2nd Grade Scoop
Miss Roberts * Stoy School * January 13th and 20th 2020
Reading Workshop
We are beginning Lesson 10, which is the last lesson in Unit 2. The students' focus will be on determining the differences between Fact and Opinion. The students will use the Informational text, "Jellies" to practice this important skill. In addition, they will read another story called "Meet Norbert Wu".
Target Vocabulary: millions, choice, drift, simple, weak, wrap, disgusting, decide
Phonics Skills: Contractions
Vocabulary Strategy: Base words and suffixes: -er -est
Comprehension Skill: Identifying statements as fact or opinion.
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/clarify – Good readers monitor their understanding. While reading, they ask: “Does this make sense?” If it does not, they go back to clarify.
We will review Unit 2, Nature Can Teach Us Many Things during the week of January 20th. We will also celebrate all we have learned over the past few weeks. As a class, we will review the skills and each child will complete the Unit Assessments. These reviews will continue to help drive my instruction.
Our Guided Reading groups have continued. The students are using multiple reading strategies to understand the characters and stories. Different groups will be reading a variety of genres using text and graphic features to help deepen their understanding of text beyond just the words. The students are assigned a Guided Reading assignment that corresponds to the text they read. The students are given several days to work on their response and are expected to complete it in class during the Daily Five. It is NOT Homework! The boys and girls will be writing their responses and sharing their responses within their groups. We will be celebrating the strategies they are using to answer questions and support their ideas.
This month, we are reading "Gooney Bird is So Absurd". Just like us, she and her classmates are learning about poetry. Each time a new type of poem is introduced in the story, the students will try it. They will be introduced to Haiku and Couplet poems.
Writing Workshop
We will focus and practice on the formation and size of the lowercase letters x and z. Since both lowercase letters are identical to their uppercase counterparts, it is important the students are aware of the size of the letter each time they write it. It will then be time to review all of the lowercase letters. The students will be asked to write each lowercase letter, from memory, next to the corresponding capital letter. They will be reminded to write the letters correctly with accurate size; tall, short, and sinking. Using an example paragraph from the student book, the students will notice and practice writing features of a paragraph; indentation, topic sentence, and multiple sentences with punctuation.
During Writer's Workshop, the students will continue developing their poetry writing talents. They will be introduced to how poets intentionally use line breaks and will try out a few different ways to make their words look and sound right. The will begin to learn that the white space of a poem helps the reader take part in the poem. The class will read a familiar poem written as a prose and as a poem. Our discussion with then contrast the two different readings as they relate to the line breaks and how they influence our reading.
We will also shine the spotlight on an important elements of poetry; Meaning. The students will observe how to choose a feeling and connect it to a special person, place, thing, or event. Then they will describe it using what they've learned about "seeing through the poet's eyes". We will practice this first, as a class, before they work independently. It is fun and creative way for them to express themselves.
Math
Chapter Introduction
- Big Idea: Known multiplication facts can be used to find other multiplication facts
- Review number patterns when counting by 2's 5's and 10's
- Use equal groups to multiply
- Vocabulary: skip-count * dot paper * related multiplication facts: 5 x 2 = 10, 2 x 5 = 10 * odd number * even number
- Skip-Count by 2's
- Solve multiplication word problems
- Vocabulary: skip-count
- Use dot paper to multiply by 2
- Use Known multiplication facts to find new multiplication facts
- Identify related multiplication facts
- Solve multiplication word problems
- Vocabulary: dot paper * related multiplication facts
- Skip count by 5
- Solve multiplication word problems
- Use dot paper to multiply by 5
- Use known multiplication facts to find new multiplication facts
- Identify related multiplication facts
- Solve multiplication word problems
- Skip-count and use dot paper to multiply by 10
- Use known multiplication facts to find new multiplication facts
- Identify related multiplication facts
- Solve multiplication word problems
Science
We are beginning our second science unit, Physical Science; Structure and Properties of Matter. Students will develop an appreciation for the man-made materials of everyday objects, and learn to recognize that those materials are chosen based on their properties. Through hands-on investigation, students will explore the material properties involved in meeting basic needs (such as clothing and cooking). They will also consider the solid and liquid states of matter. This week, the students will explore how different properties of clothing materials are good for different situations. You can help you child’s learning by asking them how they pick the clothes they wear each day. What material is their clothing made of? Is that a good material for today’s weather, and why?
In class, students will develop a deeper appreciation for various materials and how they are used to create clothing. This week, they will imagine that they were on a remote island. Using materials that washed ashore, they are going to design a hat that would protect them from the sun.
The students will then explore how different materials can conduct and insulate heat. In class, students will imagine that they were still on a remote island. They'll cook an egg using a piece of metal as a pan and then have to figure out what materials they could use to pick up the hot pan and not burn their hands. You can help you child’s learning by talking with them at dinner about the different things your family uses to handle hot food. Maybe you use oven mitts to take hot food out of the oven or use a plastic thermos for hot coffee. Discuss how these materials insulate and protect your hands from the heat.
Social Thinking
We will continue our work with learning how to be Social Detectives. We will use an Emotions Chart as a guide to help us understand the feelings of others based on non-verbal cues. Every person is capable of understanding how another is feeling based on facial expressions and body language. The students will focus on these visual cues and discuss and determine how to act, react, and feel based on their observations.
How does someone feel when they see or hear unexpected behavior? The students will share and discuss how they feel when they notice unexpected behavior. Some have uncomfortable thoughts and begin to feel unwell. This can effect how we look and sound. Using our social smarts can help us figure out what is expected in the different places we go. "Social Detectives" use their eyes and ears along with what they know to figure out what is expected, and even what may happen next.
Look Who's Getting Older
Coming Soon
- January 17th - Early Dismissal; teacher professional development
- Week of January 20th - No Word Study
- January 21st - PTA Meeting 7pm
- January 21st - Pretzel Orders due
- January 23rd - College Spirit Day and Pretzel sale
- January 27th - 31st - bring in an empty cereal box during this week
- February 7th - W.E.B. Project presentations
- February 14th - Valentine's Day
- February 14th - Half-Day; teacher professional development
- February 17th - No School; Presidents' Day