What's up with the 1,2,3's?

I've combined the Monday Memo, helpful links, and a homework page into this Google Doc. Check it out.

2nd Grade Math 41-60

2nd grade math

VBS

The end of the school is near, which means VBS is on it's way! You can register online using this link: https://spreadsheets2.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDlYOVRIVnVuTUIyQUhqbm1ZekJlY1E6MQ

I hope to see you there!

Din-O-Mite!

In preparation for our field trip next week we studied dinosaurs this week. The class put dinos in number order. A dino stamp game provided a chance for showing numeral knowledge. Stories about T-Rex and Three Horn were written. Paleontologists inspected bones and found words on them. But, a stand-out favorite was the sensory table. The class paleontologists dug up dinos.

We also checked out a website that allowed us to see an interview with an actual paleontologist.

Aquarium Trip

Did you hear about our field trip? We went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium in California. The Aquarium's webcams allowed us to watch sharks and fish get fed. A scuba diver entered the water and fed the animals by hand! There were other divers cleaning the rocks and caring for the kelp as well.

This week we are on our second week studying the Ocean. The class stopped at centers that included searching the sand for treasure sentences, exploring the oceans in Google Earth, reading and sorting word families, and counting fish in an aquarium. But the highlight was touching the Octopi. Miss Naumann brought in three mini and one bigger octopus. Ask one of us about: How did it feel? What was on the tentacles? What is on the bottom? How did it smell?

The wonders of the digital age make the work of God's hands even more evident and amazing as we can "fly" to another culture and explore it's creatures in a matter of seconds. Watch the cuttlefish camouflage or a dolphin jump. Marvelous deeds!

March

We wrapped up February with 100 day. The class made a 100 piece snack, read 100 words, said 100 memory treasures and did 100 exercises. Phew...good thing it was a short day. Thank you for the food for our snack.

We also studied weather. The class really enjoyed their chance to be a meteorologist and use the Smartboard to show their tv audience the forecast.

In March we dug into some garbage. The class helped Miss Naumann sort our garbage into piles. We decided to REUSE plastic silverware (we found an real spoon in the garbage too!) We made a pile of food waste to compost and one to feed to the worms. We pulled out plastic containers to RECYCLE and we pledged to REDUCE our paper towel waste by using the hand dryers.

March 2nd is the birthday of Theodore Giesel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. The class enjoyed a math activity based off of the book "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." We also played three rhyming games and did a Seuss stamping activity. "

Be Mine, Valentine!

Our centers this week were all about Valentines. In the math center the kids were working in a candy factory counting hearts to put in red tins. The class also opened up chocolate boxes and spelled words using valentine clues. Sorting candy hearts, doing a Valentine game on the Smartboard and working on our mailboxes were also on the menu.

Possibly the biggest hit was when the class made their "poof books." Each author had a chance to read their masterpiece in the Author's Chair!

Fabulous February

This week we traveled to China just in time for Chinese new year. The class used a balance, graphed food items, played dominoes, used chopsticks and wrote about Chinese food. On Friday we played a few Green Bay Packer games including an addition one using football counters.

An Ocean of Octopi

This week is Earth Day. The Ocean is on our mind. Miss Naumann brought in a baby octopus and a tentacle to investigate. This is what we wrote about it:

"Today we got to touch and see a real octopus. (LS) It was awesome. (BA) It felt oily from the salad. (LB) We saw the meat. (SD) It smelled like fish. (BB) It felt all squishy and it was cool. (AA) The arms had little suction cups. (JC)

Although the octopus wasn't alive, we did the next best thing. We watched a video of God's amazing design in action. *We watch the videos but don't read the comments*

What can you do with no bones? An octopus is a master of escape.

If only we could convince all the girls to touch the octopus ;)

How was all of this made? Genesis 1:21

5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!!!

Greetings earthlings, we have returned to planet Earth to update you on our learning. This week the class had some homework. We used satellite technology to view our homes from above. This was such a great way to introduce satellites and geography concepts.

We looked a space books in the reading castle. In other centers we planned out our Shuttle Crew, made a Spring art project, played the Shuttle Letter Game and read glow in the dark words.

If you have an MP3 player I would highly recommend the song "Rocketship Run" by Laurie Berkner.

St. Patrick's Day

What is 12 cups, 6 colors and took 5 days to make? Our rainbow Jello treat! Last week we started making our snack for today. Jello helped us with the concepts of liquids, solids, gases, and dissolving. The class also ate their math. Don't worry, it was a Lucky Charms math graph.

Our centers also had a Irish theme. Each child created a family crest, clapped syllables, alphabetized counties, played a word game on the Smartboard and sorted sheep. Did you know in Ireland they spray paint their sheep? Then when it's time to sheer, they can easily separate the sheep.

Igloo

We've been steadily collecting clean milk jugs since January. Our igloo has over 350 milk jugs! It is the best spot in the room to read a book. Thanks for cleaning out all the milk jugs.

Seuss

March 3rd was Theodore Geisel's birthday. Who? Oh, that's Dr. Seuss. The class did "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" math. They wrote about their favorite Seuss book, played a few rhyming games and played a Seuss board game. www.seussville.com has many fun games. Kohl's stores has Seuss books right now for $5 as part of their Kohl's Cares program.

In February we studied the presidents. Our class book "If I was President" gave us a chance to design campaign signs. We also talked about the responsibilities of being president. Matching the presidents to their number was a long but fun task.

We've been doing some detective work lately. One of the afternoon centers enables us to solve a mystery by looking at clues. We used magnifying glasses to inspect footprints.
The next picture shows our new platform. It is used to reach the top of the Smartboard and makes a cozy book nook. :) Thanks Mr. Biersack!
The final picture is math time. We used fish to help tell math stories.

January

During Bible time this week we built a tabernacle in our classroom. In the afternoon we finished up our snowed-out centers from last week. Our letter l box is filling up with lipstick and lollipops.

Thanksgiving Centers

This week our thankful centers are:
coloring a turkey feather, making cards for shut-ins, playing a cookie game, making pies by counting fillings, listening to Run Turkey Run, and reading books.

November

This week our afternoon theme is "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." One of the centers is making a weather map for Wisconsin. There is a math game that counts raining food and sunshine.
We also listened to Miss Naumann's favorite book "The Giant Jam Sandwich." How would you get rid of 10,000 wasps. The town of Itchingdown was very creative.
Last week was Miss Nottling's birthday. The class gave Miss Nottling her own set of Boomwhackers, shown in the picture. She used these in music to help with the beat, high and low pitch and scales.
The other photo shows a math lesson using
fish.