This week 3rd graders will take a STAAR Ready test in reading and math. Don't worry, these are for a grade, just for practice. This will give students an opportunity to see what the STAAR test will be like, and will provide valuable data that will be used to plan instruction. Due to the length of the tests, we will allow students the entire morning on Wednesday for the math test, and the entire morning on Thursday for the reading. Thus, we will have an altered schedule on those days.
On Tuesday, I will be out due to a math curriculum planning meeting, so there will be a substitute. It would be helpful if you remind your child that they should still follow all school expectations when there is a substitute. We will be taking a district reading assessment on Tuesday that includes two passages, so I need everyone to do their best. What We Are Learning Week of Jan. 29-Feb. 2 Science: This week, we'll wrap up our unit on soil and natural resources. We'll conduct another investigation on weathering and explore decomposition. We should be ready to take the district unit assessment next Monday or Tuesday. Reading: We'll begin reading folktales, fairy tales, and fables this week as we dive into traditional literature. As we read, we'll learn how to determine the theme or moral of a story, identify for sensory language, and identify the importance of the setting. Writing: It's time for fiction! Students will begin planning the plot and characters for a short fiction piece. Lots of students really enjoy fiction writing, so I am excited to get started. Math: Our focus will be on 3D shapes, but we will continue to practice finding the area of a composite figure as we finish our geometry unit. Students will compare 3D shapes, explore 3D shapes to understand the attributes of each shape, and sort/classify shapes. Social Studies: We'll read about an entrepreneur as an introduction to our free enterprise system. Also, we'll create a human web to gain an understanding of interdependence. And...this week will be our introduction to the 3rd grade Economics Fair. More information to come! Upcoming Events February 2: Jazz Band Concert @ 9:30am February 7: Spring Pictures @ 11:30 for our class March 6: 3rd Grade Economics Fair (More information to come)
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Sorting to Trash To learn more about natural resources, we sorted trash items into groups that were determined by the class. We discovered that we had a lot of plastic and paper products. This lead to a discussion about where all of this trash goes and how we can reduce the amount of trash we need. Also, we created a chart showing the item, the material used to make it, and the natural resource it came from. Then we started researching about trash and natural resources to gain a better understanding of the need to conserve. Sorting Objects to Learn about Natural Resources We sorted a variety of objects into groups based on the material it was made from, (glass, paper, plastic, metal, and cotton). The kiddos recorded their results and created a chart showing the object, material made of, and the resource it came from. We discussed how some of the resources are extracted from the earth. Finding the Area of Our Desks I challenged my mathematicians to find the area of their desk using sticky notes of various sizes. The kiddos quickly realized they didn't have enough sticky notes to cover the entire desk, so they had to figure out a way to determine the area. Then each group presented their solution and explained their process. I was impressed that every group used a reasonable strategy, and most of the groups discovered you could multiply the number of squares in a row times the number of squares in a column. This is a big understanding for area, but I wanted the kiddos to discover this on their own so they will develop a conceptual understanding. We don't teach the formula for area in 3rd grade, but students should understand you can calculate area buy multiplying using an array. More Work Finding Area Identifying Useful Properties from Natural Resources We sorted items into groups based on the material used to make it, and then observed & recorded the properties that make it useful. There were lots of good discussions among these scientists about the properties they noticed. We even felt some real cotton that came right from the plant. Many of the kiddos were surprised to feel seeds inside it. Solving a 3 Act Task on Area We watched a short video of a floor that was beginning to be covered with squares, (blue 100s piece from base 10 blocks). We all wanted to know how many squares would cover the floor and decided we needed to know how many in a row and how many in a column. Then students were off to solve the problem. Some of our mathematicians made a real life model of the floor! Great thinking! Mini-book Clubs Students chose a person to read about to form a literacy group. Each group read several books about their person and discussed their thinking about the person. When students talk about their reading, it leads to deeper thinking and better understanding. It can be hard to determine the big ideas about a biography, so it helps to talk and look for text evidence with other readers. Finding the Area of a Composite Figure Investigating Weathering Science Day Fun Exploring Force and Motion More Science Day Fun-Investigating the Force of Gravity with Parachutes Looks like we are finally going to have a five day week. I'm am so glad because we have lots to do, (we are a bit behind due to the ice day).
