Terrific Towers

A paper plate, strips of paper, and a glue stick were the only resources students utilized to construct paper towers.  I handed out those wonderful paper plates -- you know the ones -- the cheap, one-layer-thick-kind-of-plates.  I love these plates, because there are virtually millions of projects that these plates make happen.  I honestly don't believe anyone actually eats anything on these plates, but the art possibilities are endless!

The students were given 20 minutes to construct a tower out of the stack of paper strips they received.  They were told that their glue stick and the paper plate were the only resources that could be used.  Techniques included bending strips to attach them to the plate, rolling strips to create a structure, and gluing strips to other strips to achieve height.  This photo shares four of the finished towers.  We are slowly hearing about each child's tower! 

Garden Goodies

Our school garden has so much growing!  We enjoyed a visit to the garden yesterday.  Our red bucket was filled with tomatoes, jalapenos, banana peppers, and a few green beans.  Some of the items were available for lunch.  Some of the class opted to wash and eat their veggies during morning snack!  A number of students also decided to bring a bag of veggies home to share with their family.  

We will be visiting the garden each week!  Pumpkins, herbs, and bell peppers are also getting close for harvest.  Research shows that kids eat more veggies, and are more willing to try different veggies when they are invited to garden and help prepare them for eating.  Cheers to veggie-powered second-graders!

Welcome to Second Grade!

We had an amazing, and speedy first day together.  We organized our supplies, discussed the meaning of community and how we are a second grade community.  As a community, we will listen to one another, offer help when we see someone in need, and respect items that belong to each member.  We are settling into our new year!

Next steps on our second grade journey include learning our schedule, checking out books from our classroom library, and exploring each of our second grade subjects.  We are excited for our learning time together!