Students are creating their own nonfiction books. They have been reading and taking notes about their topic. We have looked at some interesting ways authors have organized their picture books. Students are choosing the size of their book and the format. They will type these up and illustrate them.
We are learning about the fifth and final region of the United States...the West! We are learning about the geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park, comparing Sequoias and Redwood trees, and watching videos about Arches National Park. We are also learning about Mt Denali in Alaska as well as Kilauea in Hawaii!
The students are working cooperatively in their companies and having fun building their bridges. They are keeping a balance sheet of their budget, writing checks to the warehouse and working on a packet full of facts about bridges and math problems!
We are about to start our Bridges engineering and math unit. Students will be constructing popsicle stick bridges in small companies. It is one of our favorite units.
For added inspiration, visit this website: http://www.newnybridge.com/ The new Tappan Zee bridge in New York is being constructed. There are some great videos, photos, and news articles on the website. And if you're headed to New York or New Jersey in the coming months, it's quite a site to see. Yesterday, Thompson School gathered to watch the 2nd graders talk about their Japanese unit while incorporating the principles of Thompson CARES. It was a lot of fun!
We enjoyed our field trip on Monday to the Museum of Science IMAX film on National Parks. This movie was full of incredible scenery and visits to many of the National Parks around the US. Students swooped over canyons and rivers. It was great to tie in to our study on the Regions of the US!
Students are in the process of creating their state brochures. They are persuading us that their state is worth a visit. They are focusing on landforms and tourist attractions! They have learned about the capital city and climate of their state.
We are learning about triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons and octagons. Students are learning about the properties of each of these polygons and making them using manipulatives.
Today students concluded our unit on rocks and soil by taking soil samples around Thompson. They compared soil colors, textures, and smells using descriptive words.
We are learning the fifty state capitals. We will be memorizing ten new ones a week. The students made flash cards and we talked about memorizing strategies.
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AuthorMs. Brogna Archives
May 2016
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