Second Graders Learn to Research

Research:
v. 'to study thoroughly.'
n. ' scholarly investigation; close, careful study.'

Over the last few weeks my second graders have been learning what it means to 'research', thanks to the help of dedicated parent involvement and high-interest topics.It all started with a visit from a father of one of my students who is a park ranger. He brought in animal pelts and other hands-on learning tools to spark the interest of my students.'Ranger Pat' did an awesome job of sharing valuable information with a fun, interactive presentation that catapulted us into the research zone!

After that, each student chose an animal they wanted to study.The ground rules for this in-class project were simple...

1. Read everything you can find about your chosen animal.

2.Name and classify your animal; whether it be a vertebrate or invertebrate, warm-blooded or cold, along with other defining characteristics.

3. Make a poster that shares at least four facts you've learned as you've researched, with either a photo or drawing of your animal.

4.Finally, share what you've learned with the class!

Suddenly every library visit and computer lab lesson became another opportunity to learn more about animals. Even 'Friday Freetime' transformed into 'animal research study hall'! The kids were actually begging for more time to work!

When the class returns from winter break next Monday they will pick up where they left off and continue this project through the month of January. propelled by a natural, high-interest motivational topic: THE STUDY OF ANIMALS!

LIFE CYCLES

We just wrapped our unit on Plant Life Cycles. We learned that a plant's life cycle describes how long a plant lives or how long it takes to grow, flower, and set seed. While plant life cycles are continuous, the study of a plant life cycle begins with the seed. (Though we introduced the seed as a plant part that can grow into a new plant, it is important that children understand that plants can also grow from cuttings, bulbs, tuber pieces, or runners.) Some seeds have an outer layer called a seed coat, which provides protection and nourishment for the baby plant inside. When a seed germinates, a small root begins to grow downward and a shoot grows upward. When the shoot breaks the surface, the plant is called a sprout. The sprout uses water and nutrients from the soil along with sunlight and air to grow and change into a seedling. It's been a joy to watch your children learn about plants. I was amazed by their excitement when we planted the lima bean seeds and watched them sprout! How wonderful to find joy in the simple yet profound gifts of nature. May we always be amazed!