1st grade created a Geometric City - using geometric shapes to create a city. 2nd Grade, who started a Multiplication unit and have been working on arrays, created an Array City.
We have started a unit on the Amazon Rainforest. The children are excited and amazed by the different animals living there. They are learning about the different layers of the rainforest and what animals live in each layer. They are also learning about how we can help protect the rainforest. Our first project was creating beautiful butterflies who live in the emergent and canopy layers. The children invented their own butterflies, using symmetry and many of them using camouflage coloring.
1st and 2nd Grade are exploring fractions. 1st grade is learning about whole, half, third, quarter and eighths. 2nd grade is learning about fractional parts of a group.
In reading about Hawaii, we learned that there are sea turtles there. We are very interested in turtles since we have Speedy the diamond back terrapin living with us. Yesterday we had some time with Speedy. We got to pass him around gently, look at his shell, and his webbed, clawed feet. We also watched him speed around the rug. Then we started making our own turtles!
Every year we get a baby diamondback terrapin as part of a turtle Head Start program to help these endangered turtles. We care for her, watch her grow and change, and then will release her at Sandy Neck beach in June.
Today we went with Miss Chloe to Crosby Beach to clean up trash. In Science, the children have been studying Earth Science, learning about the planet, the layers of the Earth, rocks and minerals, and now, about how we need to take care of our Earth. We went to the beach, not expecting to find much trash, and we were happy to find not a lot of trash, but just enough to feel successful! We finished up our trash clean up by cleaning around the parking lot at school. One of our finds that was NOT trash!
We are wrapping up a fantastic week. Both grades are really into the routine and are doing really well. In Science they have learned about Land Formations, the layers of the earth, and are currently doing a unit on Rocks. In Social Studies we have been learning about what a community is and have been having fun creating imaginary communities with businesses, homes, parks, jobs, laws, and now a leader for the community. Next week we will take a field trip to Chatham to look at what makes up the community of Chatham. We will be making a couple of trips there. We are starting to talk about Alaska which is our class topic for the Art and Literature Fair. We've done a KWL (what we know, what we want to learn and what we have learned) about Alaska and we want to learn about a lot of things!! If you have anything on Alaska that you'd like to share, please let me know. In Math, both grades have been doing addition. 1st grade is adding single digit numbers using different strategies - number bonds, adding on with fingers and number line, and using manipulatives. 2nd grade has been adding a single digit number to 2 digit numbers. They too have learned different strategies - number bonds, quick tens (for place value) and Read, Draw and Write - for word problems. In Language Arts both grades are enjoying the handwriting program and are printing beautifully. They have both been in a review stage in Spelling. The 2nd grade has been doing reading comprehension practice each day.And both grades have been doing a lot of writing. In between all this hard work are frequent laps around the playground, morning recess before the day starts, exercise time mid-morning, and a nice long recess. So, as you can see, they are working and Playing hard! Exploring geometric shapes! |
Karin Pearce-Small
Ms. Karin is the 2nd/3rd grade teacher. Categories |