Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all of my students and their families! We have had a wonderful first semester. I'm looking forward to what is in store second semester.

Next week we will be finishing our math unit (Numbers and Operations-addition and subtraction with regrouping, word problems, mental math, estimation) and also finishing our Animal expert books.

Our holiday party will be on Wednesday, December 22nd. Thank you to the parents who volunteered to send in treats!

Winter Break dates: December 23-January 4

I will see everyone back on January 5, 2011.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful to have a wonderful group of students this year. I can't believe we only have a few more weeks left this semester. The school year is flying by! Stay tuned for new skills next week.

Enjoy the break with your families!

Centers Nov. 8-12

ABC Order http://www.roythezebra.com/reading-games/alphabetical-order-1.html

Parts of a book http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/match/term/draggeneric.asp?filename=jwildepartsofbook1

Plural noun game http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/language_arts/goforgold/content_builder/dswmedia/g2c8/nadia.htm

Beginning digraphs http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade2_3/pg_128/begin_dia.htm

Between the Lions http://pbskids.org/lions/stories/

Week of November 8th

Skills for this week:
Math-We are beginning of next unit in math. We will focus on addition with regrouping (2 and 3 digits) this week, as well as addition word problems.

SS-We are finishing up a play this week on Oglethorpe, Tomochichi, and Musgrove. We will also talk about trading this week.

ELA-Using illustrations, charts, diagrams, and graphs to help understand information in nonfiction books; irregular plural nouns; beginning research for an animal book

Centers November 1-5

Contractions http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/flyby/flyby1.htm

Fact or Opinion? http://www.quia.com/jq/24723.html

Listen to a story online http://www.storylineonline.net/

Week of November 1st

Math-We will continue our data unit this week. We will complete a graphing project.

Social Studies-We will continue learning about Mary Musgrove, Tomochichi, and James Oglethorpe.

ELA-Title, table of contents, glossary, index, chapter headings, ABC order, plural nouns

Centers Oct. 25-29

Common nouns and proper nouns http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/basketball/index.html

Grammar Gold game-proper nouns http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/trophies/go_for_gold/content_builder/dswmedia/g2_prop_nouns/nadia.htm

Types of sentences http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/trophies/go_for_gold/content_builder/dswmedia/g2_exclaim_command/nadia.htm

StoryLine Online http://www.storylineonline.net/

October 25-29

Math: We will be starting our Data unit this week. We will focus on interpreting and creating bar graphs, pictographs, Venn diagrams, and picture graphs.

Social Studies: We will be learning about the contributions of James Oglethorpe, Mary Musgrove, and Tomochichi.

ELA: We will be starting our Informational unit this week. We will begin exploring different nonfiction books. We will learn about using context clues, fact vs. opinion, and proper nouns.

Coming next week (October 18th)

Math: telling time, reading a thermometer
We will be taking our end of unit test next week.

Science: the Moon

ELA: We will be working on a final writing project next week to wrap up on Narrative unit. Our topic will be "A Time I Got Hurt." The students will move through the writing process to complete a final draft.

Centers for the week of Oct. 11th

Sight Word practice http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade_k_1/high_fre/hifreq1.htm

Compound Word matching http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/games/compound_words.jsp

Between the Lions http://pbskids.org/lions/

Week of October 11th

This week's skills:
Math-We will continue measurement. We will also practice telling time. This is an important skill that can be practiced at home!

Science-the Sun

ELA-We will be practicing going through the writing process this week by writing about a time the students were surprised. We will brainstorm, write a rough draft, edit, and write final drafts this week.

Centers for next week

Contraction Treasure Chest game http://www.primarygames.com/contractions/start.htm

Contraction Matching http://www.quia.com/mc/86241.html

Sentence Clubhouse http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/clubhouse/index_pre.html

For the week of October 4

I can't believe it is October already! We are enjoy the cooler fall weather! We have been in 2nd grade for 29 days now...wow!

Our skills for next week:
Math-We will be starting our Measurement unit. We will focus on standard measurements next week (inch, foot, centimeter, and meter). We will practice estimating and measuring with rulers.

Science-We will continue to learn about stars. Ask your child about their Constellation creation today.

ELA-Next week we will be doing a project to wrap up our practice with character, setting, beginning, middle, and end. The students will be creating a mobile or a flip book to highlight these parts of a story.
We will also be learning about contractions.

Center activities for Sept. 27

Compound Word Match http://www.quia.com/mc/87086.html

Compound Word http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/match/dragflip.asp?filename=kderittecompound

Singular or Plural? http://www.roythezebra.com/reading-games/singular-or-plural-1.html

Listening to a story online http://www.storylineonline.net/

Week of September 27th

We are having a great time in second grade. The kids are learning a lot! We have introduced some new technology in our classroom this week. We have been using Elmo, which is a document camera. Ask your kids about it! The kids are getting excited for fall and October. The lobby of our school was decorated this week to help get everyone in the fall spirit!

