Grade 2 News - April 2017
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
Throughout the month of March we explored a variety of non-fiction texts as a whole class, in self-chosen “Non-fiction and Science Reading Book Clubs” (with various topics), and in our small guided groups. Some of our non-fiction book clubs included: Birds, Habitats, Disasters, Dinosaurs, Rain Forests, and Machines and Inventions.
Some of the strategies we used in our book clubs were: identifying and using non-fiction features; explaining and discussing topics, information, and main ideas in non-fiction texts; identifying whole book topic(s)
and sub-topics; comparing and contrasting information from different texts; recording and organizing information; and sharing knowledge with others. Students also wrote and illustrated “expert books” based on their research, and created posters and group murals to share information about their topics with others.
In the past we have read some books with interesting and often very amusing main characters! These books have included Amelia Bedelia, Millie and Moo, Super Cluck, Ivy and Bean, and Catina and Houndsley. This month we will re-visit books such as these as well as others in “Series Book Clubs” with our guided groups. We will explore and enjoy well-known series as Arthur, Henry and Mudge, Nate the Great, Frog and Toad, Magic Tree House, The Chalk Box Kid, and Mercy Watson to name a few.
In late April and into May we will focus on fairy tales, legends, fables, and folk tales from around the world. We will begin with The Great Ball Game, a Muskogee legend that attempts to explain why birds fly south for the winter, and why bats come out at dusk! We will also explore other tales that try to explain how things came to be in the world. These will include: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain, and Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
We will also read some fables by Aesop, various versions of well-known fairy tales and folk tales, and even some “fractured” fairy tales such as The Paper Bag Princess and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf. We will participate in related “Readers’ Theater” activities to share fables, folk tales, fairy tales, and legends with our classmates and other Federal Furnace students.
In May and June we will look closely at the work of beloved author, illustrator, and New England native Tomie dePaola. We will explore many of his wonderful and timeless picture book classics including The Art Lesson, Tom, Strega Nona, Little Grunt and the Big Egg, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, and Now One Foot, Now the Other.
Throughout the year, our reading anthologies and guided reading selections have provided us with an interesting variety of literature by favorite authors. Students routinely seek out other stories or series by these well-known authors, and these are usually found in our classroom book area, school library, the Plymouth Public Library, or online.
In addition to this, our chapter book “read-aloud” times have included wonderful “Please keep reading, Mrs. Chalas!” books such as Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The Enormous Crocodile, The Twits, Poppy, and Ereth’s Birthday. Our current read-aloud is a Newbery Award winning book by Katherine Applegate titled One and Only Ivan. Hopefully, students and their families will be inspired to read and listen to great books like these throughout the school year and during summer vacation!
Written responses to literature as well as other types of writing continue to require careful thought and well-organized ideas. Students need to consistently revise and edit their own work, whether they are responding to questions related to literature we have read, or when working on stories or reports. Second graders must remember to work neatly and carefully, not compromising quality for speed. Neat handwriting matters, too!
Recently, our Writing Workshop time focused on note taking, gathering and organizing information, and writing “like experts” about non-fiction topics as part of our book clubs. In April and throughout May, we will focus on reading and writing poetry.
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES
Our recent “Biography in a Bag” projects were a huge success! Second graders took great pride in being “experts” and sharing their knowledge of famous people in history with classmates, family members, and other Federal Furnace students who visited our “Biography in a Bag Display Day” on Friday, March 10. The projects were very impressive and the students were well-prepared to share information and answer questions. Thank you so much for your support here and at home!
In March we used our mapping skills and knowledge of geography to track mushers online as they made their way across the Alaskan wilderness in the 2017 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. We learned about historical events that inspired this annual race from Anchorage to Nome, as well as the incredible determination of sled dogs and their mushers. Mitch Seavey’s team came in first place – the oldest and fastest musher to win the Iditarod!
