What we've learned so far about liquids.

We've been working on Exploring Liquids for the past couple of weeks and I wanted to see what they knew. I love Padlet for several different reasons but one of them is to quickly get a snapshot of what they know and don't know about a topic. Yesterday I had them tell me at least 3 things they knew about liquids. Please comment below if you wish. 

Created with Padlet

Finding all the different types of penguins

Our investigation into penguins led us on a search to find out just how many species of penguins there are around the world. Here we are working away to find out what all 17 species are called. 

And we wonder why they are tired at the end of the day.

All Aboard Inquiry Project

Starting next week, we'll start to get serious about our All Aboard/Canoe project. I've had to make several adjustments to the investigation but I'm happy I did because it's going to be a new experience for the students. 

Inquiry means - a close examination of a matter in a search for information or truth, basically it means coming to conclusions yourself by examining several factors, images, ideas, and resources. The students will be inquiring about; how waterways in Canada shaped various communities? This project will look at the various communities in Canada and how boat transportation in early settlements shaped each community.  

Our investigation will be an inquiry into the availability and accessibility of Canadian waterways, and how individuals, along with good and services, would have been able to move about different communities in Canada by way of boat. As well we will look at how the waterways and transportation of goods and people shaped the communities the students will look at. As we investigate, the students will uncover why the canoe have become a wonder of Canada? 

This graphic shows all of the sites which are safe for students to search. They will be using these images and information to help them answer important questions. 
They will use their blogs to write journal entries as to what they've learned and discovered. Please check them regularly to give them feedback and quality comments on what they've written.

What Are We Up To...

It's been a very busy 2 months of school and the days are flying by. I can't believe Halloween is next week...please save me know. Here's what's been happening in 2B.

Writer's Workshop:
In September the kids focused in on writing their ideas down. Some are still working on this while others are moving on to use Organization in their writing. They are learning how to use question leads and sound leads to create Bold Beginnings.
• They'll be moving onto learning how to write Mighty Middles and Excellent Endings.

Word Study:
They've learned the routines and activities we'll do while Ms. Brown works with small groups to teach them their sounds.
• Our first test is on Tuesday. You won't know how you did until Wed.
• New words will come home on Wednesdays - I think we'll take 2 weeks to do this next set of words again because we miss school on Friday and Halloween activities the following week.

Reading/Daily 5:
They've built up their stamina for being able to read independently for 20 minutes. I've finished the testing I needed to do and now I get to conference with students. They'll be picking a reading goal and strategy to work on during Daily 5 time. I can't wait to meet with each of them.
• Several reading strategies have been introduced and they have all been sent home. More will come home so please save them.
• They are working at building their stamina with Reading to Someone. Work on Words and Listening to Reading will be coming up next.

Math: (Ms. Brown's favourite subject to teach :-))
They've worked on knowing the words Compare, Build, Measure, Organize and Thinking. They've done a lot of work with building with Cuisenaire Rods (They are math manipulative used to help explain their thinking). They've built relationships, worked on building their visual memories, building equalities all to reach the goal of being able to use personal strategies to solve problems. They've measured length, height, and distance around then compared the measurements.
We'll be looking at how to measure the canoe/kayak as well as look at building larger numbers to 100 in the coming weeks.
Here are some photos of the Kayaks they built. I learned in my research that a traditional kayak is:
- The length of they kayak is 3 full arm spans long (from finger to finger)
- The cockpit is your hips plus 2 fists
- The depth of the kayak is your fist plus the hitchhikers thumb.
Interesting information, so we set out to build the length of what their kayaks would look like.

Look at how long they are. Some were very surprised. 

The length, distance around of cockpit and the depth of their kayak.

Helping each other measure.

Showing where he'd sit in his kayak.

