Happy Kansas Day!

We have been focusing on Kansas this entire month of January, and culminated with an alphabet book sharing many terrific facts about Kansas.  We also watched a video about our state song "Home on the Range," and learned about what types of games children played 100 years ago.  It was an exciting week!

We wrapped up our math chapter today on geometry.  We created symmetrical sunflowers earlier in the week, to practice finding lines of symmetry.  It was definitely an exciting month!  We hope you enjoy some snapshots of this project. 

Birthday Blessings

I am quite far behind this week in posting birthday greetings to this amazing little lady!  Indoor recess plus snow has changed our schedule a bit.

We enjoyed delicious cupcakes and learned more about horses from this very knowledgeable equestrian.  Our class is blessed with her curiosity, determination, and energy to do what is right.  Happy number 8!! 

Hansel and Gretel

Third graders created a puppet show to tell the story "Hansel and Gretel."  We were invited to view the puppet show last week.  The show featured popsicle stick puppets, along with a wonderfully narrated story.  Our class enjoyed this treat!  As a result, some students are now planning and designing their own puppet show.  We will keep you informed about how this project progresses!

Matter Flexibility

We have been studying properties of matter.  Mostly, we have been looking at solids, because solids have many properties for us to explore!  We have experimented with strength, texture, absorbency, and now flexibility.  We have discovered that even though there are many solids, they all have different properties.

In this experiment, we tested flexibility of candlewick, a marker, and a Twizzler.  After conducting our tests, we discovered that the candlewick was the most flexible.  Students also discovered that a thin wire was inside the candlewick.  We hypothesized that the wire made the candlewick flexible, but stronger than the Twizzler.  The marker, of course, is not flexible at all.

Snowflake Tissue Art

We have been exploring properties of matter.  This art activity allowed us to see what happens when water is added to "bleeding" tissue paper.  The result, when combined with permanent markers and watercolor paper, is actually quite striking.  The students were surprised to see how the water helped to blend the tissue colors with their marker snowflake drawings.  The water color paper allowed more of the color to be absorbed, which resulted in a brighter, more vibrant piece.  

The photos show the steps required to complete this art project:

*Draw a snowflake, with permanent marker, onto the watercolor paper.

*Cut tissue squares and lay over the marker drawing.

*Use a water spray bottle to gently saturate the tissue squares.

*Place art item on paper towels.

*Dry overnight.

*Remove tissue squares when dry. 

Matter Properties: Strength

We have been testing different properties of matter.  This week we explored strength.  We tested the strength of notecards, pipe cleaners, and popsicle sticks.  Students discovered that strong matter is hard.  It is not flexible.  We tried to put as many washers on each item as possible to test the strength.  Students had fun investigating this property! 

Sticker Animals

Paint by sticker is a way that we explored shapes!  Each student received a different animal picture.  Students practiced our geometric vocabulary word: turns and matched stickers to the shapes on their page.  They LOVED this project, and have requested more pictures to complete.  I am grateful for the Amazon gift cards that I received, which allowed me to purchase this project.  I hope you enjoy the photos! 

Geometric Building

We are enjoying geometry!  Students have been exploring their plane figures, and have discovered that they can build structures.  It was fun to watch students stack their blocks in a variety of combinations.  Here are a couple of photos that show some of the creations that students created. 

Properties of Matter

Matter is made up of many different properties!  We have discovered that matter can be hard, soft, bumpy, cold, smooth, flexible, different colors, absorbent, heavy, and light.  We decided to compare different solids.  During this experiment we paid attention to texture, color, and flexibility for 10 different solid forms of matter.

We noticed that a cotton ball and a marble are both spheres, but they each have differing properties.  A cotton ball is soft, squishy, light, and does not roll.  A marble, we discovered, is hard, round, smooth, and rolls.  We also discussed where we might use a marble and where we might use a cotton ball.  A marble works best in a game, or a marble track, instead of a cotton ball. 

Store Time!

The students work hard each day to earn coins for the good choices they make and for their reading that they have accomplished.  Students are then able to spend their money in the classroom store!  We have store time twice a month.  Students are able to come and shop, when they know how many coins they can spend.  They must always have five coins saved, that they are not able to spend.  This past Friday was our first store time of the new year.

What's the most popular purchase?  Squishies seem to always be at the top of the list.  Light sticks, markers, pens, and fidget spinners have also be favorite purchases as well.  I am always looking for store supplies.  I was asked, recently, where I find items.  I peruse our local Dollar Tree, Target dollar bins, and Oriental Trading for fun buys.  I love finding fun, unique items for the kids to purchase!  This picture shows how I set up the store, when it is open. 

Snowman Bags

During our STREAM time today, we explored a reaction between vinegar and baking soda.  Students created a baking soda "bomb" from a tissue square and baking soda.  They decorated a zipper bag with a snowman face, and added their baking soda bomb to their bag.  

Next, each student was given a squeeze bottle of about 1/4 cup of vinegar.  The bag was sealed, except for a small corner.  We added the vinegar to the bag outside, and then sealed the bag completely.  Students shook their bags and observed what happened when the vinegar and baking soda mixed.  We discovered that a gas was formed: carbon dioxide!

This experiment was a great example of all three states of matter.  We have been discussing states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.  Today, in this experiment, we observed what happens when a solid (baking soda) combines with a liquid (vinegar) to create a gas (carbon dioxide).  Matter is magnificent! 

Snowflake Symmetry

Did you realize that snowflakes are created from geometric shapes?  Did you know that every snowflake is symmetrical?  Most people realize that each snowflake is unique.  However, did we ever stop to explore how symmetry and geometry are part of snowflakes?

We learned about Willie Bentley's work with photography, actually microphotography, of snowflakes.  Wow!  The detail is amazing and miraculous.  Students observed snowflake photos, and then cut geometric shapes out to create their own paper snowflake on black paper.

Our math chapter is geometry.  We began this chapter on Monday.  We are super excited to explore shapes in new and exciting ways.  Snowflakes are full of geometric possibilities! 

Matter Really Matters!

What is our world made of?  What do we see that surrounds us?  What is in the things that are around us?  These were questions that we explored today.  Students thought about the things they see, and wrote one item on each post it note.  

Here are some of the things that we wrote on our notes: dirt, water, trees, grass, weeds, rocks, clay, food, people, concrete, flowers, metal and magnets.  Each student completed at least one note, but many completed more than one.  This is the first lesson in our unit on matter!  Next up, we are exploring solids, liquids, and gases.  We will be categorizing the items (matter) around us into these three states.  So, matter really matters! 

Birthday Blessings

We enjoyed a great start to our second semester, second day of school, in second grade: a birthday!!  We learned about a fabulous watch that takes pictures and videos, and counts your steps.  It also shows you the time on a real clock!  We enjoyed chocolate or a white cupcake, and learned that a favorite sweet is ice cream.  YUM!  Happy birthday blessings to this wonderful lady!