Guest Storyteller: Buddy the Frog!

On November 25, the second graders met a puppeteer from Brazil named Juan Alberto Uribe (and his friend Buddy the Frog). He taught us how to use puppets effectively. We will be starting a new Unit of Inquiry about storytelling soon, and Mr. Uribe gave us some great ideas about how to use our voices and puppets to tell stories! He has been doing workshops and performing puppet shows throughout Asia. 

Inquirers in Science: Conducting Fair Tests

Why is it important to study fair tests?

As a part of our Earth Changes Unit, Grade 2 is learning how to conduct fair tests. They are investigating about fast and slow changes and observing how different variables affect the experiments.

In one of our fair test experiments, we simulated how earthquakes affect buildings using a scale model. 

What do I predict will happen (hypothesis)?
What will I test?
What are the independent & controlled variables?
How will I make sure it will be a fair test?

Our budding scientists recorded their observations and reflected on their conjectures.

What are other classes learning about how the world works? Click on this link to see a short video of Grade 5's Science Fair.

Rhythms All Around Us

Rhythm is an important part of music. We learned that rhythms are made of long and short sounds. Seisen’s Grade 2 students started the year by learning about rhythms. Students clapped, sang, and played different rhythms. Finally as a summative task students figured out the rhythms for various chocolates and made their own chants with repeated patterns and varied sounds. Their chants were so delicious that students actually ate them at the end!

Students figured out the rhythm for each chocolate.  

They collaborated to make a chant using the names of the chocolate.

Here’s what one of the chants looked like.

Students are using what they learned about rhythm to prepare for our upcoming Carol Night concert. Their performance includes playing instruments, singing songs, and dancing. Students play the xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels.

Students are playing various instrument parts in preparation for Carol Night. What do you notice about the set-up of these instruments?