Performing Fables

During the month of January, we have been studying the reading genre of Traditional Literature-Folktales and Fables.  We are learning both fables and folktales are stories passed down orally throughout the years.  We are also learning how fables and folktales are very different.  A fable is much shorter than a folktale, and the moral/lesson is explicitly stated.  Last week we conducted Reader's Theater Groups, and the class was broken into four small groups and each group was given an Aesop Fable.  After reading the fable and discussing the moral/lesson of the story, the students were asked to 'perform' the fable for the class!   This is where the student's innovation soared!   First, the students were asked to transform a story (not written as a play) into a format which could be acted out. Secondly, the students created simple props and costumes to 'add' to their performance. Thirdly, the students were asked to explain the moral of the story in their own words. The fables performed are: The Lion and the Mouse Belling the Cat The Dog and His Shadow The Sun and the Wind
Please click on the links below to see the performances! Great job Boys and Girls!

Building Stronger 'Word Choice' in Our Writing!

As we wrote our "I Know a Winter Day Poems", we focused on making our writing stronger with interesting word choice.   We studied alliteration and simile, as techniques to make our writing more engaging for the reader.   We learned alliteration means constructing sentences where more than one word has the same beginning sound.  An example of alliteration is the tongue twister-Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.  After we learned about alliteration, we practiced writing sentences starting with a winter verb and used alliteration to expand our thinking. Next we learned about simile.  A simile is when a comparison is made with the word 'like' or 'as'.  To practice simile, we started with a winter verb and completed our thought with a simile.  The real challenge came when we were asked to write with both alliteration and simile in our winter poems.  Our .G.R.I.T. paid off.....
I Know a Winter Day
By Connor 
I know a winter day,
Throwing a big snowball like a rough football player,
Sledding as fast as a speeding car,
Rubbing in the snow like a snow angel.
I know a winter day,
Snowboarding like a penguin sliding on its belly,
Making a silly snowman as funny as a clown.
I know a winter day!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Know a Winter Day
By Sadie 
I know a winter day,
Skating along the ice as fast as a jet,
Sipping hot chocolate as hot as the fire,
Feeling colder than the snow.
I know a winter day,
Sledding down steep piles of snow making the ride feel as bumpy as a toad,
Watching the snow fall like a white curtain closing.
I know a winter day! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Know a Winter Day
By Miles
I know a winter day,
Hurdling over high snow piles like a football player,
Throwing soft snowballs at John like a baseball player,
Building a fantastic snow fort as big as a house.
I know a winter day,
Climbing crunchy snow banks as big as a rock wall,
Sledding on a slippery hill as smooth as ice.
I know a winter day! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I Know a Winter Day
By Sasa 
I know a winter day,
Warming by the fiery flames that look like the sun on a hot day,
Skiing down the black diamond at Mount Snow like a penguin on its 
tummy,
Drinking warm, creamy hot cocoa that feels like a warm bath…yummy!
I know a winter day,
Playing on the smooth, shiny, slippery ice;  like an owl that can’t fly,
Falling asleep after a long fun day like a baby penguin that is tired of 
learning how to fish.
I know a winter day! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Know a Winter Day
By Tristan 
I know a winter day,
Stomping on the slippery ice slapping snowballs while sledding down a hill 
as fast as a snowmobile,
Slipping on the slippery ice as the snow is coming down-slipping, slipping, 
slipping, on the super slippery ice like a penguin falling all around,
Diving in the snow as deep as it can be-making snow angels deep, deep, deep 
falling on the ground like a snowflake.
I know a winter day,
Building big igloos-big, big, big-breaking piles of snow rolling like a 
boulder,
Jumping in piles of snow while telling jokes-joking all around and stomping like 
an angry bear!
I know a winter day!
We have been waiting for some snow so we can take our  'winter pictures' to hang with our 'Winter Day Poems'.  Sunday's nights snowfall will help!  All of our poems should be up very soon!  

Thank You 'Change is Simple'!

On January 8, Green Topsfield brought the 'Change is Simple Program' to the second graders in our class.  
Mission Statement of the Change is Simple Program: The Change is Simple mission is to instill environmental and social responsibility in our communities through environmental and sustainability education. By educating individuals on the cumulative impacts of their choices, we seek to inspire and empower others to protect our future.
Why are bees important to our environment?

Change is Simple came to teach our second grade class about bees and their important job as pollinators in our environment.  We learned all kinds of interesting facts!  For example there are 20,000 different types of bees!  Our lesson focused on the five bees most common to our area such as the Honey bee, Carpenter bee, Bumble bee, Squash bee, and Sweat bee.  

With the use of an IPAD and a special magnifying glass, we were able to see specimens of bees up close.

Wow....the bee has little hairs on its body!

We learned how different types of bees pollinate different plants.  We even learned how using pesticides can harm bees. After ingesting pesticides, the pesticides make the bees dizzy, which makes it really hard for them to pollinate plants.  As an example, our new friends brought in special goggles which simulate a bees vision after ingesting pesticides.  Using pesticides make it difficult for a bee to do their job!

It's hard to see!

Our new friends teach us about the five common bees in our area!

Searching for the plants they pollinate (Trevor as a bumble bee and Sasa as a squash bee)

Getting ready!

We also had the chance to sort foods a bee does and does not pollinate.  We were surprised how some foods we didn’t think would be pollinated by bees are, and vice versa!  Bees have a very important job in our environment.

At the close of the program, our new friends had us share in our strongest voices....

Change is Simple!

Thank you Green Topsfield for bringing this program to the second graders at Steward School.

Holly Jolly Holiday Party!

Many thanks are sent to our room mom's for organizing a wonderful holiday party!  The children had a fabulous time!  Thank you to all the parents for helping out and donating food and beverages. Here are some photos:

Sasa, Sofia, Keira, and Seri are so excited for the book swap!

Connor, Miles, and Tristan are loving their new books!

Trevor, Laney, and Haydon enjoying holiday crafts!

Seri and Mom making a holiday ornament!

Miles and Mom enjoying holiday fun!

Keira and Tristan-innovation at work!

Sadie and Alexander playing the candy cane game!

Candy cane fun!

Yummy Treats

Sofia showing creativity!

It's Granuaile under that hat-enjoying holiday fun!

A fun time was had by all!