In Social Studies, we will begin to explore the topic of “Citizenship.” We will learn about various forms and branches of our government including local, state, and national, as well as some of the responsibilities and rights of citizens.
In Science, we are “Exploring Matter” and learning about matter around us in various forms. We have noted and observed differences and similarities in solids, liquids, and gases, learned about their properties, and determined how and why these forms of matter could be measured and changed. This has included interesting hands-on explorations, activities, and experiments! This week we will focus on “Changing Matter” and continue to make meaningful connections from our in-class activities, explorations, and experiments.
“Earth Day” is also celebrated in April and we will explore different ways that we can save energy and help our environment by reducing, reusing, recycling, and conserving.
In late March we participated in two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) challenges in our classroom. These problem-solving activities were related to our study of matter and included a “Who Sank the Boat?” activity (creating a foil boat to hold marbles) and constructing “Puff Cars” (using straws, rubber bands, index cards, masking tape, and four Lifesaver mints) that could be propelled by blowing one big breath. Students were enthusiastic, creative, and active participants!
MATH
We have created and solved problems and number stories using “comparison diagrams” and “parts-to-total” organizers. We also have continued to practice and apply mental math strategies, write number stories, add and subtract multi-digit numbers, and reinforce math skills with games, hands-on activities, and books. This month in Math we will revisit measurement, and we will collect, organize, share, and interpret related data in a variety of ways. Our measurements will involve using standard or metric units of length, weight, and volume. We will measure many things around the classroom (including ourselves), then record and compare our findings. After that, we will focus on geometry.
Please continue to practice basic math facts daily to increase speed and automaticity!
ODDS AND ENDS
Springtime temperatures can vary greatly from day to day. Clothing and footwear should be safe and practical for outdoor play. If your child can’t independently tie shoelaces, please practice this at home! This has been an ongoing challenge for many students this year.
Please send in paper towel and toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, and empty cereal boxes for upcoming STEM activities.
Thank you for your continued support!
Mrs. Chalas
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”
~ William Shakespeare
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
Throughout the month of March we explored a variety of non-fiction texts as a whole class, in self-chosen “Non-fiction and Science Reading Book Clubs” (with various topics), and in our small guided groups. Some of our non-fiction book clubs included: Birds, Habitats, Disasters, Dinosaurs, Rain Forests, and Machines and Inventions.
Some of the strategies we used in our book clubs were: identifying and using non-fiction features; explaining and discussing topics, information, and main ideas in non-fiction texts; identifying whole book topic(s)
and sub-topics; comparing and contrasting information from different texts; recording and organizing information; and sharing knowledge with others. Students also wrote and illustrated “expert books” based on their research, and created posters and group murals to share information about their topics with others.
In the past we have read some books with interesting and often very amusing main characters! These books have included Amelia Bedelia, Millie and Moo, Super Cluck, Ivy and Bean, and Catina and Houndsley. This month we will re-visit books such as these as well as others in “Series Book Clubs” with our guided groups. We will explore and enjoy well-known series as Arthur, Henry and Mudge, Nate the Great, Frog and Toad, Magic Tree House, The Chalk Box Kid, and Mercy Watson to name a few.
In late April and into May we will focus on fairy tales, legends, fables, and folk tales from around the world. We will begin with The Great Ball Game, a Muskogee legend that attempts to explain why birds fly south for the winter, and why bats come out at dusk! We will also explore other tales that try to explain how things came to be in the world. These will include: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain, and Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
We will also read some fables by Aesop, various versions of well-known fairy tales and folk tales, and even some “fractured” fairy tales such as The Paper Bag Princess and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf. We will participate in related “Readers’ Theater” activities to share fables, folk tales, fairy tales, and legends with our classmates and other Federal Furnace students.
In May and June we will look closely at the work of beloved author, illustrator, and New England native Tomie dePaola. We will explore many of his wonderful and timeless picture book classics including The Art Lesson, Tom, Strega Nona, Little Grunt and the Big Egg, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, and Now One Foot, Now the Other.
