Inferring

This week in reading we are talking about inferring.

I started off by taking some volunteers into the hallway. They had to act a certain way in front of the rest of the class and the class had to infer how the "actors" were feeling. My expressive little actors did a wonderful job!

Then they had to make an inference in their own reading.

This is Rachael's inference.

Love to see my students working hard!

Classifying Lesson

We start off our MATTER unit with a lesson on classifying different things.

I started off the lesson by having the kids sit in a community circle. Then when they were all quiet I called all the girls' names and told them to stand up. I asked how I classified the kids standing from the kids sitting. They were pretty quick to get that one.

We all took off one shoe and made one pile. (Let me just take a minute to say how glad I am that we have science in the morning, before Recess and PE. Our pile would've been a lot stinkier if had it been later in the day!)

Then we talked about all the different ways to sort or CLASSIFY them. 

We sorted by color.

Here is Aubrey with the PINK shoes.

We sorted by sneakers or not sneakers. 

Here is Raghav with the sneakers.

We sorted by size.

Here's Rachael with shoes by size. 

Shocked that every year there's always some growing kiddo with bigger feet than mine!

Matter

In Science this week we will be covering MATTER.

Here are the TEKS we will be hitting:

(5)  Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has physical properties and those properties determine how it is described, classified, changed, and used. The student is expected to:

(A)  classify matter by physical properties, including shape, relative mass, relative temperature, texture, flexibility, and whether material is a solid or liquid;

(B)  compare changes in materials caused by heating and cooling;

(C)  demonstrate that things can be done to materials to change their physical properties such as cutting, folding, sanding, and melting; and

(D)  combine materials that when put together can do things that they cannot do by themselves such as building a tower or a bridge and justify the selection of those materials based on their physical properties.

I will mostly be using my packet that I made over the summer. You can find it here. 

I will also be showing this video. 

And reading  this book by Dr. Seuss, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The link will take you to an audio recording of the book. (I just ordered mine from Amazon.)

I really want to make my own Oobleck. (Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid; it has properties of both liquids and solids. You can slowly dip your hand into it like a liquid, but if you squeeze the oobleck or punch it, it will feel solid) It's really simple. I'll have to try it at home first. If I can't do it in my room, I'll just send the recipe home and make all the parents hate me. :)

Here's the link I saw that made me want to try it!

     

Here's How To Make Oobleck:

1. Mix 1 part water with 1.5 to 2 parts cornstarch. You may wish to start with one cup of water and one and a half cups of cornstarch, then work in more cornstarch if you want a more 'solid' oobleck. It will take about 10 minutes of mixing to get nice homogeneous oobleck.
2. Mix in a few drops of food coloring if you want colored oobleck.

Partner Writing

I went to a two day conference over the summer about Writers Workshop. I learned a lot of new things and it's been really fun to implement them into my classroom.

Yesterday I introduced writing partners. I pair my kids with another child in the classroom and this is the friend that will edit their stories, help them with ideas, share stories, and even partner-write.

I was so amazed how EXCITED the kiddos were about having a friend to share their writing with. Knowing that they will have an audience makes them work so much harder!

Everyone does their writers workshop differently and mine is totally different than last year's.

I turn off the main lights and just have 3 tall lamps on. This gives a nice peaceful, quiet feeling to the room. The kids know that when those big lights turn off, it is time to put on their writers hats.

I start off with everyone on the carpet for a mini lesson. This week we've been talking about the importance of beginning, middle, and end. 

Then, after modeling writing, introducing a new concept, or whatever the mini lesson is, they get a little bit of time to talk about their writing ideas with their partner. 

When they've finished sharing, they go to their desks and start writing.

As they write I am going around the room, conferring, encouraging, helping with words (although I ask them to sound out most words).

At the end we all come back to the carpet to share what we've written with our partners.

Sometimes I let people share to the whole class.

Ten Marks

I am very excited to be utilizing a great website called TenMarks
Every student in my classroom has their own login and password.
I just tell the website that I am a second grade teacher and they create tons of different assessments/activities for my students, based on what we learn in second grade.


