Gravity

We have been learning about gravity. Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward Earth. Today the students did our culminating activity. After writing what it would be like if gravity had no effect on them for one day, each student created a "gravity defying flying device" (better known as a paper airplane). Their goal was to create the best gravity defying flying device...the one that would go the farthest and stay in the air the longest before gravity forced it to the Earth. After creating their airplanes, we had a contest. Several of the students did quite an impressive job with their creations, showing creativity as well as being successful at sailing a long way. Ask your child to show you their gravity defying flying device and ask them about the other experiments we did. What happened when they dropped different objects (of different sizes and weights) at the same time? Which falls faster, a playground ball or a baseball? (answer: They hit the ground at the same time.)

Graphing Activity

On our first day back to school, we did a very fun graphing activity. (The idea came from CORE Academy...a workshop for teachers.) I had set up different graphing activities around the room, different ways to collect data. I modeled (showed how) to complete each activity then set the kids up around the room and had them complete each one. We are using them to create bar graphs and pictographs. Here are some photos of these darling second graders completing the activities. (The children really are so cute!)

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream: Strawberry, vanilla or chocolate. Write your name on a scoop of ice cream and add it to the pictograph. Chocolate had 12 votes, vanilla had 6 votes and strawberry only had 3.


What is your favorite color? Place a cube of that color on the correct index card. Blue was the most popular in our class. Look at that stack!


How many letters are in your first name? Color in the bar graph to show the number of letters.

Are you taller or shorter than the taped line? Measure and then add a link under taller or shorter. Most of us were taller.

Voting on favorite sports by putting name on a sticky note and adding to the chart. Soccer had the most votes. Seven children like soccer the most.

Favorite color again...red is in second place.

Long hair or short hair...put a cube in the correct side of the balance scale. Eighteen of us have short hair...only four have long hair.


What is your favorite season? Add a clip to the ribbon. Winter was the winner in our classroom!