Colorful Spring!
 A Collaborative Internet Literacy Project   Spring 2005

Mrs. Mary Ann Cacchillo's Second Grade
Lafayette School
    Shelton, Connecticut

 

  A few  of our favorite books were:
Hopper Hunts for Spring
by Marcus Pfister
    Wonders of the Seasons by Keith Brandt
Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward

 

 
After reading many spring books and in the midst of our
unit on weather and writing poetry our class took a walk around our school yard to take notes on the different
signs of spring in New England.  We had also  been discussing couplets.  Upon our return to the classroom, we got into pairs.
    1.  Each pair of students wrote one sentence about
spring.
    2.  They underlined the last word and wrote several words
that could rhyme with the last word in this sentence.
    3. Then they wrote their second sentence which ended with
one of their rhyming words.
   
    We put several of the couplets together and gave our poem the title:
Spring is...
 

    Spring is a white fluffy cloud that flies
    High up in the skies
   
    Spring is yellow daffodils having fun
    shinning in the bright sun
   
    Spring is a blue speckled egg in a nest

    Where they like to rest

Spring is green grass trying to grow hard
    In our backyard

Spring is white daisies revealed
In a large field

Spring is a purple tulip swaying
    While I am playing
   
Spring is brown, black and white dogs that bark
    In a large park

Spring is a black and yellow bee

Flying in the breeze

Spring is silver fish that shimmer
    In a clear blue river

Spring is a  multi-colored rainbow in the sky
    After a spring shower-way up high

 

For our bulletin board we used a graphic organizer and
wrote a poem in the shape of a triangle
**.

It was easy to write and is made up of three lines
(
**Note this is a Frank Schaffer reproducible modified )
    Line 1--color and subject
    Line 2 - describes action
    Line 3- tell where the action takes place
    Example:  1-The yellow is rising
                    2- brightly and silently
                    3- in the sky

 
At this time of the year we also do some planting inside
the classroom.  The second graders are also mother hens.  We have an incubator and we take care of fertilized chicken eggs from UCONN which is  a large state university near Hartford, CT.  They have a functional farm at UNCONN. We watch and turn the eggs for 18 days  Every second grade student is able to observe the eggs and take turns turning them until they hatch. 

We discuss how important it is for animals to have their young in the spring so they can grow during the spring, summer and early fall months and become stronger and older and they then can survive whatever our winter has to offer.  We feel fortunate to live in the East where we have all four distinct seasons.       

 

 

Standards:

Language Arts:

Engage in a process of generating ideas, drafting, revising, editing, publishing or presenting.

Use a variety of strategies to develop an extensive vocabulary. Recognize literary conventions and devices and understand how they convey meaning.

Visual Arts: Students will reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate their one and other’s work.  

 

 

Floral and Rainbow Backgrounds                       Floral Graphic
© 2005 - Marci McGowan - Colorful Spring!