Anteaters and Geometry

Students read Anteaters finding  out about an interesting South American animal. They worked in small groups reading the article and adding facts to their graphic organizers about anteaters' habitat, physical characteristics, and how they find and eat ants.

Students were encouraged to help each other find the information.

They could also draw pictures to record the facts.

After students finished, I reminded them that reading, writing down your ideas about what you have read, and then telling someone about what you have learned is one of the best ways to learn new information.

Second graders began working with centimeter rulers practicing their measuring skills and reviewing their understanding of rectangles, squares, and triangles. They played a measurement race with a math partner.

Students worked in their learning teams to review mathematics skills using games and activities.

Make Tens

Roll, double and cover

Using rulers to make squares

Making patterns
 

Habitats and Afternoon Activities

September 19th is my oldest granddaughter's birthday. She is seven years old. I asked the class to help me wish her Happy Birthday!

I should have written Happy Birthday on the smart board but we were getting ready to do the word jump where we say the word and make jumps for the syllables. Two jumps for bringing.
This week we are studying habitats in conjunction with our story about A Walk in the Desert. Two days a week we have afternoon activities. Students work in centers for 12- 15 minutes and then rotate to the next center so that by the end of the afternoon, they have completed all activities. The centers usually focus on the subject focus of the week. Today, the centers included the teacher center. I read  a story about plant adaptations for desert habitats and woodland habitats. Then the students completed a science vocabulary page.

At the reading center, students read books about habitats around the world or they could choose to read more Henry and Mudge stories.  Then learning teams traveled to their desks where they are working on their own story about taking a walk in the woods.

Students work at their own desks but are encouraged to share their stories with the rest of their team.

After working on their story the team moves to the floor area in the front of the room. That is the game center and I usually have some sort of game associated with the theme focus- this week habitats. The students are playing a lotto type game where they match the name of an animal or plant to its appropriate habitat.

Another station is the computer station where I assign students a web site or activity that reinforces subject matter. Today students went to Learn 21 chose Level 1-2 Science and then habitats. They can play these games at home as well. Just type Learn 21 into the browser.

Star Cups

Students learned about star pictures called constellations. They were introduced to important, easily identifiable constellations, as part of their reading lesson. Then we made star cups to help remember their patterns. If students take their cups in a darkened room and shine a flashlight through them they will see the star pattern they chose. The only dark area in our classroom is under my desk so students tried their cups out there before taking them home.

They also met in teams, read about constellations, and then shared a fact about the constellation with the class. They weren't too excited about their public speaking experience but they are learning to stand straight and speak out.

Exploring Space and Math instruction

Students have been learning about the sun, moon, stars, constellations and planets. After reading the story Exploring Space, students had a chance to manipulate a robot arm similar to the kind used on the space shuttle and now in many fields.  This week they are reading a story about Henry and Mudge going on a camping trip and enjoying the night sky. We have read books about the changing phases of the moon, made a short booklet about the moon phases and observed images via internet.

     Math instruction involves discussion, presentation of examples, game-playing, and individual practice. 

Students enjoyed playing Beat the Calculator. One students had a equation chain while the other student entered it into the calculator. When students look for numbers that add up to  10 they frequently beat the calculator.

Students are learning to work well with various partners and often enjoy mathematics.