small moment stories to “fancy up”, publish and celebrate!

Math

In Math, we have been reviewing many of the basic concepts of addition and subtraction. Also, we have been discussing and applying different addition strategies to solve addition problems with multiple addends, such as looking for combinations of numbers that make ten, and doubles facts. We have also been applying our understanding to story problems, discussing different problem solving strategies. Throughout the coming weeks, we will continue to develop and practice a variety of addition and subtraction strategies.

Social Studies

In Social Studies we have been learning about communities. We have discussed what makes a community, and now realize that we are citizens of many different communities, including our classroom, school, town, state, country and world. We are also members of different groups and within each group we have different roles and responsibilities. We are learning about how communities change over time and have specifically discussed how Unquowa has changed over time by looking at old yearbooks and pictures. Next, we will discuss how the town of Fairfield has changed over time and visit the Fairfield History Museum to learn more.

Science

In Science, we have been studying plants. Our focus has been on the parts of a plant and the many ways we use each part. Also, we have been learning about what each plant part does for the plant. For example, the leaf makes the food for the plant and we have discussed why leaves change color in the fall. We are now learning how a plant grows from a seed by identifying the different parts of a seed and observing it germinate (or grow). Next, we will learn more about the life cycle of some animals.

Language Arts

This month the students studied folktales and fables. After reading stories such as Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, Anansi the Spider, and The Great Ball Game, the second graders learned that folktales usually tell about how something in nature came to be; for example, why birds fly south in the winter. Also, the students learned that fables are stories with only animals as characters and they teach a moral, or a lesson. We learned about Aesop, an Ancient Greek famous for telling fables. The students worked in small groups to perform plays of some of Aesop’s fables, such as “Belling the Cat,” “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Lion and the Mouse”.

We will spend the rest of the year reviewing some comprehension strategies that good readers use by applying them to stories about families.

April was poetry month, so in Writer’s Workshop we studied poetry! Not only did the students practice writing poems that rhyme, they learned about haiku and kigo, a Japanese form of poetry that includes images of nature, alliteration and how to “Show, Don’t Tell”. Also, as a culminating project, the students worked with Mrs. L. to select poems by either Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein. They practiced reading their poems with expression and fluency and inserted their recorded recitals into a power point presentation accompanied by a digital drawing. Bravo!

Math

In Math the second graders practiced regrouping and applied their skills to three-digit addition and subtraction problems. Now we are learning about the basic concepts of multiplication and division. I am very impressed with their understanding and they are having fun practicing these skills!

Social Studies/ Social Studies

We spent most of April studying Earth Science in conjunction with Earth Day. We learned more about natural resources, including the difference between renewable, nonrenewable and inexhaustible natural resources. We discussed the importance of conservation and what we can do everyday to make a difference. We also learned about the value of composting and how it works. We helped to compost scraps from the kitchen for the Unquowa garden, and we made mini composters by reusing empty tennis ball canisters!

Right now we are studying dinosaurs! Ask your child all about fossils and the Mesozoic Era! Also, as we learn more about the earth long ago, we are learning about some ancient civilizations, such as the Aztecs, the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Chinese. We will continue to discuss the impact that these people had on how we live today.

Language Arts

The second graders studied fairy tales.  We read Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, and The Three Little Pigs.  We learned that each of these fairy tales included some element of good vs. bad, magic, and the number three.  Then, we wrote our own fairy tales.  Some students came up with completely original ideas, and others wrote their own creative versions of some classics.  We invited the first graders to visit for our “Author’s Celebration”.

Also, the students learned about some different reading strategies that “good readers” use, which include making connections, asking questions and visualizing.  To apply and practice these skills, the students worked with a “book buddy” to read some “just right” chapter books and recorded their responses in their journals.

Math

The second graders had a blast learning more about Geometry.  We learned more about plane shapes and solid figures, congruency, symmetry and fractions.  We applied our understanding to some fun projects, which included making 3-D solid figures with toothpicks and marshmallows, playing with tangrams (Chinese puzzles) and making a class geometric quilt.

