How much is your name worth?

After studying money, counting money, and adding and subtracting money, we decided to use our new skills to find out how much money each of our names would be worth using a coin chart.  Students did a great job identifying and adding up all the coins for their name.  Here are some pictures from the lesson. Feel free to use this chart at home.

Properties of Matter

We have finished up our water cycle unit, but before we are fully done, we are reviewing the properties of water and matter.  We have reviewed the three properties (solid, liquid, gas.). Students have shared ideas with each other, watched videos, and sorted pictures to help learn the differences.  On Friday, we took a walk around the school on a hunt for solids, liquids, and gases.

Epic! Books for Kids

We just started using a new, free app/ Website for reading electronic books.  This app can be used at home as well as in school.  It is also a necessary tool for the upcoming Blizzard Bag activities (further information to come.)
On a laptop or desktop computer, go to this link https://www.getepic.com/
Click: Sign in
We are all using my username and password.
Username: bboucher@bpsk12.org
Password: room212
*Be sure to click on GUEST as the user.
after logging in, they will have access to many eBooks, some even read to them!

On an iPad:
Download the free Epic! app
Click on educator link
Login with the same username and password from above.
Be sure to click on the GUEST user.

This is a great resource for more books to read at home with your child.  Please take advantage of the free reading opportunity.

Counting Money!

Our new math topic is Counting Money.  However, most second graders are still getting to know coins and their amounts.  We have been practicing, studying, and trying to get to know them well at school, but we may need your help at home too.  Please help your child to know each coin by name and amount.  It is also helpful to practice skip counting at this point by 5s and 10s from any number.  If your child is ready have them practice counting a handful of coins.  We always start with the coins that have the Greatest Value. THANK YOU!

Week of 3/23- 3/27

This week our class had a slight change of schedule do to the PARCC testing going on in the upper grades.  We got to have specials in the morning, which gave us a full afternoon to work on our newest nonfiction writing topic.  We have started an informative writing project on North America.  Students have been learning how to research, take notes, and organize their notes in order to create a class report.  Next week, pairs of students will work together to draft and publish their page of the class book.  
In a couple weeks, each student will use their researching and note-taking skills to research and create a report of their own on a different continent.
 In math, we have been learning about plane shapes and solid figures.  Students have been learning about sides, angles, vertices, edges, and shapes.  Next week we will discuss rectangles, columns, rows, and fractions.
 Next week we will also begin discussing the water cycle and properties of water.  Our current math, science, and social studies units have lots of new vocabulary terms.  Please try to ask about these topics so that the children can practice using these new words as often as possible.
  On Friday we got to watch a movie as part of our behavior plan.  The popcorn jar was filled, so they got to watch a movie as a reward.  It was a great day and I hope they fill the jar again soon.  Keep up the great class behavior!

Counting edges

Discussing Solid Figures

Counting faces or flat surfaces

More shape discussions

Chinese New Year

Ms. Chang, Angelina's mom, came Tuesday to help us learn more about Chinese culture and traditions.  She shared some books and stories with us, taught us some Chinese words, showed us traditional clothing, and helped us to make lion dancers.  We would like to thank her again for coming! It was a great day!  Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Last week: Temperature and Snake Feeding

Last week we were learning about temperature and how to read a thermometer.  We experimented with different type of thermometers.  We practiced reading both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Here are some pictures from some of our lessons and experiments.  This week we will start charting the daily temperature to keep practicing.

As part of our unit on reptiles, we got to watch Micahn, a corn snake eat a mouse.  It was another amazing experience brought to us by the Burlington Science Center!