Christmas Concert Time!

Be sure to check out our class bulletin board outside our classroom for fun Gingerbread activities we have been doing as you drop your child off for the concert!

Christmas activities are so much fun!

So excited to start many fun activities today.  Reading, writing and math!!!!  We have Christmas music on as we work too!!  Fun, fun, fun!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?

More simple machine inventions

Grade 2 Simple Machine Inventions

Check out the Grade 2 Simple Machine Project!!

Graphing

Today we sorted our lunch bags!  We talked about different ways to sort them (size, shape, colour).  Finally we decided to sort them by the way that they close - zippers, Velcro, or none.

We discovered that 15 people had zippers, 2 had Velcro, 1 had nothing.  We also talked about the difference between zippers and Velcro and the difference between zippers and none.  What a fun math class.

Think of ways to sort things at home and make a concrete graph.  Ask your child questions about the data. Which has most? Which has least? What is the difference? How many took the survey?

Class Dojo!!

Be sure to check out our class dojo. This is an incentive program to help our students stay on task.  Look in your child's agenda for information.

Scholastic book orders due November 13!

Recount Success Criteria and example

 Have a look at what we are working on!

Update

Math:  we have been working on counting by 1, 2, 5 and 10.  The students have looked at the 100's chart to help them find patterns with their skip counting.  Please practise counting objects around your house to help promote these concepts.  Also have your child write the numbers that they count.  Many students are still reversing numbers or don't know how to write them.  This will be an ongoing expectation throughout the year but your help is always appreciated.

Language:  we have transitioned from list writing to recount/retell writing.  Students are able to identify sequence words (first, then, next, finally) in their reading and are now beginning to write their own recounts about their evenings or weekends.  Please help your child by getting them to retell about their day using the sequence words.  I will post a picture of our co-created success criteria for students follow while writing later than week.

We have also been fortunate to have 4 iPads in our class.  We use these every day for our Listen to Reading centre.  Be sure to check out the Raz-Kids  website and have your child show you what it's all about!

Grade 1 Science: materials and structures.  Our guiding questions are what are things made from?, what makes structures stronger?

Grade 2 Science:  movement and simple machines.  Levers, screws, pulleys, wheels and axles, wedges, etc!  These simple machines make our work easier!!!!  We have viewed many videos and completed an experiment to help us in this topic.

Health: we have been discussing about ways to stay safe in a variety of situations such as fire safety, outside/inside safety, Halloween safety and now food safety with respect to allergies.  They have demonstrated their learning by creating frozen tableaux and posters (this is integrated into drama and media literacy).

Music:  we have been learning about beat and have had fun playing many music games to demonstrate keeping the beat.  Sometimes it feels more like a gym class then a music class!  Next we will be working on rhythm, do you know the difference between beat and rhythm?

Reading bags:  these have been going on a weekly basis every Wednesday with good fit books.  Please remember to fill out the chart completely every time you read.  Return the bag to school each Monday.

Homework: homework will come home periodically throughout the year.  Please check agenda to find out when it is due.  Homework will be math, language or science based. 

Agendas:  each day students write in their agenda about different topics ranging from school events, reminders, etc.  This will provide you with extra information and also serve as extra printing practise.  I have seen some improvements already in their printing and copying abilities!

I think that sums it up for now!

Blog Update!

Looking forward to getting everyone caught up on what we've been up to in class lately!  Check back frequently for updates!

All things butterfly!

Today we were celebrating with all things butterflies.  We began the day with naming them Aurora (meaning sunshine) and Adelina (meaning noble, kind and winged).  In math we discussed how the wings are symmetrical (same size/shape/colour or a mirror image) and practiced colouring in some butterfly wings, making sure they were symmetrical.  In media today we created birth announcements for our new family members.  Once the pictures are printed the announcements will be sent home for you to enjoy.

Brunch Time!

After a few unsuccessful attempts at holding the butterflies (I was nervous), I managed to get them both to eat.  Have a look at the picture below.  Can you see the long proboscis (tongue)?

IT'S ANOTHER GIRL!!!!!!!!!

And now there's two girls!  So exciting!

