Informative Writing

Our research has started for our class report on North America!  Students are learning how to conduct research, take notes, and turn the notes into an organized report.  We are going to organize our report into these categories: Landforms, Countries, Important Places, Animals, and Interesting Facts.  

The past two days of research have been done in the computer lab.  Next we will be using books, maps, videos, and magazines.

Here are some pictures of the start of our research.

100th Day of Second Grade

The snow and vacation could delay the 100th day of school, but they couldn't stop it from coming!  We celebrated our 100th day of second grade today.  Students had to find one hundred shapes, fill in a blank 100 chart, and play 100 chart math games.

The best part of the day was drawing themselves as a 100 year old.  Students had a blast picturing themselves with gray hair, wrinkles, glasses, and canes.

Check out some pictures from our 100th day!

What makes a shadow?

Yesterday the students in room 212 went on a shadow hunt.  We turned out the lights and used flashlights to explore the question, "What makes a shadow?"  Students found objects that made a shadow while also figuring out what you need in order to make a shadow.  

Our Findings:

• You need 1. Light, 2. An object, and 3. A surface for the shadow to show up on.
• Darker objects and thicker objects make darker shadows.
• Clear objects make a light shadow or no shadow at all.

Here are some pictures from our shadow lesson.

Amphibian & Reptile Project

It is time for our second grade science project! Your child will be bringing home his or her project this afternoon.  Please go over the project with your child and help them make a plan.
Step 1: Choosing an amphibian or reptile to study.  Be specific.  Not just a turtle, but a leatherback or snapping turtle. If you choose a lizard, you need to research which type you want to focus on (chameleon, iguana, leopard gecko.) It is our hope that by Friday February 7th, everyone will have chosen their animal to study.
Step 2: Start researching the animal.  They can use books, internet, magazines, etc.  They should be looking for the information on the Investigation Log, 2 interesting facts, and information about the animal's habitat.
Step 3: Find a shoe box, gift box, shipping box, or even tissue box.  This box will become a diorama of the animal, its habitat, and the interesting facts.
Step 4: Create the diorama using whatever you have.  Some students have used clay, legos, fish tank materials, construction paper, foam, etc.  It should just look like a 3D representation of the animal where it would normally live.  Have fun with it!
There is a rubric in the packet.  If they follow the rubric, they will do a great job!
Email me if you have any questions.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Here are a couple examples: