Great trip to the Wetlands!

We had a great trip to the Wetlands last week! Thank you to all of the volunteers who were able to chaperone our class! The weather was beautiful, so there were many wildlife creatures out for us to see!
A note went home today with information about our next field trip to the KC Zoo. If you have any questions, please let me know. If you are signed up to chaperone our class on this trip there was also a hot pink form with information for you sent home with your child. The most important things to remember is to arrive on time to school that day (we leave at 9:00am) and to bring a sack lunch with all disposable items labeled with your child’s name and class.

Last week we wrapped up out study of area. Your children really became interested in making shapes and counting area. They loved using the geoboards and geobands to do this! We just began to work with 3D shapes this week. So far we have learned the names of the shapes including prisms and pyramids. We will be learning the attributes of each shape including the following: edges, vertices (corners/points), face (sides), if it’s able to be stacked, and if it can roll.

Our nonfiction books about our animals are getting close to being finished! Many groups have begun working on a glossary and index this week. When we are finished each child will have a copy to take home! They have put so much effort and time into this project! I have been so proud of their work!

In science we continue to study Herps… reptiles and amphibians. Last week we looked at the lizard family and then compared them with the newts and salamanders. This week we have taken a closer look at the turtle and will begin studying crocodiles and alligators as the week comes to an end. We will be learning lots of interesting vocabulary words about these creatures, as well as how to tell them apart!

Next week is wellness week! We will be having a smoothie contest as a school… if you have any ideas please share! PTO is providing a few ingredients to choose from. We will be rated on taste, how healthy it is, and creativity. Please let me know by Thursday if you have any good ideas. (May not have nuts.)

Okay… I dropped the ball… today our class earned a marble party to watch a movie. The class also wanted to wear pajamas, and I didn’t get a note home in time! I have offered to let them wear pajamas on Wednesday of this week if they would like!

Happy Earth Day Thursday!

Exploring the world of Herps...

It looks like spring is finally here!
This week, 2nd graders wrapped up their world travels and were assessed on their knowledge of maps, landforms, and the 7 continents. Everyone did an awesome job! It was great to see so much enthusiasm as we journeyed the world! In science, we are now moving into a month-long study of amphibians and reptiles. This week, students compared and contrasted these two types of animals and did some sorting. Our first animals that we has studied have been frogs, toads, and snakes! Stay tuned for more "hopping" news about these creatures!
We completed our math unit on geometry and took a break for an egg hunt! In our egg hunt each child searched for hidden eggs in the classroom and completed the math questions stored inside! Our new math studies are teaching us about counting the area of shapes. This week we also learned how to count the length and width of various shapes.
Please remember that our class will be going to the Baker Wetlands on Monday April 12th. A note explaining all of the details was sent home with your child this week. Each child should wear long pants, long sleeves and shoes suitable for walking. We will be leaving after lunch on this day and returning around 2:45pm.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome back from break!

I hope you all had a safe and restful break! This week back has brought many adventures!
We have safely traveled to 6 of the 7 continents. It has been a whirlwind of a trip, but we have safely made it back to North America! Monday we will open up our passports and study the continent where we live. After this visit we will take our test over the continents and oceans.

Next week we will take a peek and have an introduction to our next science unit… reptiles and amphibians! We will be study about our slithery, scaly, and crawly friends for the upcoming weeks!

And speaking of animals… we have begun our biggest writing project of the year! You student, with a partner, has chosen an animal to research for a non fiction writing project. This week they gathered their resources and have started reading facts about their animal. Next week they will learn how to take notes and organize all of the new information they will be learning! Our final project will be a non fiction book about their animal.

This Friday Pricilla Howe came to visit us and shared many of her favorite puppets…including many new bat puppets. She talked about what habitats are and reviewed the concepts of a life cycle. Her visit prepared us for our upcoming visit to the wetlands. Information about our Baker Wetland field trip was emailed to you recently. Our class will be going on Monday April 12th, leaving from school at 12pm and returning around 3pm that day. This field trip is happening thanks to the Lied Center as a follow up to our visit to Stellaluna. I am still looking for a few volunteers to come with us as chaperones and guide a small group of children.

We wrapped up our author study of Joanna Cole, author of the Magic School Bus. This week we designed a new “crazy” outfit for Ms. Frizzle and finished writing an ending to a volcanic adventure!

In math we are studying about shapes and the attributes that make them different. We visited Professor Peabody and his friends in “Flatville”, where everyone is 2D! We have been helping him get around using slides, flip and turns. Friday a homework assignment was sent home (Due next Tuesday) where your child needs to help the kiddie car move around Flatville!

Upcoming:
Class pictures will be March 30th
Book orders due March 31st
Wetland field trip April 12th
Zoo field trip April 30th

Traveling the world

This week began our travel around the world! We will be visiting each of the 7 continents and experiencing a little of what life is like there! Our itinerary is as follows:
March 9 Antarctica
March 10-11 Australia
March 12 Europe
March 22 Asia
March 24 South America
March 25 Africa
March 26,29 North America

As you can see we have many busy days ahead of us. Our class is really enjoying learning about the landforms, climate, vegetation, animal life, landmarks, and especially the food of the continents we have studied! If you have any pictures or souvenirs from continents you may have lived or visited, and would like to share, please let me know!
In math we have continued our study of fractions! We continue to divide things into pieces and share equally... this week we have been able to play many fun games to help us become even better at fractions! When we return from break we will begin Unit 15 on shapes and slide, flips, and turns.
We continue our author study of Joanna Cole the author of The Magic School Bus. This week we focused on her biography and how these famous books began!
No new spelling words were given yesterday due to spring break. In class we will be practicing geography words and vocabulary from the places we have visited on our "trip". No test will be given after spring break and new spelling words will resume March 24th.

Several exciting opportunities will be coming up in the month of April! Our school was chosen by the Lied Center to be one of the recipients of a grant for a field trip to extend our viewing of "Stellaluna" this Friday. 2nd graders at Langston Hughes will be visited by the puppeteer Priscilla Howe two times in April. She will be teaching puppet-related lessons on various life cycles. As a culmination to this study, our 2nd graders will be taking a trip out to the Baker Wetlands! I do not have information yet on a specific date, as the trip is being planned by the great people at the Lied Center. It will be in mid-late April. When that time comes, we will need 5 parent volunteers from our class to go to the Wetlands with us. Please let me know if you are interested in going on this half day trip with us! I know it's difficult to commit without a specific date, but let me know if you think you MIGHT be interested and I will contact you when I have more information.


In addition to our trip to the Baker Wetlands, our 2nd grade field trip to the Kansas City Zoo is scheduled for Friday, April 30. This is a full day trip that also requires five parent volunteers to ride the bus and tour the zoo with a small group of students (4-5 students in each group). I would like to start lining up volunteers for this trip as soon as possible, so please contact me if you would like to go on this fun trip with us! It's always a favorite of the kids. The cost for adult entry to the zoo is $6. Permission slips for students, as well as information regarding cost, times, etc. will be coming home on Monday, March 22, so please keep an eye out for these items.


If you have interest in attending one, or even both, of our field trips, please contact me by e-mail or phone. My extension at the school is 1831. I look forward to hearing from you, and will give more information on both of these trips soon!

Enjoy a safe spring break!

Mrs. Crooker

I really enjoyed visiting with all of you at conferences last week! I loved being able to share your child's work with you!
This week we began a new unit in math about fractions. We have been studying how fractions are equal parts of a whole. Reading books, playing games, and lesson activities have been helping us to understand fractions.
We have also begun a unit in social studies about maps and globes. This week we have taken a look at basic city maps, the difference between urban and rural areas, and what our town of Lawrence has to offer. Next week and the week after spring break, we will be packing our backpacks and "traveling" to each of the 7 continents. We will take a peek at famous landmarks, geographics of the land, and the continent's cultures. If you have lived in or have visited another country, and would like to send something in to share with the class, please let me know! We will be sure to take great care of your things and will return them to you quickly!
In class we have been talking about the process and importance of the US census. We will be participating in class discussions about why this happens every 10 years and what is does for our country.
We began reading Flat Stanley this week and are preparing our letters to mail. If you have not returned a stamped envelope and address, please make sure your child returns theirs by Friday. Soon our Stanleys will be traveling all over the country!
No spelling test was given this Wednesday. Our next spelling test will be next week.
Next Friday March 12th we will be attending a production of Stellaluna at the Lied Center. We are excited to see this performance!
Be thinking ahead… we will be taking a field trip to the Baker Wetlands and to the Kansas City Zoo towards the end of April. We will be asking for chaperones soon!

Honoring Famous Americans

This week in class we have been honoring our famous Americans! Two you may have already guessed.... Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. These former presidents were an important part in our country's history. Last week each student researched information about one of our former presidents, wrote a paragraph about them, and illustrated a portrait of them. We are also preparing for a reading performance entitled "By George". Each child's lines in the performance were sent home for extra practice. Reading parts do not have to be memorized... they just need to be able to say their lines fluently and with expression! We will be performing for our book buddies next week!
Other famous Americans we have learned about include Harriet Tubman and members of the underground railroad. We have been talking about the significance of the big dipper and the symbolism of quilts. We have learned how the secrets of the underground railroad helped many slaves escape to their freedom!
Wednesday we will be researching famous African Americans. In groups of two we will research a little about the person's life, what they are known for, and other interesting facts about them. This information will be displayed as a brochure for others to enjoy!
In math we have been working on basic multiplication and division concepts. The vocabulary we use in class is groups of (multiplication) and sharing (division). We use tallies and circles to show how things are shared and grouped.
Next week, your child will not be getting new spelling words due to a short week. Thank you for confirming your conference times so quickly! If for some reason something comes up, please let me know as soon as you can so we can reschedule. Also, if you have specific concerns/strengths to discuss at your child's conference, please return the yellow conference form prior to conferences. I am looking forward to visiting with you next week!
Class needs:
I know it may sound strange... but I am looking for 1 or 2 old computer keyboards you might like to donate to our classroom. One of our working with words practice is to use a keyboard to practice new words. They have loved the paper keyboards... and might enjoy the real thing! Have a great week!

Groundhog Saw His Shadow...

Well... I was going to change my background, and then I heard the weather forecast! I guess we will keep with snow for another week...
This week we have been busy learning lots of new things.
Writing- We will be wrapping up our poetry study next week. Each student is in the process of selecting their favorite poems they have written to edit, revise, and publish.
Math- Our next unit in math will be covering grouping and sharing. (Basic division and multiplication concepts.) In the following week we will also be taking our end of the second trimester assessment. We continue to practice math facts and have began taking weekly timed assessments.
Science- We wrapped up our weather unit this week with a bang. The highlight of the week, by far, was making lightning and thunder! Next week we will be participating in various activities honoring many famous presidents.

Conference confirmation notes went home this week; please let me know as soon as you can if we need to reschedule. I will also be sending home a class list this Friday for Valentines Day! Please feel free to start sending in Valentines for all students beginning Monday. This will allow us to have Valentines distributed into bags before our party on Friday February 12th. Thank you!

Thinking Ahead...
-We will begin to study the continents and maps in March. If you have any artifacts, pictures, or information to share with the class please let me know! (This could be from trips, family heritage,or collected materials.
- Book Fair is next week: February 8-10
- We are looking for any spare stationary (writing materials) to add to our writing center. If you have any fun materials you would like to donate, we would be happy to take them! This could also include extra recipe cards.
- The estimation jar will continue to come home for the next few weeks. Thank you for keeping it full:)

Stay Warm!
Amber Crooker