The last two weeks in 2nd grade GATE have been exciting! Last week, some 2nd graders were introduced to the Fibonacci sequence and others were able to expand upon their prior knowledge. As a class, we wrote out the Fibonacci sequence into the THOUSANDS! We read the book Growing Patterns and then got to go on a spiral, pattern, and Fibonacci number scavenger hunt in the Lowell garden. They found tons of examples including flower petals, snails, grass seed tassels, and more. We then collected a variety of pinecones and went back inside to trace their spirals.
This week, class fell on International Dot Day! We read the book that inspired the day, attended a live virtual presentation by the author of the book, create dot art of our own, and had a lesson about circle math and how to use a mathematical compass. The 2nd graders are pros at using diameter to calculate a circle's radius and using the radius to calculate a circle's diameter. They were excited to learn that this is taught in 7th grade!
Next week, we will continue to build on our Fibonacci lesson by learning about fractals.
As we begin our school year and face new challenges, we are seeking new ways to enrich your child's education. A big purchase, I have my eye on is a set of classroom cameras for the 3rd grade photography unit and to help other students with self-expression and documenting the progress of their project work.
If you would like to help fund our tech needs, supplies for students, brain puzzles, etc, please click on the link below to donate to my Boise Foundation Account. I upgraded and added a ton of classroom supplies this summer with donations from last year, so thank you so much for those donations! [LOWELL/GATE/GABRIELLI,AUDREY]