In the Know
As we approach the end of the first term here is a snapshot of what we have been doing in every subject.
Language Arts:
Novel Studies-Our Grade 2 students have begun working on their first Novel Study. There are two different Novel Study groups depending on where they are at in their learning journey. We are reading books by Judy Blume, Freckle Juice and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
Writing Conventions – We continue to work on understanding that a proper noun is always capitalized and that each sentence starts with a capital and ends with punctuation. Can they spot the error? They have been given many opportunities to spot the missing punctuation and capitalization of words in a sentence as they complete Read it, Fix it Write it.
Opinion Writing- The students have been working on being able to write an opinion piece, they reference the rubric provided in order to ensure they have done their personal best.
Opinion Piece Rubric (Grade 2)
| Criteria | 4 – Excellent | 3 – Good | 2 – Satisfactory | 1 – Needs Improvement |
| Opinion Statement | The opinion is clearly stated and easy to understand. | The opinion is clear but may need some clarification. | The opinion is stated but is unclear or not fully formed. | There is no clear opinion, or it is hard to understand. |
| Supporting Reasons | Provides 2 or more strong reasons to support the opinion. | Provides 1 or 2 reasons that support the opinion. | Gives 1 reason that partially supports the opinion. | Does not provide reasons or the reasons do not support the opinion. |
| Organization | Writing is well-organized with a clear beginning, middle, and end. | Writing is organized with a beginning, middle, and end, but may be a bit unclear. | Organization is present, but may be difficult to follow. | Writing lacks organization and is hard to follow. |
| Details and Examples | Includes specific details and examples to explain the opinion. | Includes some details or examples to explain the opinion. | Provides few details or examples, or they are unclear. | No details or examples are given to explain the opinion. |
| Conclusion | The piece ends with a strong, clear conclusion that wraps up the opinion. | The piece ends with a conclusion, but it may be weak or unclear. | There is a conclusion, but it does not tie up the opinion clearly. | No clear conclusion is provided. |
| Grammar and Spelling | Few or no errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Some errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling, but they do not make the piece hard to read. | Some errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling that make the piece hard to read. | Many errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling that make the piece difficult to read. |
Our students continue to be introduced to the Structure Word Inquiry spelling rules. Familiarizing themselves with these spelling rules (posted on our boards) allows them to edit their own work. They are also encouraged to use their dictionaries for high frequency words such as (i.e,because, was and want).
- Catch the Perch Rule
Note: / / = sound letter makes < > = letter name
When should we use <ch> and when should we use <tch> at the end of a monosyllable word? If a /ch/ follows a short vowel use <tch>. If a /ch/ follows a consonant or a long vowel team use <ch>.
2. FLoSZ RULE
The letters <f>, <l>, <s> and <z> double at the end of a one syllable word if they immediately follow a short vowel.
3. Puck in the Rink Rule
If /k/ follows a short vowel use <ck>.
If /k/ sound follows a consonant or two vowels, use <k>.
4. Huge Bar of Fudge Rule
If /j/ follows a short vowel use <dge>. If /j/ follows a consonant or a long vowel team use <ge>.
Author Study-Each month we explore yet another collection of books during our author study. The students have a scheduled library period where Brigitte (our librarian) introduces a new author and reads books from their collection. We then bring them to our classroom to use during transition times and our literacy blocks. This past month Ms Brigitte read books from the Read Aloud Picture Book Study (author William Steig).
Workshops-We participated in our first Grade 2 workshop entitled Digital Tracks. The students watched a video followed by a class discussion on how tracks always remain online.
Here is the link to the video on Digital Tracks
Science:
We have completed our unit on Movement and Simple Machines. Our Grade 2 students did a great job working in pairs and designed a pulley able to lift water from the well (bucket). They then reflected on their experience and what they might do differently next time. The students did an excellent job completing several quizzes as artifacts of their knowledge.
We began our unit on Liquids, Solids and Gases by completing a workshop at the Science and Technology Museum. What a fun way to start a new unit.
Social Studies:
Our Grade 2 class compared birthday traditions and celebrations among diverse groups and can identify some of the reasons for changes in these traditions/celebrations. They are starting to become familiar with the social studies inquiry process as they investigated some of the past and present traditions and celebrations within their own family. Each child completed their Chanukah traditions project where they compared ways in which some traditions have been celebrated over multiple generations in their family.
Math:
Problem Solving-The focus has been working on 2 step problems. The emphasis has been reading for understanding and showing your work. One of our North Stars is we learn better together, so showing how we got our answer helps others see that there is more than one way to solve a problem.
Numbers:
We worked on balancing equations and math fact families. It is very important that the students understand the relationship within each family. This understanding helps with their math fact fluency. Some have been introduced to addition and subtraction double digits regrouping and borrowing. They continue to work on using these skills when solving 2-step word problems.
