December 15-18

Writing

We all know that the Grinch has a heart that is just too small.  This week we are going to brainstorm some ways we could make his heart big and full of love.  Our writing will explain what we are going to do to make this happen.  We will use complete sentences and focus on appropriate usage of capital letters and punctuation.  

Reading

This week we will be reading the story Snowflake Bentley. We will learn about how Wilson Bentley became a photographer of snowflakes. We’ll discuss his character traits, motivations, and the challenges he faced to become such a known photographer.

Math

We are wrapping up length this week with an assessment over everything we’ve learned. Then we will spend a few days putting our measurement skills to work by making some new murals for the hallway. Students will need to draw a boat that is one meter long or a flower that is 6 inches tall. It will be a great way to wrap up our semester of learning!

Science

This week in science we will discuss natural and manmade resources.  We’ll learn that natural resources include rocks, soil, plants, water and air.  We’ll discuss that manmade resources are made from natural resources.  Students will classify and explain the differences between natural and manmade resources.  Rocks come in many shapes and sizes.  We’ll talk about their different physical properties and how they’re different depending on their natural environment.  Students will Identify natural sources of freshwater and saltwater.  We will describe and compare the properties of freshwater and saltwater.  Lastly, we will discuss how we can take care of our natural resources.

Reminders

Class Winter Party- December 18th 1:30-2:30

Book Exchange- wrapped, gender neutral books due Dec. 17th

December 8-12

Writing

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a snow globe?  This week we will put on our imagination hats to tell a story about that.  We will use some facts and some of our own background knowledge about snow globes to create the stories.  We will include descriptive vocabulary to help explain the experience.  

Reading

This week we will continue to read nonfiction texts with our purpose being to understand that the author puts important events in order so that the reader will understand. We will read a book all about Abraham Lincoln and students will sequence the events of his life in an order that makes sense.

Math

Measurement continues this week. We will learn about the difference between the customary and metric systems. We will practice estimating and checking our work with a ruler when we measure a friend! Halloween is visiting second grade again when we measure some spooky spiders, bats, and ghosts. At the end of the week we will review everything we've learned before assessing at the beginning of the following week.

Science:

Science will be fun as we observe and identify how magnets are used in everyday life. We'll learn that some objects stick to magnets, especially those made with iron. Students will explore how magnets are used in many ways such as holding small objects to a refrigerator or lifting objects. We'll learn that magnets are also used in common everyday objects like doorbells, phones, speakers, compasses, and devices with electric motors. We'll discuss the physical property that allows an object to be attracted to a magnet. At the end of the week we will review and assess or force and motion to complete the unit.

Reminders:

Class Winter Party- December 18th 1:30-2:30