Blog Archives - mrsbarker.ca

Insulation and Heating Systems

11/30/2019

This past week in Science we’ve been focusing on heating systems (namely forced air, water, and geothermal), and insulation. We learned about insulation used in buildings to keep them warm or cool depending on the season, and examined various types of insulation that animals use to brave the weather. Mrs. Leblanc gave us a fascinating tour of our school’s heating systems, and the class really enjoyed seeing the inner workings of Millgrove! You can watch the video below to see how people take advantage of animal insulation to keep themselves warm!

Non-Fiction Reading and Writing

11/25/2019

In Language Arts, we've begun working on reading and writing non-fiction books. The students are using their expertise on a variety of topics (such as hockey, baking, and Christmas) to write teaching books with true facts. In reading, we're learning how to read non-fiction thoughtfully by paying attention to details, linking concepts together, and asking questions. We've learned so much from our books and each other!

Story Writing

11/20/2019

The students in 2B have been paying extra attention to the author's choices in the books we read this month, and have been focusing on how author's plan and are thoughtful about the details in their writing. We planned and wrote a story as a class, which you can read below, and the students are working on their own stories now. There are so many creative story planners in our class!

Addition and Subtraction to 18

11/18/2019

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!

Using Hot & Cold Temperatures to Make Food

11/8/2019

We are enjoying our science unit on hot and cold temperatures in 2B! Some highlights have included baking potatoes to see how materials are altered with temperature changes, measuring temperatures with thermometers, and making homemade ice cream. The students observed the differences between raw and cooked potatoes, and discovered that raw potatoes smell like potato chips and French fries (you can watch the video below to see how heat is used in the making of potato chips). We learned that milk loses heat relatively slowly, which meant that we had to shake our cream and other ice cream ingredients for a while before it turned into ice cream! If you’d like to review the outcomes of this unit, you can take a look at the ten outcomes in the slideshow below.

Remembering

11/6/2019

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

Hot & Cold Temperatures

11/5/2019

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!

Happy Halloween!

11/1/2019

Thanks to everyone who sent delicious snacks, fun games, and magnificent costumes for our Halloween party this week. We had a great time, and the students looked so impressive in their creative costumes! With a class this caring and fun, there's lots to celebrate and enjoy together. (The potion we made revealed, not shockingly, that we are the best class at Millgrove school!)