In reading and writing we have been diving deep into the genre of non-fiction! There is so much to learn and explore. We have begun writing information books about topics we already know a lot about. We will continue to write non-fiction this month as we learn more about topics we are interested in. We will find books and uses on-line resources to help us answer our questions and teach others! Please send in books and artifacts to support our investigations. We recently celebrated our non-fiction learning in reading by teaching each other after we worked in groups to read and gather information about different topics. We learned second graders don't just read the words, they understand them and when they don't, they use text features and partner talks to figure out the meaning. We then used these new words in our "Book Club" conversations about our learning. Our readers are writers and writers are readers!
In Math, we finished our geometry and fraction unit. We used square tiles arranged in arrays to figure out the area of rectangular shapes. The array model is a key concept for students developing ideas about addition and multiplication. We will continue to use this model throughout the year. In December, we will begin a new unit that focuses on addition and subtraction with unknown changes, breaking apart numbers by place value to add and subtract mentally, practice addition and subtraction facts using what we know about doubles and odd and even numbers. I believe, the most important way to support your student at home is to listen to their thinking and share your own thinking. Validating a student's ideas is empowering and creates an environment for deeper learning. I enjoyed talking math at conferences and am always available to continue the discussion. For extra math practice, students can access the games we play in school electronically here. Currently, students have been introduced to the second grade Unit 1 and 2 games. They also learned the first grade games last year. I also have links to some online games here. Talking about real life math problems is great too! How much did your meal cost? What should we leave for a tip at a restaurant? Measuring and following recipes at meal time!
As we prepare for our study of the continents, we toured the icy terrane of Antarctica using Google Earth. We researched information in books and watched videos to gather information. Finally, we sent postcards to Jean Pennycook, an educator studying penguins, in Antarctica. She will postmark them and send them back to us in a couple of months. We will really dive into the continents in the Spring, however did not want to miss this opportunity to connect with another continent!
In science, we continued our study of rock! We learned how valuable this earth material is and how it changes over time through weathering and erosion. We noticed rock materials are used to make many things! Be sure to check out the games, ebook and curriculum on our class page. The username and password is the same: stratton7. Also, ask us for more details about our learning and what questions we still have.