Wow! It has been very busy in second grade since the last post! We have traveled to the Sea Life Museum, put on the amazing Jungle Book Play, hosted the Under Sea Museum and more! Your children did a great job explaining all that they have accomplished this trimester during conferences. Now we want to update you as to where we are now!
The Jungle Book!
Here are some pictures from our field trip to the Sea Life Museum:
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~Under the Sea Museum~
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Way back in the fall we wrote persuasive letters to various government officials about the rain forest, persuading them to stop deforestation. Some of the recipients of these very persuasive letters included the Ambassador of Brazil, Senator Burr, and President Trump. In February, our first response arrived from our very own President! See the pictures below for the opening and reading of his response.
In
Reader's Workshop we have started working in book groups. As each group reads their assigned books, they have been asked to reflect on what they have noticed about the characters in their stories. At the end of the session, each book group gets together to share their opinions about what they have noticed. Your children are building on their previous character study work and developing their skills in learning from hearing perspectives different from their own.
In
Writer's Workshop we have started to explore the creative and wonderful world of poetry. Your children have been trying out a variety of styles and methods to write their poems including using a diamante pattern, a highly structured way to compare opposite things. They have written small moment or seed poems about a feeling or person. We have discussed the importance of applying line breaks to add "music" to their poetry. Currently they are writing poems about emotions by using their five senses. More to come!
In
math we are working on developing a deeper understanding about what the equal sign really means which is that two parts of an equation "are the same as" each other. We have learned about the names of the different parts of a subtraction problem; the
minuend (the starting number), the
subtrahend (the number being taken away from the minuend) and then the
difference which is the answer to the subtraction problem. We have explored solving the values of two expressions by comparing the values of their subtrahends and minuends. It is challenging work but your children have loved it!
Life continues on in the coral reef! Recently, each student was assigned to one of four working groups in the coral reef; the marine biologists, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Fishing, and the oil industry. The students have met in their groups and thought about what skills they would need to work in their particular department. They have determined what they each want from the coral reef. If you walk toward our room you will see the characters they created to represent their assigned role. Today there was an oil spill! Armed with bottles of blue-tinted water to which oil had been added, your children learned what happens when oil comes in contact with water. Then they started adding items such as feathers, shells and natural sponges to see what the impact of an oil spill would be on their beloved animals of the coral reef. Next they will think about how to clean up the spill and later they will be invited to an international conference in which they will share their thoughts about how to protect the coral reef from further spills.
Our work with InReach continues. Our friends from InReach came to the Jungle Book. They were also able to visit the Under the Sea Museum. When we go to visit InReach we divide our time between working in the green house at Metro School and learning sign language at Covenant Presbyterian. A huge shout out to all of the drivers who make this all possible. It is an incredible partnership and we are grateful that our children can have such a meaningful service learning experience.
We have just completed a unit in technology where your children learned about coding and how to build robots. The culminating event was captured in these pictures:
Next up:
April 10th : Visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
April 13th: Half-day, dismissal at 11:30
Have a wonderful break and safe travels!
Cary and Hadley
