2nd Grade Native American Vests, etc.

We are starting to learn about three Native American groups- Powhatan, Sioux, and the Pueblo.  Today we discussed Native American symbols and what the symbols represented.  We discussed what a Powwow was and then watched a few on the Smartboard!  I shared my experiences of going to a Powwow!  They were deeply interested and wanted to learn more about these three tribes!  They were super excited to start a "Native American" vest, moccasins, etc.
(this student just began her vest/moccasins)

Measuring Fun

Today we used meter and rulers-feet/inches to measure random things in our classroom!  Today my 2nd Graders needed to measure the book shelf using a meter stick and five books using their rulers.   Next, we will measure body parts using different measuring tools!

Partner Reading!

My 2nd Graders love Elephant and Piggie books and cannot get enough of the Pigeon books!

On Friday with our literacy buddies a few buddies partner read these books.  THEY sounded amazing!  I wish I could have recorded them all!  Their voice, expression, and fluency has really soared this year!

Sweets for Sweet Volunteers!

What to give my awesome volunteers and teacher's aids??  CHOCOLATE!  I want sweet hunting at the grocery story and found NIPS-sweet, rich, and rewarding!  These three words I can use to describe how our volunteers have helped us grow this year!  They have made our literacy and math skills richer, sweeter, and we definitely have found their services rewarding!  THEY have helped us NIP our reading and math skill challenges!

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

THANK YOU SLIP!

I am testing the SCRIBD waters!  I am in the beginning stages of Blogging-especially on how to upload documents/PDF files to one's post!  Here is my 1st attempt (it is a link-I am still learning how to upload the document right onto my Blog).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/95044509/THANK-YOU?secret_password=2ehw3gj30t5zrfquq1dn#page=1

It is a link to a document that I will be printing and cutting into slips.  Each student/family will get a Thank You Slip;  a slip that thanks them for allowing me to be their child's 2nd Grade Teacher!

Please let me know if you could access the link and could download the document if you wanted to view it!

Summer Happenings!

This week my students will get a blank June, July, and August calendar!  We will fill it in with summer events, local happenings, and birthdays/celebrations!  Everyone will be able to record the top hit events and have their own calendars so they can add other events as they wish!  (birthday parties and holidays are always listed and take the top two things to put on the calendars first).
Here is a link to the calendars I print:
http://www.printablecalendar.ca/

Literacy Buddies-Poetry Writing

Today our Literacy Buddies and us wrote poems!  They could
choose between Question and Answer Poems, Shape Poems, or Acrostic Poems.  They did a fine job and were proud of the writing skills; they are learning so many valuable skills (literacy, social, etc.) with and from their Literacy Buddies!

INSPIRING! A MUST WATCH

NEED A LIGHT or a RE-ASSURANCE?
PLEASE WATCH:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpG2CZjblzs

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO MY FELLOW TEACHERS!!!

Walk the line!

Today we discussed the differences between drugs and medicine!  We had conversation about what drugs and medicine do to use, why we choose to use them, where we get them, and shared stories about past experiences/or connections we had to either one.  To allow the students to get a feeling of the effects of alcohol on a person drinking alcohol I had them spin around ten times really fast.  They then need to walk heal to toe for about 10 steps.  The results definitely showed how someone might feel if they have had to much to drink and how it impairs their coordination and sense of direction/balance.  Many of my students felt dizzy, could not walk straight, fell, and did not like loser their ability to coordinate all their senses and and body! 

Constellations

Our space unit is almost coming to a close!  Today we looked at constellations and discussed how they might be named and how they help people (sail, know where they are-navigation, etc.).  I then passed out star stickers and a black piece of paper.  The 2nd Graders randomly had to place the 10 stars on the paper and then form a constellation with the stars! (obviously stars are not really star shaped, but these star stickers were handy because they were colorful just like stars).  They needed to be able to tell me what they saw in the stars!  We had many different constellations- animals, sports equipment, food, etc.!

Hershey's Fun

Today we used a Hershey's bar to show multiplication, division, and fractions!  Unfortunately, when we went to unwrap them, they were a little melted so we had a little difficulty unwrapping them, but those who could not unwrap theirs, just looked on with an elbow buddy!  We started with 12 squares then went to 1/2 then went to 1/4 then all the way down to 1/12!  We discussed equivalent fractions and sharing/grouping, etc.  We graped what the bar looked like as a whole all the way to its 12 pieces.  Next to the picture we wrote a multiplication problem and a fraction!  We also talked about how in the beginning we had 1 whole, but eventually ending up with 12 pieces-with the potential to share with 12 students!  Of course they also wanted to know when they could eat all 12 pieces!

VOTING!

We are learning how US citizens vote and why we vote!  We discussed ballots and elections and the importance of choosing someone you support!  We then completed a 2nd Adjective Ballot.  I made up a Ballot that was composed of 19 adjectives for my 19 students.  Each student had to choose a student who they felt represented each adjective on the sheet-including themselves.  Some of the adjectives were:  Math Brain, Creative, Organized, Teacher's Helper, etc.  Before we went around and delivered the adjectives to the person's Ballot Box we discussed what they thought everyone would vote them as.  Some were right on, others had a few new ways of describing themselves :)

Bearded Dragon visits!

Time to eat!

Yesterday I invented my friend to show his Bearded Dragon to my class.  He came earlier in the year, so this was his second visit
We learned about his adaptations, survival mechanisms, likes/dislikes, traits, and what he likes to eat!  His senses are amazing!
Truly remarkable creature!

