Week of 4/29-5/3/13

Hello!

The sun is out, the temperature is warmer....it's gorgeous out there!

This week we were able to write the first paragraph for our literary essays.  This first paragraph had the kids using examples from their book choices to support their thesis statements.  This sounds like a pretty easy task to us adults, but it can be a complex task for the kids.  Many were able to name the theme or lesson learned, but struggled a bit when pinpointing exact moments in the book that showed an example of that theme/lesson learned.  It was a process, but we all made it through with a completed rough draft of the first support paragraph!!  Phew!  Next week, the kids will be writing their second support paragraph which will be a personal connection they made to the theme/lesson learned!

Some book clubs finished up their humor books this week.  When a group finishes a text, they then talk about the whole text as a group and then individually take an AR quiz.  If there final score is below 80%, they are required to go back into the book, reread areas where they missed a question, discuss any areas of confusion with other groups members, and attempt the quiz again.

Reminders:

• If you would like to make a donation for our classroom raffle basket, you may hand your donation directly to Natalie Garrett at morning drop off.  If you are unable to be a morning drop-off, you can send your donation in with your child and together we will make sure it gets to Natalie!!  Thanks!
• Permission slips for our field trip to Greenfield Village went out on Thursday.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Permission slips and money are due by Monday, May 13th!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Week of 4/22-4/26/13

Happy Friday Families!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day and sunshine as much as we are!!  Here are some things we worked on this week:

Math - We finished up our fraction unit in math and used these past four days to really review the basics for our assessment that was completed today.  This unit was a difficult one for many of the students.  Fractions itself is not new, but comparing them, finding equivalent fractions, finding fractions of time and money, etc., was new.  In time, when working with fractions becomes more relevant to the kids, the concept of fractions and what they represent will become more meaningful!  This unit was a great introduction to deeper fraction-thinking! : )

Reading - The kids are really enjoying their humor books and meeting with their book clubs.  Each day, after the read aloud and mini-lesson, the book club members meet, share any funny parts that stood out to them, make a reading goal, and then they read.  When they are reading from their book club book, the students have the choice of either reading with their group or independently.  Feel free to ask your child about their humor book!!

Writing - There were a few last minute book choice changes at the beginning of this week!  Many students were realizing that they were unable to create an essay using the book they originally chose.  We focused our attention on creating our thesis statement, the springboard of our entire essay.  After writing these statements, the kids went through their books and looked for examples from the story that would support their thesis statement.  Next week, we will begin writing our supporting paragraphs.

I hope everyone had a wonderful week!  Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the sunshine!!

Week of 4/15-4/19

Hello Families!

Along with a few curriculum beginnings this week, we also began a countdown chain.  On Monday we had 42 days left of school, on Tuesday each student decorated two chains and I made a classroom link.  Each morning we tear off a piece of the chain and watch it get shorter.  Today was 38 more days left!!  Wow!

In reading, we began our humor unit.  I have begun to read Oggie Cooder to the kids.  Each day we talk about what parts we found funny, why, and how to mark spots in the book that we would like to share with friends.  On Monday, the kids will be getting their book club book.  They will read a certain amount of chapters or pages that the group has agreed on, mark the funny areas they want to share, and then share and talk about the book when they meet.

In writing, we are beginning literary essays.  The students are going to be expected to take a character quality or theme/lesson learned in a book of their choice, create a thesis statement, and be able to pull examples from the book to support the thesis statement.  This week I read to the students my book choice.  After the read aloud, we talked about what themes could be pulled from the story.  I told them what theme I chose to write about and why.  Over the next two days, the students poured through MANY picture books looking for their "perfect" book to write an essay on.  We will officially begin writing on Monday!

In math we continued studying fractions; equivalent fractions, comparing them, mixed numbers, and using fractions in story problems and solving them.  This has been a challenging unit for many of the students, so we will continue practicing right up to the Unit 8 test on Friday the 26th.

Have a wonderful weekend!

4/8-4/12

Happy Friday Families!

