Slug Eggs, Wetlands, and a Birthday
/We are becoming keen observers and curious researchers. This week in the Cedar Classroom we found more slug eggs and several slugs. An Otter found multiple squished praying mantises over the weekend and shared the photos on the smart board with the class. We also found several aphids and other bugs we have yet to classify. In the coming weeks we will begin using field guides for our research. Another Otter brought in sunflowers for us to examine.
We continued small group work with our parent volunteers this week. We used the sewing templates we measured last week to cut out the fabric for our book bags. We are almost ready to begin sewing! With our coding group the second graders learned how to draw instructional code for the Ozobot robot. The first graders will have a chance to work with Ozobot next week.
We continued our wetlands research this week. We talked about how wetland plants are incredibly beneficial for the environment. Many wetland plants can actually filter toxins out of our water systems. We used celery stalks and pink “toxins” in the water to show how the plants can filter toxins. We also collected debris and litter in a jar of water. We poured the polluted water over a smooth surface (like our paved roads) and then over a piece of astroturf that represented wetland vegetation. The wetland vegetation trapped so much of the debris! The smooth surface trapped none and the pollution then flowed into our lakes and rivers. We read wetland books and wrote down new facts that we learned. Stacey came in and talked to us about non-native plants and invasive species. We talked about how fast-spreading, invasive species can be problematic to our ecosystems. We talked about how species can spread and we discussed how we will work on removing invasive species during our wetland restoration field trip next week.
During our weekly trip to the library we chose new books for our book baskets. Mr. Nathan read us a story about celebrating differences. We are getting increasingly proficient at choosing books that are the just right fit and we are getting to know our local library much better. We can now find several favorite series and categories of books. A couple second grade readers decided to both try reading the same book from the Dragon Masters series. It’s so fun to find new books to enjoy with friends!
We celebrated a special birthday this week! The birthday girl shared photos from her infancy and toddlerhood. We presented her with a book filled with letters from classmates. Our penmanship and illustrations are looking beautiful! At the end of the party the birthday girl taught us a fun new Japanese singing game! It may just become a class favorite.
Our days in the Otter classroom are filled with fun, learning and laughter! The dramatic play activities during free choice time in the Cedar Classroom have become increasingly complex. Students are using large stumps and pieces of wood to create complicated structures and worlds. They spend time collaborating, negotiating and strategizing to construct their stories and games. Together we are growing a community of compassionate, collaborative, and curious learners.
