Nov. 28th Update

Important Dates 

The December calendar will be sent home tomorrow, along with a note about our learning in math, and a list of important dates. Please check your child's BEE Bag for these items!

Social Studies 

This week students learned about our final project for our Heritage and Identity unit. The project is about creating a Family Tradition Timeline. A package went home on Tuesday describing the project. The timeline is due on Tuesday, December 3rd. Please let me know if you have any questions.

We were lucky to have two special guest visits this week! On Tuesday we learned all about Diwali with Mrs. N, and today we learned all about The Day of the Dead with Ms. V. Both presentations were fabulous, and a wonderful memorable learning experience for the whole class! 

Math

We are learning all about polygons in math! Here are our learning goals for this unit:

• Identify and describe various polygons (i.e., triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons) and sort and classify them by their geometric properties (i.e., number of sides or number of vertices), using concrete materials and pictorial representations (2m48) 

• Locate the line of symmetry in a two-dimensional shape (2m51)

• Compose and describe pictures, designs and patterns by combining two-dimensional shapes (2m52) 

• Compose and decompose two-dimensional shapes (2m53) 

• Cover an outline puzzle with two-dimensional shapes in more than one way (2m54)

Earlier this week the Grade 2s enjoyed making polygons using geo-boards. Today the students learned how to write riddles using attributes to describe secret polygons. They then tried to solve the riddles by listening carefully to the clues and then sketching the secret polygon on a mini whiteboard.

Here is a sample riddle from today:

"I have 6 sides and 6 vertices. All of my sides are equal length."

Literacy 

We are working on editing and revising our Small Moment stories, and this will continue next week. Once our stories are edited we will work hard to publish, and illustrate them! 

In reading, we have been focusing on making, and sharing our connections this week. In guided reading groups with the teacher we have been working on finding the main idea in non-fiction texts, and retelling. 

In phonics/spelling we have been studying new blends, remembering to read the WHOLE word (with a funny story about free donuts), and learning about specific spelling strategies. 

Our poem of the week is called November. Today we spent time inferring the author's messages in the poem, and trying to make sense of it. 

Achievement Levels

We spent sometime this week learning about the different achievement levels. These posters will hang in our classroom for the rest of the year. 

Learning Skills 

This month we have been focusing on being organized! We co-constructed a success criteria about what it means to be organized in Grade 2. Students have been working on tracking their progress towards meeting their organization goals.  Next we will learn about what it means to work well independently.