We had a busy week back from break.  On Monday we quickly fell back into our routine and were able to get a lot done!  Here is a snapshot of what we did this week:

Reading:
The kids have been enjoying their fantasy novels and meeting with their book clubs to discuss what is happening in their books.
Next week, we will begin our humor unit and I will be reading Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks as the class read aloud.  I have been enjoying all of our units of study in reading and I cannot wait to begin humor!

Writing:
This week, any students who had not finished their animal research papers were given time each day to finish up and get it turned in.  Today was the final due date and we are ready to move on!
The next unit we are focusing our attention on is Literary Essays.  This type of writing can prove to be quite challenging for third graders.  We will walk through this process together; I will be modeling and providing samples, the students will be reading, investigating characters they can empathize with, and will begin building their essays.
This will be a great introduction to a writing unit they will revisit again in 4th grade!

Math:
Monday began Unit 8, in which we are taking a close look at fractions; naming the parts of fractions, looking at them on the number line, finding equivalent fractions, and comparing them.  We also did a fun experiment that helped students begin to understand probability, chance, and making predictions based on "random draws".

Reminder:
*On Monday the 15th, we will be taking the Smarter Balanced training test and on Monday the 22nd, we will be taking the S.B. pilot test.  Both tests will begin by 8:30 a.m. both days.

Have a great weekend!

Week of 3/11-3/15

Hello!

Our animal research papers are well under way.  The third graders have turned three pages of information into the beginning three paragraphs of their paper.  You can see that all the students are taking what they know about paragraph writing and what they learned during our essay unit and are using it in their new pieces.  It's amazing how much we all are learning about all these animals, too!

In math we are still focusing on seeing patterns in multiplication and seeing the relationship between multiplication and division.  We learned about grouping numbers in parentheses [5+(6*3)] and how adding zeros to the factors effects the product (ex. 2*3=6, 20*3=60, 200*3= 600, etc.).  Next we should be testing on Unit 7 by Friday.

During read aloud, we have been looking into the genre of fantasy.  I read "Dragon Slayers Academy: The New Kid in School" to the kids this week and after the story talked about what makes it a fantasy and how it's different from other genres.  This coming week we are going to be reading the second book in the same series!  The kids are really enjoying this genre!

Reminders:

-Conferences are coming up this week on the 20th and 21st.  I have emailed every parent with a time/date confirmation.  If you did not receive an email, I did not receive your conference request sheet.  Please fill that out and return it to school so that we can schedule a time to meet!

-Our field trip is coming up on Wednesday, March 27th to the Detroit Historical Museum.  All permission slips and payment were collected and we are ready to go!!

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 3/4-3/8

Hello Families!

Our animal research projects are well under way!  We spent this week entering important information about our selected animals into our research packets.  Your child will be bringing the packet home this weekend to continue their research, if needed.  This packet needs to come back to school!  The students will be taking the information they gathered and will use it to create an animal research essay paper.  During the next coming weeks, I will be walking the kids through the process of taking the information they wrote in their packets and turning each page/topic into a paragraph!  It will be loads of fun and the kids will feel a huge sense of accomplishment when all is said and done!

In math we have moved on to looking more closely at multiplication and division!  So far the unit has been fun!  We have learned how to play Multiplication Bingo and have been figuring out multiplication puzzles, both a great and entertaining way to practice our facts!

*Reminders*

• Our first field trip is coming up on Wednesday, March 27th!  Permission slips and payment are due this Monday, March 11th!  The museum needs to be paid two weeks prior to the trip, so it is extremely important we get everything in by Monday!  Thank you in advance!
• Wednesday, March 20th and Thursday, March 21st are the dates for spring conferences!  If you have not sent in your availability yet, please do so by Wednesday, March 13th.  I look forward to meeting with all of you!
• Beginning this Monday, all students will have a weekly behavior chart in their organizers.  At the end of each day, I will simply put a star on whichever area of the chart best describes their day: had a good day, had an "okay" day, or did not have a good day.  If ever the last box is starred, it will be followed with a brief description of the day's behavior(s). 

