News for April 20, 2018

News for April 20, 2018

This week the children learned about fairy tales, how things move and more about how to help the Earth through many Earth Week activities. 

Writing

Each student finished his/her treasure jar stories. The challenge was to make the treasure jars part of the completed book. The children wrote the good copy on long paper that can be wrapped around the jar. The “front cover” of the book with the title and the author name was put on the top of the lid of the jar. These student books will now be a part of our classroom library, for students to choose to read during independent reading times.

The students played an anagram style word game by trying to find as many words as possible by rearranging the letters in the words “EARTH DAY”. The class found 42 words using these 8 letters and even discovered the letters in the word EARTH can be made into the word HEART (a true anagram). 

Reading

The children read a short story about cotton and how it is used (as a connection to our research on wool last week). Cotton comes from a plant and the cotton can be spun into yarn to make fabric for clothes, sheets and towels among many other things.

The class analyzed more traditional fairy tale stories to figure out what makes a fairy tale different from other kinds of stories. This week, we talked about how many fairy tales have magical characters (for example, trolls and wizards) and how animals act like people (for example, talking and wearing clothes).

Math 

The class extended the lesson from last Friday, by looking at all the ways to connect 5 squares. They learned about the recreational math game called “Pentominoes” which are puzzles that use pentomino shapes as the puzzle pieces. Did you know that there are 12 different ways to arrange 5 squares? At the grade two level, puzzles using 4 pentominoes are an appropriate challenge. The students designs their own puzzles and then had a chance to solve all 22 student puzzles!

The class reviewed how to measure area or the space inside a shape. By using pattern blocks, square tiles and playing cards the students measured the area of various shapes and even the surface of his/her desk! They also talked about the important concept that when measuring a particular shape, it takes MORE smaller units and FEWER large units.

The children used the science “movement” words to help discuses how things move across a surface. They looked at how shapes can slide, turn and flip across the page.

Science

The children started the unit on how things move. (We will return to the unit on animals in May.) Using the words like fast/slow, flip/turn/slide and push/pull, we began to talk about how things move. The students did an experiment using two pieces of paper that were the same size. They observed and wrote about how the flat paper falls to the ground and how a crunched up paper falls. They discovered that the ball of paper falls faster. There were great hypotheses about why this is true and the class talked about the shape of the paper and how gravity is the “pull” forcing it to the gradual and how air is the “push” forcing the paper up.

The class learned about one of the first signs of spring in Toronto, the pussywillow. Did you know that the pussywillow buds are called “catkins” and are actually the flowers of the pussywillow tree? Each child examined a catkin with a magnifying glass to see the “furry” surface which is not really fur since it comes from a plant! We will continue to watch what happens to the pussywillow branches, over the next few weeks.

Art

The children created decorations for the classroom door for the Earth Week door decoration contest. After looking up how to dispose of various materials used to make art on the City of Toronto “WASTE WIZARD”, we noticed that all tape, glue, staples, and paint used on materials make them UNrecyclable and must go into the garbage! So we talked about what we could do to make Earth Day art that can be reused or recycled. The students made wonderful sculptures using used paper towel tubes and wool. Some students also made signs to explain their choices. If you are unsure if something should go into compost, recycling or the garbage, try out the WASTE WIZARD. Here is the link:

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/waste-wizard/

Oral Communication

The children continued to work in their groups to rehearse three different Reader’s Theatre plays.  This week the groups began to act out their lines, make signs, choose costumes and props. We will film the movies next week and post them to the blog.

Books read aloud this week:

Rumpelstiltskin retold by Edith Tarcov

Jack and the Beanstalk retold by Susan Pearson

The Bremen Town Musicians retold by Ilse Plume

The Ugly Duckling retold by Marilyn Helmer

Chicken Little retold by Marilyn Helmer