2nd Grade– 10/15/21

In Second Grade we have officially kicked off workshop in reading and writing! It has been amazing to watch the students dive in and get excited about all parts of our literacy program! In writing, the students have started their own small moment stories and are learning how to craft their ideas with details. In reading, we have been building reader habits while practicing strategies such as scooping up phrases to help read fluently. At home, be sure to ask your child to read aloud while scooping phrases with a pretend ice scooper just like we did in class!

In math we’ve been reviewing our mathematical strategies from last year to help us solve this years equations. We will continue to build upon and strengthen our skills because we will soon be regrouping numbers one through one-thousand!

In science we are discovering the differences between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. We have been exploring and experimenting with various solids (flour, cornstarch, salt, beads, baking soda) and liquids (vinegar, water) to create chemical reactions and observe how different substances when mixed can be distinctly different.

In Music class, our Second Graders have been reviewing the concept of steady beat through the Hicklety Picklety Bumble Bee game, where they learn about different voices (talking, whispering and magic) and share their names as they tapped a steady beat. They have also been reviewing Music Class expectations through the words and movement of our Music Rules Rap. We practice focus and mindfulness at the beginning and end of every class with our Tibetan Bell listening game. It has been such a treat to see your children again and to meet our new students!

STEAM with Sammi

The second graders are off to a great start in STEAM class! For those who don’t know, STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. This is a new special area class this year and we meet every Friday for 45 minutes in the art room. We have had 4 classes so far and I missed the first blog- so here is an update on all we have done!

In the first class, we read the book When Charlie Mc.Button Lost Power. This book was about a child who experiences a loss of power and therefore a loss of all his technology. While he feels completely lost at first, searching all over the house for fresh batteries for a handheld game, he ends up having an amazing afternoon playing make believe with his little sister. After reading the book, we all discussed things we like to “unplug” and do. I also used this to make a point that some days technology doesn’t work, but when that happens to us at school, we will go with the flow and find other fun things to do together.

In the second class, we spent time discussing the Inspiration 4, Space X mission. The students loved learning that the crew was all civilians, not people that trained to be astronauts with NASA. We saw videos of the launch, landing of the rocket, landing of the pod, and some clips of the crew in space. There were so many amazing questions answered in 45 minutes!

In the third class, we did some engineering. This really gave me a chance to see the students teamwork and creativity. Each group was given popsicle sticks, various sized cups, small wooden cubes, and an animal figurine. They were told they were all hired by the Central Park Zoo to help build a new habitat for their animal. After about 20 minutes of building, we then went around the room and had each group present their habitat. After presenting, each group answered questions from the audience. There were some amazing designs that considered places for the animal to sleep, play, hide away when feeling shy, and, my favorite, two groups even created a private space for their animal to go to the bathroom. The designs also included some pretty awesome ways that visitors could observe the animals from a safe distance including some tall observation towers, peep holes, and viewing domes. Take a look at this week’s Google Photo album for some pictures of the designs.

Finally, in the 4th class, we began a two week fall themed project. Students were assigned the task of creating a “pumpkin stand” that could display a small pumpkin. This stand could only be made with 20 straws and 4 feet of tape. This class was only for planning. Students spent 10 minutes of personal planning, presented their ideas to their small group of 3, compromised as a group, and drew out a group plan. When you see this post, we will have done our build in class, so be sure to ask your child about their design!