I hope that everyone has an enjoyable weekend!

Happy Monday!

We have many new beginnings happening in the classroom this week!  Today we are taking out Unit 6 Assessment and will begin Unit 7 tomorrow.  In Unit 7 we will be exploring multiplication and division, patterns, fact practice, seeing multiplication in parentheses, etc.

Today also begins our big animal research unit.  This project covers curriculum in writing (research), reading (non-fiction), and science (animal adaptations).  We are beginning our research this week and will be working on putting a research essay paper together after gathering information.  Near the end of this process, we will be sending a note home about an at home project to wrap-up all of their hard work!!

We are also continuing our Early Michigan history unit in Social Studies!  We are taking a look at the French voyageurs and the British, who made Michigan their home and what they brought over from their countries.

Thank you to those of you who have already turned in your conference sign-up sheets.  For those who haven't, please make sure they are turned in by Wednesday, March 13th.

Coming home today is a letter and permission slip informing you about our upcoming field trip to the Detroit Historical Museum!!  The field trip is on the 27th of this month.  Permission slips and payment are due together on or before Monday, March 11th.  Full payment to the museum needs to be handed in two weeks prior to the field trip.

Enjoy your week!

Week of 2/11-2/15

Hello Families!!

Happy belated Valentine's Day to all of our Rock Star families!  The kids sure had a great time passing out their Valentine's goodies and reading the cards from their friends.  Every year, this holiday brings me back to when I was an excited student waiting to open up my box of cards and goodies!

We had a busy, busy week!!  The kids are finished writing their essays!!!  Some are still in the editing phase, but most students are already typing them out in the computer lab.  Three have finished the complete process and are ready for grading.  All the kids have been so excited and proud of this huge accomplishment!  Way to go, Rock Stars!!

Our Michigan Lighthouse trilogy was completed today as we finished the third installment.  We really enjoyed all of M.C. Tillson's book and wish there were more to read!

I look forward to the new beginnings that will start when we all come back refreshed from Mid-Winter Break!

Have much fun with your child this next week and I will everyone back here on Monday, February 25th!

Happy Friday : )

Fun Family Activity!

Hello Families!

I was checking out Cranbrook's web page and ran across a program that they offer in the planetarium.  The program is called "Michigan Sky Tonight" and runs weekday evenings and during the day on weekends.  It sounds like a great blend of 3rd grade curriculum since we are studying Michigan in Social Studies and we will be studying the Earth, Moon, and stars in science!  Below is a link that should take you directly to the page!

http://science.cranbrook.edu/explore-the-institute/planetarium/educational/michigan-sky-tonight

Happy Monday!

1/28-2/1

Happy February Families!

This weather sure is confusing!  At least the kids are able to enjoy some "snow time" before it warms up: )

Here is a snapshot of the work we did in class this week:

Math: Most students were able to finish the District Math Assessment by Wednesday.  On Thursday we resumed Unit 6 which had us talking about obtuse, acute, and right angles.  The first two were briefly mentioned, as our focus was right angles.  We talked about right angles have a vertex, one side that goes straight up/down, and a second side that goes left/right.  The kids went on a right angle hunt in the classroom with a partner and had to find 8 examples.  This exercise got them some practice for what they were expected to do at home with the home link!  Next week, we'll be talking about clockwise vs. counterclockwise, triangles (naming, constructing and measuring them), quadrangles, and polygons.  Feel free to share with your child all that you know about these topics.  When kids see what they are learning out in the "real world", it definitely makes learning about it more meaningful!

Writing: We have finished our introduction paragraphs and have moved on to the two evidence paragraphs, or the "body" of our essays.  I introduced these to your child as two "mini-stories".  They are encouraged to use stories (personal narratives) that reflect their big idea and opinion statement.  For example, if they are writing about how they believe people should not litter, they may share a story about a time when they chose not to  litter or a time when they saw the negative effects of littering.
After working on the body of their essays, we will work on the conclusion paragraph, self edit, peer edit, and finally...publish our pieces!!  It is a process, but it sure is fun!

