Today in math, students were faced with the challenge of finding out how many different combinations could be made using 3 different shape crackers and 3 different colors of frosting.  They worked in groups of 3 to discuss a strategy and then to create the combinations.  Then, they used the Interwrite board to present their strategies to the class.  We discussed similarities and difference in the different approaches and how it was effective in answering the question, How many different combinations can we make? Finally, students wrote about the challenge and reflected on what went well and how their strategy was effective.  Below are some photos of the process. Click on the images to view them in full screen.

Yes, we are building fairy houses-or other mystical creature that might live in the woods!  The students are SO excited for this project!  Their task is to build a fairy home that will support and protect the fairy from the natural changes in our NH environment.

Students will also be writing about them and the process of building.

Today, students found a suitable place to build and are considering the natural resources that are available to them to build.  Then, they wrote about why they chose their place and what materials they have used to help the fairies adapt to the natural changes in our environment.

The class voted and decided on creating a system to collect food and help out people who are homeless or having a difficult time financially.  Today they decided to collect food for Thanksgiving baskets/boxes for local families.  We have a list of jobs and people needed to make our system work well.  Next, we will be working on getting the word out.

Look for information coming home about the food drive.

Theme: How We Organize Ourselves

Central Idea: People create systems to meet their needs and wants.

We have been investigating government and economic systems over the past several weeks. During the past week, students have been working in groups of 3 to design a plan for a system that will meet the needs and/or wants of our community.  I am quite impressed with the ideas that students have generated: cleaning up trash, having a bake sale to raise money to buy new books for our classroom, cooking a hot dinner for homeless people, and several others.  Teams will be creating presentations to share their ideas and then the class will discuss the various systems and vote on one system that we will work through as a class.  I can’t wait to hear about them all!

It seems that everyone enjoyed a beautiful fall weekend and were a little tired this morning.  However, after a few yoga stretches and deep breathing exercises, we were all ready to go.  Students have been learning a little bit about the brain and how it works.  They learned that the prefrontal cortex is important for learning and problem solving, the hippocampus is where all of our memories are stored, and the amygdala helps us react to different situations fast. Getting oxygen to the brain is important to help us think clearly and stay focused when we are learning or doing something new.

Math

Students took their first math assessment for Unit 1.  students did a great job and worked hard!  We still need to do some work with the 100s grid and looking for patterns in numbers and counting coins.  Unit 2 will review and extend what students learned in first grade.  Children should be working towards fluency with their addition facts through 10 and the related subtraction facts.

Writing

We continue to read Gooney Bird Greene and talk about what makes a great story.  Then, students go to work and practice applying those things to their own writing.  we have some fabulous writers in this class!  Ask your child about Goony Bird Greene and how she makes her stories so great.

Reading

We discussed just right books today and got reflective about our reading.  Students looked at the books which they had in their book boxes that were just right and wrote down a list of what they noticed about these books.  This list can help them to find other books that will be a good fit even when there isn’t a teacher or a labeled book shelf to guide them.

Social Studies

We are in the process of a 2-day challenge working out a trade system.  Children will be simulating their own market and trade system and then looking at how it worked and why.  They will also discuss why certain things did not go so well.  This will help them as they design their own systems in small collaborative groups.

Word Work

When helping your child with spelling, ask them to break down the syllables and spell each chunk.  this will help them to focus on spelling smaller parts of the word rather than the whole word.

It seems that we have all been together so long now!  We have been learning about  how people work together and have fun together in a community and that we all have responsibilities to ourselves and others in a community.  We are just one big learning community and it is important to remember how to get a long and how to best work with other members so that we are all safe, happy, and successful.

Spelling/Phonics

This week, we reviewed that every word must have a vowel and every syllable in a word contains a vowel sound spelling.  We focused on words that contain consonant digraphs.  A consonant digraph is a spelling made of two or more consonants that represent one unique sound, such as /sh/ spelled sh or /th/ spelled th. Consonant digraphs contrast with consonant blends, in which the sound of each letter is distinctly heard.  The digraphs this week we practiced were th, sh, ch, tch, wh, kn, wr, and ph.

For spelling practice, try playing hangman, create word scrambles, or make word finds with sounds that have these spelling patterns.

How We Organize Ourselves

Central idea: People create systems to meet their needs and wants.

We discussed the meaning of systems and how we are going to focus on people systems rather than environmental or technological ones. Then, we brainstormed a list of needs and wants and discussed the difference between the two.

