For the last couple of weeks, we have been working on a unit about area and perimeter!  We have had a great deal of fun exploring area and perimeter in and around our school and classroom using different standard and non-standard units of measure!

Area and perimeter are two important and fundamental parts of mathematics.  They are the foundation for understanding other aspects of geometry which help us understand algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

Because math builds upon itself, it is important for students to learn about area and perimeter.  This learning  gives students a chance to use real math.  Math that people need and use outside of the school setting.  Many careers,  such as architecture, aeronautical and graphics design, engineering,  and many others, include the use of area and perimeter on a regular basis.  With these careers, it is crucial to know and understand the importance of these topics.  We did so many hands on learning activities to grow a deeper understanding of perimeter and area.  Take a look!

We created designs with toothpicks and computed the perimeter.

We experimented with perimeter on geoboards.

How about making a self portrait on grid paper and then figuring out the perimeter.

Learning about area can be quite tasty when you use Cheezits!

Using a variety of units of measure, we explored perimeter and area.

Did you know that toilet paper can also be a unit of measure?

Writer’s Workshop makes writing fun and easy. Small mini lessons break down writing assignments into simple steps, allowing students to focus on and improve every aspect of their writing. Direct instruction, modeling, and hands-on practice ensure that  students will build strong writing skills at their own pace.

Writer’s Workshop is a student-centered framework for teaching writing based on the idea that students learn to write best when they write frequently, for extended periods of time, on topics of their own choosing.  To develop skills as a writer, students need three things: ownership of their own writing, guidance from an experienced writer, and support from a community of peers. Writer’s Workshop meets these needs and provides instruction to accomplish the most important objective: giving kids time to write. The workshop setting supports children in taking their writing seriously and viewing themselves as writers.

The three main components of Writer’s Workshop are as follows:

1. Mini-lesson

This is the teacher-directed portion of Writer’s  Workshop.  Mini-lessons are assessment-based (formal and informal), explicit instruction. They are brief and focused on a single, defined topic that all writers can implement regardless of skill level. Mini-lessons are a time to gather the whole class to explore a skill or author’s craft, model a technique, or reinforce a strategy by sharing quality children’s literature known as mentor texts.

2. Writing

The majority of Writer’s Workshop is devoted to simply giving students time to write. During this time, the teacher is conferencing with individual students. The main priority of conferencing is to listen, not to talk. The teacher prompts students to share their progress and writing pieces.  The teacher celebrates and supports the student and their individual needs.  This is also an opportunity for the teacher to recognize weaknesses and plan mini lessons to address them.  Once students understand what a conference looks and feels like, they can begin using peer conferencing to help one another.

3. Sharing

Sharing can be the most valuable part of Writer’s Workshop, other than the writing time itself. When students grow comfortable seeing themselves as part of a writing community, they are willing to take more risks and dive deeper into the process. In addition, kids often get their best ideas and are most influenced by one another.

Writer’s Workshop gives students so much time to write, their writing skills  improve leaps and bounds. Being part of such a dynamic writing community will instill in students a lifelong love for writing.

Prewriting allows students to organize their thoughts and come up with ideas to add to their writing.

Drafting is the meat of our story. Just write away and enjoy the process.

When we revise, we are making our story better. Adding rich language, author’s crafts, and organizing our thoughts.  Editing corrects the mechanics of the writing piece, capitalization, punctuation and spelling.

Publishing is when all our hard work comes to light!

This Friday (October 23rd) is an early release at 1:00 p.m.

• Regular carline procedures will begin at 1:00 p.m.

• Fun Zone will be available from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

• Fun Zone will NOT be available after 3:00 p.m.  All students will need to be picked up by 3:00 p.m. on Friday 10/23. 

• Please use this link to sign up for Fun Zone

• After carline, Mr. Mike will be moving furniture from the lower school annex to our outdoor storage unit. If you are available to help, we would love some extra hands!

• Just email administration atfrontdesk@thesummitprep.org to let us know if you’ll be staying to help on Friday afternoon.

