Writing Workshop:

     Writers will be working on opinion writing by writing letters to a familiar person on why they should read a certain book.  Students are using characters, imagery, lessons learned, and favorite parts to explain why or why not a book is worth reading.

Helpful Tips for Parents:

• Encourage your child to reread his/her writing.
• Ask your child if they checked for capitalization at the beginning of their sentences and ended in punctuation.

Social Studies:

     We will continue learning about how New York City has changed over time. Students will learn how and why communities change over time, what influences the changes, and what New York City looked like in the past. Students will use historical thinking, vocabulary, and tools such as timelines.

Math Workshop:

     Mathematicians are working on solving problems with larger numbers using place value strategies.  Students will be able to break numbers apart looking for hundreds, tens, and ones and then adding or subtracting using those place values.

Helpful Tips for Parents:

• Have your child count and sort items at home.  As they're sorting, talk about how many are there of each item, and which is the most and the least.  Make it fun!!
• Find a group of objects and sort them into groups by categories, ask your mathematician to figure out the rule you used to help you sort them.

Science:

     Second graders will be continuing their study into Balance and Motion.  Students will be constructing toys that demonstrate spinning and discover different ways to produce rotational motion. They will explore variables that influence the spinning of tops, zoomers, and twirlers.

     Students will also learn about force-a push or a pull-which is needed to initiate rotational motion in objects and systems. Start observing how things move and see if your child can identify the type of force that initiated the motion. Was it a push or a pull?