We also watched a 17 minute video about Community and Citizenship to aid in our discussions about systems with people.  Below is the video link if you would like to watch or your child would like to watch again.

Citizenship in the Community

We have also been talking about how government officials are chosen and students are participating in a similar system to apply for and assign jobs in the classroom to experience the process and how everyone has different roles and responsibilities in a system. Ask you child what job he/she applied for.

Reading

We have continued reviewing strategies to read tricky words from 1st grade.  These are strategies that are important as we are constantly encountering new words when we read everyday.

While conferencing with students individually, I have introduced some strategies to help with reading fluency.  the first step after reading the words accurately is to back up and reread.  Yes, BACK UP AND REREAD.  Read it like you would talk, not like a robot.  Have your child practice this strategy on one or two pages while reading so that he/she can be an expert on that page and read through it fluently.

Student Portfolios

Every student has their own portfolio. This is in the form of a binder and is where they will save much of their work.  Portfolios will stay at school but you are welcome and encouraged to check in and Students will be very familiar with the contents (since it is their work and they have put it in them). These portfolios will be used in the spring student -led conferences.  At the end of the year, most work will go home and a few pieces will go into the back and follow them through fifth grade to show progress in different areas such as reading, writing, math, social studies, science, goal setting, and specials.

Students reflected on their very first writing piece and put it in their portfolios.  They had to read it and think about what they were most proud of in their writing and write it on a reflection form.   Over the course of the year, students will be reflecting on many aspects of their learning and their work to improve.

Writing

Another activity that we did was to look at a picture and tell a story about it to a partner.  then the two partners needed to link their pictures (which looked like they had nothing to do with each other) through one story.  Students were very creative and did a lot of what good writers do.  they started with creative and interesting beginnings, added interesting details, used transition words like next and then, and put events and details in a sequence that made sense. After they took all the pictures, looked more closely at details, and put them in order using quality conversations as they were all from a picture book called Zoom by Istvan Banyai.

Zoom by Istvan Banyai

Math

This week, students worked with counting money in dollars and cents, giving back change from $1.00, subtracting larger numbers up to 100 using the number grid, and some new math games to practice math skills.  We also played some interactive math games using the InterWrite board.  To access more of these games go to my Wikispace and click on Interactive Math Links from the side bar menu.  Games are all organized by skill.

Essential Question: Who are the members that make up our learning community?

Problem/task: To inform the class about another member of our learning community.

Purpose: To work together as a learning community this year, we need to find out more about each other and what we do and do not have in common so that we may better understand one another.

How it went:

Last weekend, students had a small bag to decorate and fill with items that represent important and interesting things about themselves.  This week, students shared their bag of items with a partner while working on quality conversations. There was so much excitement in the room as girls and boys shared their interests and hobbies with others.  It was really fun for me to see the interest that partners had in each others lives.

Partners took notes of the items and what they learned new about their partner. Then, created a 12×12 poster about their classmate to present and introduce to the rest of the class.  Quality criteria included, title with student’s name, graphics (drawn or from a magazine) for each item they shared, and captions or labels for each item.  Other suggestions were colorful, neat, and correct spelling.

Students share their All About Me bags and take notes on the new things that they learn about each other.

Creating posters about each other.

Quality conversations.

Our Learning Community Challenge

Essential agreements are like a contract that we form together as a whole class. They help us set expectations for behavior and responsibility in the class as a community.  These are created together and posted for the year.  At any time we can revisit and change them as necessary when agreed upon by all.

We created our class essential agreements today.  I shared some of the content that we will be engaged in this year in second grade and then a list of things that I will give to help the students have a successful year.  They had an opportunity to question or suggest items to add to my list. Though I had fun and games as something I am willing to provide and share with them, they thought it was important to add celebrations.  We discussed celebrations as sometimes being part of home, but that we can have small celebrations in class.  This was important and was added to my list:)

The students then worked together as in small groups having quality conversations about what might be important for them to give to have a successful year.  Once the group was in agreement, they could post their idea on the board.  We came back together and reviewed the list, agreed on it, grouped like things together, then compiled a final list.  Students also had the opportunity to add things they thought were important.  Quality audience and quality conversation was added. Though they had give the teacher presents, I let them know that it wasn’t necessary and we should not keep that on the list. Sadly, they agreed. All students signed the list.