We have been learning about objects that float and sink. We found this short video to help us connect these ideas to pictures and familiar objects. While students in grade 2 don't need to know the specific information about density, mass, and volume, we do need to understand the following information: 1. Describe, classify and order materials on the basis of their buoyancy. 2. Alter or add to a floating objects so it will sink, and alter or add to a nonfloating object so that it will float. 3. Design and watercraft and use appropriate design methods to have the craft float. Click on the button below to watch the buoyancy video to learn more. Through the video link above, our science centre field trip, the science experiments at school, and our research will all lead us to creating our own objects that we hope will float.
We look forward to sharing our floating objects will you at a later date! Students have been working hard to learn about Nunavut. We have read books, watched videos, written notes, shared our ideas in conversation, created a tapestry, and created visual journal pages to document our learning.
We are inviting parents and family members to our Inuit Celebration of Learning. It will be on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. It will be a drop in event for people to come and see our work any time between 4-6 p.m. We will be hosting the evening in the grade 2 classrooms at Edgemont School. Come ready to learn and ask questions about water, the landscape, the Inuit people, transportation, and buoyancy and boats. Each students made a 'Save The Date' invitation (like the ones below) to take home and share with their families. Please keep an eye out for it and add this information to you family calendar. We are excited to share what we have learned about Nunavut, its people, and their connection to the water! Last week we went to Telus Spark for a field trip. While we were there we learned about boats, and objects that float and don't float (buoyancy). In particular we learned that:
We organized into small groups and began talking about what materials might float and might sink in water. We were able to test different materials in water and we learned that the following objects float:
Objects that did not float:
After we tested our materials, our parent volunteers and Telus Spark staff helped each group make one or two boats. These pictures shared with you what each boat looked like. The last part of our group work was to take our boats to another exhibit and test them to see if they floated or sank. All of our boats floated!
Hi Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for helping your child identify and bring an artifact to school this week. Several students mentioned that they needed to bring their artifact home this week so they were returned. Our work with these artifacts will continue into the week of February 22 - 26, so I would like to respectfully request that each student bring their artifact back to school on Monday. If this is an issue, feel free to take a picture of the artifact and students can bring the picture next week to class. Thank you for your help in this matter, Ms. Bates A reminder that after a five day weekend, grade 2 students have homework to complete that needs to be ready and brought to school on Tuesday, February 16. Below is a copy of the letter that was sent home on a bright yellow sheet of paper:
Dear Parents, In Social Studies we are examining different kinds of communities within Canada. Students will investigate life in three diverse communities. Currently, students are exploring the characteristics of an Inuit community. As part of our overarching question, “How are we all connected?” students are beginning to learn about the physical geography and the cultural characteristics (special symbols, landmarks, stories, traditions or monuments) of the Inuit community. To understand the communities past, students are participating in a See Think Wonder routine with Inuit artifacts and through this process they are beginning to understand and appreciate how the community has emerged over time, and how the various interactions among people have ensured the continued growth and vitality of their community. To extend the ‘See Think Wonder’ routine, students will have the opportunity to share a personal artifact or symbol with the class. An ARTIFACT is an object that… …is special to me. …helps me remember an important memory or connection. …tells a story about me. We hope that if students have the opportunity to tell the story behind their artifact or symbol, they in turn, will be able to gain a better appreciation for the story behind the Inuit artifacts. As part of your Family Day weekend, please support your child as they pick an artifact that fits the criteria and bring it or a picture of it to school on Tuesday, February 16th. Please teach them about the artifact and help them become comfortable sharing three things about the artifact in front of the class. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher! Thank you for your continued support, The Grade Two Team This Wednesday, February 10 we will be going to the Telus Spark Science Centre. Here are a few things families need to know about the day.
1. Be early for school, ready to enter the doors when the bell rings at 8:58 AM. Do not arrive late as we are not waiting for tardy students. 2. Bring a lunch that has little to no garbage. A lunch that does not require any heating and can be eaten independently by your child. 3. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. It's going to be a warm day (+17 C) so please leave your winter boots, mittens, toques, and scarves at home and wear a light jacket. 4. Do not bring a water bottle on the trip as the science centre has many water fountains. 5. Please ensure your child brings any necessary medications (e.g. EpiPen, asthma inhaler). 6. Parent volunteers, please be at the school by 8:40 AM for a meeting in the Learning Commons. We are excited to see everyone on Wednesday for our exciting boats and buoyancy field trip to Telus Spark! As part of our science curriculum the grade 2 classes will be traveling to Telus Spark to learn about boats and buoyancy on Wednesday, February 10. Each class will need five parent/guardian volunteers to spend the entire day with us at Telus Spark. A parent commitment also includes a pre-meeting at the school on the day of the field trip (February 10) at 8:40 AM.
If you would like to volunteer with Room 5, please contact Ms. Bates through her email. Thank you for your support! Several years ago in a young boy was bullied by other students in Eastern Canada because he wore a pink shirt to school. When his friends found out about how he was treated, they began wearing pink shirts in support of their friend. Slowly the conversation about bullying and its unhealthy affects on people and communities began to grow, and now Pink Shirt Day is commemorated across Canada as a day to come together as communities who support kindness and acceptance, rather than exclusion and bullying. This year Pink Shirt Day will focus on "encouraging everyone to openly express, "Kindness is one size fits all”. We all have the capacity to spread kindness and that is the underlying philosophy behind our anti-bullying movement: a movement we hope lives year round beyond Pink Shirt Day. After all, kindness never goes out of style." Leading up to Pink Shirt Day, we will build upon our friendship skills, identify what bullying does and doesn't look like and discuss ways to handle situations that may involve bullying. Also, if students would like to, they will have the opportunity to exchange Valentine Cards on February 9th. To reinforce the idea that "kindness is one size that fits all" I am encouraging students to personalize their Valentine Cards with kind and caring words for their classmates. An example might be: Dear Mrs. Kim I like you becasue you are always smiling and seeing you smile makes me smile! Happy Valentine's Day! Your Friend Ms. Bates Students will bring home a list of their classmates so that every child can receive kind words from each other to celebrate inclusivity and kindness. All students and staff will be encouraged to wear pink clothes on February 24th to school in order to continue the conversation about inclusivity, kindness, and anti-bullying. Pink Shirt anti-bullying day was exciting and a great success. We discussed what bullying looks and feels like, we talk about giving people PUT UP (compliments) rather than PUT DOWNS (negative words) and talked about how to create an even better classroom community.
Let's keep the conversation about kindness going! |
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