Writer's Workshop

This week we worked on creative writing during Writer's Workshop. Students used the writing prompt "Imagine that you, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Olaf have to go on a mission to save somebody that is stuck in his house from a blizzard. How do you meet these creatures?  Tell the story about your mission!"  We brainstormed a list of words and adjectives, planned for writing and began to write our first drafts. Students came up with some very creative stories!

Kahoot!

Today during reading buddies we played a trivia game with Miss Gray's Class. The game had both Second Grade and Fifth Grade questions. Students were on a team with both Second and Fifth Graders. Teams worked together to answer curriculum related questions!

Geometry

We have started our geometry unit in math. Students have learned many new content vocabulary words including line segment, point, polygon, quadrangle, side, angle and vertex!  We used some of this new vocabulary to create geometry Christmas Trees that included many different polygons prior to vacation. Next week we will be moving from flat shapes to 3 dimensional shapes!  Thank you for all of your help in sending in real-life models of cylinders, rectangular prisms, cubes and cones for our shape museum!

Odds and Evens Party!

Room 112 has been discussing how to determine if a number is even or odd.  First, we decided that we only need to look at the digit in the "ones place" to determine if a number is even or odd. Next, we had a dance party and noticed that if everyone at the party had a dance partner the number was even. If some friends did not have a partner then the number was odd!

Nonfiction Reports

We have started our Nonfiction Unit in Second Grade! Students have chose a topic for their research report. They have  learned how to record dash facts and choose a heading to categorize their dash facts!  Students are using books, IPads and computers to research their topic and record their facts!  

Reader's Workshop

We are coming to an end of our Author's Study Unit on Vera B. Williams. Students have been exploring and identifying story elements of fiction (characters, setting, problem, events, solution) within her books.  Students have learned to complete story maps and summaries using the books A Chair For My Mother, Something Special For Me, and Music, Music For Everyone. Today, students worked hard with a partner to implement what they've learned by completing a summary or story map with a book on their independent level. They were excited to share their summaries!

Making Change at MathDonalds

Today we visited "MathDonalds" and learned how to make change by counting up from the cost of an item to the amount tendered (up to $1.00 or "100 cents"). First, students picked an item from "MathDonalds" and located the price (Crispy Chicken Sandwich...$0.55). Next, they looked at the amount of money they had to pay with ($1.00). Finally, they counting up from the amount the item cost to the amount they paid to figure out the change they would receive (Start at $0.55, Stop at $1.00...Change = $0.45).  They loved visiting "MathDonalds" and most students choose to buy ice cream when it was time to pick their own item :).  I will continue to use this strategy in math centers going forward.  Please continue to practice counting all mixed coins and making change by counting up at home!