This week we have been exploring poetry and thinking about what makes a good poem. We have enjoyed reading some funny poems by Kenn Nesbitt and identified similarities and differences between the poems. We looked for rhythm, rhyme and layout and then used this knowledge to write our own versions of Nesbitt's poems. See below for some examples. I'm sure you'll agree that we have some talented poets in Grade 2! We also were introduced to our new Unit of Inquiry with the Central Idea 'Ecosystems are a complex balance of living things.' We identified some very tricky words in this Central Idea and spent time this week finding out what these words meant. Students used teamwork and research skills to find the meaning of these words and have already started to make connections to habitats, life cycles and food chains. Next Friday, we will go on a field trip to MacRitchie Reservoir where we will look at living things in their environment and talk about how the living and non living things all depend on each other. A letter about the field trip has been emailed to you today.
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The students have worked very hard to complete their work to present in the Art Gallery which took place on Friday morning. They carried out research about their favourite artist and turned their notes into sentences to create a biography of their artist. They recreated art by their artist, choosing media which they felt most resembled the media used in the original artwork. Finally, they collected all of the work that they had produced during this Unit of Inquiry and independently organised it onto presentation paper. They were incredibly proud of their work - and rightly so! I was very proud of the children's finished work, but most importantly, of how they have been committed to producing the best work they possibly could during the process. Student Led ConferencesWe also had an opportunity to share our learning with you earlier in the week when we had our Student Led Conferences. The children were excited to show you some examples of the kinds of learning activities that take place in their classroom and to also show you examples of their work. I know many children and parents talked about the difference in their work from the beginning of the year to now. It is great to see the children reflect on their learning and to feel confident about the work that they are producing now.
I have been so proud of the students this week. Across all learning areas, the children have shown commitment, perseverance and have completed their work to a very high standard. The class have been working on writing stories during their Work On Writing time during Daily 5. In particular, they focused on ensuring their story had a good structure (beginning, build up, problem, resolution and ending) and using interesting vocabulary to make their stories delicious! The children went through the whole writing process by making a plan, writing a first draft, revising and editing it, and then publishing their neat copy. I know that they are excited to share them with you, so please take a moment to read them on the wall outside our classroom when you come to your child's Student Led Conference next week. We definitely have some budding authors in Grade 2.2! During our Inquiry into images and how they express meaning, the students became animators. With a partner, they thought about a message that they wanted to convey through a set of moving images. They created a storyboard, thinking about how they can communicate this message without writing any text. They then drew simple pictures and made slight amendments to them, taking a photo of each picture one at a time. This is still a work in progress and we will share the finished product with you when they are ready. But for now, take a look at the children in action - SLCs and Book FairThe children are excited to show you their work at their Student Led Conference on Tuesday. While the SLCs are happening, there is a Book Fair taking place. If you would like to have a browse through some books, please head to the library before or after your time slot. I'm looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday and seeing the children show you how proud they are of their work. Art GalleryOn Friday we would like to invite you to see the children present their work to you to complete their Unit of Inquiry exploring how Images Express Meaning. We will be transforming our Grade 2 classrooms into Art Galleries where each child will display their work and talk about their ideas and understanding. Please join us between 8.30am and 9.30am on Friday 22nd April to celebrate their learning. Special GuestFinally, we had a special guest come to visit us in Grade 2 this week. Frank Winterstein from the Australian Sevens Rugby team came to talk to the children about the importance of learning and sport to have a healthy life and to be the best that you can be. The children were very excited to have a professional sports player come to see them!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. It was great to see the children return to school on Tuesday, enthusiastic and ready to learn. The children have impressed me with their thinking this week, especially in Math where they have been given increasingly tricky challenges when trying to extend a pattern. Here is an example - The numbers of small cubes in each big cube are 1, 8 and 27. How many cubes would there be in the next diagram of the sequence? During our Inquiry into images and how they express meaning, the children began to take photos around the school. They explored the idea that digital images can also express meaning and used this as an opportunity to remind people to throw litter into the bins, take care of nature and to walk up and down the stairs the correct way. Here are some photos of them in action -
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AuthorGrade 2.2 are a class of 7 and 8 year old students who attend ISS International School in Singapore. We learn together and play together and enjoy sharing our discoveries with you. School BlogsMr. Pinchbeck - Principal
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June 2016
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