Throughout the year, our reading anthologies and guided reading selections have provided us with an interesting variety of literature by favorite authors. Students routinely seek out other stories or series by these well-known authors, and these are usually found in our classroom book area, school library, the Plymouth Public Library, or online.
In addition to this, our chapter book “read-aloud” times have included wonderful “Please keep reading, Mrs. Chalas!” books such as Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The Enormous Crocodile, The Twits, Poppy, and Ereth’s Birthday. Our current read-aloud is a Newbery Award winning book by Katherine Applegate titled One and Only Ivan. Hopefully, students and their families will be inspired to read and listen to great books like these throughout the school year and during summer vacation!
Written responses to literature as well as other types of writing continue to require careful thought and well-organized ideas. Students need to consistently revise and edit their own work, whether they are responding to questions related to literature we have read, or when working on stories or reports. Second graders must remember to work neatly and carefully, not compromising quality for speed. Neat handwriting matters, too!
Recently, our Writing Workshop time focused on note taking, gathering and organizing information, and writing “like experts” about non-fiction topics as part of our book clubs. In April and throughout May, we will focus on reading and writing poetry.
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES
Our recent “Biography in a Bag” projects were a huge success! Second graders took great pride in being “experts” and sharing their knowledge of famous people in history with classmates, family members, and other Federal Furnace students who visited our “Biography in a Bag Display Day” on Friday, March 10. The projects were very impressive and the students were well-prepared to share information and answer questions. Thank you so much for your support here and at home!
In March we used our mapping skills and knowledge of geography to track mushers online as they made their way across the Alaskan wilderness in the 2017 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. We learned about historical events that inspired this annual race from Anchorage to Nome, as well as the incredible determination of sled dogs and their mushers. Mitch Seavey’s team came in first place – the oldest and fastest musher to win the Iditarod!
In Social Studies, we will begin to explore the topic of “Citizenship.” We will learn about various forms and branches of our government including local, state, and national, as well as some of the responsibilities and rights of citizens.
In Science, we are “Exploring Matter” and learning about matter around us in various forms. We have noted and observed differences and similarities in solids, liquids, and gases, learned about their properties, and determined how and why these forms of matter could be measured and changed. This has included interesting hands-on explorations, activities, and experiments! This week we will focus on “Changing Matter” and continue to make meaningful connections from our in-class activities, explorations, and experiments.
“Earth Day” is also celebrated in April and we will explore different ways that we can save energy and help our environment by reducing, reusing, recycling, and conserving.
In late March we participated in two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) challenges in our classroom. These problem-solving activities were related to our study of matter and included a “Who Sank the Boat?” activity (creating a foil boat to hold marbles) and constructing “Puff Cars” (using straws, rubber bands, index cards, masking tape, and four Lifesaver mints) that could be propelled by blowing one big breath. Students were enthusiastic, creative, and active participants!
MATH
We have created and solved problems and number stories using “comparison diagrams” and “parts-to-total” organizers. We also have continued to practice and apply mental math strategies, write number stories, add and subtract multi-digit numbers, and reinforce math skills with games, hands-on activities, and books. This month in Math we will revisit measurement, and we will collect, organize, share, and interpret related data in a variety of ways. Our measurements will involve using standard or metric units of length, weight, and volume. We will measure many things around the classroom (including ourselves), then record and compare our findings. After that, we will focus on geometry.
Please continue to practice basic math facts daily to increase speed and automaticity!
ODDS AND ENDS
Springtime temperatures can vary greatly from day to day. Clothing and footwear should be safe and practical for outdoor play. If your child can’t independently tie shoelaces, please practice this at home! This has been an ongoing challenge for many students this year.
Please send in paper towel and toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, and empty cereal boxes for upcoming STEM activities.
Thank you for your continued support!
Mrs. Chalas
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”
~ William Shakespeare