Mrs. Elliott's Second Grade
Windsor Elementary
Windsor, Maine
50 Below 0

 

Our class story following the pattern of 50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch

The Gum Weirdos

In the middle of the school day, Jasmine was doing her school work. She looks up and she notices Jeannie had been gone a long time. Jasmine signed out to go to the bathroom. She finds a gum wrapper on the floor. “What’s that? What’s that? What’s That?” Jasmine opened the door to the bathroom and ...

there was Jeannie chewing gum. Jasmine yelled, “Spit that gum out!” Jeannie spit in the toilet three times and went back to class. Jasmine said, “This school is going Crraaazy!” And she went back to class. Jasmine went back to doing her school work. She looked up and Jeannie had been gone a long time again. Jasmine signed out to go to the bathroom. She looked in the bathroom. Jeannie was not in there. When she came out of the bathroom, she found a gum wrapper on the floor in front of the cafeteria. She said, “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?” Jasmine opened the door to the cafeteria and....

Jeannie was in there chewing gum. Jasmine yelled, “Spit that gum out!” Jeannie spit three times in the food trash and went back to class. Jasmine said, “This school is going crraaazy!” But she went back to class. Jasmine went back to doing her school work. Later she looked up and Jeannie had been gone a long time again. Jasmine signed out to go to the bathroom. She looked in the bathroom. Jeannie was not in there. Then she looked in the cafeteria but Jeannie was not in there. When she came out of the cafeteria, she found a gum wrapper on the floor in front of the janitor’s room. She said, “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?” Jasmine opened the door to the janitor’s room and....

Jeannie was in there chewing gum.

 Jasmine yelled, “Spit that gum out!” Jeannie spit three times out the back door and went back to class. Jasmine said, “This school is going crraaazy!” This time, when she went back to class, she asked, “Jeannie, give me the rest of your gum!” Jeannie gave her the gum. “Good,” said Jasmine, “that is the end of the gum chewing.” In the middle of class Lil looks up and notices Jasmine has been gone a long time. She signs out to go to the bathroom. She sees a gum wrapper on the floor. “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?” Lil opens the door to the bathroom and....

Guess what?
You guessed it...
JASMINE was chewing gum!

 

After reading 50 Below Zero, we made a crystal snowflake. We Mixed 3 Tablespoons of Borax for each cup of boiling water. We suspended a pipe cleaner snowflake shape into the Borax mix and left over night. In the morning we had a beautiful crystal snowflake.

There were a great many shadows included in the illustrations in this book so we started learning about shadows. One of the ways we did this was to start measuring shadows outside at different times of day. By some of our illustrations, you can see that we are learning how to made shadows in our drawings as well.


Maine Standards

Language Arts
A. Process of Reading: 
1) Demonstrate an understanding that reading is a way to gain information about the world. 
2) Make and confirm predictions about what will be next in a text. 

B. Literature and Culture 
1) Identify differences and similarities in story elements (e.g., plot, setting, character, conflict resolutions)
2) Draw logical conclusions about what will happen next or how things might have turned out differently in a story. 
3) Distinguish between fiction and nonfiction. 

G. Stylistic and Rhetorical Aspects of Writing and Speaking: 
1) Dictate or write stories which convey basic ideas, have sequences that make sense and show evidence of beginning, middle and ending.

 MATH
Geometry: 
1) Measurement: Estimate and measure length and time 
Discrete: Create and use an organized list to determine possible outcomes or solve problems 
Number Sense:
1) Measure in feet and inches 
2) Order, compare and read groups of numbers 
3) Estimate reasonable results 

GEOGRAPHY 
1) Explain geography location and direction using maps and globes 
2) Apply basic concepts of directionality (north, south, east, west) 
3) Use technology as a geographic tool (compass and map)

Reading this book went hand in hand with our shadow unit.


© Patricia Knox & Susan Silverman - Frosty Readers 2002 - All Rights Reserved