We are finishing up the first bend of our poetry unit by writing poems about a big topic that gives us a big feeling. Then, we thought of something smaller- like an object, person, place, or memory, that holds that big feeling and big topic. I have to say- these kiddos are born poets! They are blowing their poems out of the water! Here are a few that are shared on our Inspiration Wall at the moment:
READING
Now that we have learned about most of the reading strategies, it is time to start using them all-together! We will be working on the reciprocal reading method, which is where we predict, question, clarify and summarize, all at the same time. We are really digging deep into our reading these days- we have to get ready for 3rd grade! Here is a cue card of the reciprocal teaching method for you to use at home:
MATH
We finished up learning about telling time (where we made these handy-dandy clocks that I forgot to share with you):
Now we are diving into measurement. Yesterday we learned about nonstandard units of measurement, such as goldfish, beads, paperclips, and crayons, and used them to measure our hands and feet. The kiddos learned that the smaller the unit of measurement, the more of them you need to measure something. If the unit is larger, we don't need as many to measure the same object. I saw the light bulbs lighting up in their heads during this activity, and I'm so excited to watch them explore centimeters, inches, and feet!
SCIENCE
Have you heard that we have caterpillars in our room? (that was a joke, I'm sure you know by now- it's all they talk about!) Well, this is what they looked like on Friday- little caterpillars munching away:
And when we came back to school on Monday there were two inside their chrysalides! (cue oohs and aahs)
By Tuesday morning, they were all inside their chrysalides and are now hardening. We will move them into their large butterfly habitat in a day or two, where they will hang for 7-10 days until their metamorphosis is complete and they emerge as butterflies.
Meanwhile, we now know about the life cycles of butterflies, frogs, mice, and plants!
REMINDERS
If you have not already, please turn in the permission slip for the butterfly house field trip. Also, picture order forms are due tomorrow, so please get those in as well if you'd like to order pictures of those cute, smiling faces :o)