We will be learning and practicing the following skills next week...
Math-inequalities (greater than/less than) and reviewing place value and addition and subtraction without regrouping

We will have a math test over our first unit on Thursday and Friday. Look out for a study guide coming home for homework.

Science-We will begin our first Science unit this week, it will be about Stars. This week we will learn about constellations.

ELA-compound words, reviewing beginning, middle, end and problem/solution, plural nouns (this week just focusing on adding s or es to nouns to make them plural)

Center activities

Choose one of these websites for centers this week.

Listen to a story online http://www.storylineonline.net/

Play a synonym game http://pbskids.org/lions/games/synsam.html

Word Frog Synonyms http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/frog/frog.html

Coming up

We are now at day 19 of second grade! Wow!

Next week's skills:
Math-addition with 2 digit numbers (no regrouping), solving word problems, using the inverse to check out work, double facts (1+1, 2+2, etc.)

Social Studies-continuing with landforms; identifying symbols of GA; discussing our city, state, country, continent

Reading/Language Arts-antonyms, characters, setting, problem/solution, how to brainstorm before writing

Coming up for the week of Sept. 13, 2010

We are continuing to work hard in 2nd grade. Next week we will be learning and practicing the following:

Math: Place value (standard form, word form, drawing a picture, expanded form) and solving word problems with 2 digit numbers (no regrouping yet)

Social Studies: Georgia's landforms and regions

Reading/Language Arts: identifying characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of a story; synonyms (words that mean the same); telling sentences and commanding sentences; brainstorming things to write about

Coming up next week

Mrs. Mullinax's class has had 2 full weeks of second grade so far. We are getting used to 2nd grade routines and responsibilities.

Next week we will be learning and practicing the following skills:
Math: Place value (standard form, picture form, word form) of thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones
Social Studies: Land forms in GA (hill, mountain, valley, plateau, river) and using maps/map keys
Reading/Language Arts: Main idea and details of a story

We have a full week ahead and are looking forward to it! Stayed tuned each week for an update from our classroom.

First week

Mrs. Mullinax's class had a great first week of 2nd grade! We learned about each other, made rules for our class, read many fun books, and did many activities. We are looking forward to continuing our learning next week.

Back to school!

Tomorrow is the first day of school! I had a great time meeting most of my new students on Friday and I'm looking forward to a great year! Be on the look out for updated links, pictures, and informtion.

Computer lab

Subject/verb agreement game:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/sentencebasics/verbsubjectagreement/game.shtml

Center websites

Sight word practice
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade_k_1/high_fre/hifreq1.htm

Homophone Matching game
http://www.quia.com/mc/1055.html

Parts of a Letter
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/trophies/writing_detective/WD_E_2_2.HTM

Sentence Grammar Blast!
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/trophies/writing_detective/WD_E_2_2.HTM

Grammar Blast-capitalization and punctuation
http://www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/hme-quiz-directions.cgi?Grade=2&Unit=9&Topic=More+Capitalization+and+Punctuation

Homographs
http://www.quia.com/cb/6344.html

Read Across America

Today is Read Across America Day to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. We enjoyed a guest reader from Coke this morning! We also enjoyed listening to Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss. During computer lab we had time to explore Dr. Seuss's website http://www.drseuss.com
There are fun games to play and activities to print!

We are having a great reading day in our PJs watching the snow!

Happy Groundhog's Day

Feb. 2nd is Groundhog's Day. Yesterday we made predictions about whether the groundhog would see his shadow. Two students predicted yes, 13 students predicted no.

Today, General Lee (GA's famous groundhog) did not see his shadow meaning spring will come early!

The famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow which means 6 more weeks of winter.

We think we will go by General Lee!

http://www.blippitt.com/punxsutawney-phil-2010-did-the-groundhog-see-his-shadow-video
http://www.listown.com/group/general-lee-groundhog-day-2010-9813

Pronouns games

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/sea_park/index_pre.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/interestsentences/pronouns/game.shtml

New year!

Welcome back! Can you believe it is 2010? We are very excited to keep learning lots in 2nd grade. Here's an update about what we are learning...

Math-We are continuing with multiplication and division. We are also having addition tests that are timed each day. Some students will be bringing home flashcards to practice their addition facts. Please work on these nightly.

Reading-We are working in reading groups daily to practice strategies and comprehension. Keep reading at home!

Language Arts-We are working on writing friendly letters. Students can write letter at home to friends or family for practice.

Social Studies-We will be learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson starting this week.