Mathematicians were busy this week learning a new strategy to help them solve word problems, manipulatives. Manipulatives, are essentially tactile objects that help to make abstract concepts in math, visible and concrete. They serve as a visual representation of information provided in a given word problem. Utilizing them to problem solve gives our 2nd graders a resource to answer questions being posed in word problems and helps them check their work. Also this week, students started dabbling in concepts of coding. 2nd graders watched a short video clip that helped introduce the concept of computer programming. They learned how programmers use a special language or code to make things run and that code is a set of specific instructions or steps that a computer can carry out. Students tried maze activities on grid paper and used blocks to begin to consider what instructions or coding commands they might use to get a moving object from a starting point to an end point. More coding concept activities will follow next week as we plan to participate in activities centered around the Hour of Code events that take place the week of December 7th. Also in the spotlight this week, 2B actors began rehearsals on stage in preparation of their class play, What Animals Really Like, which makes its Primary School debut on Friday, December 11th. 2nd graders are excited for the upcoming performance and are counting down the days to next Friday!
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