Upcoming Happenings in Room 210

Hello again! I apologize for the lapse in postings - hopefully all of the following information will help get everyone back up to speed. Please also check out our updated wish list tab above, as there are several things that we need for the classroom. Thanks in advance! Here is an overview of the exciting things to come in second grade... Reading - We are coming to the conclusion of our study of fables and folktales. The children have learned so much and are working on demonstrating that knowledge through a final book report on a chosen fable or folktale. They can't wait for you to see their beautiful finished work! (Common Core RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.)  Next month we will switch our focus to non-fiction texts. The children will learn about the organization and special features that help readers gain the most information out of a text. (Common Core RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.) Math - We have just begun our unit on metric measurement and continue building our knowledge of basic math facts. Before the February break, they will take the Math in Focus Mid-Year Exam which covers all concepts they have learned since September. This is a lengthy exam that will be broken up over three days.  Writing - Our creative writing stories almost finished! Next we will be moving on to researching and writing our polar animal reports. Stay tuned for more details! (Common Core W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations.)) Science - After learning about the Arctic and the Antarctic, we will soon move on to learning about penguins, along with other polar animals. 'The Penguin Lady' is scheduled to visit us on February 10th! 

December Fun!

The holiday season is a busy time in Room 210. So much learning is going on and we can’t wait to share it with you! There are only sixteen school days in the month of December, but these days are jam-packed with exciting learning. Here's a preview of what we can look forward to this month:

Writing - We will begin creative writing this month! The children will have the chance to write a creative story about the elf they will create at the Elf Store. They will be practicing using dialogue in their stories, as well as strengthening their use of interesting adjectives and varied sentence structure.

  

Math - We will finish our unit on bar models this week, but will continue to use them to solve problems throughout the rest of the year. Later this month we will work on the concepts of multiplication and division. *If you log on to Think Central, click on ‘my library’, and then click on ‘math in focus math background videos’, there are videos explaining the concepts that are being taught in each chapter. These can be very helpful!*

 

Social Studies - Our next unit will shift our focus to geography, where the children will learn about maps, landforms, bodies of water, continents, the major mountain ranges and rivers of our world. We will be creating our own 3D maps of the world later this month (or early next year) using various mediums. We'll be looking for parent helpers when the project gets closer!

 

Elf Store - Our Elf Store will take place on Friday, 12/5 from 11-12:15. This is a very fun event where the children will get to practice their money skills, as well as problem solving skills, to figure out how to decorate their elf while staying within a budget. We need many volunteers for this activity so please let me or our room mom know if you are able to come in to help out! Thanks in advance!

Subtraction in Action!

We are knee-deep in subtraction with regrouping! It is definitely a challenging concept but I have been very impressed with the way the children have stuck with it and helped each other along the way. As we prepare for our upcoming test this week, the class was able to deepen their understanding of regrouping by 'teaching' each other. 

Check out our

fabulous second 

graders in action!

(2.NBT.B.7 - Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.)