2nd Grade Blog

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Students will take a social studies quiz about Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday, March 17. A study guide will be sent home with your child this week to help him/her prepare.

Mid-term Progress Reports will be sent home with the students on Wednesday, March 10. Please discuss the report with your child and complete the bottom portion to return to us. If we have requested a conference with you, kindly email or call us to schedule an appointment. Keep in mind that we do teach the before-school program, and therefore, cannot meet with you during the following times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Please be reminded that sign-up schedules for the third quarter parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, April 21 are posted outside our classroom doors. Please sign up. The time is approaching more quickly than you think!

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers provide guided reading lessons and/or reading conferences during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- AR
- Guided Writing
- Guided Reading
- Writing Conferences
- One-on-one reading
Spelling Words: beef, bump, care, front, ink, job, law, quiz, such, town

Day 1:
Morning meeting/morning message
Nonfiction Writing Unit (Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah) How-To Book
Revising: Learning From a Variety of How-To Writing
- Students learn that the world is full of a huge variety of How-To text, and that they can learn lessons for their own writing by studying these.
Interactive Read-Aloud: Reread The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
- Point out to students how cautionary notes (warnings) are added to procedural writing. They are set apart with special font or special letters.
- Teachers review chart of How-To Helpers scribed on Friday.
- Teachers guide discussion of a How-To procedure based on a memo from the school office detailing how to exit for a fire drill when students are at lunch.
Writing:
- Teachers model How-To procedure based on passages.
- Students brainstorm a list of topics for this type of How-To writing.
- Students work independently writing a procedural How-To.

Day 2:
Morning meeting/morning message
Revising: Learning From a Variety of How-To Writing
- Students learn that the world is full of a huge variety of How-To text, and that they can learn lessons for their own writing by studying these.
Interactive Read-Aloud: “The Careful Cook” transparency from Cooking the Japanese Way by Reiko Weston.
Writing:
- Students continue to work independently writing a procedural How-To.
- Students present work-in-progress.

Day 3:
Morning meeting/morning message
Revising: Learning From a Variety of How-To Writing
- Students learn that the world is full of a huge variety of How-To text, and that they can learn lessons for their own writing by studying these.
Interactive Read-Aloud: How To Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson.
- Each student discusses with a partner to generate a topic for a How-To essay based upon How To Lose All Your Friends.
- Students write a How-To essay based upon How To Lose All Your Friends.
- Students present work-in-progress.

Day 4:
Morning meeting/morning message
Editing: Using Periods, Parentheses, and Colons
- In this session, students will select one text to publish. They will need to double-check their revisions of that text and turn their attention to editing. Remind them to use the strategies they’ve discovered to improve their spelling, and spotlight some of the punctuation they’re apt to use in How-To books.
Interactive Read-Aloud: Read Apples by Gail Gibbons.
- Using an overhead transparency of the recipe for making an apple pie from Gail Gibbons’ book, Apples, teachers and students identify parentheses, colons and periods in the text.
Writing:
- Teachers review the Revision Checklist For How-To Books:
1. A title that says this will be a How-To book;
2. A list of things we’ll need;
3. Pictures that teach us what to do;
4. Numbers for each step; and
5. Captions under the pictures.
- Students edit their procedural How-To writing.
- Students present works-in-progress.

Day 5:
Morning meeting/morning message
Editing: Using Periods, Parentheses, and Colons
- In this session, students will select one text to publish. They will need to double-check their revisions of that text and turn their attention to editing. Remind them to use the strategies they’ve discovered to improve their spelling, and spotlight some of the punctuation they’re apt to use in How-To books.
Interactive Read-Aloud: Chop, Simmer, Season by Alexa Brandenberg
Writing:
- Teachers review the Revision Checklist For How-To Books:
1. A title that says this will be a How-To book;
2. A list of things we’ll need;
3. Pictures that teach us what to do;
4. Numbers for each step; and
5. Captions under the pictures.
- Students continue to edit their procedural How-To writing.
- If possible, students present their writing to Mr. Mason.

Math:
8.1 Equal Parts of ONE (2 days)
Objective: To review basic fraction concepts
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Folding Squares into Equal Parts (Partner Activity)
- Reviewing Basic Fraction Concepts (Whole-Class Activity)
- Writing Fractions for Parts of Regions (Independent Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group using Pattern-Block Template to divide shapes into equal parts.
- Enrichment: Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts with Geoboards

8.2 Exploring Fractions, Multiplication and Division, and Volume
Objective: To guide students as they explore link of fraction amount to the size of the ONE, or whole, to prepare for multiplication and division, and to introduce the concept of volume
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Comparing Pattern Blocks, One Which Represents ONE (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Exploration A: Comparing Pairs of Shapes When One Shape Represents ONE (Partner Activity)
- Exploration B: Making Arrays with Goeboard Fences (Small-Group Activity)
- Exploration C: Finding the Volume of Base-10 Structures (Small-Group Activity)

8.3 Collections of Things
Objective: To guide students as they use fractions to name parts of collections
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Reviewing Fractions with Reference to Collections of Objects (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Identifying Fractions of Collections of Pennies (Whole-Class Activity)
- Finding Fractions of Collections of Things (Independent Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group using Pattern-Block Template to divide shapes into equal parts.
- Enrichment: Finding All the Marbles

8.4 Equivalent Fraction
Objective: To provide experiences with the idea that many different fractions can name the same fractional part of a whole
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Making a Display of Equivalent Fractions (Whole-Class Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
- Enrichment: Covering Hexagons Activity

Science:
- Students explore interactive websites in the computer lab to learn more about Food Chains and Food Webs.

Social Studies:
- Interactive Read-Aloud: A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson by David A. Adler
- Read, discuss and chart important information from the book onto the L portion of the KWL chart.
- Students explore the Monticello website in the computer lab to learn about Thomas Jefferson’s inventions.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

There will be no school on Monday, March 1st as we observe Pulaski Day.

Friday, March 5th is the end of the mid-term of the third quarter. Please make sure your child has been taking Accelerated Reading Tests on a weekly basis.

On Wednesday, March 3rd, the Harcourt Science Chapter Test will be administered on Living Things in Their Environment. Students completed the Quick Study worksheets last week for homework. Please refer to them to review with your child.