And now they are together in the flying cage!  The sisters are happy.  I am anxiously waiting for their first flight!  See you all on Monday!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!! The first butterfly emerged around 2:30 this afternoon.  I was just able to transfer it into its flying cage and discovered that it's a girl!!!  Start thinking of Spanish girl names starting with the letter A.  I'm just waiting for the second butterfly to finish drying its wings and start moving so I can transfer it to the flying cage.  I will keep you posted!

Welcome Back!!!

Happy September!! I am so excited to be back in the classroom, it was a long summer!  This year, my class is a 1/2 split grade.

Over the last two days we have talked about many things: routines, listening, expectations.  Have a look at our 'First Day Feelings' graph.  The excited column was so full we had to extend it over to the left.  We also took the opportunity to discuss the data that was on the graph.  Can you see it (written in red and blue)?

We also talked about what active listening looks like, sounds like and feels like.

In math we learned a new game called Snake.  Ask your child how to play.  All you need is a dice, paper and pencil.

Poetry Writing

We have been busy learning to read and write different kinds of poetry.  Check out our last form of poetry we played around with.  We choose 3 or 4 book titles and put them together to form BOOK SPINE POETRY!  I created a little video to show you our final piece of writing.  Please click on the link below to see our video.

https://goo.gl/photos/3cErJB1tcb8d5yZ88

How to write a haiku poem.

A haiku poem on how to write a haiku. Awesome!

Beebot Talk!

Can you help BeeBot move around our town?  Can you move BeeBot to the right side of Tim Horton's?  We are learning to describe the location of objects and how they move around maps and other places! ... did you know grade 2 was so much fun?

Strong Answers

We have co-created what we think makes a strong answer:
1) our answer needs to have 3 or more sentences
2) explain our answer in complete sentences
3) LOTS of detail and information
4) have a strong question (deep thinking question)
5) use prior knowledge and research
6) make sure it makes sense so other people can read and understand it (we decided to get a friend to read our answer to double check this point)

Changing States of Matter

Here is a look at our changing state of matter experiments we did with crayons.  We had so much fun.  As the final step to our experiment we got to draw with them!!  Please scroll down to the bottom of the post, I couldn't figure out how to arrange them differently.

 

WE HAD A BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!

I am so excited today!!  We have been talking about being good readers and what we do when we read, specifically with asking questions.  We know that good readers ask questions before, during and after we read.  We also know that many of our questions get answered as we read.

We had a great discussion today while reading Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress that not all questions are important.  For example, why was the cat wearing a space helmet?  That question was very simple to answer once we read the book.  But the question 'why was Morris wearing the dress?' was more important.  We knew that the dress reminded him of certain things (his mom's hair, tigers and the sun), but that was the EVIDENCE from the book.  We had to think a little deeper to get a DEEP THINKING ANSWER!  We figured out that Morris was wearing the dress because it made him happy and because it reminded him of all those things that made him happy.

So remember, DEEP THINKING QUESTIONS = DEEP THINKING ANSWERS.  Use evidence from the book to back up your answer.  The questions are not just about what is happening in the book but what is important, what is the author trying to teach us?

Matter, Matter Everywhere!

This past week we have been discussing lots of things about matter!  We've even done a few experiments too!  We determined if air takes up space, we also figured out the properties of liquids and solids.  Today we described various mystery liquids and how they were the same and different.  We then conducted a race to see what was fastest: syrup, mustard, or ketchup.  You decide on the winner.

I am also conducting an experiment on making rock candy at home.  Each day I have come in with new pictures of various stages of growth.  My first attempt was not very successful so as a group we decided that I would try again.  These are the first few pictures of my experiment.

The picture on the left is immediately after I poured the liquid into the jar.

The picture on the right is 15 hours after.  Can you see a difference?

Let's hope it grows this time!  If I am successful, we will grow some in class and inspect it with our magnifying glasses.

Music and Language

Hi everyone!

During Music over the last week, we have been looking at and listening to the various instruments in an orchestra.  Check out the new link on the right side of the website featuring the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Language we are learning to read and eventually write adventure stories.  We have been working on what all stories have: title, characters, setting, problem and solution, events (to solve the problem) and an ending.  I am looking forward to writing adventure stories.  I have heard some funny ones already!