Second Grade Math

Students worked independently and in teams to figure out answers to "Enough for the Class" problems.  It was great to see students sharing ideas for solving these problems and trying out each others' strategies.

Writing Workshop: Notebooks!!!

Students seem very excited about their "tiny topics" notebooks!  We have been thinking like writing detectives and searching for story topics throughout our days.  Students have been taking their "tiny topics" notebooks home in case they need to write down story ideas, notes, or sketches.  During our writing workshop time, we can take out our notebooks to help us decide what to write next.  Please help your child remember to bring his/her notebook back to school each day.  It seems to work best if the notebook can "live" in your child's backpack, so we always know where to find it.

This week, we were fortunate to have author and EMES parent, Linda Urban, visit us during our writing workshop time.  Linda has been creating notebooks for years to help her remember story ideas, record her research, and organize her thinking.  It was inspiring to see the wonderful ideas and illustrations in her notebooks!  We hope to have Linda visit again very soon.

Four Winds: Insects

On Tuesday, we enjoyed our first Four Winds lesson of the year with our wonderful volunteers, Michelle (Jaden's mom), Amanda (Selah's mom), and Flor (Lincoln's mom).  Our theme for the year is "Patterns" and our topic for Tuesday's lesson was "Insects".

First, we watched a puppet show that taught us important information about insects.   Next, we worked in small groups to "build an insect" with felt, pipe cleaners, and other materials.  We learned about the three main body parts of insects:  the head, the thorax, and the abdomen.  While building our insects, students needed to remember to attach the wings and all six legs to the thorax.  We also worked with our teammates to sort insect photographs into different categories based on their features.  

Then, we went outside with magnifying glasses, collecting jars, clipboards, and pencils.  The weather was beautiful and perfect for collecting insects!  It was amazing to see how quickly our class found interesting grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies, and other insects to closely examine and draw.

Thank you to our volunteers for a great lesson!

Geography

This week, we started our geography unit with a discussion of where we are located on our planet.  On Google Earth, we looked at the seven continents and then zoomed in to more closely examine our continent, North America.  We noticed the different colors that were used to show the boundaries of countries, states, and counties.  Next, we looked at the United States and noticed the location of the states, such as Alaska and Hawaii.   Many students seemed surprised that Hawaii is so far out in the Pacific Ocean!  We continued to zoom in closer and closer until we reached East Montpelier Elementary School.  Students wondered if the the picture would show the latest construction.  We will have to check again to find out when the changes show up.

Throughout this unit, we will learn the names and locations of the continents and oceans, practice using map skills, and discover information about various landforms.  Students have already been excited to discuss the history of maps and about the newer technologies available to us today.  Did you know that in the past, people used maps created on clay tablets and silk fabric?

Sharing Schedule

Weekly Sharing Schedule

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Caelan Bryana Lincoln Selah	Madyson Cara Alyssa Jaden	Emma Will Brayden Eliza	Cyrus Caroline Aurelia Mrs. Giammusso	Jesse Ethan Keenan

I encourage students to share about a something interesting that they have done or about items that help our class get to know them better, such as a collection of shells or a photograph from a special event.  Students should remember to bring in items for sharing that are appropriate for school and that are not fragile or valuable.  If your child is unsure about how to share, you can help them rehearse by asking them about their topic, why they chose the topic, and a few interesting details or descriptions that they would like to share.  The sharing time is fairly short, so students who have a lot to share about a topic or item are encouraged to continue their share the following week. 

I will also post this information on the Classroom Information page on this blog along with our weekly schedule.

Second Grade Math

Second graders have been practicing a variety of skills and routines during our first weeks together.  This week, we have been working on learning the names and values of coins and counting groups of coins.  We also learned a fun game called Collect 25 Cents, which helps us to practice counting and trading coins. 

Students used base-10 blocks to build numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones.  In pairs, students took turns writing numbers while their partner built the number with blocks.
 

Classroom News

Picture Day is on Tuesday, September 10th.  Please remember to send in your child's completed picture envelope and payment by Tuesday morning.

The first Scholastic Book Order is coming home today.  If you would like to order this month, please return your book order and payment or complete your order online by Monday, September 16th.  Our class code is J3G6C.

All second and third graders brought home their first homework packets this week.  Please help your child to complete and return the homework by the due date.  

Parents of third graders can check out the third grade blog created by Mrs. Christy and Mrs. Fitch for more information about third grade math. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Literacy News

During our literacy times, we have been learning about expectations for independent reading (read to self) and partner reading (read to someone) in our classroom.  Throughout the year, we will discuss and practice a variety of reading strategies that readers can use to help themselves or to coach a partner when they are trying to figure out a challenging word.

Today I shared a wonderful read aloud book with our class called Up North at the Cabin by Marsha Wilson Chall.  One reason that I love this book is that it reminds me of my own summer vacation in Maine.  We found that many students also made connections with this story about staying at a cabin, seeing loons, swimming, canoeing, and water-skiing.  Everyone also seemed to enjoy the beautiful illustrations.  As we listened to the story, students discovered that the author used creative descriptions, interesting vocabulary words, and similes to make her writing really grab our attention.  I have challenged students to revisit their free writes about their summer vacations to find ways to add more details and descriptions to their work.