Mrs. Alden's Second Grade Class: March 9-13

Reading: This week students will be independently thinking and responding to fiction and nonfiction texts that they read. While reading they will respond to what the big idea is in their book, making inferences, comparing two books, retelling the story, and understanding the 5 W’s (Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?)

Writing:

This week we will work through a writing menu. This will consist of a variety of questions for us to write about. We will pick one each day and then write about it using complete sentences, correct spelling/punctuation, and a clear beginning/middle/end. We will focus on addressing the prompt and revising as we go also.

Math

We are finishing up our multiplication and division unit with a review on Monday and an assessment on Tuesday. The rest of the week will be spent reviewing everything we’ve learned so far with some spring-themed math centers. We will review measurement, addition and subtraction with regrouping, telling time, and money. It will be a great review before Spring Break!

Science:

We will be learning about different types of animals this week. We will talk about the bodies of the animals (physical characteristics) and how they help them meet their basic needs. We will also be discussing how behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs.

At-Home Enrichment (optional homework):

Research: research the “question of the week” and bring what you find out to school. It can be any type of presentation such as a poster, powerpoint, game, etc.

Question of the week: Who was Miles Davis?

Math enrichment:

Remember Figure Me Out with addition and subtraction? Come up with new numbers about yourself and see if you can make a matching multiplication or division sentence!

Also try this fun game: Race to create an equation in this game will help your child and his opponents get creative with addition, subtraction and multiplication. Math skills will be in full force while everyone tries to outsmart the competition!

What You Need:

Deck of playing cards with the face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) removed
Scratch paper
Pencil
2 or more players

What You Do:

Have your child remove the face cards from the deck and set them aside.
Ask him to shuffle the deck and deal out four cards to each player. Make sure he deals them face down, so nobody can see the hand they were dealt. No peeking!
Place the remaining deck face down in the center of the table.
Have one of the players flip over the top card and place it face up on the table. This is the target number.
Announce that aces = 1.
Count to three and have all players turn their cards over at the same time.
Encourage players to add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers in any combination to try to reach the target number. Make sure that players use all four of their cards. Have players use scratch paper to verify their math.
Whoever can create a equation that hits the target number first gets one point.
The player to reach 3 points first wins!
When four cards become too easy, try playing with five cards instead.

Science Enrichment:

Have your child pick a plant that they want to learn about. They can write about the needs of the plant, life cycle, habitat and important facts. Have them make a poster and bring in to share with the class.

Learn about animals and plants on these websites:

http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/quicktip/science/plants/plants.htm

http://www.neok12.com/Plants.htm

http://easyscienceforkids.com/plants/

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_main.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/plants.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/plants.htmlhttp://www.kidsbiology.com/biology_basics/needs_living_things/living_things_have_needs1.php

http://www.kidsplanet.org/

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/science/

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids

http://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/plants-and-animals/