Friday, January 21, 2011

Dueling poems

Bella and I read poems about insects today: caterpillars, bees, wasps...

Then we completed an activity where we're given the first line of a poem and must come up with the second.  We both tried it and shared our results with each other.  Bella's rhymes were an attempt to be funny, of course :-)

Here are our insect poems:

Bella:
Beetles like to munch and munch.
They even like Captain Crunch.

Mom:
Beetles like to munch and munch.
...The leaves of roses they eat for lunch.

Bella:

Ants work hard all through the day.
They even like to lay on the bay.

Mom:
Ants work hard all through the day.
...For their play is work and work is play.

Bella:
Crickets chirp in the dark of the night.
They might even fight at the same old night.

Mom:
Crickets chirp in the dark of the night.
...Music sounds sweeter in the moonlight.

Bella:
Grasshopper up in the air so high!
I will miss you my little guy.

Mom:
Grasshopper up in the air so high!
...Down again, then up.  Jump, then fly.

If this was a contest for the silliest poet, the second grader certainly wins the prize!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Art History

I don't know if I've shared this before, but our favorite subject right now is History.  We recently finished with the ancient Roman Empire and are onto the Byzantine.  When you were in 2nd grade, did you go there?  My daughter is learning about religions, art, and world events through this current curriculum.  While I am still thinking about switching after this year, we will miss this subject.  I'll have to make up for it somehow.
For example, Bella learned about the Hagia Sophia and the beautiful mosaics that decorate it's interior walls.  So we decided to make our own mosaics after we finished this lesson.  The kids loved it!