In 2nd Grade our Universal Theme is STRUCTURES.  We will look at how the big ideas of Structure connects to our life.  There is a structure to the houses we live in, the trees we climb on, the water we drink.  There is also a structure to how our school runs, the laws of our land, and our number system. Structure is everywhere.

The kids learned about the Big Ideas of Structure and drew images that connected to each idea.

We also jumped into learning details about the square and how it connects to our Big Ideas of structure.

In learning about squares we wondered which number of tiles could build a square.  The 2nd graders would choose a number and attempt to build it in the shape of a square using color tiles.  This launched us into learning about Square Numbers and multiplication.

From squares we launched into a natural structure, crystals.  We watched a Brainpop on crystals and the children took notes using our Depth and Complexity icons.

We followed our Brainpop video up with a chance to grow crystal snowflakes.  We used Borax, pipe cleaners, and boiling water.  The 2nd graders learned a new language of the discipline: Saturation Point as we grew our crystals.

After growing our crystals we explored how different crystals have different structures. The second graders studied three substances using our Jewlers’ Loupes and recorded what they observed.  They learned the 3 crystals they studied were actually ones we eat: Table Salt, Sugar, and Kosher Salt.  After their observations they used our Zome kit to build the crystal lattice of a salt crystal.

The second graders were interested in what made salt different from sugar, so we talked about how all things are made up of a combination of elements.  I showed the periodic table and we talked about which elements made salt and sugar.  One of our classmates shared that they knew what elements made water, so we added that to our learning as well.  Next week we will explore the water molecule in more detail.