Please be reminded that the Unit 7 math Open Response and Written Assessment will be administered on Thursday March 4th and Friday, March 5th respectively. Please refer to the review portion below to assist your child.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words: army, fear, joke, long, pretty, show, small, ten, they, well

Day 1:
Nonfiction Writing Unit (Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
Introducing How-To Books: In this session teachers will guide the students to understand that they will be teachers, as well as, writers. Specifically, students will write how to do something.
- Teachers will lead a discussion with the students about directions for completing a task/game by using directions from board games that students are familiar with.
- Scribes will chart scenarios for following directions or rules for games.
Interactive Read Aloud: The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
-Scribes chart steps to growing pumpkins.
-Writing: Students work in pairs to brainstorm ideas for a How-To writing assignment.

Day 2:
Checking for Clarity:
- Teachers help students understand the purpose and requirements of this genre by showing them that How-To writing must enable a reader to do what is being taught.
Interactive Read Aloud: Charlie Needs A Cloak by Tomie dePaola
- While reading, teachers guide the students to identify the sequence of actions from the story.
Writing:
- Students share-out their ideas from the previous day.
- Students work in pairs to write a one page How-To paper.

Day 3:
Revising Words and Pictures:
Teachers present a written How-To scenario to demonstrate the importance of revision to make confusing parts more explicit.
Interactive Read Aloud: Everybody Needs A Rock by Byrd Baylor
- While reading, teachers guide the students to understand that they can write a How-To Book using numbered rules as the sequence.
Writing:
Students continue to work in pairs to revise their How-To paper using information from the mini-lesson.

Day 4:
Incorporating Features of How-To Writing:
Interactive Read Aloud: How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson
-Teachers display a transparency of a How-To page from “The Pumpkin Book” by Gail Gibbons to demonstrate features of How-To Writing.
These include: 1. A title that says this will be a How-To Book. 2. A list of things we will need. 3. Pictures that teach us what to do. 4. Numbers for each step. 5. Captions under the pictures.
Writing:
- Students select a topic from their brainstorming list created on Tuesday for a How-To Book.
- Students incorporate the How-To features in their writing.
- Students share their work in-progress to table groupings.

Math:
7.7 Middle Value (Median) of a Set of Data
Objectives: To guide students as they sort numerical data and arrange data in ascending or descending order, and as they find the middle value (median) for a set of numerical data
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Sorting the Standing Jump Data (Whole-Class Activity)
- Finding the Median Length of the Standing Long Jump (Whole-Class Activity)

7. 8 Frequency Distributions
Objectives: To guide students as they make a frequency table, line plot, and bar graph for a set of data, and as they find the median of a set of data
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Making a Frequency Table of Arm Spans (Whole-Class Activity) Activity)
- Making a Line Plot of Arm Spans (Whole-Class Activity)
- Making a Bar Graph of Arm Spans (Independent Activity)
- Finding the Median Length of Arm Spans (Whole-Class Activity)

Unit 7 Review:
- Solve 2-digit addition/subtraction number stories. Write number models and answers.
- Use data to make a bar graph.
- Find the rule for functions involving doubling (e.g. in 7, out 14, the rule is double).
- Identify 3-dimentional shapes.
- Solve “What’s My Rule?” with halving.
- Order numbers and find the median (the middle number) and mode (the most popular number) (e.g. 6,11, 4, 9, 11, 15. The median is 9 and the mode is 11).
- Fill in missing numbers on a number grid.
- Solve 2-digit addition problems with 3 addends.

Unit 7 Open Response
Objective: Students use patterns and rules to compare two ways of getting paid over time.
Focus:
Use repeated addition to solve problem and identify rules for patterns and use them to solve problems.

Unit 7 Written Assessment

Science:- Review Living Things in Their Environment by referring to charted information from the unit study.
- Students take the Harcourt Chapter Assessment on Living Things in Their Environment

Social Studies:- Read and discuss Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The African-American History Fair is on Friday, February 26, 2010 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The second grade students will present a Harlem Renaissance Salon in room 106. In addition, the students will perform a jazz dance to the music of Duke Ellington. Please check the Murray Calendar for the time of the assembly.

Students will take a short social studies quiz about Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday, February 24. We have been reviewing each day in class. A study guide will be sent home also to help your child study.

The Math Unit 7 Open Response and Written Assessment will take place on March 4 and 5 respectively. Please refer to the math portion below to begin reviewing with your child.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words: look, make, no, play, ride, sleep, stand, still, story, this

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes
Students will develop an understanding of selected poetry of Langston Hughes and how his life influences his style of writing. Students reflect on assigned selections of poetry in order to delineate the author’s use of figurative language, such as simile and metaphor, and personification.
Interactive Read Aloud: Sweet and Sour Animal Book by Langston Hughes.
Writing:
- Students use the animal poems as inspiration to compose a class animal poetry book to be displayed at the African-American History Fair.
Find Arts Integration:
- Students paint studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones and others for our Harlem Renaissance Salon.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month:
- The Muntu dancers perform in the gym from 9:30 to 10:30. Students are participating in this event.
Writing:
- Students continue to compose a class animal poetry book to be displayed at the African-American History Fair.

Day3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes
Interactive Read Aloud: “Words Like Freedom” and “Teacher” by Langston Hughes
- Read, discuss, analyze, and chart text to guide students to identify the theme of the poem.
Writing:
- Teachers guide students to analyze poems using questions provided by the teachers.
Find Arts Integration:
- Students paint studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones and other for our Harlem Renaissance Salon.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes
Interactive Read Aloud: “The Kids in School with Me” by Langston Hughes
- Read, discuss, analyze, and chart text to guide students to identify the theme of the poem.
Writing:
- Students work in pairs to analyze the poem using questions provided by teachers.
Find Arts Integration:
- Students paint studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones and others for our Harlem Renaissance Salon.

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes
Interactive Read Aloud: “Po’ Boy Blues” by Langston Hughes
- Read, discuss, analyze, and chart text to guide students to identify the theme of the poem.
Writing:
- Students work independently to analyze the poem using questions provided by the teachers.
Find Arts Integration:
- Students paint studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones and other for our Harlem Renaissance Salon.