Practicing Cursive

Today we learned the capital cursive K and L.  We used the Smartboard to demonstrate our skills!  Then the classroom scored our letter writing!  Everyone was "judged" on a scale of 1-5 and everyone scored a perfect 5.  BRAVO!!!!!

Craters!

We used a pan full of flour and a marble to demonstrate how a crater is formed on the moon's surface.  The moon is covered with a light dust, so the flour worked well for the surface of the moon.  The marble was an asteriod.  We added a little excitement to the lesson by allowing students to choose between a small marble or a boulder to drop.  Many thought the boulder would leave a bigger crater, but the smaller marble did!

Spell, Roll, and Get to 100

Today we practiced our spelling words by spelling our words, rolling a dice and moving that far to get to 100.  I also threw in a twist, if they rolled an one they needed to go back to 1.  Some made it 3/4 of the way and had to go back to 1.  I also allowed them to roll twice for a higher number. Many smiles where seen, laughs were heard, and the game was requested for next week!

Walk for Diabetes!

Today we have our walk for Diabetes.  We have a students with Diabetes.  Every year I have my students design a Team shirt!  This year the big thing to put on the shirt- how many laps around the field we were going to do!

Spin 10 times!

I gave my students a 6 colored spinner.  They needed to spin the spinner 10 times and tally their spins per color/spin.  Next they needed to write the fraction for each color.  So, if they had spun orange 3 times they would write 3 tally marks and then the fraction 3/10.  They wanted to spin to 20!  A great activity to refresh our skills on fractions with color and fun added! (oh, before we started, I had them predict what color they would spin the most).

Beanie Babies!

I have a wardrobe of Beanies!  What to do with them?  AHHH...the learning opportunities are endless!

I put a different Beanie on each student's desk.  Tomorrow we will use them to refresh our memory on animal categories- mammals, reptiles, etc.   (If you have a mammal leap over to the carpet)   We will also use them to enhance our unit on parts of speech-nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs.  (Use three adjectives to describe your Beanie, etc.)  Finally, we are going to use them in math to enrich our fraction unit.  (out of all the Beanies in the room, how many have 4 legs, etc.).  Tuesday then awaits for more Beanie Baby enhanced lessons! :)

A Teacher's Prayer!

Teachers Prayer

Help me to be a fine teacher,
to keep peace in the classroom,
peace between my students and myself,
to be kind and gentle
to each and every one of my students.
Help me to be merciful to my students,
to balance mercy and discipline
in the right measure for each student,
to give genuine praise as much as possible,
to give constructive criticism
in a manner that is palatable to my students.
Help me to remain conscientious
enough to keep my lessons always interesting,
to recognize what motivates each of my students,
to accept my students' limitations
and not hold it against them.
Help me not to judge my students too harshly,
to be fair to all,
to be a good role model,
but most of all Lord help me
to show your love to all of my students.
Amen.

Banana Split Fractions

We continue to learn about fractions! I found a neat activity on another blog-Fraction Banana Splits.  I cut out the holder for the scoops and my students needed to cut out at least 15 scoops using at least 4 colors.  They then assembled the Banana Split and had to write about their scoops.  For example- 3/15 are Mint, etc.  It was a sweet time!

How a new moon occurs

Today we learned about the the cycle of the moon and its phases. I gave the students two Styrofoam balls (one small for the moon and one larger for the Earth) and they used their flashlights to act out the stages of the moon.  They also needed to demonstrate rotation, day and night, and Earth's orbit.  It was a lighting time!

Addition Dice Game

Today my students had three dice to shake in a cup and then roll out.  They needed to add the dice and write their answers on their whiteboard.  Many thought they were "high rollers."

Syllable Scoot

My Second Graders love Scoot!  Today we played Syllable Scoot.  On each student's desk was a word and they had a form they had 3 columns on it to record the words- either 1 syllable, 2 syllables, or 3 syllables.  All students did exceptionally well and had fun at the same time.

National Teacher Appreciation Week

LOVE THIS:
Why God Made Teachers
By Kevin William Huff
When God created teachers,
He gave us special friends
To help us understand His world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see,
And become a better person
With each discovery.
When God created teachers,
He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to grow
So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What's right instead of wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead
And learn how to be strong.
Why God created teachers,
In His wisdom and His grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place.

2 Painted Lady Butterflies

We now have two Painted Lady Butterflies!  3 more await to emerge!
We were able to hold them and have sugar water ready for them to drink!  We are super excited to have these blessings!

Flyswatter Slap

To review math facts, we use Flyswatters to slap the answer.  I print 1-20 all over the board.  I have two students come to the back of the room and then I call out a fact.  They need to quickly hussle to the board to slap the answer.  I also do missing addends, multiplication, and division.  SLAP AWAY!

Desert Surfaces

Here was another part of Desert Biome Fair.  We presented the surface types of the variety of deserts.  Many visitors were surprised to see the tray of ice.  That assumed most deserts were covered with sand.  Then we told them about Antarctica!

Shadows

Today was a beautiful, sunny day!  We decided to take our science lesson outdoors and make shadow tracings with chalk.  We discussed why we have shadows; why we wouldn't have a shadow, and the different heights of our shadows at different times of the day.  After lunch we went back outside and stood in our shadow.  We found out the because the sun was in a different position in the sky, our shadow had moved!