Force and Motion

Our class is exploring the ideas of Force and Motion through a variety of experiments and inquiries. We were introduced to Isaac Newton, the creator of the Laws of Motion. So far, we have tested the first law of motion through an experiment using a card, a cup, and a quarter. Our question was "What will happen to the quarter if we apply a force to the card?...and what will happen to the card?" We felt like magicians as we tested these questions with our experiment. We talked about the first law which, in simple terms says that an object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest unless there is some sort of force. The children were so smart explaining how this experiment helps us understand Newton's first law! We will continue to explore the Laws of Motion throughout our entire unit.

Cross Country Ski Day!

Earth and Sky

Astronaut Ice cream?! Jack brought in freeze-dried ice cream, just like the astronauts eat while traveling through Space! What a fun treat- thank you!!!!!

 We are studying the moon, sun and earth during our Earth and Sky science unit. We are tracking the moon as it waxes and wanes- we are currently on our way to a New Moon! We are learning amazing facts about the sun and moon- many of us were surprised to learn how BIG the sun really is, and how small the moon is in comparison!

What's the "Matter" Mr. Snowman?

We finished up our unit on Matter with a writing project called "What's the "Matter" Mr. Snowman? Students wrote letters to a very sad melting snowman explaining the phases of matter. We loved exploring and experimenting with Matter.  Our next exploration is called "Earth and Sky".

X-Country

We will begin our class x-country ski program this Monday, January 7th from 1:00 - 2:30. We plan to ski every Monday as long as conditions permit. Remember snow-pants, gloves and hat.

 Parent Volunteers are Welcome! 

Festivities Around the World

What a busy last week of second grade in 2012! We loved learning about Egypt and are still discussing this intriguing ancient culture. We jumped around the continents and read stories from different cultures about special days celebrated. All of the cultures we learned about celebrate light in some way- in India,  Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. We cleaned our desks to start off the new year fresh and organized in second grade! 

We also learned about Ramadan, where beautiful lanterns have become symbolic decorations welcoming the month that Ramadan is celebrated.  Charity is also very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadan. We made a "Charity Chain" of good deeds we can practice at home and in school- we were amazed how long our chain was when we put it together- that is a lot of good deeds!

And we read many stories from European cultures, where candles and lights brighten the darkest days of the year. We made delicious cookie houses, a European tradition which was a lot of fun for us to try!

Ancient Egypt Week!