This is the letter that goes home to explain the program. The program is FREE and awesome. Two of my favorite things! :)

Dear Parent,
I am happy to inform you that we will be using a new online supplemental math program - TenMarks, which
will provide _________ with additional math practice.
TenMarks is an online program that enables students to practice and master math concepts - one topic at a
time. They can work on direction from the teacher, or choose to practice on their own, anytime. While they
are practicing, TenMarks helps them with hints on every problem if they get stuck, and gives them short
video tutorials to view if they need an explanation - really helping them grasp the concept they are working
on.
I have set up each student with their own individual account, and loaded the math curriculum for their grade
into TenMarks. From the teacher account, I can monitor and review their progress, and assign work and give
them feedback.
There is also a reward zone for some extra motivation where they earn certificates to print out when they
master a concept, and some educational computer games they can play after they complete work.
ACCESSING TENMARKS
Students are able to access TenMarks from home to continue working on the program at their own pace. To
log in to their account, students should go to http://www.tenmarks.com and click on the red "Log In" link on
the upper right corner of the page.
Login: _______________
Password: ____________
YOUR ACCOUNT
TenMarks also allows you to stay on top of what your child is doing via your own account. You can access
your account by visiting http://www.tenmarks.com/signup/classroom_parent and using the code below.
Code: _____________
You can add up to 3 parent accounts using this code.
I just wanted to let you know that we're using this new program, which I believe will really help students
improve their math skills and confidence.
Regards
Miss Dower

Science

This week we've been talking about what a scientist looks like, and what a scientist does.
My kiddos came up with a really impressive list of all the different things a scientist might work with. I'm pretty sure when I was in second grade I would've only come up with chemicals and fossils. I'm always so proud of how creative and smart my students are!

After we made our list, we watched some short clips of different kinds of scientists. It got the kids super excited about careers in science. My kids were especially impressed with the game designer.

If you want to watch a few of the videos, I found them here.

Lots of things!

BOOK FAIR IS OPEN!!!!! 

On Mondays I always do a community circle. We share 1 thing that emptied our bucket, and 1 thing that filled our bucket. It's a great way to keep up with my kiddos. I really want our class to be a family and community circles are one of my favorite ways to build up a sense of belonging/family. 

We are beginning our SCIENCE in second grade.
My dad is a PhD Chemist and I have a special place in my heart for elementary science.

Can't wait to fill this board up with all that we are learning.

What I'm introducing this week:

2.1 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor
investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
2.1A Identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety
Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety
goggles washing hands, and using materials appropriately.
2.1B Describe the importance of safe practices.
2.1C Identify and demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural
resources and materials

2.3 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical
thinking, scientific problem solving, and the contributions of scientists are used in making
decisions. The student is expected to:
2.3A Identify and explain a problem in his/her own words and propose a task and
solution for the problem such as lack of water in a habitat.
2.3B Make predictions based on observable patterns.
2.3C Identify what a scientist is and explore what different scientists do.

Science safety is so important... even though we probably won't be dealing with too many hazard materials. ;)

I have a sheet for both parents and students to sign that I sent home.
You can pick it up (along with all of my science vocabulary words) here.

In reading this week we are learning about INFERENCE.
There is a free power point that I like about inferring....

I want to make sure that my kiddos are activating their SCHEMA (what they already know).

The most important thing is that they use EVIDENCE.
For example: I can infer that Miss Dower really enjoys getting sweet tea because she is giving a big smile and I know that people smile when they're happy.

I can infer that Caelyn is working hard because she has already accomplished a lot and she has her eyes and pencil on the paper. 

In Writing we are continue to work on our stories having a beginning, middle, and end. 

We're doing our best to include transition words. 

Girls looking at the books.

Aubrey thumbing through a book.

Will looking for the price.

The boys and our mascot, who is all wrapped in reading.

Book Fair!!

Book Fair is Monday!! Who else is excited?! 

I loooooove going to book fair, picking out books, and putting them in my bin. I can only cross my fingers that some wonderful, kind, generous person buys me some! I also stuck a long pointer in their because my little T-Rex arms just cannot reach everything. 

My gorgeous librarian and me. Please forgive these pictures. It was college T-shirt day.
And it was raining.
That's our school mascot in the background. He's wrapped up in reading.


What a great book to add to my library. Especially for MLK day.

