mrsbarker.ca - Millgrove 2B

Snowflake Art with Cool Colours

11/12/2018

Not only are we learning all about hot and cold temperatures in our class, but we can also portray temperatures using colour! We learned about warm and cool temperatures in Art last week, and you can see your child's winter snowflake that we painted using cool colours (such as purple, blue, and green) on Seesaw!

Remembrance Day

11/10/2018

The staff and parents at Millgrove's Remembrance Day Ceremony yesterday were so proud of the students' respectful behaviour. They truly brought pride to Millgrove School! We were privileged to have many special guests at our school yesterday, and the students learned a lot and reflected thoughtfully on the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and veterans, and the value of peace. We read books about veterans and peace in class this week, and the students wrote their own pieces of writing about peace which you can see below and on Seesaw!

Hot & Cold Temperatures

11/8/2018

With the arrival of colder weather and snow this month, we’ve started a new unit on Hot and Cold Temperatures in Science. We've been exploring different uses of thermometers, learning about different temperatures, and comparing the high and low temperatures from day to day. In this unit, we will be learning:

How to compare temperatures with expressions like hotter than and colder than
How to measure the temperature in degrees Celsius
Describe how heating and cooling materials can often change them (such as melting, freezing, cooking, and burning)
Identify safe practices for handling hot and cold materials
Recognize that human body temperature is relatively constant and that a change in body temperature often signals a change in health
Identify ways in which the temperature in homes and buildings can be adjusted (with a thermostat, opening or closing windows, etc.)
Describe in general terms how local buildings are heated (including the energy source or fuel, whether hot air or water is used, and describe how heat is circulated)
Describe the role of insulation in keeping things hot or cold and identify places where some form of insulation is used (such as clothing, refrigerators, coolers, homes)
Identify materials that insulate animals from the cold (such as wool, fur, and feathers), and identify materials that are used by humans for the same purpose
Design and construct a device to keep something hot or cold
Describe the way in which temperature changes affect us in our daily lives

Stay tuned for our further learning about hot and cold temperatures!

Addition and Subtraction to 18

11/7/2018

In Math, we are beginning a new focus on addition and subtraction up to 18, and solving word problems. This unit will focus on deepening your child’s understanding of number relationships, counting, and place value. Below you can find a game and video we've been playing to get this unit off to a fun start!

The learning goals for this unit are to:

Develop and use mental math strategies to add and subtract two 1-digit numbers, including zero
Look for patterns in digits when adding and subtracting
Understand and use the relationship between addition and subtraction (for example 2 + 7 = 9 and 9 - 7 = 2)
Find out if 2 sides of a number sentence are equal or not equal (for example 10 - 6 + 4 and 2 + 3 ≠ 10)

You can help your child achieve these goals with the following activities at home:

Share addition and subtraction story problems about things in your neighbourhood. For example, “There are 15 houses on our street. 9 of them have a garage. How many do not have a garage?”
Have your child build a set of 5 to 9 pennies and then add 1, 2, or 3 pennies to that number. Have your child tell the addition sentence. Then, take the same number of pennies away. Have your child tell the subtraction sentence.
With your child, look around the home for items that come in equal sets. Discuss what happens if you add items or take a few items away. Are the sets still equal?
When you set the table, have your child add groups of items on the table (forks, knives, glasses). Try adding them in a different order. Have your child explain why the order doesn’t matter.
Have your child take a number of cans from the cupboard. Use a cloth to hide some of them. Have your child explain how addition can be used to find out how many are covered.
When you spend leisure time with your child, pose different missing parts problems. Have your child explain how he or she figured out the answer.
When you solve everyday subtraction problems, ask your child questions such as, “What do we already know?” “What piece is missing?”
Use 2 digits to write and solve addition sentences with your child. For example, if the digits are 8 and 9, the sentence is 8 + 9 = 17.
Ask your child to tell a number story using a double or near doubles (such as 6 + 6 = 12 or 5 + 6 = 11).
Watch for situations where your child can use a strategy to add or subtract 1-digit numbers.

You can also play the video and games below for extra practice at home!

Visit from Dr. Newton

11/7/2018

We were very lucky to have a distinguished guest, Dr. Jeffrey Newton from the Alberta Science Network, visit our class today and teach us all about magnetism! He brought in a variety of very interesting materials, along with demonstrating and involving us in a variety of experiments. We have now wrapped up our learning on magnets, and the students are officially magnet experts!

Remembering

11/5/2018

To remember the important sacrifices of our soldiers this Remembrance Day, our class made magnified red poppies that would have come from Flanders Fields. We made these flowers in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe, who we learned about last week in Art. Georgia O’Keeffe is famous for her magnified, detailed approach to portraying flowers. You can watch the videos below to learn more about Georgia O'Keeffe and her flower art.

Happy Halloween!

11/3/2018

Thanks to everyone who sent delicious snacks, fun games, and magnificent costumes for our Halloween party this week. We had a great time, and I hope that your Halloweens were full of lots of fun!

Halloween Poetry

10/28/2018

We’ve been reading and writing poetry this month in Language Arts, and wrote a variety of different types of poetry this past week. The students worked hard to make interesting word choices and tried to paint pictures in their readers’ minds. They are very proud of their variety of poems, and you can see more of your child's poetry on Seesaw!

Magnetic Devices

10/26/2018

2B was a flurry of building and experimenting this past week as we built and unveiled our magnetic devices for our grade one buddies. It was neat to see the variety of ways in which magnets can be used practically, and the students did some excellent scientific problem-solving in the creating of their devices. The highlight was when the grade one students visited our class to test out our creations. Needless to say, the students of 1V had lots of fun with all the toys and games! Check out the video above to see the students’ creations.

Adjectives

10/22/2018

We learned more about adjectives today as we prepare to write Halloween poetry this week! The students especially enjoyed describing themselves (mostly accurately) with adjectives to create an adjective frame for their own face, and watching the "Paint the Way" video below. We've certainly got a colourful group of students!