I try to imagine what's going on under that soil. Are our seeds alive and growing? Every morning we hurry out of bed and check to see if anything has sprouted. But days go by and still our garden looks like an empty patch of brown.
Worms are a special part of the food chain. When plants die, they fall to the ground and begin to rot. The worms eat the rotting plants. As the worms tunnel around, they leave digested plant matter behind in the soil. The digested plant matter returns important nutrients to the soil. The worms also loosen up the soil as they tunnel. Then water and air get down to the plants' roots more easily. Worms help the plants grow.
Ecology is the study of all the living things in one area, or environment, and how the relate to teach other. The word "ecology" comes from the Greek word oikos, which means "house" or "home." Any living thing's environment is its home.
Bottle 1 – Transportation theme
Contains 5 wooden vehicles
- 3 cars/trucks, one red, one yellow and one blue
Bottle 2 – Shapes theme
- 2 airplanes, one red and one yellow
Contains 6 wooden shapes
- 2 circles, one red and one green
- 2 squares, one red and one green
Bottle 3 – Mixed set
- 2 triangles, one red and one green
Contains 6 wooden shapes
- 2 circles, one red and one green
- 2 squares, one red and one green
Contains 5 wooden vehicles
- 2 triangles, one red and one green
- 3 cars/trucks, one red, one yellow and one blue
Contains 1 red wooden horse
- 2 airplanes, one red and one yellow
Bottle 4 – LEGO theme
Contains 5 LEGO blocks
- 3 large blocks, one gray, one black, one white
- 2 small blocks, one gray and one red
*This book is perfect for learning about fractions as well as learning a little about polar bears. Which I think makes it fun! The book follows two polar bears who were abandoned by their mother. The author provides great pictures for students to be engaged while reading independently or whole group. The book begins with defining fractions and then moves into comparing fractions. All concepts are tied to the polar bears and what they are doing!
Full House: An Invitation to Fractions. By Dayle Ann Dodds. Illustrated by Abby Carter. (2009). 32p. Candlewick. (978-0763641306). Gr. 1-4.
| In this book, Caren Holtzman [Hello Math Reader, Level 3] recounts in verse how a young boy spends the quarter he got from the Tooth Fairy for his tooth. He first buys a monster for his quarter but then decides it wasn't quite right and returns it, getting 2 dimes and 1 nickel back. Each time he buys and returns an item, he gets his 25 cents back in a different combination of coins, making this book an excellent introduction to the problem of how many different ways students can make 25 cents. |
| In this book, Amy Axelrod tells how the hungry pig family finds an empty refrigerator and then decide to hunt all over the house for money. After finding different amounts of money, they drive to their favorite restaurant, Enchanted Enchilada, and order 4 daily specials from the menu. |
In this book, Trudy Harris describes how Jenny saves different values of coins to make a special purchase that costs one dollar. But even when she has the correct amount, will she be able to buy her item? There's a real life lesson in the story and is a great resource to pave the way towards financial responsibility.
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In this book you will find large, clear photographs of money that instruct students in coin denominations, grouping, and counting. This book is valuable as an introductory lesson on money.
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| Nathan Zimelman takes a humorous look at a second grade fund raising project and the many adventures and misadventures along the way. What better way to slip in the concept of money to a second grade class than with a book exclusively about second graders raising money. |
Stuart Murphy explores the world of money when Jessie want to have her face painted at the school fair. However, it costs 50 cents and she only has 39 cents. Therefore, she hangs out at the "leave a penny, take a penny" penny pot to gather additional change until she has enough.
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Here are some fun websites that "coin"cide with teaching money in second grade.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm This site provides ten different games on money, from verifying the amount, comparing, and matching.
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http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/games/ This site provides some dynamic, educational video games while teaching important money skills, such as "Peter Pig's Money Counter".
http://www.hbschool.com/activity/counting_money/ This site reinforces basic money counting skills by totaling the value of the shown coins correctly to fill in the box.
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http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/money.html This site provides six different money games - like paying for bus fare, running a lemonade stand, and shopping.
Here is an additional site for fun facts about money. It can help bring in a history element to the learning process. http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/moneyville/pop5.htm
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