Look at this amazing Junie B. Jones pack!!! 24 books in one lovely little pack. 

Yoga Balls

This is the first year I've used Yoga balls and I'm so excited! I've heard of other teachers using them and all the different benefits, so I'm really hoping they can help my 18 kiddos!

According to this article, "When a child sits on a ball chair, they are able to direct their natural kinesthetic energy and need for movement in a positive way, because the child on a ball chair has to constantly move his body on the chair to maintain his balance.

So rather than squash a child's innate need for movement, ball chairs channel their physical energy in a positive way, allowing them to focus on their work more completely and reach their full potential as learners."

We made our list of Yoga Ball Expectations and I've only given a few kids yoga balls to start with. I think it'll be too nuts if I go straight from 18 kids on chairs to 18 kids on balls. So far, so good!

Peace Day Poem

I was inspired by the book What is Peace by Etan Boritzer (which I do not own, but would love to own)
I wanted the students to give me their ideas of peace.

Peace is loving. Cherish. Peace is empathy and kindness. Peace is important and gold. (Sarah)
I think peace is relaxing. I also think peace is on Christmas Eve. Fighting is not peace. Doing homework is not peace at all. When you go to school it is not peace. (Raghav)
There is peace. It could be relaxing in a beach. That's right. Relaxing in a beach. That's correct. (Nehan)
Peace is caring, loving, singing. Shows that we love you with all our hearts. (Olivia)
Peace is doves flying. Peace is a peace sign. Peace is people holding hands. And lying in a quiet place. Peace is sleep. People getting together is peace! And the celebration of Christmas. (Emilee)
Peace is loving people and caring and not throwing bombs. (Ella)
Peace is yoga and sign language. Peace is quiet. Peace is meditating. (Caelyn)
Peace on the beach. Quiet peaceful waves and relaxed with peaceful music and a sweet bit of candy. Peace is sweet like Ms. Dower (Lucy)
Peace is nice. Peace is sweet like cotton candy. Peace can be lots of things. It can be a dog on Christmas. Woof. It can be doves in love. It can be yoga balls doing a jig. It can be kids having fun. Yippy. Yippy. Yip. It can be horses riding like the wind. (Rachael)

EEKK

I love the story Chrysanthemum and pretty much all Kevin Henke stories!

Today we took a closer look at VOWELS and CONSONANTS. I've started word work but I realized I have some kiddos who don't know the difference between the two! I am constantly being reminded to start at the basics and then build up. Some kiddos don't need the reminder, which is why I do my best to make all of my lessons interesting, even for those who aren't in dire need of the review.

We did a short activity where we write our name and make the vowels one color, and the consonants another color.

As you can see from Ryan's face... we really liked this! 

I have started my reading groups now that I have all the reading assessments done (Hallelujah!) 

I have 4 different groups:
Chipmunks, Bunnies, Lions, Elephants.

Here are some of my bunnies!

Look at them reading their Amelia Bedelia books! 

I always loved Amelia and her crazy ideas. 

They're totally doing EEKK

Elbow to Elbow, Knee to Knee,

I read to you, you read to me!

Click the picture to get this freebie from my teachers pay teachers page.

School... by Emilee

First, I woke up and second, I went to have my breakfast. I had toaster stroodle. After I finished my breakfast, I brushed my hair and got dressed. Then I watched some TV and got ready to go to school. I hung my backup and I walked in and said good morning to Miss Dower. Then I sat down and worked on my warm up. Then we went to music. After music, we played a math game. I worked with Will and Lucy. We each rolled three times. It was really fun. In the middle we went to lunch. I had chocolate milk, gold fish, banana, and chicken poppers. Then we had writing. I wrote about school. Next we will have recess. Last, we go home. That is the end of our day.

Teacher's Note- We are working on transition words!

Place value mallows

Today was the super fun day of Marshmallows!!! As soon as the kids walked in from specials, they knew what was coming. I spent my planning time prepping for math. (I can make copies after school right!?) Their little excited faces were so fun to watch. We first started by talking about the expectations. NO EATING! Poor kiddos. I love using food in lessons but we can never actually eat any of it at school. My students were so good this whole lesson. I really believe that fun, engaging lessons, means happy, learning students! 

