Mrs. Cacchillo: Colorful Spring Project

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.

Chick Hatchery
from the Museum of Science & Industry

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.