Second graders are embracing independent reading!  They celebrate it each and every day.  It’s truly one of the things they look forward to!  Nothing makes me happier than for someone to walk past the classroom and see my students silently sprawled all over the classroom, noses in a book.  Reading is the essence of learning.  When one teaches a love for reading, they are simultaneously teaching vocabulary, empathy, culture and more.  Students look for themselves in their reading.

How I foster independent reading:

• I help students find books that they will enjoy, such as books on topics that interest them, different book series, books by a favorite author, and so on.
• Over time,  I encourage my kiddos to explore a variety of types of text, such as nonfiction books, fiction books, magazines and newspapers, poetry, etc., as well as different topics.
• I show interest in what each and every child is reading.  I ask questions and engage in conversations (book talks) with my students.
• For additional information, check out The Benefits of Independent Reading.

Take a look at one of favorite places for independent reading!

We have become moon experts!  for the last several weeks, we have learned so much about the moon and our research has led us to some amazing knowledge!  We’ve discussed how the moon was created and why it looks the way it does.  We learned about the moon’s phases and why they appear as they do in the sky.  Did you know that the moon is a satellite and it does not produce it’s own light? We have gained such a better understanding of the moon and its effects on Earth!  We are truly moon experts!

Learning about the first astronaut to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, was very exciting! “One small step for man. one giant leap for mankind”.

The Earth and moon’s rotation and revolution was quite complicated, but we figured it out!

Although, practicing revolution and rotation made us a bit dizzy!

Can you think of a better way to learn about the moon’s phases?

We created amazing moon phase diagrams.

After learning and doing experiments about the moon’s surface, we created our own with water, paint and glue.

Our geometry focus this week has been symmetry.  We have investigated this concept with many hands-on projects that the class has thoroughly enjoyed.  We’ve discovered that symmetry is abundant in so many everyday items; both natural and man made.  Our exploration of symmetry has truly peaked my students’ natural curiosity about the world around them.  They are noticing that symmetrical patterns are everywhere!  Understanding symmetry has helped my students focus on the characteristics and parts of an object-not just the shape as a whole.  This is a basic concept of geometry that needs to be understood so that we can build on it as more difficult geometric concepts are introduced.  Seeing these different perspectives of the world around us improves spatial understanding, which, in turn, helps the students grasp the mathematical principals used in the creation of the symmetrical objects we have observed .  Our study of symmetry has helped my students connect geometry to the real world.  It has instilled an awareness that geometry is part of our every day life.

We discovered that symmetry is all around us, inside and out

The students tried to draw symmetrical pictures with one another. It wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be!

Here we are creating symmetrical projects with pattern blocks. We used a ruler for our line of symmetry.

We even created symmetrical bugs!

Nature is the perfect environment to explore, ask questions, and have fun.  Nurturing a child’s innate tendencies toward exploration, sensory stimulation,  can lead to quality outdoor STEM activities.  The rich diversity of settings and materials of nature gives rise to questions and inquiry for deeper learning.

In second grade we use STEM and nature to foster student’s curiosity and exploration of the the world.  Spending time outside with students provides so many benefits, including increased student engagement, expanded learning for students, and STEM skill development.

We made mazes out of sticks and other things from nature.

Have you ever heard of rock art?

How about a maze for a mouse, or squirrel, or chipmunk, or even a toad.

All it takes is a quick glance around a room, any room, to find angles everywhere. Every corner in the room makes an angle. So do the corners of windows, doors, books, tables, shelves, cabinets, and all sorts of other common objects. Anywhere two lines come together to form a point, an angle is created. Angles come in all shapes and sizes.

Understanding what angles are, how they work, and how to create them are important. They help us build better streets and cities. Angles help us tell time, using the sun and shadows, and they make it possible to measure how far away the planets and stars are. We can play games better when we understand how angles help us score points and get from one spot to another in the shortest distance. Angles even work with sunlight to allow us to see colors. When we learn about angles, we are building a geometry foundation.  Our learning focus was the three types of angles; obtuse, acute and right.  We also learned how to use a protractor measure angles!

We created our own angles using cardstock and paper fasteners.

We used our body to create obtuse, acute and right angles.

Protractors are such a fun learning tool to use!

As a culminating activity, we measured and labeled so many angles!!!!