So nicely labelled

Science/Social:
We're investigating Boats/Canoes and trying to answer the driving questions:
Why would the canoe be named as one of Canada's 7 Wonders of Canada?
• They'll work in building canoes/boats that are stable and can carry a load.
• They've tested to see what objects float and sink
• In the coming weeks, they'll learn more about Canada and the communities of the north, east and a prairie community.
I can't wait to share all that we learn about these communities.

In the coming weeks, we'll be prepping for our Halloween Party. The students will decide what they would like to do. We've also committed to decorating a Mini Christmas Tree for the Festival of Trees. I can't decide if we should be a Charlie Brown Tree or a Scaredy Squirrel Tree. I'll need to make a decision soon.

If you have any questions, please just email us. Or better yet, leave a comment so the students can learn how to respond and write good quality comments themselves.

Breaking Rocks 2013

I promised I would share photos but time just slips away. We're into week 6 of grade 2 and it's just flying by. 

Our Investigation on Breaking Rocks/Persevering was a huge success. I know the kids had fun and they learned what it means to persevere. We'll continue to work on this during math, Reading, Writing and of course our new unit Boats/Canoes.

Here are some photos to keep you updated as to what we've been doing in class. 

We sorted rocks by 2 attributes.

They checked to see which rocks weighed more and then ordered them by their weight.

Planned what they would bring to break rocks. 

And smashing they did. 

He brought the big guns.

Will this work???

I've got to think about safety.

Hmmm... How am I going to do this?

I wouldn't want to be the rock right about now. 

Lookin' Good while breaking rocks.

Some of the rock holders we made. 

I hope you enjoyed the images. More will come. Up next Boats/Canoes.

Here's our driving question for our Boat/Canoe Project:

Why would a canoe be named as one of Canada's 7 Wonders of Canada?

Videos for Hot and Cold Temperature Unit

I found these great videos for the Penguin/Hot and Cold Temperature unit coming up next week. Watch and enjoy them with your children. We'll be learning about the science of hot and cold temperatures, measuring temperature, and learning how humans and animals stay insulated. It's going to be a fun time.
If you have any tin cans you would like to donate to the classroom, I would love to have them as well as different types of material. Such as cotton, wool, plastic, quilting, polyester, etc.

Measuring Temperature



Temperature vs Heat Video



Convection Heat

Breaking Rocks

Breaking Rocks

Rock Holders

I've got some great problem solvers in the classroom this year. Their task was to construct a Rock Holder that an inventor had created to display the beautiful rocks found in their community. The Rock Holder needed to be stable, hold one rock, only use one piece of paper and be able to either stand on it's own or be held by one hand. The students had to create what they thought the inventor made. 

I wanted to see how they problem solved and attacked the task. They worked really hard and went right to work. I was watching to see how they persevered since we had been talking about what perseverance was in math and computer class. Here are the amazing Rock Holders some of them came up with. 

When I first designed this task, I thought they would just take the piece of paper and roll it up and put the rock on top. I never imaged they would have really used their imagination. For some, it wasn't a real  big challenge. I heard one say, "I make this all the time to carry my rocks" for her I guess it wasn't that difficult and she didn't really persevere but for others it was  challenge and I got to really see how they kept trying and trying. 

Neat Transformations - Day 14

When I came into work this morning and looked at our chrysalis's I discovered one was getting really close to finishing its transformation. Here are some pictures. 

 This is just an interesting picture one of the kids took. 

Look at how transparent the outer layer of the chrysalis is. You can see the inside of the it and see parts of the butterfly. So cool....

Caterpillars - Day 4

The caterpillars have been busy eating and eating and growing and growing.
Here are some pictures the kids have taken. The pictures run from Day 4 up to about Day 12.

Eating and eating.

They are growing bigger

Starting to form the J Shape just before they turn into a chrysalis

They've turned into a chrysalis

 Taking them from the vials and putting them into the net on day 12

 Resting and waiting for their transformation into butterflies.

This is what's left in the vials. Do you see the left over skin from them shedding?