The second graders have explored so many concepts in only a few weeks and have almost completed an entire unit on Counting, Coins, and Combinations.  They continue to work daily in their math journals, individually figuring out the best strategy for solving the problem of the day and then sharing collectively as a whole class. Much of our focus and discussion is looking closely at a problem and showing the many different strategies used to solve problems.  Some show their thinking through drawings, or counting on fingers, while others use equations or a variety of ways to show their mathematical reasoning. Everyday we are expanding our minds and learning from one another.  The children are also beginning to build their mathematical language as they share their thinking with their classmates, using words like equation, strategy, and addend. We will continue to add words to our Math word wall and use this language both orally and in our written work to communicate our mathematical thinking.

                                                               

We have begun our year log service project by observing and counting birds.  We  recorded the number of  birds we saw right here in our Parker backyard.  As you can see in the pictures, the children were focused, motivated and stayed as quiet as possible, as good bird watchers do, to not frighten any birds away.  We will keep track each month and graph our results back in our math classroom.

Recording data

We spotted a nest!

Sharing observations!

The children have enjoyed learning and exploring math concepts though a variety of games. Games engage students in many ways, but it is only through the repeated experience of playing a game that they begin to grasp some of the important ideas and skills embodied in the game. Her are some of the games we've been playing the past few weeks.

Collect 25 cents is a game that involves counting and working with coin equivalences. Through this game, students learn to identify and count coins. They are also learning about and using coin equivalences by "trading." For example if I have seven pennies and roll 4 and take 4 more pennies, I can trade my 10 pennies for 1 dime. The more often the students play this game and have opportunities to work with and discuss coins and trading, the more they will understand and use coin equivalences. At times, this can be challenging, but these bright mathematicians persevere even through the most challenging problems!

The second graders have also been learning about combinations of 10 through the games Make 10 and Tens Go Fish. In the game Make 10, players take turns finding a two- addend combination of 10 in a 4 x 5 array of cards and recording a matching equation. 

In Tens Go Fish, similar to the classic game Go Fish, the object of the game is to find pairs of cards that when added together make 10.  At the end of the game, each player makes a list of the combinations of ten that he or she made.

These motivated mathematicians are learning and having fun and that is the best combination! ;)

With the lovely season of Fall upon us, we decided to make our first Fall craft using "apple slices" to represent a number in different ways.  First they chose a number, and wrote that number on the "stem" of the apple.  Then they divided their apple into five parts.  Each part represented the number in a different way: word form, pictures, and the answer to an addition or subtraction problem.  Then they cut apart each of their slices and placed them in a basket.  The baskets were switched with one from another table.  The challenge was to work together to piece the apples back together!  The children worked really well together! See them in action!

Working through it!

Almost done!

"46" Anyway You Slice it!