Scientists at Work

Our on-going investigation of Liquids and Solids has continued.  This week, we discussed buoyancy and whether solids absorb or repel.  Knowing how different materials will react with water is important when designing things.  We had a good laugh thinking about trying to clean up a wet mess with a rock or trying to float with metal water wings!  The students are really improving in their ability to record the results of their investigations in words and diagrams with labels!  Our next step is to use the knowledge gained from these experiments to design a boat that can hold a number of pennies before sinking!  Wish us luck!

Measuring Time

We read a great book about a groundhog that stays awake and ends up seeing some of the celebrations that usually happen when groundhogs are hibernating.  This got us thinking about the months of the year, the seasons and the timing of certain celebrations.  Students were encouraged to think of the 12 months like the 12 numbers on the clock. They then ordered the months and placed the celebrations in their appropriate months.  We played several games help us remember the months in order and practiced thinking about what months come before or after.  Reading/using a calendar is an important life skill.  We will continue our investigation of the passage of time by using analog and digital clocks. We will be practicing reading, recording and showing the time.

An Interview with my friend

Students did an amazing job of interviewing a friend this month.  We learned the importance of listening to a friend and sometimes encouraging them to give us more information.  This is an important life skill.....making conversation!  After our interviews, students drew a portrait of their friend.  They also organized the information they had gathered into full sentences to inform readers about a friend in our classroom!  Their work is proudly displayed in our classroom.

Celebration of Learning!

By now, you will have received your child's report card and a giant envelope of work samples!  I hope you enjoy reading about and looking at all the amazing things your child has accomplished in Grade 2 so far!  Please celebrate this learning with your child.  Ask them to tell your more about something you see in their portfolio of work.  Remember.....this is just a snapshot of their learning.  In addition to this work, your child will have been involved in many hands-on games, activities and discussions (things that cannot fit in an envelope)!

Please sign and complete the portion of the report which asks you to think about your child's strengths and goals.  There is a place for you to sign and also a spot for your child to sign.  Return this slip and your report envelope as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Show the Love

Well.....they did it!  The students at Little Falls were able to fill ten jars with coins for the "Me to We Show the Love" Fundraiser!  In exchange for raising all that money, various teachers, (including myself) agreed to do some weird, crazy things in front of everyone! Ask your child about these and other crazy stunts that they saw at school today!

Here are some highlights:
Teacher taped to the wall!
Dress up the teacher
Painting a teacher
Apply makeup and give crazy hair to teachers
Eating sewer lice
Pies to the face
Water balloon fight
Polar Stroll
Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker battle

Please enjoy these pictures from our assembly and thank you to everyone who donated money.

Mystery Matter and Mixing Matter!

We have been having a lot of fun in our classroom learning about the different states of matter.  We know there are 3 kinds of matter:  solids, liquids and gases.
We have learned the important properties of each of these states of matter and we have investigated many examples.
We looked at various bottles that contained "mystery matter".  We identified it as either solid or liquid and used as many describing words as we could to record our observations about each bottle.
We broke solids and mixed various liquids with water to see if they could be 'diluted'.
We discovered that some liquids will mix but some will not!
We mixed a liquid and a solid to make an interesting substance called "OObleck".
We even made a gas by mixing a liquid and a solid.
We have practiced writing about our investigations in words and diagrams!