COMPUTERS - Mr. Friedman

Second grade students started the year by being introduced to the new lower school technology lab. To reinforce proper Internet usage, the children were also presented with the lab’s Internet AUP, Acceptable Use Policy, which the students read and signed after a thorough explanation. Many exciting and enriching learning activities took place in the lab this semester. The program, Hyper Studio, was used to create multimedia slides that focused on the topic, All About Me. The children thoroughly enjoyed using this program, which allowed them to incorporate text, sound and graphics. The student’s improved their keyboarding skills by using the highly animated typing program, Kid Keys 2.0. This program allows the children to enhance their letter recognition skills by using the keyboard to complete various multimedia typing activities. Using our web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer, the students completed an Internet scavenger hunt about Thanksgiving. To introduce the children to Microsoft Word, the students completed an editing and formatting tutorial that allowed for the development of word processing skills. To support the mathematics curriculum the children used the program Mighty Math Zoo Zillions to practice their addition and subtraction skills. The students also contributed to the winter concert by creating program covers with the program Kid Pix Deluxe 3.0.

French - Ms. Flippo

Second grade began the year by learning the French alphabet through the French version of the “ABC Song” and spelled their full name aloud in French for assessment. The students learned the names for various parts of the body and did several activities (song, game and labeling exercise) for practice. They learned numbers zero through twenty and how to apply these numbers in simple mathematical computations. The students then constructed a small book that incorporated the vocabulary for the parts of the body and the numbers in eight French phrases. They finished out the semester by watching a video of Babar entirely in French and answering written questions based on the video for assessment.

MUSIC - Mrs. Wilson

This semester second grade students practiced sight singing and notation skills using the Kodaly method. Utilizing their new music text, Share the Music, students sang seasonal, folk and multicultural songs. During September, students studied and sang songs of our American heritage. Second graders also studied families of instruments and solo orchestral instruments and they listened to a variety of orchestral works such as Grieg’s, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Mozart’s, Sleigh Ride and Tchaikovsky’s, Nutcracker Suite. As they practiced choral pieces for the December Winter Concert, second graders honed their sight-reading, pitch, and rhythm skills while practicing diction, timbre and good posture. In the music lab, the software program, Music Ace, reinforced note reading, listening skills, the piano keyboard, treble and bass clefs, and half and whole steps. Using Music Ace, the students also composed original compositions. Motor and social skills were developed through creative movement and square dancing.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Mr. Speers

A new format was incorporated into the second grade physical education program at the start of the school year. All three classes have physical education at the same time with different instructors and in three different locations. In the old gym, one class participated in a physical fitness unit. The goal of this unit is to help the student develop better lifetime fitness skills that in turn help the student realize that exercise is fun and necessary for a healthy body. The second class divided its time between the new gym and the fields outside. Foot and eye coordination was emphasized through the practice of soccer skills such as dribbling, passing, trapping and shooting on goal. The third class met in the new gym where eye and hand coordination were emphasized through the practice of Pillo-Polo skills such as stick handling, dribbling, passing and shooting. During the course of the semester, each second grade class rotated through all three locations. Students practiced developing proficient locomotive movement, manipulative skills, body control, space awareness, rhythm movement, perceptual-motor development and learned skill development at each location. All learned skills were taught through repetitive drills, partner games, low-organizational games and cooperative games. Greater emphasis was placed on students working together as a group in game situations where good sportsmanship and teamwork are encouraged. Importance was also placed on listening, following directions and cooperation.

SCIENCE - Mr. Young

We began this semester learning about insects, their habitats and their many adaptations. Each child dissected a large grasshopper in order to study its body parts. Living insects were also used in some of our laboratory investigations on food and habitat preferences. While students were learning about insects in science, they were working on an art project on insects. They also visited the Insectarium in Philadelphia. Several insect videos were shown and students had the opportunity to investigate insects on the CD-ROM, The House is Bugged. Students were challenged to find insects in various rooms of a house and then learn all about them by clicking on the notebook, microscope, scientist or activity box portions of the program. They were later asked to use the program to find specific answers to written questions.