Weekly Updates February 22

Here is a look into what we are working on in second grade!

Math

Chapter 7 in Everyday Math is all about patterns and rules. Patterns in counting, including multiples of ten, doubling numbers, and halving numbers all are skill sets that support higher math operations.

Next week we will introduce finding the median (middle number) of a set of data and making frequency tables, line plots, and bar graphs.

We will test on Tuesday, March 5.

After we test, we will introduce fractions in chapter 8.

ELA

Our big focus has been using apostrophes. We have practiced using them to show possesion and to create contractions.

The kids have now become contraction-happy and are trying to put contractions on anything ending in an "s" whether it belongs there or not. :)

This week we introduced irregular past tense verbs. These are past tense verbs that you do not add "ed" to in order to make it past tense. The kids seem to have a good grasp on this.

Spelling

We are working with vowel teams that say the long a sound next week: ai and ay.

Social Studies

Next week we are continuing our civics unit with Martin Luther King, Jr.

We have studied rights, responsibilities, elections, being a good citizen, segregation, and Jackie Robinson.

Writing

We are working on informational writing still. We are doing how-to writing.

We have been practicing this week, and we will do a how-to piece next week.

American Hero Project

Directions will be going home on Monday for the second grade American Hero project.

Valentine Baby Cupids

How precious are all of our Valentine babies?!

The class cannot wait to find out who is who!



Election Day in Room 206

Today we learned that part of being a good citizen is voting when you turn 18.

We held an election today and voted for our favorite book character.

Our candidates were James from James and the Giant Peach  and Sophie from The BFG.

After learning about elections, we created our own voter registration cards.

We then watched our candidates give speeches using Vokis of each character. A Voki is an avatar on the computer that talks to us.

We then got into our voting booths (study cubbies) and cast our votes on our ballots!

After tallying the votes, Sophie won the election!

Here is a picture of voter registration cards! I apologize that they are turned the wrong way - it is saved the correct way but the blog is presenting it sideways.

Atlanta Police Visit!

The Atlanta Police community liason officers came to visit the 2nd grade today!

We are learning about being good citizens, who protects us as citizens, and our rights and responsibilities as citizens.



Weekly Updates - February 8

I hope everyone is having a good weekend and staying healthy!

A lot of germs and coughing were floating around our room this week!

Here is a look into next week.

Math



We have been starting to build multiplication skills by learning ways to show multiplication. Arrays, equal groups, and repeated addition are all ways for kids to see what it means to multiply.

We will have a test on Chapter 6 on Tuesday. I plan on doing the review in class on Monday. I will send the completed review home with them to look over and practice with you.

Keep in mind that Everyday Math spirals, so our tests not only cover tidbits of what we learn in the chapter, but the tests also cover previously taught skills.

ELA

Our areas of focus have been dictionary skills, ABC order, and possessive apostrophes.

A note on possessive apostrophes...

Common Core curriculum teaches putting an apostrophe after an "s" a bit differently than when we were children.

Here is how I am teaching it to the class. I am doing it based on Common Core's standard.

Singular without an "s":

The cat's paws were black.

Singular with an "s":

The class's performance was about the Revolutionary War.

(The apostrophe goes after the s, and we follow it with another s.)

Plural:

The boys' restroom is very messy.

Spelling

Right now we are working on "R-Controlled" vowels.

This past week we studied words that have "ar" and "or". We are able to recognize what sounds they make. We practiced this in centers and in class using Fundations and a story called Pirate Mark.

Next week we will focus on "ir", "er", and "ur", which all make the same sound.

Please keep in mind when studying for spelling tests with your child that previous trick/red words will show up in the dictation sentences. All previously taught trick/red words are listed on the planner, so please be choosing some to review each week at home.

Reading

Making Inferences is our current reading strategy.

This week I am going to have them practice this by giving them a situation everyday that they are to record on a chart, and then they make an inference using that situtation.

I will give a quiz on making inferences late next week.

I will resume reading groups the week of February 18. I am currently conducting SLO assessments on each individual student during reading group/center time.

Social Studies

We have finished our unit on matter in science, and we are moving back to social studies.

This week we are going to talk about being a good citizen, people in our community that help our citizens, and our duties as citizens, including voting when we are adults and following laws.

I have arranged for police officers from the APD to come visit second graders on Wednesday to talk about being a police officer and the importance of following the law. This will be a great way to involve the community in our lessons!

We might even get to go see the cop car!

Elections are another topic we will visit. The students will listen to two electronic characters give election speeches, and we will list talking points that each character presented on a class chart.

The students will get their chance to vote for either character.

Valentines' Day

I am sending home information for Second Grade Valentines' Day on Monday with the homework planner.

Please plan on helping your child create a Valentines' Day mailbox to bring to school on Thursday. This can be made using either a brown paper bag or a shoebox.

If you plan on having your child distribute Valentines on Thursday, it is required to have one for each student in the class. Please check your child's Valentines to make sure they have only written kind messages on each. I will send home a class list on Monday to make sure you have each child's name.

Second graders are doing a Guess My Baby Picture game on Thursday. Please send in a baby picture of your child in an envelope with their name on it. Please send this by Wednesday so I can have them ready before Thursday morning.

Thanks for all you do!

Building Multiplication Skills

We have been working on showing multiplication in different ways to start building multiplication skills.

Mollie and Margaret are building arrays using counters to find the results of multiplication number stories!

Weekly Updates February 1

Here is a look into this past week and what we are doing next week!

This week we began a new behavior initiative. We are trying to fill our Good Job Jar full of Pom Poms. We get a Pom Pom at the days end if no one is on yellow or red. We get bonus Pom Poms if we get a compliment from someone outside our class on our behavior (another teacher, Ms. Pruitt, a parent walking by, etc.)

When we finally fill our jar, we will get to vote on 3 rewards.

This is a class effort! All 23 students must be working towards this each day.



This week we worked on several skills and standards 

1. Inferencing - Drawing conclusions based on what we already know or what we see.

2. Subtracting 2 digit numbers

3. Spelling using -y, -ty, -ly suffixes

4. Understanding ways water changes: melting, freezing, evaporating, condensating

5. Informational Writing - We finished our final drafts about our favorite toy.

6. Dictionary skills - We have been working on ABC order and dictionary guide words. We are working on identifying if a word would be found on a dictionary page based on the guide words, and we have been practicing finding guide words in the dictionary.

Next week....

Math

Our focus in math will be ways to show multiplication. We will work with arrays, multiplication number stories, equal groups, and repeated addition.

Science

We will complete our science unit on how matter changes . We will create a foldable about the 4 ways water changes, learn about how burning/cooking changes matter, and reviewing on Thursday.  I plan on testing on Friday, February 8. A review will come home Thursday night.

Spelling

We will be focusing on 2 different "R-Controlled" vowel patterns: ar, or

This will be taught in spelling and reinforced in literacy centers.

Reading

We will continue to work on making inferences.

ELA

We are going to continue dictionary skills and begin working with using apostrophes to show possession.

Have a great weekend!!