December 2-6

Hi Parents,

Reading

We are starting our first research project this week! We will be working as a class to pick a topic, set learning goals, find research from a variety of sources, and end up with a product to showcase our learning. For the first research project we will be growing familiar with the process as a group before completing individual projects in the spring!  

Writing

This week we will be looking at nonfiction writing and then writing a book of our own!  Our “All About Books” are an opportunity for students to make a short book sharing something that they are an expert about.  They will pick a topic that they know a lot about, create chapters and set them up in a table of contents.  They will draw a picture or diagram of their topic and get to share what they know.  The kids always have a great time with these books because they are all about something that they really care about.  They are also a lot of fun to read, so be sure to stop by at the end of the week and check them out in the hallway!

Spelling

Spelling is back this week and we are working on words with long i patterns. Words will go home Monday and we will check our learning on Friday.  

Math

This is our last week with adding and subtracting large numbers.  We’ll review strategies for both two-digit addition/subtraction and use manipulatives to help us solve the problems.  Muffin Tin Math will make doing large number subtracting fun!  We will need 5 muffin tins and 5 ping pong balls.  If anyone is able to let us borrow, please let me know.  Our brains and bodies will get a great workout when we play 2 digit Subtraction Locomotion.  Students will write and solve a subtraction problem, then do a task before moving to the next problem. We’ll be hopping, jumping and skipping our way through math!  Problem solving with all of the various strategies we’ve learned will help us with solving word problems.  At the end of the week, we’ll review and check for understanding with an assessment.

Social Studies:

We will become familiar with historical figures and their contributions to America and our community.  Research will be incorporated into this unit and we will do a fun “living” presentation about the person to share our knowledge with others.  Audience members will be working on listening skills and note-taking during the presentations.

Reminders:

• Life journals are due on Friday.
• Library day is Wednesday.
• Family Art Night: December 3rd from 6:30-7:30
• Early Release Day: December 4th
• Book Fair: December 9-13

Thanksgiving Week

Hi Parents,

Reading

For this short week we will continue to work with main idea.  We will read a few cute Thanksgiving books, like The Littlest Pilgrim and The Night Before Thanksgiving, and review reading skills such as character comparisons and summarizing.  

Writing

In writing we will be discussing different cultures and the important things for which we are grateful.  We will look at what people eat for Thanksgiving and share our families traditions.  Then we will share what we are really grateful for with the class.  Our writing will have us thinking about how special it is to spend this holiday break time with our families and about appreciating our family traditions.

Spelling

No spelling this week due to the short week, but we will do some Thanksgiving themed word building activities to help us think about how to make words.  

Math

We’ll be mixing it up this week with both addition and subtraction using larger numbers.  We’ll review the strategies and make strategy mini posters to keep in our math journal.  Our problem solving skills will be challenged with Thanksgiving Word Problems and a game called Thanksgiving Bump.  We’ll also re-visit telling time as this is an ongoing skill that we will spiral back to again throughout the year.  

Here are some fun songs to practice math facts during Thanksgiving break:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ccOKla2DA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPKoNJH1Jg&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFuskIXXQa4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02d9GpKruxs&feature=related

Science:

We have been working on types of energy, force and motion for a couple weeks now.  This week we will practice and review these skills, then check our learning on Tuesday.

Reminders:

• No Life Journals this week!
• Turkey Trot in PE: Postponed until the spring!
• No school: November 27th-November 29th. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Family Art Night: December 3rd from 6:30-7:30
• Early Release Day: December 4th

November 18-22

Hi Parents,

Reading

This week will mainly be about main idea! We will learn to look for clues to help us find the main idea and see how it is different from the topic of the book. We will also learn how to find details that support the main idea.

Writing

This week in writing we will be helping Tom Turkey disguise himself for the coming holiday!  First we will take our Turkey and have fun coming up with a disguise and decorating him.  If you can donate supplies like fabric, buttons, pom poms, glitter, tin foil or other craft items they would be appreciated.  Once we have our turkeys dressed as flower pots, robots, Santa Claus or other fun characters we will write a descriptive paragraph from the point of view of the turkey describing their disguise!  It will be a fun and cute activity, and I can’t wait to see the kid’s turkey creations in the hallway!

Spelling

Our spelling words focus on words with the long e pattern. Words will go home on Monday and we will check our learning on Friday.

Math

This week we will continue our unit on large numbers.  We will begin the week with two-digit subtraction by tens and then increase to larger numbers.  We’ll challenge ourselves to see if when subtracting large numbers whether or not re-grouping is necessary.  We’ll also discuss how we can use our knowledge of our doubles addition to help us with subtraction and how this as a strategy.

Looking for something extra to challenge your child?

A fun activity for them throughout this unit is to give them the sum and ask them how many ways they can make this number.  Or give them the difference and ask them how many ways they can solve a problem and get that answer.  Using math vocabulary everyday will increase your child’s understanding of these concepts.  

Examples of ways to challenge your child at home for enrichment:  

_______ + ________= 16 (How many ways can you make this sum?)

_______  - _______= 8  (How many ways can you make this difference?)

______ + 9 = ________ (the sum has to be less than 30)

______ + 9 = ________ (the sum can’t be more than 30)

*Parents, you can do this with any numbers and it’s a great brain challenge!

