This was our second experiment for Writer's Workshop, "Lab Reports and Science Reports".  This time, we compared rolling the car down the ramp over the tile floor to using the ramp on the carpet floor.

The class and I would like to thank the Dhein Family for sponsoring our book that every student brought home today, The Chocolate Touch.  We read the back blurb and some started to read it already.  We're excited to find out what happens next in this adventure!  Thanks again!

Yesterday, the 3rd graders from Mrs. Hurlburt's class came to visit us.  They each shared what they had learned about mysteries from their Reading unit.

This Week's Learning

Coming Up for This Week:  (February 25):

Word Work:  Words Ending in Silent E - (Those, drive, made, and home are some examples.)

Reading:  Unit:  Reading Nonfiction Cover to Cover:  Nonfiction Book Clubs
Lessons:  Explaining Our Reading in Our Own Words, Say What We've Learned in One Short Statement, Asking Ourselves, "How is This New Part Related to the Main Part?"

Writing:  (Nonfiction Writing)  Lab Reports and Science Books
Lessons:  New Wonderings, New Experiments, Authors Share Scientific Ideas/Conclusions, Scientists Learn From Other Sources as Well as From Experiments

Math:  Understanding Estimating Length, Using Different Units to Estimate Length

Social Sciences:  Landforms (pond, hill, valley, plateau, peninsula, island, mountain, plain)

Writer's Workshop

Today, we began our work in our next Writer's Workshop unit:  Writing Lab Reports and Science Books.  We practiced writing like scientists.  First, we asked the question, "Will the car go farther using the ramp stacked with 6 books or with the one with 3 books?"  Then we each wrote a hypothesis about what we guessed would happen.  The big work was writing out the procedures for our experiment, which we did as a large group.  

We decided to measure with meter sticks to see how far the car went down the ramp.

Here, you see students in small groups conducting the experiment and recording the data they found.

We conducted 4 trials using the ramp with 6 books and another 4 trials using the 3 books.

Happy Valentines Day!!

We enjoyed exchanging our valentines!  What creative valentines students shared - slime, puzzles, pencils, bouncy balls, erasers... 👍

Then we made gliders and practiced flying them.  We got this idea from our latest MysteryDoug email, where he explained about how airplanes fly.

Then Dr. Trixie came for another visit!  She brought us Valentine "monsters" to make.  It was a fun day!!

Thank you Parents

Thanks for your help in sending any extra empty boxes to school yesterday.  We each enjoyed decorating our boxes for exchanging our Valentines this Thursday.  Thanks for sending all the extra stickers, tape, and cut-outs!  We appreciate your help.

100th Day FUN!

First we made 100th day fortune tellers.  Then we had time to play with partners.

Some of the "fortunes" gave them directions to snap 10 times or hop on one foot 10 times.

Then we had more fun with our 100th Day glasses!!

Later, we rotated with all the second graders between classrooms on 100th Day Stem Stations (cups, Legos, dominoes, or puzzles).  Here we are in small groups, building with sets of 100 dominoes!

Measuring

Today, we used our rulers.  We found inches and centimeters, and began to learn how to measure items.  (Starting with the end mark on the ruler, not just the end of the ruler.)  We also talked about how to use our rulers safely and practiced this.  😊

Using inch sized tiles to help us measure inches.

This Week's Learning

Coming Up for This Week: (February 5):

• Much of this week will be spent on finishing up our planned work from last week, due to our snow/weather days.  See last week's post for the Word Work, Reading, Writing, and Social Sciences plans.

Math:  Thinking About Measuring with Tiles and Rulers, Learning About Measuring Length

Next Unit in Math

This is the front page of the packet that our class brought home last Friday in folders.  This packet is a resource for the work we'll do in our next unit in math, Measurement and Data.  We'll begin our work in this unit tomorrow.  Please feel free to use this packet as a way to practice what we're learning or play a game.  ☺