We had a really terrific week in 2nd grade! The children were hard workers and accomplished so much! Below are a few snapshots of the fun and learning that happened!
In reading this week, the children and I read a whole group story called My Name is Yoon. Through reading this story, the children practiced making predictions while reading. We went on to directly transfer this skill into the texts they are reading in their small guided reading groups! We also talked this week about the reading strategy of asking questions. It is so important to read- not just saying the words, but really thinking about and processing their meaning. A great strategy is to ask questions that you are wondering while reading, whether or not you are able to answer them!
The children practiced using quotation marks and combining sentences during their grammar lessons. We practiced identifying the "talking" word in each sentence that let us know that quotation marks were needed!
The second graders enjoyed exploring motion through a series of time trials outdoors this week! We practiced crawling, hopping, and walking backwards for a set time interval. The children measured how many meters they could travel in 5 seconds. Based on the data the children collected, they determined which motion allowed them to travel the greatest distance. The winner was hopping! We then analyzed our data and evaluated possible reasons why this was the case. The children noted that with hopping, they were moving moving forward, and using only two feet as opposed to both their arms and legs (as in crawling.) Clever thinkers!
We went on to discuss motion at a deeper level. The children shared different examples of motion, and we realized together that motion does not happen without some type of FORCE. The children were given toy cars and a variety of materials to use, and they explored different ways to get their car to move (often using a PUSH or a PULL of some kind.) Again, the children put on their thinking caps and investigated a whole range of ways to get those cars moving! We noticed that the car traveled farther on the tile floor than on the carpet, due to the reduced amount of FRICTION! What a bright bunch of scientists we have in 2-2!
It was Nick's week to shine as our star student this week! His dad came in and helped Nick demonstrate a really neat science experiment! In the experiment, Nick showed us how to get a heavy dictionary to shoot across the counter by putting straws underneath it! They functioned as wheels, and reduced the amount of friction between the book and the counter. What a perfect experiment to learn from as we study motion! Nick's mom came in and shared the story The 13 Nights of Halloween. We are so lucky to have such a happy, funny, sweet, and unique little fellow in our class this year! You had a great week, Nick!
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