Welcome back from a week of vacation. Did you meet any Change Makers? Did you play with your musical instruments? Before the break, the Magical Minds did a fantastic job building string, wind and percussion instruments that could change pitch and volume. It was great fun listening to them explain to each other why shorter, tighter and thinner strings make high pitch sounds, and why glasses full of water will produce a lower pitch than an empty glass. I wonder if sound will be a part of our upcoming unit on Force & Motion.
Inquiry
Force and Motion:
It’s that time of year we have all been waiting for – Rube Goldberg Contraptions! In the next five weeks we will build the skills, conceptual understanding and attitudes needed to be successful. This week we focus on the concept of cause and effect and gravity, and we will dig into the history of the man behind the contraptions, Mr. Rube Goldberg.
Math
Subtraction Review:
As we gear up for a unit on division (aka repeated subtraction), we will spend the next two weeks brushing up on our subtraction skills. What strategies do you have for mentally taking numbers apart in your head? This week we will use math manipulatives and games to model various ways for finding the difference between two numbers.
Reading/Writing
Biographies – Change Makers:
The Magical Minds are hard at work locating and recording relevant information about their Change Makers in biographies. This week we learn how to create time lines, arranging significant events in chronological order. Using a new graphic organizer, the Magical Minds will be challenged to deepen their understanding of their Change Maker’s impact on our culture.
CURRENT EVENTS
The second graders have officially completed their current event presentations for this school year. The third graders will be presenting the next four weeks. During the last four weeks of school, students have the option of signing up to do a current event if/when they find a news event worth sharing.
Inquiry
Force and Motion:
It’s that time of year we have all been waiting for – Rube Goldberg Contraptions! In the next five weeks we will build the skills, conceptual understanding and attitudes needed to be successful. This week we focus on the concept of cause and effect and gravity, and we will dig into the history of the man behind the contraptions, Mr. Rube Goldberg.
Math
Subtraction Review:
As we gear up for a unit on division (aka repeated subtraction), we will spend the next two weeks brushing up on our subtraction skills. What strategies do you have for mentally taking numbers apart in your head? This week we will use math manipulatives and games to model various ways for finding the difference between two numbers.
Reading/Writing
Biographies – Change Makers:
The Magical Minds are hard at work locating and recording relevant information about their Change Makers in biographies. This week we learn how to create time lines, arranging significant events in chronological order. Using a new graphic organizer, the Magical Minds will be challenged to deepen their understanding of their Change Maker’s impact on our culture.
CURRENT EVENTS
The second graders have officially completed their current event presentations for this school year. The third graders will be presenting the next four weeks. During the last four weeks of school, students have the option of signing up to do a current event if/when they find a news event worth sharing.