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!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
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!!
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!!
Friday, March 8, 2013
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 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).
Monday, March 4, 2013
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!
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!
Friday, February 15, 2013
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 : )
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 : )
Monday, February 4, 2013
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!
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!
Friday, February 1, 2013
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!!
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!!
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