YEAR 2 RESOURCE PAGE
http://pattoyeartworesources.weebly.com/
Term 1, 2014 Report
It’s been a very busy and exciting start to the year for Grade Two; filled with a variety of learning experiences. Like most grades, we commenced with getting to know each other activities to create a comfortable and safe learning environment which spilled over to our connections to the wider community. We looked at our local area’s history, geography and environment. This was interwoven with our water sustainability unit where the children discovered how important this precious resource is and how we use it- around the home, at school and in the community. There were many experiments undertaken showing it’s different forms, its effect on various surfaces, how it is caught and how the whole water cycle is repeated. We were also fortunate to have some special, expert visitors to aid the children’s understandings- from the Chelsea Historical Society and CSIRO. The big highlight though was our excursion to the Edithvale Wetlands and the Mt Martha Treatment Plant where the children learned firsthand many facets of water usage and where it goes to.
Literacy is continuing with the implementation of the Independent Reading program which we are all happy to take on board. It’s an action research project for our level which is being aided by individual readings, planning sessions and Poppy’s expertise contributions. We started the year with focusing on what makes a good reader, what constitutes a ‘just right’ book, what an IR session would look, sound and feel like. We’ve done intensive work on our schema and how this prior knowledge and experiences through making connections (self, text, world) helps with our understanding and comprehension.
Maths is another subject for personal growth as we adopt the Nadia Walker planning and delivery of lessons. With place value, addition, subtraction, calendar time and capacity being some of our major focus concepts in term one. As often as possible, we plan to make it real life and hands on. A highlight was the maths incursion in which many new games were introduced and since been played in the classrooms.
Another highlight included our Footsteps program which the children responded to well.
A very active but fun term filled with loads of new experiences and learning.
Term 2, 2014 Report
As usual it has been a very busy term filled with lots of exciting learning experiences.
We began the term with our ANZAC day celebrations. We remembered those who have fought for our country and integrated our reading and writing into this topic whilst making ANZAC biscuits.
Our two main topics of the term have been “Push and Pull” and “Days of Old”. Push and Pull was our Science topic which studied the forces that are at work in everything we do. It began with a Hands On incursion from CSIRO which the students loved, as they were able to explore, observe and gather evidence about how forces act in air, water and on the ground to move objects. Our “Days of Old” topic showed the inventions that have changed our lives over the years such as telephones, refrigerators, washing machines, cameras, computers and transport to name a few.
Each morning students are engaging in Circle Time activities within their classroom. Students have the opportunity to share things about their lives, play games and interact with one another.
Our Independent Reading sessions have been continuing throughout the term with visualising and questioning. Visualising involves creating mental pictures in our head while we read. These will change as you continue to read. Questioning needs to be thought about before, during and after reading.
Our Maths focus’ for the term have been on number patterns, lines, angles, fractions, 2D and 3D shapes, symmetry and time. The students have found the hands on activities (such as fractions with fairy bread and creating models of 3D shapes) exciting and a great learning tool.
The children have been working extremely hard during our assessment period for reports, showing us all that they have learnt throughout the first half of the year.