Math:
7.4 Patterns in Doubles and Halves
Objective: To guide students as they practice repeated doubling and halving
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Doubling and Halving Numbers (Whole-Class Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in pairs counting by n using calculators.
- Enrichment: Making Patterns by Coloring Grids
- Enrichment: Quadrupling and Quartering Numbers

7.5 Exploring Weights, Equal Sharing, and Patterns (2 days)
Objective: To provide experiences with exploring weights in pounds on a bath scale, developing readiness for division, and exploring area and patterns
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Exploration A: Weighing with a Bath Scale (Small-Group Activity)
- Exploration B: Sharing Money (Small-Group Activity)
- Exploration C: Creating Two-Block Patterns (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Students work in assigned pairs solving division stories using counters.

7.6 Data Day: Standing Jumps and Arm Spans (2 days)
Objectives: To guide students as they measure length to the nearest centimeter and to the nearest inch.
- Mental Math/Reflexes Math Message follow-up (Whole Class Activity)
- Collecting and recording standing long jump data (Small Group Activity)
- Collecting and recording Arm-Span Data (Small-Group Activity)
- Enrichment: Making up and Solving Number Stories

Unit 7 Review (for the week of 3/1/10):
- Solve 2-digit addition/subtraction number stories. Write number models and answers.
- Use data to make a bar graph.
- Find the rule for functions involving doubling (e.g. in 7, out 14, the rule is double).
- Identify 3-dimentional shapes.
- Solve “What’s My Rule?” with halving.
- Order numbers and find the median (the middle number) and mode (the most popular number) (e.g. 6,11, 4, 9, 11, 15. The median is 9 and the mode is 11).
- Fill in missing numbers on a number grid.
- Solve 2-digit addition problems with 3 addends.

Unit 7 Open Response (for the week of 3/1/10):
Objective: Students use patterns and rules to compare two ways of getting paid over time.
Focus:
Use repeated addition to solve problem and identify rules for patterns and use them to solve problems.

Science:
How Do Living Things Survive in Different Places?
Objectives:
- Know that plants and animals are adapted to ranges of temperature and moisture.
Insta-Lab: Keeping Warm
- Using shortening, gloves and ice cold water, students will investigate how an animal’s fat helps it stay warm.

What Are Food Chains and Food Webs?
Objectives:
- Communicate what animals eat.
- Understand that the interdependency of plants and animals can be shown in a food web.
- Know that if living things do not get food, they will die.
Introduce: Build on Prior Knowledge
Vocabulary: food chain, food web

Social Studies:
Integrated with Language Arts
- Review the L information on the KWL charts about Abraham Lincoln.
- On Wednesday, 2/24 students will take a short multiple-choice/true-and-false quiz about Abraham Lincoln based on books we’ve read in class.

Thank you for your support and have a great week.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We hope you and the students are enjoying a mini break from school!

There will be a short social studies quiz about George Washington on Thursday, 2/18 and a science quiz about the following vocabulary: environment, habitat, adapt, desert, rain forest, grassland, tundra, ocean, pond on Friday, 2/19. Study guides will be sent home for students to review.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words: beautiful, have, like, long, mind, second, three, told, under, what

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes
Students will develop an understanding of selected poetry of Langston Hughes and how his life influences his style of writing. Students reflect on assigned selections of poetry in order to delineate the author’s use of figurative language, such as simile and metaphor, and personification.
Interactive Read Aloud: Read and discuss Langston Hughes’s biography.
Teachers chart biographical information to support writing.
Fine Arts Integration:
- Students sketch studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Loïs Mailou Jones and others for our displays on the evening of the African-American History Fair.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes Reading:
Identify main ideas and supporting details: main ideas and details help us understand the world around us.
Interactive Read Aloud: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
Read, discuss, analyze, and chart text to guide students to identify the theme of the poem.
Writing:
- Students work with a partner to analyze the poem using questions provided by the teachers.
Fine Arts Integration:
- Students sketch studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Loïs Mailou Jones and others for our displays on the evening of the African-American History Fair.

Day 3:
Real Men Read Program
- Assigned Mentors will read, discuss and analyze children’s literature in the second grade classes once every month. Each month a copy of the selected text will be provided to each student. After each unit, the students will bring their copy to add to their home library. We are extremely excited about Real Men Read and look forward to sharing valuable children’s literature with your family.
Fine Arts Integration:
- Students sketch studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Loïs Mailou Jones and others for our displays on the evening of the African-American History Fair.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
African-American History Month: The Harlem Renaissance and
Langston Hughes Reading:
Identify main ideas and supporting details: main ideas and details help us understand the world around us.
Interactive Read Aloud: “Dream Variations” by Langston Hughes
Read, discuss, analyze, and chart text to guide students to identify the theme of the poem.
Writing:
- Students work independently to analyze the poem using questions provided by the teachers.
Fine Arts Integration:
- Students sketch studies from paintings by Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, Loïs Mailou Jones and others for our displays on the evening of the African-American History Fair.

Math:
7.1 Patterns in Counting
To review counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s; to extend this to counting any number n; and to provide experiences with describing patterns that result from counting
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Using a Calculator to Display Counts (Whole-Class Activity)
- Marking a Number Grid with Counts by n (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction: Differentiated Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in pairs counting by n using calculators.
Enrichment: Making Patterns by Coloring Grids

7.2 Extending Complements of 10
To provide experiences with finding complements of 10 and differences between 2-digit numbers and higher multiples of 10
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Making 10s Using a Calculator (Independent Activity)
- Introducing Hit the Target (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Students work in assigned pairs solving division stories using counters.

7.3 Mental Arithmetic: A Basketball Game (2 days)
To guide students as they build mental arithmetic skills for adding three or more 1-and 2-digit numbers
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Demonstrating Basketball Addition (Whole-Class Activity)

Science
What Is an Environment?
Inst-Lab: How feathers help ducks
- Students make paper feathers. They apply margarine to the feathers and place them in water to learn how a duck’s feathers repel water.
How Do Living Things Survive in Different Places?
Objectives:
- Infer how color helps a butterfly.
- Understand that structures of living things are adapted to function in specific environments.
- Know that plants and animals are adapted to ranges of temperature and moisture.
- Students take a short multiple choice quiz about the following vocabulary: environment, habitat, adapt, desert, rain forest, grassland, tundra, ocean, pond

Social Studies:
- Students take a short multiple choice/true and false quiz about George Washington based on books we’ve read in class.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The unit 6 math open response and written assessment will be administered on Tuesday, 2/9, and Wednesday, 2/10 respectively. Please continue to refer to the review portion below to assist your child.

