Week in Review

Yet another powerful week in Room 200!

Project/Problem Based Learning

We started our week with a project/problem to solve during our Reader's Workshop. We identified that it was an area that we could improve. So, we began brainstorming, what we wanted in our Reader's Workshop and what we didn't want. 

Then we began talking about the good components of a great Reader's Workshop and how they should revolve around our CAFE model of Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding our Vocabulary. We came up with a ton of great activity suggestions that could fall into our already established choices.

Once our board was full, the students began taking suggested activities from the board and trying them out.  The goal was to see if the activity helped us become better readers and was something we enjoyed.

(Activity Pictured: Song/Poem Writing)

(Activity Pictured: Danger Reading - Focus: Danger Books)

(Activity Pictured: Read Fluently to the Digital Device)

Once the students found an activity that they enjoyed and found valuable, they logged it into our Today's Meet so that we could review and discuss it. The students added the name of the activity, what area it belonged in, the volume level, and a brief description.

Now we have an excellent working list of great ideas to use during our Reader's Workshop!

Informational and Procedural Writing

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.7
Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool. 

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. 

K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Last week, the students began embarking on their own informational/procedural writing adventures. The students were tasked to come up with a guiding question, a hypothesis, and full procedure (list of materials, numbered steps, and detailed and labeled illustrations) before beginning their experiment. 

During the experiment, students recorded their data so that they will be prepared to write their scientific conclusion this week.

2nd Grade and 5th Grade Engineering Collaboration

K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. 

K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

On Friday, we combined forces with Miss Owen's homeroom class to solve an engineering problem. The students broke off into groups and began making plans for a waterproof boat. The finish products will be tested by identifying how many washers each boat can hold. We will continue this project next Friday.

Genius Hour!

On Friday, we began our introduction to Genius Hour.

We began by watching the following video clip:

Then we began brainstorming all of the things we enjoyed, were good at, and wanted more information on. This helped us create our Wonder Wall. 

Stay tuned for MUCH more to come on Genius Hour very soon!

Read to Self - Our most important part of the day!

As always, we took time to enjoy a good book. 

Have a fabulous week!

Week In Review

Two Words: BIG Week!

We started the week with a bit of a messy science experiment to support our study of solids and liquids. 
We learned to follow a recipe and we made Oobleck. Oobleck is a material that can seem liquid and solid. We had a great time mixing and exploring. We also learned that we are learning to work really well in teams. Our hard work on collaboration is definitely showing. 

In 2nd Grade, the amount of mess equals the amount of fun and we had A LOT of fun!

To continue our science studies, we talked about water proof and water resistant materials. The students were given the task of exploring a list of materials and creating a bridge that could withstand 15 strong squirts of water while supporting 6 wooden blocks. All of our bridges were successful!! 

In a few weeks, we will try this challenge again with a new list of (more challenging) materials. 

KBK 2nd Grade also participated in the Global School Play Day!

The day is organized around the concept that more play is needed in the day for our children. Students, especially young ones, learn valuable social, collaborative, fine and gross motor, and sensory lessons during play. 

So... we let them play - unstructured and unguided. Just kids playing! They had a blast!  

Our next unit of study in writing will be Informational Writing. The students got their feet wet this week and tried out a bit of this type of writing. It was clear from the beginning that they remembered a great deal from 1st Grade and got right to work. 

Our future engineers also explored and observed an alarm clock this week by taking it apart. They were pretty excited to begin identifying and labeling the parts inside. 

We also had an assembly to teach us about simple machines. We learned all about the pulley, lever, and screw. A few of us even got to participate!

 We basically rocked at Jump Rope for Heart!  

Last and certainly not least, we became teachers and mentors to our new Kindergarten friends. We offered our expertise to Mrs. Gilchrist's class as they learned how to use some new apps in the best academic way. The Room 200 students were amazing teachers who stayed focused and insisted on the highest level of learning and personal best from the students they were working with. Mrs. Gilchrist and I were very proud. 

And as always... the spaces in which they choose to do their best learning always makes me giggle. 



Have a great week!