French: Faisons du fromage !

After learning about cheese for several weeks, today the girls helped me make (and of course, eat) le fromage! We heated du lait de vache, added du sel et du vinaigre, watched it curdle, and then strained it through une étamine. It was simple and délicieux. 

Here is a link to the recipe in case anyone wants to try their hand at cheesemaking at home!  

Le lait se réchauffe

Le caillé et le petit-lait

Finalement, le fromage ! Bon appétit !

                                         2nd Grade Mathematicians

Measurement, Money, Telling Time, & Geometry


                                   Measuring In Inches

                         Measuring Objects Outside


               Measuring the Sliding Board

Measuring with a Tape Measure

M

Counting Coins:  Pennies, Nickels, Dimes, Quarters

Counting Coins and Dollars Game:  Roll the dice, find the dollar amount, pay the bank, give the correct change.

Telling Time

Geometry -  Shapes and Patterns 

Solving Kakooma Puzzles:  Find 5 sums to solve one final puzzle!  

                               

Art_Zoo Exhibition Projects

The girls learned to draw animals using body parts (ovals) to get the form correct before adding the pattern and texture of fur and feathers. These chalk drawings were completed at the beginning of their animal study. They also researched their animals on National Geographic for Kids and other links to learn about the foods they eat, their natural habitats, and special considerations for each animal.  

The girls are now building their exhibits after a great trip to the zoo. There, they participated in a ZooLab customized for their art and technology unit. They learned about what zoos do (education and conservation) and who the different constituents are that make zoos work: the animals, the zookeepers, and the visitors. They compared old zoo exhibits to new exhibits and learned that some animals like the cheetah like to be together whereas the leopard likes its own space. Then, they walked around the whole zoo looking for examples of fences and other borders, shelters, zookeepers facilities, and animal enclosures. 

The girls took pictures and made a "field notes" book collecting ideas and information to design their own exhibits. Here they are revising their first exhibit drawings to include their new ideas. 

French: La Cigale

After memorizing, performing, and discussing the French fable, La Cigale et la Fourmi, the girls and I imagined that la cigale learned her lesson and spent the next été working and playing so she could have food for l'hiver. But now, she needs a place to put it all! To solve this new problem, the girls designed food storage containers for la cigale that could withstand the harsh winter elements. We loaded them with quelques grains (marshmallows) and put them in the freezer to see if they would survive. They all made it and the girls got to celebrate by enjoying the sweet treats inside.