Students will not have school on 2/11, 2/12 and 2/15 due to a professional development day for staff, Lincoln’s birthday, and President’s day.

The PTO has chosen the theme for this year for Black History Month. It is “Extraordinary African-Americans throughout History.” The fair will be held Friday, February 26, 2010 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The second grade classes will focus on the Harlem Renaissance. The students will learn about art, music and literature from this period. We will collaborate with the fine arts teacher, Mr. Brown, to create paintings and learn music for a presentation the night of the fair. Room 106 will be turned into a Harlem Renaissance Salon during the fair. If you are able to volunteer with your child’s class, please let us know.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
There will not be a spelling test for this short week.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Making Connections
- Students listen to the author read the poem “Mommies” by Nikki Giovanni.
- Teachers guide and provide opportunities for students to make connections during the read aloud.
Writing: Contrasting Ordinary and Poetic Language
This session will point out that poets use comparisons and artful language to convey a sound, an image, an observation, an idea (almost anything!).
-Teachers think-aloud how to analyze the poem using clues given by the author. Explain the author’s intention of conveying her strong feelings through poetic language to capture the reader’s reactions.
- Students use the read-aloud as a model for their writing of poems, which convey strong feelings.
- Students compose a 6- to 8-line poem.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Making Connections
- Students listen to the author read the poem “The Reason I Like Chocolate” by Nikki Giovanni.
- Teachers guide and provide opportunities for students to make connections during the read aloud.
Writing: Contrasting Ordinary and Poetic Language
This session will point out that poets use comparisons and artful language to convey a sound, an image, an observation, an idea (almost anything!)
- Students share knee-to-knee feelings evoked from the poem through the author’s use of poetic language.
- Teachers and students make diagram to show things/activities they like and what feelings are evoked by the events.
- Students compose a short free-verse poem using the diagram we created.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Making Connections
- Students listen to the author read the poem “Trips” by Nikki Giovanni.
- Teachers guide and provide opportunities for students to make connections during the read aloud.
Writing: Stretching Out a Comparison (Sustaining a Metaphor)
This lesson teaches students that poets stay with and develop their comparisons.
- Students brainstorm personal experiences about how their perceptions of a given situation are different from those of their parents’. Students share knee-to-knee in pairs.
- Scribes chart students’ ideas as support for independent writing.
- Students write a short poem to describe their experiences.

Math:
6. 10 Division Stories
To guide students as they explore situations that require equal sharing or making equal groups of things
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Modeling Equal-Sharing Number Stories (Whole-Class Activity)
- Modeling Equal-Grouping Number Stories (Whole-Class Activity)
- Solving Division Number Stories (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
- Students work in assigned pairs solving division stories using counters.
- Readiness: Sharing Cookies Equally

Unit 6 Review:
- Write the time to the quarter hour.
- Solve a parts-and-total situation using a given diagram (e.g. M has 5 cookies, L has 3. How many total?)
- Complete the “What’s My Rule?” table.
- Use the >, <, and = symbols.
- Making ballpark estimates of exact answers (e.g. 57-29=? The ballpark estimate is 60-30=30)
- Solving problems by drawing arrays (e.g. 4 packages of pencils. 3 pencils in each package. How many pencils?)
- Solve a comparison situation using a given diagram (e.g. Jim is 12 years old, Anita is 4 years old. How much older is Jim?)
- Solving 2-digit subtraction problems by using the Trade-First algorithm (e.g. 51- 24=? Students should rewrite 51 as 4 longs and 11 cubes, then they can take away 2 longs and 4 cubes.)

Unit 6 Open Response
- Solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of 2-digit whole numbers.
- Write and solve number sentences involving addition and subtraction.

Unit 6 Written Assessment

Science
What Is an Environment?
Objectives & Reading Focus Skill:
- Draw conclusions about why animals live in certain places.
- Know that there are many different kinds of animals living in different environments.
- Understand that living things adapt to their environments in order to survive.
- Main Idea and Details
- Look for details about where animals and plants live.

Introduce the lesson by building on students’ prior knowledge. Read and discuss vocabulary. Students investigate to find out about how energy flows. They read and learn about environments.

Social Studies:
- Interactive Read Aloud: Abe Lincoln Remembers (Part 2) by Ann Turner
- Guide students to compare/contrast between Washington and Lincoln using a Venn diagram.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The second quarter ended on Friday, 1/29. Please look for your child’s report card, which will be distributed on Wednesday, 2/3. We would appreciate if you would return the signed report card envelope by Monday, 2/8.

The unit 6 math open response and written assessment will be administered on Tuesday, 2/9, and Wednesday, 2/10 respectively. Please refer to the review portion below to assist your child.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words for the Week: ate, brown, float, half, important, line, must, new, show, small
For the week, students will focus on noticing metaphors, imagery, interesting punctuation, phrasing of lines, the voice inherent in the first-person and third-person perspective, rhyming structure and well-chosen verbs.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Goal of Lesson: Enhance Students’ Understanding and Use of Descriptive Words
- Students will learn that another important ingredient of poetry is using juicy, descriptive language.
Interactive read-aloud: The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Shotter
Word Study: scrumptious, melody, oddball, harmony, luscious, purpose.
Writing:
- Students will begin writing animal poems today. We will revisit some of the animal poems we read in Days 4 and 5.
- Teachers will model how to begin poetry-writing process using mental imagery and descriptive words. Students will be given the choice to write in “first person” (as a persona poem) or “third person.”