Please remember that math facts are just as important as reading.  Please continue to practice math facts at home.  Our goal is for students to recall addition and subtraction facts to 20 with automaticity.  This skill will continue throughout the year and we appreciate your support in working at home to reinforce through daily life situations.

Science:

“Do you hear what I hear….” - many sounds are going on in our room this week while we learn about sound energy and how it works.  We will practice making science equations using heat, light and sound energy.   Sound stations will be set up to explore the increase and decrease in sound.  

Reminders:

• Life journals are due on Friday.
• Library day is Wednesday.
• Pajama Flashlight Reading Night is Tuesday in the library. Bring a flashlight and read in the library from 6-7:30!
• Turkey Trot in PE: Our class splits in half for Specials. If your child is in the red group, the Turkey Trot will be on Monday, November 25th at 8:05. The blue group Turkey Trot will be on Tuesday, November 26th.
• No school: November 27-29. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Early Release Day: December 4th

November 11-15

Hi Parents,

Reading

We are continuing with nonfiction this week! This week will be all about reading different types of nonfiction texts, such as cookbooks, how to books, and literary nonfiction (nonfiction books that present facts in a story-like manner). Continue to go to the library and ask your child to point out different text features of nonfiction books!  

Writing

We will be continuing our Student Treasures  writing project this week!  The book pages and order forms have to be in the mail this coming Thursday!   Here is a link to the company website if you are interested in ordering a class book: (http://www.studentreasures.com/).   We will get a free book for our classroom if you turn in all the forms (even if you are not ordering)!  

This is an exciting and intense writing time where we must all work together in class to get our book finished and sent in. I’m so grateful to all of our parent volunteers who have dedicated their time and pens to us so we can finish.

I can’t wait to see our finished class book!

Spelling

Our spelling words focus on words with the long a pattern. Words will go home on Monday and we will check our learning on Friday.  Remember that we are not trying to memorize our word lists, but practicing the spelling pattern.  If you cut out and sort the home lists and brainstorm other words that fit the pattern together, then your child should do great on their surprise words by applying what they learned.

Math

We’re beginning a new unit in math this week.  This will be a 4 week unit on adding and subtracting larger numbers.  We’ll begin with reviewing using the bridge to ten strategy and adding values of tens.  Students will be introduced to two-digit addition using manipulatives.  Playing 2 digit addition football will be fun and have them practice  to get a touchdown.  There is more than one strategy for adding large numbers and students will be encouraged to problem solve together and share their thinking.

Science:

We will be working on heat and light energy this week.  We will experiment with changing the amount of energy.  We will observe and discuss how energy can increase and decrease to make different changes to an object.   

Reminders:

• Life journals are due on Friday.
• Library day is Thursday.

November 4-8

Hi Parents,

Reading

Our nonfiction unit will continue this week. We will be learning how to read nonfiction books by looking at some different text features, such as bold print and captions. We will learn the purpose of each of these features and how they help us read the book.

Writing

We will be starting a new and exciting writing project that will go on for the next two weeks!  We are going to become published authors through the Student Treasures Program (http://www.studentreasures.com/).  At the end of our writing time we will send in our completed work and it will be published in a class book that you can order!  We even get a free book for our classroom!  

This is going to be an exciting and intense writing time where we must all work together in class to get our book finished and sent in.  I’ll be contacting parents in a separate email to arrange parent volunteers to help with this big project.  

I have never done this project before, but I hear from other teachers and from our vice principal that it is a wonderful and exciting program.

I can’t wait to see our finished class book!

Spelling

Our spelling words focus on words with ph, gh, and tch. Words will go home on Monday and we will check our learning on Friday.  Remember that we are not trying to memorize our word lists, but practicing the spelling pattern.  If you cut out and sort the home lists and brainstorm other words that fit the pattern together, then your child should do great on their surprise words by applying what they learned.

Math

We’re continuing our unit on money this week.  Thanks so much for all the donations and volunteers for our Halloween Math Stations!  The kids had a wonderful time and they were so excited to put their money knowledge to use!

We’ll be playing several money games and discussing various coin combinations of different amounts.  Students will work with money manipulatives and practice problem solving.  Singing our way to counting coins will be a blast as we have many songs that we’ll be enjoying to help reinforce these skills.  We’ll even “Race to the Bank” to count coins!  At the end of the week, students will review and we will have an assessment on Friday.

Money is an ongoing TEKS for second grade.  Please continue to have your child count different amounts of coins regularly.  With debit and credit bank cards being used so frequently, children aren’t exposed to counting money as often.  One fun way to have your child count coins is to give a handful of your loose change and if they can count it correctly, they can keep it!  Their piggy banks will be full in no time!

Science:

We start science this week!  We will be working on motion/force and types of energy for the next few weeks.  We will get to explore with magnets, create ramps, and experiment with water and wind.  We will play a game to refresh our memory with push and pull also.  We need to borrow small, toy cars for our ramp day.  If you have some, please send them to school before Thursday.  

Reminders:

• Life journals are due on Friday.
• Library day is Wednesday.
• Report cards go home on Tuesday, November 5th.
• TAG Parent Information Meeting: November 7th at 5:30 in the library.
• Ms. Hoveland will be out at District Trainings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. See y'all on Friday!