It seems that, after several months of technical difficulties, our class blog is ready to let me update it! It was so great meeting with all of you at conferences last week. It's hard to believe that we are in the last trimester of the school year! It's going to be a busy three months, and I'm excited to see the progress that your 2nd graders make as they prepare to become 3rd graders.
Today was our Unit 5 test in math. Unit 5 covered the use of clocks as well as organizing and interpreting data in a variety of ways. I've been so impressed to see how the problem solving skills of students have matured this year! Not only have they been answering complicated 2-step (and even 3-step!) story problems while analyzing data on a graph, but have even been able to write and solve some of their own. On Monday, we will pre-test Unit 6. This unit builds on the subtraction we did in the last unit by including larger numbers. Now would be a good time to review basic subtraction facts and strategies for subtracting 2-digit numbers.
We began our new reading group rotations this week. Students were definitely glad to be back into a regular schedule! If you are looking for reading comprehension activities to work on at home that tie in with the standards we are working on, let me know. I'd be happy to pass along some resources. This week we also began a short research project in celebration of Presidents' Day. Each student has been assigned a president and is working to write a paragraph that follows the pattern as the Important Book project we did in December. Be sure to ask your 2nd grader about his or her president! It's been fun having some of them teach me things from their research that I didn't know before. On Monday, we will jump into our new writing program. The unit we are piloting focuses on opinion writing. Kids have lots of opinions, so I know that they will really enjoy this unit! As we get deeper into the unit, I will pass on to you some of the writing techniques we are practicing.
It was SO fun listening to weather presentations this week! All of the groups did a great job of displaying their information, planning out what they wanted to say, and bringing in extra visual aids and props to support their research. I hope to try another similar activity later this year when we study habitats. I will keep you posted!
Our next big social studies unit begins on Monday and is titled "A Journey to Freedom". During this unit, students will study influential African Americans like Hariett Tubman, Henry Brown, and Langston Hughes. To kick off he unit, we will take a close look at the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and the significance of the Civil War. Each week, we will delve into important literature to deepen understanding.
As always, thank you for all you do to support our classroom. You continue to be a wonderful group of parents to work with, and I truly enjoy the time that I spend with your children. Please jot down the dates below and contact me with any questions. Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
February 24-26 - Book Fair (Pancake feed on February 25)
February 26 - Birthday Breakfast (June birthdays)
March 3 - Read Across America Day - Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!
March 17-21 - Spring Break
April 1 - Fitness Fair (6:00-7:30)
April 5 - Family Fun Run
April 17 - Possible date for Kansas City Zoo field trip
May 22 - Last day of school!
Friday, February 21, 2014
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