P.E.

We all had fun in P.E. today.

There was a huge ball...
and scooters everywhere.

During recess SO and LS showed me this well practiced routine.

Ahhhh, to be young again.

We had so much fun today in the computer lab!

We used Photo Story 3 (which is a free download) to make our

super sentences into a short digital movie.

Here BB and GU are collaborating together to create the perfect music for G's video.

We took turns sharing the microphones to record our voices.

We each made our own, but it was fun to watch what our neighbors and friends were doing.
Video of JD as he previews his voice over work.

The Digital World

This week we started work on our digital project.

We started with a super sentence (noun, adjective, and verbs) that we created.

Then we illustrated it and now are waiting to get to the computer lab to make them into digital movies. Can't wait. They are going to be neat.

Many more writing projects to come like this.

Here DC is working on his illustration for his movie. (He really wasn't mad, the camera just caught him as he started to glance up).
We started our next newspaper today too. Here is TS typing up his article.

BB finishing his storyboard for his movie.

Here JC is signing up for his newspaper article.

Each student records what they want to write about, so others don't repeat.

I hope you are enjoying our new papers. This one should come out next week.

Making a Movie

Second graders are being asked to supply food for the fundraising snack food sale this Friday.

Thank you for your help.

We DO have a new spelling list this week.

Today many of us started a new reading book.

Here DC is sequencing his drawing based on the story.

TK final product.

CK with his clown.
And KS with hers.

This afternoon we went to our second grade buddies room and worked

on our voice overs for the movie we are making for Dr. Charlie.

We are adding to the photos that we took during all our experiences.

I can't wait for tomorrow to see what comes next.

Becoming Independent Readers

Today while I was teaching a small reading group,

I looked up and noticed some students that were completely lost in their books. We have come across some very good books this year and are starting to seek out more from those authors. Yes! Reading for enjoyment and life long learning.

Wax Museum

Hi everyone,

It is nice to be back. I am excited to use some of the ideas I learned about at the ITSC (Instructional Technologies Strategies Conference) conference earlier this week.

To get ready for some super projects, we needed to get our room cleaned up and organized.

Here is SO by her clean chair pocket ready to meet the next challenge.

I can't wait until you see what we are going to do. (Are you curious???)

Our reading buddies had their own very special project going on today.

They have been studying famous people and today they put on a wax museum for everyone.

They did a great job and it was really hard to tell if they were real or not.

This is TL posing as Jane Goodall. She is the woman that did so much

research on the Mountain Gorillas.

Here we are looking at Thomas Edison who was a famous inventor.
I will be sending home conference notes this week to find out what is the best time for you to meet. Please return them as soon as possible and I will try to honor your request. I know it is hard for some of you to come in, so if you would rather have a quick phone conversation to just check in instead, please note that on your returned conference slip.
Looking forward to seeing you here again.
Thanks for visiting.

Liquids "flow"

Today we compared some solids that do the same thing as a liquid.

We had cornmeal, and many kinds of beans to help us see that some solids can be poured.
And some solids also take the same shape as their container, just like a liquid.

Exploration of Liquids

Today we measured the same amount of liquid into four different shaped containers.

We found out that the same amount of liquid looks very different in different shaped containers.

Then the PBJ Robot came to visit (AKA: Dr. Charlie)

He could only do what he was told to do.

Our goal was to tell him step by step how to make a jam and honey sandwich.

See video at the bottom of this post for some entertaining clips of our experience.

Earlier in the week we started exploring the properties of liquids.

We had seven vials of different liquids.

Our job was to observe how each was different.

We noticed some liquids would move differently.

Some would mix with air and bubble up.

Some were thick or viscous.

Some were easy to see through.
We wanted to see if some liquids would roll faster than others so we set up a ramp to test them.
Here FA and KC are testing their liquids.
We know that they had to be released at the same time.

Science Week 1

We made our Valentine Holders today and if students want to start bringing their Valentine's in, they may. (Sorry, my computer is in the tech hospital, no picture yet).

On Tuesday, at 10:00 am we are having a teaching assembly. Some students will have a small speaking part. If you are interested in coming, feel free. It will be in the gym. Students that are involved this time are: FA, JD, LS, JC, AG, EN, AP, and GU. Assemblies usually last about 40 minutes.
Here is a slide show of our latest science experiments and - Elephant toothpaste!
This week we focused on the science of Engineering. You will see the bridges we created. We found out that fan folding our paper makes a much stronger bridge than just folding our papers flat.
Spelling went much better this week. Thank you all for your help. Next weeks words are posted already if you want a head start. See Spelling City on top right.

Engineering

Engineering is a science too. Today we used solid objects to construct towers.

Notice that we all chose the same base.
SO and GU wanted to make the tallest tower possible.

TS and AS working together.

Ahhh...the finished product.

JB is happy with his tower.

We all gathered around to discuss different strategies for our towers.

Today everyone heard this wonderful story and wrote a sentence on how we are similar to Abraham Lincoln. Here are a few:

AR- "Me and Abe, we love books. We work together and we are tall".

EN- "Me and A. Lincon are the same because I'm tall and I have big feet and hands".

LS- "Abe and I have incomid we both have long lags. We both have a sints of huomer".

Big John's Pizza

is offering to donate money to our school during the month of February.

Let's make this opportunity add up. I sent home 4 coupons home with each student today.

Students distribute these certificates to family members (grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends...)who then redeem them at Big John's.

For each pizza purchased a donation will be given to the school depending on the size of pizza purchased.

Thank you everyone for supporting us and Big John's!

Dr. Charlie - Scienctist Visits

We met Dr. Charlie, a chemist from the University of Oregon, today. He will be spending the afternoons with us for the next two weeks. Our lesson today was to learn HOW to observe.Here the kids are "observing", with their senses, what they learn from moving these boxes around.

It sounds like it is made of metal because....

It doesn't roll like it is round, it slides...

It is heavy and makes a sound like two things are in there....

These are just a few of our observations.

Here we are listening and watching Dr. Charlie as he set up a chemical experiment.
We observed that he had one clear blue liquid and one clear colorless liquid.
When he poured them together they started to glow a neon blue color.
After the experiment we wanted to know what would happen if we did this, or did that....
Click the video below to see.

SCIENCE - ROCKS!