Social Studies: We have begun our unit on the History of Michigan.  We have talked about what "history" means, what that word makes us think about, and how we can learn about it.  We focused on the words historian, artifacts, primary and secondary sources, and timeline.  We also just began talking about the many Native American groups that lived here for thousands of years, before it became Michigan!  A few of these groups include the Ottawa, the Potawatomi, and the Ojibway.  These three groups were known at the "People of the Three Fires."  Your child will be learning more about each individual groups and what exactly it means to be a part of the "Three Fires"!

**Today a Scholastic Book Order came home attached to an introduction letter.  The letter lets you know that aside from ordering the old-fashioned way, you also have the option of ordering online.  The "Lucky" magazine came home (grades 2-3) with the letter.  Online, you also have the option of looking through the "Arrow" magazine which offers book levels from 4th-6th grade!  Ordering online also earns you AND the classroom free books!

Have a great weekend!!

1/22-1/29

Hello Families!

I hope you all enjoyed your Snow Day yesterday!  Oein and I were pretty bummed that it wasn't snowy enough to build a snowman and it was too soggy to stay out for long!  Oh well, at least we were able to rest up for one extra day!

Last week the kids took the Unit 5 Math Assessment.  From those assessments it was very clear that some students really understood the decimal/fraction concept and some were still working through it.  This was made apparent by the computation problems, as well as the two written response areas.  This is an area that will come up throughout the year in their math journals.

Also last week, we began exploring line segments, rays, lines, parallel and intersecting lines in Unit 6.  Today our District Math Assessments were delivered and the third grade teachers agreed that we would have the students complete the D.M.A. first, before moving on in Unit 6.  Many students finished the assessment today and I'm sure the others will finish by tomorrow.  When that is complete we shall continue to conquer geometry!!

I was very excited to bring in my copies of The Mystery at Eagle Harbor and The Secret of Bete Grise Bay that I had ordered for the class!  We began with the introduction and chapter 1 on Friday, and today we read chapters 2 and 3.  It's already getting juicy!!  There is a mysterious woman with green eyes who always seems to know where are characters are and a slinky black cat that is following them!  Hhhhhmmmm....

We are still plowing through our essays!  We are working on those nice, detailed support paragraphs that really bring out why we have the opinion we do.  Some students find they are struggling with giving examples, but when I suggest they use events and examples from their own life and experiences, that seems to give them a jump start!

We are moving along nicely here in room 204 : )

Week of 1/14-1/18

Happy Friday, Families!

Each day was filled with lots of hard work!  The students and I have both earned our three-day weekend!  Way to go, Rockstars!

Reading:
We finished our class read-aloud, The Clue at Copper Harbor, and boy did we LOVE it!!  We kept track of who the detectives were, what were the mysteries we were trying to solve, what clues did we have, who were the suspects, etc.  We had so much fun talking about possible outcomes and who we thought was the guiltiest member of our suspect list!  The most exciting part is when we learned that this book is one in a trilogy!  I was happy to report to the kids today that I ordered our copies of The Mystery at Eagle Harbor and The Secret of Bete Grise Bay.  Not only are these great mystery books, but they are even more special because they are based in our very own state of Michigan!

Writing:
This week we continued our work in personal essays by organizing our opinion statements and getting the first sentences of our two support paragraphs ready.  These two sentences are referred to as "Parallel Structures".  We organized this writing in the boxes and bullets visual organizer.  Next week we will transition our opinion statement into our opening paragraph and from there transition our parallel structures into two support paragraphs!  Here we go!