Science: We'll continue to explore natural resources and soil. We'll sort trash by the resource made to produce it, determine why it is important to recycle, and research how to conserve natural resources. Also, we'll investigate how rocks break down through the process of weathering. Reading: Everyone has been enjoying reading about the lives of others during our biography unit. Many of the kiddos have been choosing to read biographies on their own-YAY! We'll spend a few more days this week reading biographies and then we will begin our next unit on traditional literature, (which includes fables, myths, legends, and folk tales). Writing: Our One Little Word pieces are finished! They are great! I am really impressed with how the kiddos thought hard about their word choice, made goals, and explained why they chose their word. These will be hung in the hall and in the classroom, (can't fit all of them in the hall). This week we will be writing about conservation in correlation with our research in science. Also, we'll write in our notebooks on a topic of choice, (notebook writing), before beginning fiction writing next week. Math: This week our focus will be on finding area of rectangles and composite figures. We'll find the area of our desks with sticky notes. Also, we'll figure out how to divide a composite figure into two or more rectangles using figures outlined in tape on the tile floor. Later in the week, we'll dive into 3D shapes. Upcoming Events This Friday is Science Day! Students will be involved in various science investigations and activities all day. We will be making parachutes, exploring magnetism, and more! Tuesday, January 24: Spirit Night @ Dairy Queen (620 location) Thursday, January 26: Science Day and Science Night Soil Shakes Soil Investigation We started our three day week off by conduction a Soil Shakes investigation. We put soil in vials, recorded our observations, added water, and then shook the vial 20 times. The vials were set aside to sit for 24 hours, so the kiddos had to wait in anticipation to see what happened. Of course, everyone predicted what they thought would happen. Exploring 2D Shapes with Geoboards We used another tool to create quadrilaterals we learned about last week. The kiddos also made hexagons, octagons, and pentagons. Making shapes on the geopboards helped the kiddos solidify their understanding of the attributes of each 2D shape, especially right angles, parallel lines, and opposite sides being equal distance apart. Soil Shakes Part 2 To our surprise, the soil and water settled into layers. We observed the layers and recorded observations in our notebooks. Exploring Quadrilaterals We used interactive quadrilaterals that stretched and moved in different ways to further develop our understanding of a rhombus, parallelogram, square, rectangle, right angle, parallel lines, and equal sides. Students worked with partners to find something that was always true, sometimes true, and never true about each quadrilateral. Exploring Triangles I challenged the kiddos to make as many different triangles as possible on the geoboards. Then we learned that there are different names and attributes for types of triangles. Finding Area As an introduction to area, we cut index cards in half diagonally and made them into different shapes to prove that the area of each shape is the same. Then, we filled three shapes using different math tools to determine the shape with the least and greatest area. The following day, students worked in groups to predict the area of various Hershey bar images, After predicting, they measured the area with tiles. We will share out our findings next week. Sorting Natural Resources My scientists worked in groups to sort everyday items. Most of the groups figured out the objects could be sorted by what the material used to make the item. One group tried to sort by man-made, and not man-made. They quickly realized everything was man-made. Our sorting led to a great discussion about what natural resources we use. Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and were able to enjoy time with family and friends. I can't believe it is 2018! I also can't believe we are starting the second semester of school. It can be hard for kiddos to come back to school after a long break, so this week I have a fun activity planned for each day. We'll also review expectations and do some community building activities to get back into the swing of things.
I am excited to see the kiddos on Tuesday and hear about their activities over the break. See below for more information about the upcoming week. Science: We'll observe and compare various soil samples to discover how soil is formed. Also, we'll investigate the formation of soil by weathering of wind and water and the the decomposition of plant and animal remains. As we explore, we will gain an understanding of the importance of soil. Reading: This week, we'll be inspired and learn through the lives of others as we read biographies, or literary nonfiction. To begin, we'll notice how informational nonfiction and literary nonfiction are alike/different. Then, we'll notice how biographies aren't for learning facts, but rather to learn a story about a real person. I will be reading aloud several biographies about inspiring people and while we read, we'll pay attention to the passions, dreams, and actions of the person. This will require making inferences, determining important information, and synthesizing. Of course, the kiddos will also read several biographies throughout the week. Math: We will continue exploring 2D shapes this week including trapezoids, rhombuses, rectangles, and parallelograms. Students will sort and classify shapes according to their attributes. Writing: Since it is the beginning of 2018, I want to start the year off with a reflection. Instead of writing resolutions, we'll choose one word to focus on and reflect on throughout the year. We have done this is the past and it is always a success. Once each student chooses a word, they will write about why they chose that word and will create an image or illustration to go with it. I can't wait to see what words they choose! I'm still thinking about my word. Community Building and Reviewing Expectations After a long break, we needed to review our expectations. So, we formed groups and created short skits to show examples and non-examples of active listening, working together, personal best, and respect. It was a great way to build a community too. Diving Into Literary Nonfiction We previewed and read biographies throughout the week to determine the features and structure of biographies. There are soooo many wonderful picture book biographies it was hard to put some of the books down! I was so glad to see the kiddos engaged in their reading and thinking about what they can learn through the lives of others. Sorting & Classifying 2D Shapes I heard some great conversations as mathematicians decided how to sort various 2D shapes. Students worked in groups with different sets of shapes. After sorting, each group explained their thinking as we did a gallery walk to see each sort. Exploring & Building 2D Shapes Exploragons are soooo cool! What a great tool to help us understand the attributes of 2D shapes. The kiddos were working hard to create shapes and explain why it was a certain shape. Nature Walk-Sparking Curiosity about Soil and Natural Resources We were so lucky to have a day over 70 degrees for our nature walk. It was nice to be outdoors observing nature on such a beautiful day. The kiddos were very interested in the trees and plants around the school and had lots of questions. I love that they were curious and really noticing details. We discovered there are many natural resources all around us! Observing Soil I always love watching kids observe soil! The kiddos were so excited to discover bugs, roots, leaves, and other items from nature in their soil. Who knew soil was so interesting! I think this proves that we really should take the time to stop and smell the roses, (or the soil). These young scientists are so curious and observant. Comparing Soil Day two of observing soil was just as exciting as the first day as everyone had the chance to compare their soil sample to other samples. Finding Our Passions for PBL The third grade classes are searching for the right project based learning experience for the second semester so we asked the kiddos to draw a Heartbreak Map. They recorded issues they are passionate about. Our class is most passionate about deforestation, (habitat loss), endangered animals, pollution, and poverty. Sorting and Classifying Trapezoids We explored the attributes of trapezoids and discovered that that trapezoids have one set of opposite sides that are equal distance apart. Finding Grid Coordinates on a Map |
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |