Wind, Weaving and Walls

Science Experiments 
Grade Two had fun learning to move an object with wind power! No, not that type of wind! They used a small battery operated fan to move a ping pong ball through water. Here is a picture of that experiment as part of the 'Energy from Wind and Water' unit.

Weaving has started...
We finally collected enough foam trays to begin weaving. One of my students wondered if she could make a blanket for her bed. I told her that perhaps we need  to learn to 'weave' first and then can move on to those bigger projects another time. 

Bump it up Wall
During Writer's Workshop we have begun to look at how to write a paragraph. I have modeled for the students how to create a paragraph on a given subject using a 'write aloud' process. This is when the teacher models for students how to write a paragraph on a chart but also thinks out loud to help students understand the process of writing. 
Text Types - When I was in school, we mostly created a lot of narrative writing. Now, we focus on a variety of text types when writing, which include;
Procedural - explaining how to do something e.g., how to build a snowman
Report - information or a news report
Recount - may be personal or factual e.g., My trip to Safety Village
Narrative - usually a made up story e.g., The alien who came to my house
Explanation - explains a process e.g., How the water cycle works

During Writer's Workshop, we have been learning about: 
                                   Persuasive Writing
We used three books to create a debate, 
1)Should children choose their own bedtime? (you will be happy to know that most students felt it was up to their parents) 

2) Three easy steps to getting a pet. 
3) Playground for Lisa
Then we discussed both sides of each argument. The children were very engaged in all of these discussions! Students were then asked to write about their opinions and perspectives using supporting details. They were provided with a checklist to help form the paragraph and were encouraged to use the 'Bump it Up Wall' to help them 'Bump Up' their work to the next level. They met individually with me to look at their work in a critical way and see if there was a way to improve their writing. Some of the students really took the information and worked hard to move it to the next level.

                       Chris Hadfield - Canadian Astronaut
We have had some fun, looking at Chris Hadfield's videos and pictures from space. The students really liked his cooking lesson. Now, you will know why there can be no bread crumbs in space!
Here is the link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZx0RIV0wss