Busy, Busy, Busy!

We have been very busy during the past two weeks!  Here are a few examples of the learning going on in our classroom:

• The sixth graders performed Cinderella, Cinderella.  They invited us to a performance and it was wonderful!  It was a perfect introduction to our Cinderella unit.
• We have been working hard to read fluently and with expression.  We worked in groups to read and discuss Seeds of Fortune.  Ask your child about the moral of the story.
• We have had a few days of indoor recess recently which means we need a movement break in the afternoon.  We have been using a website called GoNoodle as a way to take a break and get our blood flowing.  It is really fun!
• We have been learning about multiplication and division.  We have used fact triangles to practice our facts.
• Even though our plant unit is over, we still have our class plants to observe.  Our potato plants and bulbs are growing each day!  It is exciting each morning to see the new growth.
• We were very busy making a surprise on Friday.  Everyone worked very hard on this project!

Cinderella, Cinderella

At the Ball!

The traditional version of Cinderella.

One of the versions we read.  

Working on fluency!

Retelling the story together.

Moving to GoNoodle!

Red Potato plant

Bulb growth!

Working hard !

So much hard work!

Today we . . .

Today we were very busy!  We got back to our regular schedule of Literacy Workshop and Whole Group Literacy.  It was fun to do something different last week, but also felt good to be back in a routine.  We had day #1 of indoor recess.  Looking at the forecast, we decided that we will probably be inside most of the week.

In writing, we started talking about how to share our opinion.  We read Duck!  Rabbit! and wrote our own opinions about whether the illustrator meant to draw a duck or a rabbit. 

We also noticed that our grass needs to be cut, again!  It is growing very quickly.  Tomorrow we will give it another "haircut" in our classroom.  Our brassica plants are nearing the end of their life cycle.  Many of them have flowers and some even have seedpods!

We started working on our Life Cycle displays.  It was lots of fun to draw the stages of the life of a plant.  Be watching for the plant materials to be coming home soon!

Special Times

Throughout the year we have been writing in a book called Special Times in Second Grade.  Yesterday the kids wrote about their field trip to Como.  It is amazing to see how they have grown as writers from the beginning of the year.  They are getting pretty good at writing a complete paragraph.

Enjoy a few examples!

Como Field Trip

We had a wonderful time at Como Conservatory and Zoo today!  We learned a lot and saw many plants and animals.  

Ready to go!

Plants That Care Class

We made bath salts!

Plant matching game

Listening and Learning

Exploring the Sunken Garden!

Plant Update!

Our classroom is filled with children but also filled with plants! 

Our Brassica plants are growing very quickly!

Up close view!

We planted grass!  Lots of grass!

Today we did another observation.  As scientists, we measure, draw and write about what we are seeing.

Studying and observing.

Amazing Concert!

Last night was our very first concert!  It was so much fun!  There were definitely some mixed emotions of feeling both nervous and excited, but we managed to pull through and did a wonderful job. 

Here are a few pictures from just before the evening concert.  We were anxiously waiting for Ms. Liadova to come and tell us it was time.

Today we wrote in our Special Times in Second Grade books about the concert.  Here are a few entries.  We are getting pretty good at writing a description.

Plant Life in Pictures

Our first observations!

Brassica beginnings!

As scientists, we make detailed writings and pictures of our plants.

Details, details!

Watching them grow each day!