It was so great to come back from the break to a group of super-enthusiastic 2nd graders! They all seemed well-rested and ready to get back to work. That is great, because we have lots to do!
We are finishing up learning about animal structures, and each student is completing a cartoon about starring him or her self as a superhero with a particular animal’s adaptation. They are also making Trading Cards about their superheroes.
I wanted to get in some more problem-solving before GT report cards go out (next week), and found a neat activity online called, “Mystery Math Superheroes.” The students had to solve some math equations to determine how to color in a grid. If colored in correctly, they would reveal a superhero. What I liked about this activity was that the students could choose what level of math they wanted to tackle. Several of them chose the multiplication. Next week, I might throw in some division for the students that found the multiplication too easy!
In addition, the students got to do some visual thinking with a Tangrams app that our class is beta testing for a company called Tangible Play. The company sent us a free stand for the iPad, plus tangram shapes, letters, and a special mirror that goes on the iPad camera. When you set up the iPad on the stand, you can do the tangrams in front of it on the table, and the app lets you know if you have the shapes in the right place. The students gave great feedback that I will share with the developers for improving the app. What’s more important is that every pair of students seemed to enjoy the challenge, and worked through the tough parts. Great way to show perseverance!