How many teacher feet in a giant foot?

Last week we were busy measuring things in our classroom using teacher feet and giant feet.  We discovered there are 3 teacher feet in a giant foot and that some items in our room were better measured with teacher feet than giant feet.  We are becoming experts at estimating a measurement as well.  We had a blast and learned a lot.  We will continue exploring measurement and estimation with inchworm rulers this coming week.

Working like Scientists

Today in science we were learning how to work like scientists.  After reading Scientists Ask Questions by Ginger Garrett. We used scientific tools (microscopes) to observe butterfly and a wasp specimens that we collected last week. We drew diagrams and took notes.  Here are some of the things we have observed so far:

* Wasps have something on their body that looks like hair.

* Butterflies have swirly tongues.

* The wasps stinger looks like the end of a sharpened pencil.

* Butterfly wings have something on them that look like feathers.

* Our butterfly had brown spots on its eyes.

While some scientists in our class observed insects with microscopes others researched insects using the PebbleGo website.  Here are some of the interesting things they learned while thinking and reading about insects:

* Some wasps don't have wings.

* Some wasps have four wings.

* Adult termites have 2 pairs of wings.

* Termites can grow up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.

* Stickbugs start from little nymphs.

* A honeybee hive may hold up to 60,000 bees!

We are finding insects are VERY interesting.  We would love it if you shared a fact you know about insects with us.

Insects Galore!

I really meant to post last weeks photos and update you on all the fun we have been having in second grade over the weekend, but I was kept entirely too busy eating the most delicious cupcakes at the most amazing parties.  My dear, sweet friend Estelle turned one and another dear friend had the most amazing wedding shower in Portland.  Neither could be missed and neither allowed blogging during the festivities (wink, wink).

Last week we adventured further into our study of insects!  We have a rockin' song that is helping us learn review the parts of an insect each day.  It took this group about 30 seconds to have the parts of an insect memorized and know amazing trivia such as which body part the legs and wings were attached to and how an insects compound eye views the world.  The chorus is very catchy and you may have heard your child humming it around the house.  If not, maybe they will hear you humming it around the house soon!



One of the activities we did last week was grab some entomology tools (magnifying glasses, small plastic cups, terrariums and a digital camera) and head to the school garden to find some insects.  We searched for them on trees, in the flowers, the pumpkin patch and in the greenhouse.  We found several dead insects and collected them to view under magnifying glasses later this week.  Can't wait to check out those magnified compound eyes!

We have also been observing the Vietnamese Stick Bugs we have in our classroom.  If you haven't seen them yet you should come by and take a look at them.  They are amazing!

I'm a Hard, Hard Worker Every Day!

I am always amazed at how awesome second graders are and this year's group is no exception.  13 of the most thoughtful, hard working, funny little people have embarked on a new learning adventure with me and words can't describe how excited I am to be traveling along with them.

We spent the week getting to know each other and learning the routines of the classroom.  We made monster glyphs, reviewed 3 reading strategies: Check for Understanding, Read "Good-Fit" Books and Re-read Favorite Books.  We jumped right into building our reading stamina too and are already at 7 minutes for the whole group!  

In science we began our study of insects.  This week we focused on asking questions and reading pictures to find information (another helpful reading strategy!).

Here are some photos of us working hard this week!  Please comment and tell us what you think.

Building our reading stamina!!!

Why monster glyphs?  Glyphs are a mathematical tool that teaches students to glean information from a picture.  These glyphs tell what our favorite season is, how many siblings we have, favorite school subject and whether we are boys or girls.

We created "scribble art" this week and then looked for pictures in our scribbles.  It isn't always easy to find a picture in those scribbles!  We connected this idea to writing...sometimes it looks like scribbles, but if we examine it closely we will find that small treasure we want to write about! This students found a snail in his scribbles and painted a background for it.

In math we learned two new vocabulary words: alike and different.  We spent the week sorting frogs, bugs, unifix cubes and people into groups that were "alike" and "different."

Question of the day: What can you learn about insects from reading this picture?  Reinforces the idea that there are 3 ways to read a book: read the pictures, read the words and retell the story.

Back to School!

The 2012-2013 school year has officially begun!  Our first day of school flew by.  My feet are a little sore from transitioning from flip-flops to "real" shoes and standing for a solid 8 hours, but my heart is singing!  We had a great day getting to know each other and tweaking our schedule.   I had the best intentions today...my plan was to take a gazillion "first day of school photos" and post them on this blog.  I am sad to say that I only managed to snap these four photos of our shared writing project this morning.  I spent the rest of the day getting to know these sweet little people who landed in our classroom this year and completely forgot about the camera.  I will give it the "ole college try" again tomorrow though.  What I really need to do is divvy up those classroom jobs and get myself a classroom photographer!  One day at a time right...

After touring the school this morning we headed out to the playground to brush up on our schools playground rules. 

Celebrate Yourself!

GUESS WHAT!  Yesterday a book fairy dropped off a big box of books on my front doorstep!  Okay, fine.  It was the mailman and it was a box of books I ordered from Amazon (but just between you and me...it felt like a book fairy had actually come to my house!).  You probably remember how excited I get about books so it should be easy for you to imagine me sitting down in the middle of my living room and ripping open the box.  As soon as I had wrestled all that paper tape off out poured a river of books right into my lap!  I gently picked up each book, examined its front cover, read the title and displayed each of them, one by one, around me.  The hard part was deciding which one to read first!  I chose to read this one first:

I chose to read this book first because the cover was a SHOW STOPPER and inside the book jacket it said, "This jumping, jazzy, joyful picture book by the award-winning team of Walter Dean and Christopher Myers celebrates every child and every thing that child can be."  Well, celebrating children and every thing they can be is what I live for (personal connection!) so I dove right in and read it.

And guess what!  It was awesome...jazzy and joyful to say the least!  The book is about celebrating you and all the unique things that make you the person you are.  The authors suggest you "Think of all the things you do and all the things they say" about who you are.  I decided to try it and here is what I saw...

I looked in the mirror and what did I see?

I saw a...

DAUGHTER

SISTER

FRIEND

MOTHER

COLLEGE GRADUATE

TEACHER

WRITER

EXPLORER

GARDENER

SKIER

READER

NATURE LOVER

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  I would love to know.  Stop by the classroom this Fall and read Looking Like me.  I know you will love it too!

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Do you have and ipad or iphone?

This summer I have been exploring the virtual world via my new ipad.  Did you know there is an "App"" for just about everything?  "App" is an abbreviation for "application."  An application is a virtual tool that can help you do all kinds of things.  I read in the paper last week that in San Francisco there is an app you can purchase that allows you to schedule a time to have your car washed. Yes, your car washed!  You just type in your address and the people who created this app come to you to wash your car!  In this particular article the man using the app was having coffee in a coffee shop and the car washing company came there and washed his car right on the street.  To me the whole thing sounded a little bit silly, but I don't live in a major metropolitan area with heavy traffic either...

What does this have to do with second graders (soon to be third graders!) you ask?  Well, this summer I discovered the world of educational "apps" and there are tons of them that make learning fun and exciting.  So, if you have an ipad or your parents have an iphone you should think about installing some of these applications.  If you like video games, you will love these apps!

Free ipad/iphone Apps

Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe Interactive
iWriteWords Lite
Stack the States Lite
Stack the Countries Lite 
Count Money
Virtuoso (learn to play the piano!)
Doodle Buddy 
Everyday Mathematics Monster Math
Sight Words by Little Spellers
Grammar Jammers
Learn Time Lite
Computer Carl
Apples in an Hour

Can't wait to hear what you think about these apps!