French

ScienceSocial Studies

In science, we have been learning about the six simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wheel and axle, screw, wedge). Through experiments, activities in the classroom and at home (In School Scientists), students will understand how mechanisms or movement of these simple machines help make our lives in daily usage. In addition, they will develop a sense of why it is important to use the appropriate tools for a task (e.g., an electric sharpener or a manual sharpener to sharpen a pencil, a pair of

scissors or hand to cut a paper etc.)  

We have continued to study different celebrations around the world. This month we have learned about Holi, a Hindu celebration which is a festival of colours as well as a time to celebrate the beginning of spring. Students were able to watch a few videos on how Holi is being celebrated in some countries. They were also able to design a craft of two colourful hands to symbolize friendship, wishing a happy Holi to those who celebrate it! Another celebration that we covered was St. Patrick's Day. Students were able to listen to the story of that celebration and learn that it always takes place on the 17th of March. At that time, the Irish from Ireland or Scotland honour the death of Saint Patrick by wearing the colour green.  

-Check out our class website at http://www.chatt.hdsb.ca/~kansayisab/ - Details and focuses pertaining to French (words of the week, weekly songs, lessons), Social Studies and Science can be found on Mme Kansayisa’s website

During the month of March, students have been working on predictions (before, during and after) and reading the French story “Où est mon Canard”. During our class discussions about the story, we have been phrasing our sentences as follows: Je pense que le livre parle de…, je sais maintenant que le livre raconte l’histoire d’un…). By reading the story, students were also making text-to-self connections so as to relate the story, partially or completely, to an event that has happened in their personal life (Cette histoire me rappelle quand…).

In the next few weeks, the grade 2s will be working on Procedural Writing where they will be describing the step by step process on how to get ready for recess in the winter time. Below are the criteria that they will focus on in their writing process:

Capital letters at the beginning of all sentences and other punctuation. Transition words (en premier, ensuite, puis, après, enfin). Appropriate vocabulary that we covered in our clothing theme (ex. les bottes , les gants, les pantalons de neige, la tuque etc.) as well as other word wall vocabulary, state the purpose, make a list of all the necessary materials and number each step.

We have started conjugating the verbs AVOIR (to have) and ETRE (to be) as well as -er verbs in the present tense. Students will continue to practise conjugating these verbs using personal pronouns (Je, Tu, Il, Elle, On, Nous, Vous, Ils, Elles). They will also have fun conjugating these verbs with the class songs and games by the musician Jacquot.

DramaAs you are aware, students were introduced to the story of “The Three Pigs and the Wolf”. The story has 5 parts and each student has a role to play in each group. Starting this week, each group will practise in class and be able to perform the story in front of the class. They will be evaluated based on their presentation and other elements used when acting such as voice, gestures, expressions, clarity etc…).

French Reminders

Class Newsletter - UPDATES March 2015

English LiteracyThe past couple months have just flew by! Students were busy working on descriptive pieces of writing about food and people, using their knowledge of adjectives and ‘juicy words’. We also practiced visualizing while reading various texts. Visualizing helps readers create images in their minds that reflect ideas in a text. We often use our five senses to visualize, which helps to enhance our understanding of the text. We have now begun to make inferences when reading texts in class. When students make inferences they use clues from the story (e.g., pictures, words, characters actions) to draw conclusions. Making inferences is a great comprehension strategy and can be used at home when reading picture books or chapter books. Try making inferences about how a character is feeling, or why a character may have acted in a certain way. Here are a few other ways to begin when making inferences about a text:- The story said ___ which made me think …- I think ___ will happen because …- When I read the part about ___ it made me realize …- I can tell ___ is ___ because …We have also begun procedural writing in which students have been writing about the materials and steps (method) required for various activities. Transition words (e.g., First, Then, Next, After that, Finally, etc.), which were introduced with retell writing, are also an important component of procedural writing. We have done many fun activities in class to practice procedural writing such as making peach juice and Koolaid play-doh! You can find the recipe for the play-doh we made in class on our class website! Beginning soon, students will practice persuasive writing in the form of letter writing! We will also be focusing on oral presentation skills throughout Term 2!

MathStudents are beginning to learn about two-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping! We refer to regrouping as giving or borrowing from the ‘neighbour’. Students will use their knowledge of place value to understand that we must first add or subtract the ones column before adding and subtracting the tens column. We will also continue to practice our mental math skills in class! We wrapped up 2D shapes and symmetry before the break, and are now moving onto 3D shapes. Look for Math Review duotangs coming home in the next couple of weeks before our 3D shapes assessment! After we complete our Geometry (shapes) Unit we will be moving into linear measurement. Students will be learning about non-standard (e.g., a hand, piece of paper, string, paperclip, eraser) and standard units of measurement such as centimetres (cm) and metres (m), and will be expected to know how to measure the length, width, area, and perimeter of certain objects.

English Reminders

- Check out our class websites at http://www.chatt.hdsb.ca/~macdonaldch/ - English spelling lists and math practice pages are posted weekly on Mrs. MacDonald’s class website. Also check out our class anchor charts by clicking on ‘What We’re Learning’.- Shared Reading duotangs will continue to be sent home every Monday. Students are expected to practice both their French and English poem at home and record them on the log page before returning the duotang to school. Shared Reading duotangs are due on Fridays.- Students choose a new levelled book and work towards earning book beads as part of our Home Reading Program every Monday. Students are asked to return their levelled book and Home Reading Log to school every Monday in order to choose a new levelled text. A book bead is awarded for every 3 books students read at home. Students should also continue to access Raz Kids and BookFlix at home! - Students are also encouraged to log into Dreambox and practice their math skills each week!