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Goal of Lesson: Using Similes, Metaphors and Other Comparative Language
- Students will learn that using comparative language fosters writing about ordinary things in a fresh way.
Interactive read-aloud: Crazy Like a Fox by Loreen Leedy
Word Study: Students will learn to differentiate between similes and metaphors.
Writing:
- Teachers will model for students how similes/metaphors/and other comparisons can be used in poetry by revisiting yesterday’s poem and adding comparative language.
- Students will use independent writing time to revise yesterday’s work by adding comparative language. Students will complete their initial animal poems and write a second animal poem.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Goal of Lesson: Teaching Students to Write Poems About Small Moments with Big Feelings.
Interactive read-aloud: “Three Blind Mice,” “I Chop Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey’s Version of Three Blind Mice,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “My Dog Sky.”
- Students will engage in open-ended discussion about what each author’s small moment was and the big feeling he or she expressed.
Writing:
- Teacher will model how to write a poem that captures a small moment with a big feeling.
- Students will use shared writing to collaboratively author a poem using a small moment and a big feeling. This will help students to begin to process how to choose what the “big feeling” is and how to translate it to a small moment.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
- Interactive read-aloud: “The Road Not Taken,” “Key Rings,” and “Independence Day.”
- Students will engage in open-ended discussion about what each author’s small moment was and the big feeling he or she expressed.
Writing:
- Goal of Lesson: Continue to Refine Poems about Small Moments with Big Feelings.
- Students will use independent writing time to continue writing small moments poems.
Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
-Interactive read-aloud: poems from Douglas Florian’s Mammalabilia and Patricia MacLachlin’s Once I Ate a Pie.
Writing:
- Students “fancy up” their poems by editing and publishing. They will illustrate the poems by creating collages.

Math:
6.6 Exploring Arrays, Coins, and Division (2 days)
Objective: To develop readiness for multiplication; to guide students in finding coin combinations equivalent to $1.00; and to explore one meaning of division
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Exploration A (Table 1, 2, 3): Making Geoboard Arrays (Independent Activity)
- Exploration B: Making a dollar
- Exploration C (Table 4, 5): Finding How Many Children Get n Things

6.7 Multiples of Equal Groups
Objective: To introduce multiplication as a way to find the total number of things in several equal groups
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Review Solving Number Stories about Equal Groups of Things (Whole-Class Activity)
- Solving Number Stories about Equal Groups (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in assigned pairs solving number stories using counters.
Enrichment: Solving Equal-Groups Riddles

6.8 Multiplication-Array Number Stories
Objective: To introduce everyday examples of rectangular arrays; and to provide experiences with solving multiplication problems using multiplication diagrams and array models
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Identifying Familiar Arrays (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Creating and Solving Number Stories about Arrays (Whole-Class Activity)
- Solving Array Multiplication Problems (Partner Activity)
Differentiate Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group solving number stories using manipulatives.
- Enrichment: Creating Array Number Stories

6.9 Multiplication with Arrays
To introduce everyday examples of arrays, and to provide experiences with solving multiplication problems using multiplication diagrams and array models
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Making x-by-y Arrays (Whole-Class Activity)
- Introducing Array Bingo (Whole-Class Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
- Playing Array Bingo (Partner Activity)
- Enrichment: Finding Arrays

Unit 6 Review (For Wednesday, 2/10):
- Write the time to the quarter hour.
- Solve a parts-and-total situation using a given diagram (e.g. M has 5 cookies, L has 3. How many total?)
- Complete the “What’s My Rule?” table.
- Use the >, <, and = symbols.
- Making ballpark estimates of exact answers (e.g. 57-29=? The ballpark estimate is 60-30=30)
- Solving problems by drawing arrays (e.g. 4 packages of pencils. 3pencils in each package. How many pencils?)
- Solve a comparison situation using a given diagram (e.g. Jim is 12 years old, Anita is 4 years old. How much older is Jim?)
- Solving 2-digit subtraction problems by using the Trade-First algorithm (e.g. 51- 24=? Students should rewrite 51 as 4 longs and 11 cubes, then they can take away 2 longs and 4 cubes.)

Science:
Which Food Occupies the Most Space?
- Students measure out equal weights of the four foods.
- Students observe which of the four foods occupies the most space.
- Students explain the reasons for their observations.
Where Are the Six Marbles? (2 days)
- Students apply a strategy to discover which of five sealed canisters contains six marbles.
- Students discuss the importance of the weight of the empty canister in solving this problem.

Social Studies:
- Discuss and fill in the K and W parts of the KWL chart for what we already about George Washington.
- Interactive Read Aloud: George Washington’s Breakfast by Jean Fritz
- Chart (the L part of KWL) what we learned about George Washington in preparation for next week’s compare/contrast writing assignment between Washington and Lincoln.
- Discuss and fill in the K and W parts of the KWL chart for what we already about Abraham Lincoln
- Interactive Read Aloud: Abe Lincoln Remembers by Ann Turner
- Chart (the L part of KWL) what we learned about Abraham Lincoln in preparation for next week’s compare/contrast writing assignment between Washington and Lincoln.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This Friday is the end of the second quarter. There will be no school on that day, as teachers and staff are attending professional development.

The social studies and science quizzes will be administered on Tuesday, 1/26 and 1/27 respectively. We sent home the graded study guides last week. Please refer to them to assist your child.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words for the Week: are, busy, finally, good, here, jump, last, mail, number, said

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit:
Ingredients/Pattern in Poetry
Interactive Read Aloud: Read more Small Poems by Valerie Worth
- Teachers review the concept of recipes/ingredients for cooking to guide the students to understand that there are ingredients in our recipe for writing a poem.
The first ingredients are: Use the eyes of a poet to look at the world closely and carefully, and use the eyes of a poet to look at ordinary things in fresh a, new ways.
- Review with students the idea of patterns in poetry. Discuss how “line breaks” make up a poetic form, that poetry has music, and the music of poetry comes from how words are put on a page.
Writing:
- Students continue to write short poems based upon notes from the objects they explored previously.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit:
Ingredients/Pattern in Poetry
Interactive Read Aloud: A pyramid poem entitled “Hedgehog” by Mrs. Reino
Writing:
- Teachers explain the format for writing a pyramid poem through a shared-writing activity:
(1) Start with a noun on the first line. (2) Repeat the noun but add an adjective for the second line. (3) Write the same adjective and noun followed by a verb (ing form). (4) The next line is the adjective, noun, and verb followed by an adverb. (5) Students end their poems with a question or an exclamation.
- Students share knee-to-knee with a partner to brainstorm of ideas to write.
Interactive Read Aloud: Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert
- Teachers guide students to identify and chart “juicy words” from the story and from students’ input.
- Each student selects a subject for his/her poem and structures the poem on a graphic organizer as a rough draft. Students are reminded to utilize “juice words” for their poems.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit:
Understanding and Creating Mental Imagery
Interactive Read Aloud: “The Whale” from beast feast by Douglas Florian (Read a 3 or 4 times)
Writing:
- Students draw an image of how they see the poem and write text that inspires their drawing.
- Students buddy share their drawings and thinking.
- Reread the poem. Have students incorporate the feedback they receive from buddy sharing. Ask if they would change the drawing to reflect how they see it now.
- Students compose a poem about an animal of choice using the pyramid poem format. They may write additional animal poems using other formats.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit: Understanding “Voice” in Poetry
- Explain to students that voice is sometimes considered the “personality of the poem” and that using a “clear voice” is also an important ingredient in writing a poem. Add “voice” to the “Recipe for Writing a Poem” chart.
- Use the following categories to explain “first” and “third” person: (1) Person is telling a story vs. poem is about a story. (2) Animal is telling a story vs. poem is about an animal. (3) Object is telling a story vs. poem is about an object.
- Differentiate categories for students through interactive read-alouds illustrating each category. Make “Telling” and “about” charts.
Interactive Read Aloud:
(1)“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Day” by Robert Frost vs. “A Girl’s Garden” by Robert Frost (2) “Once I Ate a Pie” by Patricia MacLachlin vs. “Dog” by Valerie Worth (3) “Now You Need Me” by Virginia Hamilton vs. “Coat Hangers” by Valerie Worth
Writing:
- Teachers model how to write a poem using a first or third person “voice”.
- Students share knee-to-knee with a partner to brainstorm of ideas to write.
- Students compose a poem using a first or third person “voice” in pyramid poem format. They may write additional poems using other formats.