Right now, the students are studying time, data and graphs.  So far, they practiced telling time and showing time before and after the hour, elapsed time and recognizing and identifying equivalent expressions of time.

To practice collecting and organizing data, students went on a bird watch and identified and tallied birds using resources from Project FeederWatch, a program that they will have an opportunity to participate in in more depth next year in third grade.  The students really impressed me with thier knowledge of common Eastern birds!  To learn more about this program, visit www.feederwatch.org.

In the coming weeks, as we finish up this study, we will move on to applying our regrouping skills to three-digit and larger numbers.  We will also start to talk about the ideas of multiplication and division!

Social Studies

The second graders learned more about expressions of culture.  We read many different multicultural versions of the classic fairytale, Cinderella.  We also learned more about our country’s history by discussing what makes a hero and writing biographies about some famous American heroes.  While studying Space in Science, the second graders learned how some constellations and even some of the planets got their names from the ancient Greeks.  We learned what a Greek myth is, and the students enjoyed the movie, “Hercules” just before break.

Science

After studying Matter and learning that matter can change states, students were able to apply this understanding and learn what a cloud is (tiny droplets of water floating in the air.)  We discussed the water cycle and learned more about evaporation, condensation and precipitation.  The students learned that there are different types of clouds and knowing the difference can help us predict the weather.  In small groups, students did some research on some severe weather and reported to their classmates ways to stay safe in bad weather.  When studying Space, students learned how constellations are a group of stars in the sky that form a picture.  The students enjoyed learning about how many constellations have stories behind them called Greek myths.  Then, they created their own constellations.  They also learned more about the phases of the moon, what causes day and night and what causes the seasons.  In preparation for Earth Day on April 17th, the students are now studying natural resources, learning about renewable, nonrenewable and inexhaustable natural resources.  They are also learning more about pollution, conservation and recycling.

Language Arts

In Writer’s Workshop we studied the genre of fiction. The second graders learned more about story structure, identifying the five parts of a story: setting, characters, problem, solution and events. We read My Father’s Dragon as a class, analyzed Elmer’s character and wrote our own fiction stories with interesting characters that talk. Our next unit of study in Writer’s Workshop was an author study. We read many books by Angela Johnson and made the observation that she likes to write books about families. We compared and contrasted the stories that we read and identified writing techniques she uses, such as ellipses, comeback lines, beautiful language and leads about the time of day and weather. The students wrote small moment stories and tried to incorporate some of these ideas into their own writing. We will celebrate these stories in class this week, before the students bring them home to share with you!

Math

The students have been learning about double digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. We worked hard to recognize the relationship between addition and subtraction and how knowing your addition facts is a strategy to help with subtraction. It is really important that the students memorize their addition and subtraction facts. So for homework, they should practice, practice, practice!! Our next unit of study is measurement and probability. The students learned why having a standard unit of measure is important and practiced measuring objects in the room in inches with a ruler and a yardstick. We also learned about perimeter and measured the perimeter of different objects in the room in centimeters. We will have fun applying our measuring skills by applying them in real ways, like cooking!

Science

After our wonderful study of habitats and animal adaptations, (did you see the article in the About Us?!) we began a new unit in Science; studying matter. The students learned that everything in the universe is made up of matter. Matter has three states: solids, liquids and gases. All matter has mass and takes up space. We also investigated each of the three forms to identify their unique properties, and compared and contrasted how each form is alike and different. Next, we will explore changes in matter!

Social Studies

We have been learning about how we are a country of many different people. We have been reading stories in our Basal readers with multicultural characters. We learned that culture is a group of people’s way of life and culture can be expressed many ways; through clothing, holidays, celebrations and traditions, food, music, dance and art. Next, we will study different multicultural versions of Cinderella, and the students will write their own fairytales. Also, it was great to have Clara’s parents visit to teach us more about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., sharing with us a yummy tradition of their own–”soul food” macaroni and cheese!