Every kid got a card with Hundreds, Tens, and Ones written on it. 

The marshmallows held a toothpick. On the tooth pick was where they put the fruit loops to show place value.

The picture above shows 235. We talked a lot about what if the marshmallow didn't have any fruit loops, what did that mean?

This sweet friend told me, "Thanks for letting us do a fun lesson," when math time was over. 

You're welcome Leon!

Lucy working hard!

Ryland figuring out what number to write down!

I also let the kiddos go on a little scavenger hunt. I placed green cards around the room with different letters. These marshmallows were already filled. The students had to write the number after counting the fruit loops.


As you can see.... the kids loved the activity!


Again, I got this activity from Abby!

The biggest challenge was the difference between 401 and 41. If there is no cereal on the tens, why do we have to write anything at all? Place value can be really tricky!

I sent the fruit loops, marshmallows, tooth picks, and cards home with the students so they can practice/eat at home.

Tomorrow I'll be pulling out the base ten blocks to make more connections.


Teachers- be sure to check out my place value unit on teacherspayteachers!

Place Value

I love teaching math in second grade. We cover so many different things! We talk about clocks, place value, addition, subtraction, fractions, money, measurement, graphs, geometry, finance, and even multiplication and division.

Last week we were all about CLOCKS. One of the most important thing to remember about clocks is the importance of being able to skip count! I want 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60... to roll of my students' tongues. Teaching time is so complicated. There's two hands, and the second hand counts the minutes, not the seconds. The hour hand usually is between two numbers, but it's always the lower number. The minute hand involves multiples of five. Oh, and it's all on base twelve, instead of base ten.
The funny thing is, most adults I know just look at their cell phone to find out the time.
Too bad! Still need to teach my kiddos time. After all, some day I expect my students to be doctors and lawyers and be looking at their Rolex watches, and Rolex only makes analog!

I like to start off my place value unit with an exciting, attention-grabbing activity.
I got my idea off of Abby. You can read her description here.

From the TEKS:
4. (A)  Students develop an understanding of the base-10 place value system and place value concepts. The students' understanding of base-10 place value includes ideas of counting in units and multiples of thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones and a grasp of number relationships, which students demonstrate in a variety of ways.

(2)  Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to understand how to represent and compare whole numbers, the relative position and magnitude of whole numbers, and relationships within the numeration system related to place value. The student is expected to:

(A)  use concrete and pictorial models to compose and decompose numbers up to 1,200 in more than one way as a sum of so many thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones;

(B)  use standard, word, and expanded forms to represent numbers up to 1,200;

(C)  generate a number that is greater than or less than a given whole number up to 1,200;

(D)  use place value to compare and order whole numbers up to 1,200 using comparative language, numbers, and symbols (>, <, or =)

... and just for fun I like to look at what Common Core says about second grade place value.

CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.1 Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

• CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.1a 100 can be thought of as a bundle of ten tens — called a “hundred.”

• CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.1b The numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine hundreds (and 0 tens and 0 ones).

CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.2 Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s. CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.3 Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.A.4 Compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.

Sadie Lady

ABC's of Miss Dower

A is for American Sign Language.
B is for Bucket fillers!
C is for crafty, because I love my pinterest crafts.
D is for Dr. Seuss, who I adore.
E is for elementary, because I'm certified to teach early childhood through 6th grade, English language learners, and special education.
F is for flowers, because they're my favorite things.
G is for Ghandi, and his quote, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
H is for Home, the way I want my classroom to feel.
I is for Imagination.
J is for my first name, Jenna.
K is for kindergarten, which is where I was when I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
L is for Love and Logic, my classroom management system.
M is for music.... especially country music.
N is for Namaste because I love yoga.
O is for Oreos, my favorite cookie.
P is for Pinterest, where I get all my teaching (and hair) ideas.
Q is for Romona Quimby, my favorite book character.
R is for Round Rock ISD.
S is for Spicewood Elementary
T is for Teachers Pay Teachers, my favorite resource.
U is for University of Texas!
V is for Valentines Day, my favorite holiday.
W is for Westwood High School. Go Warriors!
X is for XXV, my age.
Y is for my little Yorkie.
Z is for the 8 hours of Z's I try to get every night