Math:
6.2 Comparison Number Stories
Objective: To introduce comparison number stories by using comparison diagrams
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Solving Comparison Number Stories (Whole-Class Discussion)
Differentiated Instruction:
- Solving Comparison Number Stories (Partner Activity)

6.3 Data Day: The Four Food Groups
Objective: To provide experiences with collecting, sorting, tallying, and graphing data
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Collecting Data on Favorite Food (Whole-Class Activity)
- Discussing the Favorite-Food Data Table (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Making a Bar Graph of the Favorite-Food Data (Whole-Class Activity)
Differentiate Instruction: Students survey and tally collected data to create a bar graph.

6.4 Mixed Addition and Subtraction Stories
Objective: To guide students in selecting and completing an appropriate diagram to help solve an addition or subtraction problem
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Selecting Diagrams and Solving Number Stories (Independent Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group solving number stories using manipulatives. Teachers tailor the numbers to meet the students’ ability.

6.5 Modeling Subtraction with Base-10 Blocks
Objective: To review solution strategies for subtraction of 2-digit numbers
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Using Base-10 Blocks to Model Subtraction (Whole-Class Activity)
- Solving Subtraction Problems (Partner Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in assigned pairs solving number stories using base-10 blocks.
- Enrichment: Analyzing a Subtraction Strategy

Science:
- Using the beam balance, students explore weighing to review for the quiz.
- Students take a multiple choice/true and false quiz about balancing.

Describing the Four Foods (Day 1)
For the next four lessons, students will apply their comparing and weighing skills to solve problems that involve four foods of varying weights, shapes, and sizes. Later, they will apply their observations to help explain why equal cupfuls of the four foods have different weights.
- Students observe and describe the properties of four different foods.
- Students record their descriptions of the four foods.
- Students share their observations of the foods and create a class chart.
- Students compare and contrast their observations of the foods.

Social Studies:
- Students will complete a multiple choice/True or false assessment on the Civil Rights Movement.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Monday, 1/18 is Dr. King Jr.’s birthday observance. There will be no school.

The unit 5 open response and written assessment takes place on Wednesday, 1/20 and Thursday, 1/21 respectively. Please view the information below in the math section to guide your child’s study at home.

The social studies and science quizzes will be administered Tuesday, 1/26 and Wednesday, 1/27 respectively. Study guides will be given to students next week.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words for the Week: away, brother, couldn’t, funny, great, into, knew, listen, please, went

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit
What is a poem?
Interactive Read Aloud:
- Students listen to a poem entitled “Things” read by Eloise Greenfield.
- Teachers and students read together “Things”.
- Teachers and students discuss how our expression and patterns are different after listening to the author read the poem.
- Teachers introduce the genre of poetry by creating a chart entitled “What is a poem?” based upon the students’ thinking.
Writing:
- Revisit “Things” by Eloise Greenfield and ask students to write a short essay about why they like the poem.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit
Interactive Read Aloud:
- Teachers and students read Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.
- Classes take a Museum Poetry Walk reading selected poems from our read-aloud.
- Teachers revisit the “What is a poem?” chart and revise the chart based upon what was learned during the museum walk.
- Teachers introduce the concept of recipes/ingredients for cooking to guide the students to understand that there are ingredients in our recipe for writing a poem.
The first ingredients are: Use the eyes of a poet to look at the world closely and carefully, and use the eyes of a poet to look at ordinary things in fresh, new ways.
Writing:
- Students to select a favorite poem and write a short essay about why they like the poem.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Real Men Read Program
- Assigned Mentors will read, discuss and analyze children’s literature in the second grade classes once every month. Each month a copy of the selected text will be provided to each student. After each unit, the students will bring their copy to add to their home library. We are extremely excited about Real Men Read and look forward to sharing valuable children’s literature with your family.
Writing: Poetry inspired by common objects
- Students explore (seashells, mirrors, pecans, artichokes, and precious rocks) and note characteristics of the objects in order to write a poem.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Poetry Unit
Interactive Read Aloud:
Small Poems by Valerie Worth
- Introduce students to the idea of patterns in poetry. Discuss how “line breaks” make up a poetic form, that poetry has music, and the music of poetry comes from how words are put on a page.
- Model to students how some poems would look written as prose. Then show students the poems the way they were originally written.
- Using word cards and pocket charts, let students experiment with making a poem with line breaks and patterns.
Writing:
- Students write short poems based upon notes from the objects they explored previously.

Math:
Unit 5 Review
- Writing the fact family for any given domino (e.g. 2, 3 the fact family is 2+3=5, 3+2=5, 5-2=3, 5-3=2)
- Counting in the thousands (2,123; 2,124; 2,125…)
- Ordering numbers in the 100s and 1,000s (from least to greatest)
- Drawing line segments
- Drawing a line segment that is parallel to a given line
- Drawing a line segment that is not parallel to a given line
- Identifying polygons such as hexagon, rhombus, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoid
- Identifying 3-D shapes such as cone, cylinder, sphere, pyramid, rectangular prism
- Identifying shapes that have lines of symmetry
- Understanding attributes

Math Open Response- For this task, students use triangle pattern blocks to make polygons and figures that are not polygons and to describe why some figures are not polygons.