Math:
Today the students worked on their Unit 5 review and will be using it and a few other pages to help prepare themselves for the Unit 5 test on Tuesday.  The test will be assessing areas such as place value, comparing big numbers (into the ten thousands), revisiting ballpark estimates, perimeter and area, and reading, writing, and comparing decimals and fractions.  Along with the computation, your child will be answering an Open Response and Essay question.  There is an example on the last page of their review.  On it should be notes your child took when we talked about what was expected in a "5-point" answer.  Things that should be included in their essay answers are examples, complete sentences, and an explanation of their thought process.  Specifically to the problem on the review, I was looking for mention of place value (whole numbers ending in "s" and decimals ending in "ths"), whole numbers versus part of a number, and decimal point versus non-decimal numbers.  I also showed the kids that they could make a T-chart showing the differences between whole numbers and decimals.
Any help you could provide your child as they prepared would be greatly appreciated! : )

Reminders:
*Please remember there is no school on Monday the 21st as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Also Friday the 25th is a half day!

Enjoy the three day weekend!!

Week of 1/7-1/11/13

Happy Friday!

We had a very busy week, full of new beginnings, new units, and renewed energy!  Here are the highlights of what we focused on this week:

Math
The main focus in math this week was learning about decimal place value, more specifically the tenths and hundredths place.  Our Everyday Math curriculum had us using base-10 blocks so that these decimals and fractions could be something concrete to learn about and the students could actually see what 1/10 looks like and what 1/100 looks like.  We manipulated the blocks, made exchanges, and began comparing decimals in the tenths and hundredths place.  This is a skill we began together this week and is still very new to the kids!
*If you are looking for a fun, new game to play at home, we have learned a new card game called Number Top-it.  All you need is a deck of cards and a homemade game mat.  We traced a card seven times, all lined up next to each other.  After tracing, we labeled above each outline "ones, tens, hundreds" etc. until we reached "millions".  When it is their turn, a player gets to pick up seven cards, one at a time, and place them on the game mat in any of the place value slots.  The goal is to make the smallest number!  The excitement comes with not knowing what the next card your picking up is going to be!

Reading
We began our mystery unit this week and couldn't be more excited!  Together we are reading The Clue at Copper Harbor by M.C. Tillson.  It is about a brother and sister working together to solve a mystery in Michigan's own Copper Harbor.  All week we have been discussing how to begin reading a mystery (reading the title, synopsis, and chapter titles), what to do during the reading (mark important clues and events with a post-it, pay attention to small details, go back and reread) and having many discussions about questions we have, what the mysteries are, who are our suspects, and what clues have we gotten so far.  The kids are having a blast trying to figure out the mystery before our detectives do!

Writing
We continued the process of essay writing by learning about opinion statements.  We talked about how an opinion statement consists of a "big idea" and our opinion about it.  I made a poster for the kids reminding them about what an opinion statement is and possible statement openers like, "I think kids should...", "I believe that everyone needs to...", or "I realize that people must..."  I had the students create their own opinion statements by either using big ideas we have previously discussed in class or by coming up with one of their own.  I was very impressed with the opinion statements your children were able to come up with; most used their own ideas.  The kids also practiced writing an opinion paragraph based on how they felt about exercising.
The next step in our essay process will be continuing to practice opinion statements and introducing "parallel structures" or words and phrases used to help link their evidence to their opinion statement.  We will use a visual aid called "Boxes and Bullets" to help the students to organize their opinion statement (in the box) and their evidence (next to the bullets).

Reminders

• Please have your child continue to bring in snow pants, boots, hats and gloves for outdoor recess!  Even on almost snow-less days like today, their gear protects them from puddles and mud! : )
• This coming Monday, January 14th, the third grade is hosting our after school bake sale!  If you would like to donate individually wrapped baked goods, please send them in with your child on Monday morning and we will make sure they get to where they need to go!  Thank you in advance!

Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year!!

Hello Families!!

It was so nice to see everyone and share stories about what we did over our winter break! 

During these last two days, we spent time reviewing what we know about essays (centered around a big idea, evidence used to support big idea) and worked on the difference between fact and opinion.  We will use these skills as we move into creating our own essays based on personal opinions!

In reading, I let the kids know that we would be starting our mystery unit on Monday!  I showed them a few examples of mystery series we have available in the classroom and let them know I would be getting more of a variety from the school library as well.

In math we continued our work with place value and took a close look at numbers into the millions!

I look forward to many new beginnings on Monday!

Have a great weekend : )