Color Mixing and Ooblek!

Our theme time continues to focus on science explorations. We are using the scientific method of asking questions, making predictions, observing, experimenting, collecting data and making conclusions. Our two experiments this week focused on absorption/color mixing and ooblek! 

Scientists, Artists, Mathematicians, Readers and Writers!

It must be second grade! We are having a great start to our school year, jumping right into our curriculum. After reading Toy Boat by Randall de Seve, we explored the question: "How does a ship, made of tons of steel, stay afloat on the water?" We talked about how the forces of gravity and buoyancy affects boats and then we experimented by making boats out of aluminum foil. Our challenge was to design a boat that would hold the most pennies! Our record was 31! 

 The warm and sunny weather was a great excuse to experiment outside! We also read Captain Kidd's Crew Experimenting with Sinking and Floating by Mark Weakland. 

Our first Investigations Math Unit is called "Counting, Coins, and Combinations".  This unit develops ideas about counting and quantity, the composition of numbers and the operations of addition and subtraction. Students are also introduced to classroom routines that involve telling time and collecting and analyzing data. 

During our Literacy time, children are picking "Just Right" books for our book boxes. We also have new "Word Work" we are learning and new class journals for "Work on Writing". Our three journals are "All About Me", "Ouchy Stories", and "My Favorite Place". Our first chapter book of the year is "The Year of Billy Miller" by Kevin Henkes. 

Our Final Days of First Grade!

We were a busy bunch for the last few days of school! We ended our Life cycles unit with a study on ducks! We observed (through video) and read about many kinds of ducks; their habitats and eating habits, different functions and structures that help ducks survive, and their first flight! Most important, we learned why ducks don't get wet!

Mrs. Beidermann had her horse truck and trailer at school and invited us to see this amazing set up! She showed us all of the different parts of the trailer and how her horses can be safely transported to different places. We loved exploring!

Our field trip to AppleCheek farm was so fun! We participated in different "stations" where we made butter, went on a scavenger hunt, identified different farm tools, went on a wagon ride and had a picnic lunch. The day was beautiful and we had a real taste of farm life!

The Grand Quilt Finale!

Awesome Authors

We have been reading our stories to each other in preparation for our Awesome Authors presentation! Please come to our classroom at 2:00 for snacks (made by us) and stories on Friday 6/13!! 

 

Quilt Expert!

Mrs. Palermo, Jackson's grandma, and our school nurse for many years, is also a Quilt Expert! She came into our classroom with a basket full of quilts and shared her expertise with us. We loved looking at her designs, color and patterns. Jackson even helped his grandma work on a very special quilt too! Thank you, Mrs. Palermo for sharing your beautiful art with us:)

Patchwork Quilts!

Our final math unit this school year is all about quilts! What is it about patchwork quilts that make them so universally appealing? Is it their symmetry, design or pattern? Maybe it is the stories they tell or memories they hold. For many reasons, quilts seems to fascinate children as well as adults! Quilts are rich in mathematics as children use a variety of skills, including sorting, patterning, geometry, fractions, ratio, and estimation. We are in the process of creating paper patchwork quilts of growing complexity and beauty. We are also reading a variety of quilt stories and the children have loved looking at our quilting design books many students have brought in to share.