Unit 5 Written Assessment

6.1 Addition of Three or More Numbers
Objective: To review strategies for solving addition problems, with emphasis on problems having three addends
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Adding Three Numbers in Any Order (Whole-Class Discussion)
Differentiated Instruction:
- Playing Three Addends (Partner Activity)

Science:
Graphing The Weights of the Objects (2 days)
- Students review the information on the data table from the previous lesson.
- Students make bar graphs that show the weights of the six objects.
- Students read about how animals are weighed at the zoo.

Social Studies:
Integrated with Language Arts
- Interactive Read Aloud: Happy Birthday Dr. King by Jean Marzollo
Read and discuss Dr. King’s contributions to society.
- Chart key concepts to assist students to understand the civil rights movement.
- Interactive Read Aloud: The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles. Read and discuss Ruby’s experiences with desegregation, how she struggled and overcame adversities.
- Word study: elementary school, ordered, marshals, anxious, irritable, mobs, persuade

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The science quiz on balancing using the equal-arm balance will be given Thursday, 1/14. A study guide will be sent home on Monday, 1/11.

The math Unit 5 Open Response is on Wednesday, 1/20, a week from this Wednesday, and the written assessment is on Thursday, 1/21. Please refer to the review portion below to assist your child.

Monday, 1/18 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday observance. There will be no school. Additionally, the end of the second quarter is Friday 1/29. Staff will attend professional development. Students will not have school.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Administer the Mid-year Benchmark for Reading 3D.
- Writing Conferences
- Guided Reading
Spelling Words fro the Week: and, another, back, between, came, different, down, even, find, help

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Predict
- Explain to students that we will be using the pictures and text to predict what will happen, what characters might be thinking, and how the events from the book will lead us.
Interactive Read Aloud: Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
Word Study: plantation, muslin, chokecherries, jump the broom, straight-boned, picture reading
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to predict during the read aloud.
Writing: Students continue writing family history essays.
- Students present their essays to classmates at table groupings.

Day2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Predict
- Remind students that we are using the pictures and text to predict what will happen, what characters might be thinking, and how the events from the book will lead us.
Interactive Read Aloud: Read and discuss If a Bus Could Talk; The Story of Rosa Parks (p. 1-14) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: fare, reserve, instilled, recovered, segregated
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to predict during the read aloud.
Writing: Authors As Mentors (Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman)
Revising Endings:
- Teachers will re-explain and model why endings are crucial and should not be rushed through.
- Students continue writing family history essay.
- Students present their essays to classmates at table groupings.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Predict
- Remind students that we are using the pictures and text to predict what will happen, what characters might be thinking, and how the events from the book will lead us.
Interactive Read Aloud: Read and discuss If a Bus Could Talk; The Story of Rosa Parks (p. 15-29) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: boycott, oppression, honorary, valiant, unceasing
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to predict during the read aloud.
Writing: Authors As Mentors (Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman)
Learning Revision from Authors:
- Teachers will teach students that they can learn from other authors when revising their pieces.
- Students proofread and edit their essays.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Predict
- Remind students that we are using the pictures and text to predict what will happen, what characters might be thinking, and how the events from the book will lead us.
Interactive Read Aloud: Read and discuss My Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King (p. 1-11) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: encompassed, prejudice, justice, demonstrators
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to predict during the read aloud.
Writing: Students complete proofreading and editing their essays. They begin to affix their essays onto decorative paper to construct story quilts.
- Students begin constructing their story quilts.

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Predict
- Remind students that zwe are using the pictures and text to predict what will happen, what characters might be thinking, and how the events from the book will lead us.
Interactive Read Aloud: Read and discuss My Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King (p. 12-24) by Faith Ringgold.
- Word Study: sermon, resistance, sit-ins
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to predict.
Writing: Students continue constructing their story quilts.

Math:
5.5 Quadrangles (Day 2)
Objective: To guide students as they identify the names and characteristics of various quadrangles, and as they explore similarities and differences among quadrangles
-Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Exploring Similarities
and Differences among Quadrilaterals (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Making Shapes Out of Triangles and Rectangles (Independent Activity)
Differentiated Instruction: Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group to make shapes using triangles and rectangles.

5.6 3-Dimensional Shapes (2 days)
Objective: To guide students as they compare and contrast the characteristics of 3-dimensional shapes
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Reviewing the Names of the Basic 3-Dimensional Shapes (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Discussing Similarities and Differences among Shapes (whole-Class Discussion)
- Starting a Shapes Museum with a Display of 3-Dimensional Objects (Whole-Class Activity)

5.7 Pyramids
Objective: To guide students as they construct pyramids and explore the relationship among the number of faces, edges, and vertices in pyramids
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Constructing a Pyramid Out of Straws (Whole-Class Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
- Constructing Four Kinds of Pyramids Out of Straws (Partner Activity)
- Discussing Pyramid Constructions (Whole-Class Discussion)

5.8 Line Symmetry
Objective: To guide children as they find lines of symmetry in objects and complete drawings to create symmetrical shapes
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Finding Lines of Symmetry (partner Activity)
- Completing Half-Pictures of Templates Shapes (Independent Activity)
Differentiated Instruction:
Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group folding cutout shapes to find lines of symmetry.

Unit 5 Review
- Writing the fact family for any given domino (e.g. 2, 3 the fact family is 2+3=5, 3+2=5, 5-2=3, 5-3=2)
- Counting in the thousands (2,123; 2,124; 2,125…)
- Ordering numbers in the 100s and 1,000s (from least to greatest)
- Drawing line segments
- Drawing a line segment that is parallel to a given line
- Drawing a line segment that is not parallel to a given line
- Identifying polygons such as hexagon, rhombus, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoid
- Identifying 3-D shapes such as cone, cylinder, sphere, pyramid, rectangular prism
- Identifying shapes that have lines of symmetry
- Understanding attributes

Math Open Response
- For this task, students use triangle pattern blocks to make polygons and figures that are not polygons and to describe why some figures are not polygons.

