Monday, April 16, 2007

2nd Grade Activities: Week 31

(Some of these activities took place during vacation.)

RELIGION: daily prayer; review questions and prayers in preparation for 1st Communion; attend Mass.

MATH: mental math, simple addition, word problems; read and solve problems with tally chart; number pages in books.

PHONICS: Explode the Code 4: read and answer questions containing two and three-syllable words and vowel diagraphs; learn rules about breaking syllables.

READING/SPELLING: reading in Phonics, and Math study; read signs, comics, websites, books; IM and email with Dad.

READING: read Indian fables (Jataka tales) from the Baldwin Project:

HANDWRITING: write grocery lists, forms, number pages in books, write answers in math book.

CREATIVE WRITING: plan to write a book about ancient Greek characters going on a long boat journey; make a list of characters; work on development of the story line.

SCIENCE/NATURE: Observation and care of fish, ants; collect leaves and flowers; watch nature videos; illustrate folk tale books with animals.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Chinese class: review Pinyin tones and pronunciation; practice speaking and writing Chinese characters; learn about and look at photos of the Great Wall of China; attend Spanish story time, watch cartoons in Spanish.

ART: attend discoveries in art class, cut assorted paper in various shapes and make a collage; attend egg decorating class; draw and color; color small wooden birds with markers; make and illustrate 4 books, each containing a short Indian fable printed from the Baldwin Project; make a marshmallow bunny; illustrate the book: Super Squirrel (no words); draw favorite animals and mythological characters from Fantasia.

MUSIC: listen to classical and contemporary music; attend choral services for Holy Week and Easter; follow and sing some chant; sing made-up songs; play on the keyboard.

P.E.: park and back yard time; play with dogs at the dog park.

READ ALOUD: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl; The Cobble Street Cousins: In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen, Cynthia Rylant.

HISTORY: Read from The Story of the World I: Ancient India: the good emperor Asoka and Jakata tales; Chinese calligraphy; the first Chinese emperor and the Great Wall: look up pictures of the Clay warriors of China found in the tomb of Shi Huangdi:
http://www.anniebees.com/China/China_42.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01780/chinese-carving/terracotta.htm
http://www.romartraveler.com/RomarPages/XIAN.html

Read about: Confucius; Julius Caesar; Augustus Caesar; Jesus and Christianity; Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; Nero; Christians in the Roman empire; Constantine; Barbarians and the fall of Rome; the significance of the Roman empire.

GEOGRAPHY: locate the various places we read about in The Story of the World and nature videos on map/globe; look through the Eyewitness Book: Ancient China.