Month: February 2020

 

Happy 100th Day of School! Today was a fun-filled day as students and staff dressed the way we envision ourselves when we will be 100 years young. We also engaged in many exciting learning opportunities. Second graders started the day with multiple math activities. What can you do in 100 seconds? What patterns do you see when you add and multiply by 10? How many times can you clap, hop, blink, and say the ABC’s in 100 seconds?

Later in the day, we wrote about how we have grown and learned so much in the past 100 days. We decided that being 100 days smarter includes reaching goals with academic concepts such as division, multiplication, fractions, geography, geology, and reading, but being smarter also includes making friends, showing respect, and demonstrating leadership qualities.

 

We concluded the day with a menu of activities that included making (and eating) 100 Day Trail Mix, trying to make as many words as possible from the letters in “Hundred Days,” and completing a 100 exercises checklist.

Lastly, second graders displayed their collections of 100 items, toured the other classrooms to view other students’ collection displays, and enjoyed delicious cupcakes with the entire school. What a fantastic day to remember!

 

Today, the second grade celebrated Valentine’s Day with many fun learning activities. We began the day with a challenging math journal two-step story problem. As a class, we shared hints and strategies for solving the “valentine candy question!”

Later in the day, the class embarked upon a special writing activity. Each student was presented with a blank, pink, heart booklet. After writing their names on the cover, each student passed the booklet clockwise to their classmates, and everyone took turns writing a personalized heartfelt compliment. At the conclusion, everyone ended up with a booklet filled with compliments, kind messages, and little anecdotes. Everyone took a few minutes to read their special booklets and thank their friends for their sweet words.

At the end of the day, we passed out valentines and enjoyed a special craft that Phillip’s mom shared with the class: conversation heart catapults. What a fun-filled day! Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful gifts, cards, and warm hugs. What a group of sweeties!

Once a week, second graders work in math journals in order to apply newly-gained skills to challenging problem-solving tasks. These tasks provide opportunities for students to make their own decisions about how to record their thinking without the structure of a worksheet. Students share various strategies and communicate their thought processes with their peers.

Here, students were tasked with creating a 3-dimensional structure using base-10 blocks. Then, they worked with partners to calculate the total volume of their structures.