Science:
Equal-arm Balance
- Developing Strategies for Placing Objects in Serial Order: Challenge students to apply their comparing skills to develop strategies for placing objects in serial order from lightest to heaviest.
- Placing Six Objects in Serial Order: Challenge students to expand and refine their comparison-making strategies. Students determine where to place two new objects in the serial order of the original four objects from the previous lesson.
- Review: Using the beam balance, students explore weighing to review for the quiz.
- Equal-arm balance quiz: Students take a multiple choice/true and false quiz about the beam balance on Thursday 1/14.

Social Studies:
America’s Journey to Freedom and the Civil Rights Movement (Integrated with Language Arts)

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We hope that you will have a wonderful and restful winter break and a Happy New Year.

During the winter break, the second grade students are expected to interview a parent or grandparent about their family history. The interview could include family origins, traditions, and experiences unique to your own family. Here are some examples of questions that students may pose:

- Where are my grandparents/parents from?
- Why did my family move to Chicago?
- Does our family have any traditions? What are the traditions?
- Please describe any life experiences (achievements, hardships, special events).

When school resumes on January 4, please make sure your child is ready to share the vivid details of their family history. The interview information will support your child’s writing for their story quilt.

Students will be given a social studies quiz on Friday, 1/08. A study guide will be sent home on Monday, 1/04 to help your child study.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers administer the DIBELS and the Reading 3D Mid-year Benchmark tests each day during this time.
Differentiated Instruction:
- Guided Reading
- Writing conferences
Spelling Words for the Week: fall, got, hurt, light, much, own, shall, start, today, try

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Inferences
- Explain to students that inferences are something we create in our minds when we notice clues and think about what those clues might mean.
Interactive Read Aloud:
Read and discuss Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: flood lights, skyscraper, claim, patronize, cohesive
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to infer.
- Guide students to identify the theme or “big idea” of the story, which is family history, cohesiveness, traditions, or hardships.
- Students will share family interviews from journal writing over the holidays.
Writing: Authors As Mentors (Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman)–Discovering Small Moments as Faith Might
- In this session, students will learn that Faith Ringgold finds tiny moments to write about, and students will continue to develop this skill.

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Inferences
Read and discuss Bonjour, Lonnie (pp.1-14) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: extraordinary, griffins, gargoyles, perched, opera, jubilant, emancipation, exterminated
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to infer.
Writing: Authors As Mentors-Review Leads
- To raise awareness and knowledge of effective leads, and to include leads as parts of their writing process
- Teachers model think alouds of how to compose an introductory paragraph for the narrative on family history, cohesiveness, traditions, or hardships.
- Students begin the introductions for their narratives.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading Skill: Inferences
Read and discuss Bonjour, Lonnie (pp.15-28) by Faith Ringgold.
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to infer.
Writing: Authors As Mentors-Review Leads
- To raise awareness and knowledge of effective leads, and to include leads as parts of their writing process
- Teachers model think alouds of how to compose an introductory paragraph for the narrative on family history, cohesiveness, traditions, or hardships.
- Students share work in progress with class.
- Students continue the introductions for their narratives.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Classroom Spelling Bee
Reading Skill: Inferences
Interactive Read Aloud:
Read and discuss Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky (p. 1 – 12) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: ramshackle, bedraggled, plantation, quicksand
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to infer.
Writing: Authors As Mentors (Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman)–Studying Faith’s Writing: Putting Quotation Marks around Dialogue
- In this session, students will identify and discuss dialogue within the mentor’s text.
- Students share work in progress with the class.
- Students begin the first body paragraphs of their narratives.

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Primary Spelling Bee
Reading Skill: Inferences
Interactive Read Aloud:
Read and discuss Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky (p. 13 – 24) by Faith Ringgold.
Word Study: clapboard, weather-beaten, resounding
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to infer.
Writing: Authors As Mentors (Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman)–Studying Faith’s Writing: Putting Quotation Marks around Dialogue
- In this session, students will identify and discuss dialogue within the mentor’s text.
- Students share work in progress with the class.
- Students continue to stretch the body paragraphs.

Math:
5.2 Points and Line
Segments (Day 2)
Objective: To guide students as they define, name, and draw line segments
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Discussing How Points are Named (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Defining and Naming Line Segments (Whole-Class Discussion) (My Reference Book, P. 50)
- Drawing Line Segments with a Straightedge (Partner Activity)

5.3 Parallel Line Segments
Objective: To introduce the concepts of parallel line segments
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Discussing the Meaning of Parallel Line Segments (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Drawing Line Segments That Are or Are not Parallel (Independent Activity) Differentiated Instruction: Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group using manipulatives to draw segments that are parallel.)

5.4 Exploring Polygons, Arrays, and Coins (2 days)
Objective: To review names and classify polygons, to develop readiness for multiplication, and to provide opportunities to explore similarities and differences of attribute blocks
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Reviewing Characteristics of Polygons (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Naming Polygons by the Number of Their Sides or Angles (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Exploration D: Constructing Polygons on a Geoboard (Small-Group Activity)
- Exploration E: Making Centimeter-Cube Arrays (Partner Activity)
- Exploration F: Finding Attribute Blocks that Differ by One Attribute or More (Small-Group Activity)

5.5 Quadrangles
Objective: To guide students as they identify the names and characteristics of various quadrangles, and as they explore similarities and differences among quadrangles
- Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Exploring Similarities and Differences among Quadrilaterals (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Making Shapes Out of Triangles and Rectangles (Independent Activity)
Differentiated Instruction: Under teachers’ guidance, students work in a small group to make shapes using triangles and rectangles.

Science:
Exploring the Equal-Arm Balance
- Students assemble and equilibrate an equal-arm balance.
- Students observe and describe how the equal-arm balance reacts when they place objects in the pails.
- Students compare and contrast the equal-arm balance and the beam balance and record their observations on a class Venn diagram.
- Using the Venn diagram we have generated to review the differences and similarities between the beam balance and the equal-arm balance. Discuss situations when it is appropriate to use one or the other.
- Students use the equal-arm balance to compare objects
- Students record comparisons using binary symbols – greater than (>), less than (<), and equal to (=).
- Students discuss their comparisons and problem-solving strategies.
- Students discuss the concept of fair comparisons.

Social Studies:
Reread Grandfather’s Journey
- Review
- Social Studies Quiz

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson