Students have been learning about coins, arrays, number lines, and adding 4 2 digit numbers using expanded notation. They decided what strategy to teach in their video. Here are just two examples of students’ work. You can watch and comment on the rest of the videos by clicking on their individual learning on the left hand side of this page.
How would you build the tallest tree using 60 cups? Students planned, built, measured and then redesigned tree structures. We also talked about overcoming frustration through perseverance because this challenge can be hard.
This year we participated in the Hour of Code sponsored by Code.org. During the week of Dec. 3rd -7th students from around the world code for an hour. Students programmed a “robot”(student) to move cups and wrote the steps in code. Then we identified the repeating patterns and simplified the code. Students finished the activity by coding Scrat on Code.org.
2nd graders can use the power of computers to solve problems! Nevada recently came out with new Computer Science standards for K-12. You can access the standards here: Nevada Computer Science Standards. The curriculum that I am using comes from Code.org. This curriculum was created by professionals in the field, covers all the new Nevada Computer Science standards and is accessible to anyone including parents. Today we learned about how to handle frustration through persistence. Vocabulary included algorithm (precise sequence of instructions), program (an algorithm that has been coded to run a machine) and debugging (going back and fixing mistakes). We will continue to come back and revisit this vocabulary while practicing our coding skills.
Students were given the task to design, build, and redesign an object with a hand full of Legos of all different shapes and sizes. Click on the student’s learning to hear about what they built.
Students have been learning and applying different reading strategies to help with comprehension, accuracy , or fluency. After picking one strategy- students created a video showing how to use the strategy. You can watch all the videos by clicking on the student’s blogs.
Here is a huge THANK YOU to our 1st Mystery Reader of the year. If you would like to come and read to our class we would love to have you. Contact me and I will get 5 clues to give to the students and we will see if we can guess who you are before you arrive.
It is so great to be back to school! Last Friday we participated in our first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) project. Our task was to build a raft out of apples and toothpicks. Students had to come up with a plan, draw that plan, then build and test their plan. After their first plan was tested, students made it better by redesigning it then repeating the process of engineering design process. Ask your child about the vocab words buoyancy and balance. Can’t wait for our next STEM project!
We ended the year with a fantastic STEM activity. Following the Engineering Design Process we learned about potential and kinetic energy. Designing a roller coaster for our marbles came next. We built and then timed our marbles. Next came the redesigns to make our marbles roll faster. We did all the steps while synergizing (working together) with each other. I have attached a link for other STEAM (langauge arts added) activities that you can do at home this summer. https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/summer-stem-activities/
We were rained out and we had to cut it short. But, we did get up there in time to get some fossils before the storm hit. Another great Fossil Hill field trip! A huge thank you to Newmont geologists for coming and telling us all about the fossils that we would be finding.