The second graders had a blast exploring owl pellets today. We learned about the oak tree habitat and how the owl gets all of its needs met in that habitat. We dissected owl pellets to determine what our owl ate. We collected bones and then drew some conclusions about what we think our owl ate the most of. The kids worked hard and really enjoyed this activity. 

It was great to get our small guided reading groups up and running a few weeks ago.  Here are some pictures of one of the groups learning a strategy to identify main idea and details. When your child is introduced to a new book, it will come home for them to read to you.  Please try to find some time to share this reading with your child.

The second graders have been doing a great job with our new writing program. Each week we learn ways that authors get ideas for writing while reading authentic picture books. We then brainstorm our own ideas and use them to write stories. The students regularly share their work and ideas with partners.  Below are some pictures of the kids sharing their stories with a partner.

Each week our second graders keep track of new words we come across in our reading and other curriculum area studies. We add these words to our word collector. Then on Fridays we take some time to look up the meaning of our words and to add them to our Reading notebooks.  Building a strong vocabulary is key!

We engaged in place value math centers to prepare for our chapter one test!  The children had fun playing place value games and engaging with hands on materials to practice their skills.

The students engaged in a STEM project in which they had to work in groups to design a tower using raw spaghetti, string, tape and a large marshmallow. The goal was to build the tallest tower that would stand up on its own. They had to plan, share their ideas with the group and then collaborate and build.  There was lots of fun and smiles during this process.  It is always fun to see them working together towards a common goal!

We had a fantastic first day in second grade!  We took time to check out our classroom, read books, organize supplies and have some free time. Below are pictures from our first day. 

We were so excited to share the nonfiction books that we wrote with our kindergarten friends!  It gave us a purpose for our writing....to teach our new friends about a habitat.  It was precious to watch the second graders as the "big kids." They did a great job setting a good example and reading to their kindergarten friends.  Here are some pictures from our special day!