Second Grade Room #21
Mrs. Shonkwiler and
Mrs. Roden(Mrs.R.)
lshonk@pps.net / rocheleroden@gmail.com
Gardening
Just outside of our classroom doors, we are privileged to have raised boxes for gardening that have been provided for us by the Green team. We use our boxes thoroughly by planting in them throughout the year and talking about what grows in certain seasons. We grow both food and flowers. We call the food we grow " our medicine" because the garden food makes our bodies and minds strong. we planted some warm weather crops last spring like basil, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, cucumbers, flowers and squash. The students will be amazed to see how the plants have grown. If kids are out on the playground, they can always come and enjoy the garden too and eat what is available. ​
We talk about the importance of eating healthy and the process of growing our own food. Nature is often brought into our classroom. We will have plants that sit at our tables to not only provide aesthetic value but also a closeness to nature while learning. We are reminded to sit up tall like the plants and every morning remind ourselves that we are thankful for our world.
Chi helped thin our spring garden with the kids. Each kid will be able to bring home a plant to plant at home. Thank you Chi.
Balance and Motion
Ms. Gilbert
In the Balance and Motion unit, the students learned about stable positions and counterweights and how they work together to keep things balanced. They explored with various shapes and practiced balancing them with counterweights. The students also made mobiles where stablibilty was necessary to keep them balanced as they hung in the classroom. They worked with motion as they built spinners (much like toy tops), zoomers, and twirlers. in addition they learned that linear motion is when an object is pushed or moved from one place to another in a straight line; whereas, rotational motion is when an object spins. The students experiemented with rotational motion with the twirlers and twirly birds that actually spun on their own! This was a very exciting unit that the students really enjoyed!
Second Grade Science
Our science units are Balance and Motion, Weather and Gardening, and Microhabitats.
We are now studying Microhabitats. In this unit, the students will explore and make microhabitats that have organisms, such as isopods, worms, plants and other mini-creatures. The students are loving this unit.