Staying Focused!

Students spend over 6 hours a day at school. Did you ever wonder how teacher's get students to stay focused and pay attention the whole time? What do you remember your teachers doing when you were a kid?

With all the new studies and technological advances, teachers have many options to help keep students focused and on track. Here are two things that we use in second grade!

The first one is called GoNoodle!

GoNoodle is a great website for "brain breaks". These brain breaks can be something as simple as breathing and stretching exercises, to something silly like singing and dancing. These brain breaks provide students with a little "break" from learning for their "brain" and time to get up and move and get out some of that extra energy! Here are some pictures of the students participating below:

The other resource we use is called calm classroom:

Calm classroom is being used in classroom across the country. This program used studies to learn that if students can learn to be calm and mindful, they can better focus on the activities being presented to them at school. Calm Classroom is providing students with skills to calm down, and focus on themselves first. It provides students with the ability to develop self-awareness, mental focus, and inter calm. Check out some calm classroom in action below:

Teacher's have different approaches to keeping students on task, and students prefer different "brain breaks" through out the day. So far this year, GoNoodle and Calm Classroom have helped keep students focused and on task! Ask your child which one is there favorite!

Naper-Settlement and MORE!

Happy Friday all!

Today the weather cooperated and we were able to visit Naper-settlement. This field trip provided students with the opportunity to see what life was like for Pioneers in the 1800's. It was a great background builder for our upcoming social studies and ELA units. Here are some pictures to highlight our trip!!!

The Mansion 

The students got to see an 1800th era mansion. They learned the history about this being one of the first homes in Naperville to have electricity! As well as the new homophone that was all the rage for entertainment at the time. They found it so interesting to see how they used an ice box for a fridge!

School

The students experienced a one room school house! They were able to see how students of all ages sat in ONE room and learned about reading, writing, and arithmetic. School has some very strict rules, AND students had to do their chores on the farm BEFORE they even went to school!

The Blacksmith

We got to see a blacksmith at work. He showed us how the blacksmith worked with their tools to make important things that people needed to work and live.

Log Houses

Students went into an actual log cabin to learn how families all lived in ONE room cabins!

Print Shop

Printing with a printer? Not in the 1800's! Students learned how printers had to piece together the newspaper... LETTER BY LETTER!

Other Naperville fun:

Also, when we returned, the students were able to watch Mr. Courington read a fantastic story, they loved it!!

LASTLY, I wanted to share some wonderful pictures from picture day! The students all looked their best, and since you have to wait a couple weeks for their actual picture, here are some fun group shots!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!!! See everyone Monday!

Changing Matter Fun!!!

In our science unit, we have been learning ALL ABOUT MATTER. Students have learned that matter is ALL around us, that matter has properties, and matter can be changed by reversible or irreversible changes. They have been participating in several hands on experiments to learn allllll about matter.

Yesterday we learned that matter can experience reversible changes meaning it could be returned to its original state, and irreversible which means it cannot be returned to it's original state.

Today was an exciting day, we got to experiment with crayons to see what happens when we apply heat, and what happens once it is cooled.

So first we started with crayons.

We talked all the properties of crayons:

colors

shape

texture

The we made predictions of what would happen when we put the crayon in a crock-pot!

After they made their predictions, the crayons went into the crock-pot for about 15 minutes.

Then they got to see the change that happened!

The students loved to see that the heat we applied to the crayon, caused it to melt, change from a solid to a liquid!

We then talked about what they thought would happen once the crayon wax cooled.

It was a great experiment for the kids to physically see the changes happening once the heat was applied.

Tomorrow they get experience another expirement with heat this time it will involve ice cubes and the sun! (of course if the weather cooperates!)

Thanks for stopping in!! =)