We have two special events coming up next week-a guest speaker for 3rd grade and STEAM Day! On Tuesday, we'll learn about weather from a local meteorologist and Friday is STEAM day where we will participate in several activities involving the design process. Also, those students that read at least 5 Bluebonnet books, (almost the entire class) will attend a Bluebonnet voting party on Tuesday!
Read below for more info about the upcoming week. Writing: The kiddos have been working hard planning their fiction stories and their ideas are great. This week as we write our drafts we'll focus on leads, adding character traits, adding character thoughts & feelings, and sensory images. Reading: Last week, we read some great traditional tales including Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters and The Empty Pot, (two of my favorites). You might want to ask your child about these stories. We'll continue to read traditional literature this week with a focus on legends ands myths. Our lessons will include identifying sensory language, the importance of setting, character relationships, and determining theme. Later in the week, we'll begin learning about the structure and elements of drama. Math: We've been exploring area for several days now and are ready to tackle finding the area of a composite figure. This involves partitioning a figure into two or more rectangles. Then we'll explore 3D shapes and classify them according to their attributes. Science: We'll continue to learn about natural resources and the importance of conserving. Also, we'll make a small compost bin to observe the decomposing process over time. Social Studies: Everyone seems very excited about the Economics Fair. The kiddos have been sharing their product ideas and getting feedback from peers. Some of the kiddos discovered their product idea might not be that popular based on the feedback received. Students can still change their product, but I'd like them to have their final plan by Monday or Tuesday. I'll send a planning sheet home this week for them to record materials needed and the cost of supplies. We'll continue learning about economics this week with a focus on scarcity, income, and supply & demand. Upcoming Events January 29: Meteorologist Guest Speaker February 1: STEAM/Science Day
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We had a great first week back from break. The kiddos seemed excited to see each other, and lots of them were eager to get back to school-yay! It was great to see all of their smiling faces and hear about their adventures over the break.
Our week was busy and productive even though we didn't get to everything I planned. We rewrote our social contract, went on a nature walk, explored shapes using Exploragons, observed soil, wrote goals for the year, worked on biography projects, and met with our buddies. Also, we spent time thinking about ways to help each other follow our social contract so we can all do our best learning.The second semester in 3rd grade is a bit more challenging so it is important that everyone comes to school ready to learn and follow expectations. Coming up this week... Writing: Our drafts for One Little Word are mostly finished. We'll work on our final copy Monday, and then begin planning a fiction writing. Our first lessons will include how to choose a character and plot based on real life people and events, planning inside and outside traits of the main character, and brainstorming idea for the plot. Reading: Monday we will take an online district reading assessment and Tuesday we will take a district assessment that includes a biography and nonfiction passage. We'll finish our biography projects and response based on the book read in our mini-book clubs, and then begin our next unit on traditional literature. Math: Just like in reading, Monday we will take an online district math assessment. Then we'll dive right back into 2-D shapes. We have one more shape to explore, parallelograms, and then we will go on our geometry scavenger hunt that I had planned for last week. Additionally, we'll analyze quadrilaterals with a fun online exploration and classify triangles before moving on to area. The kiddos are really enjoying exploring shapes and figuring out the rules/attributes for each one. Science: Thanks for sending in all of the soil samples! The kiddos LOVED observing their soil. This week, we'll continue to investigate soil as we learn more about how soil is formed and why soil is an important resource. Social Studies: Since Martin Luther King Day is next week, we'll read about the contributions he made and how he helped shape our world. Students will create a timeline based on important events from King's life. **We will start back with spelling this week. Students will get a list of common homophones. Please have them practice their words at home. Upcoming Events England Family Fitness Night 6:30-7:30 Oh No 99! and Math Reasoning On our first day back from break everyone was getting restless by the end of math, so it was the perfect time for a fun math game and a Which One Doesn't Belong. My mathematicians had a chance to move as they chose the shape they thought didn't belong. During this routine, I often have the kiddos move to a specific corner and then stand and talk with a partner to explain their reasoning. After lunch we played a great math game called Oh No 99! It's a great game involving computation and strategy. Be sure to ask your child about it and maybe even challenge them to play at home. All you need is a deck of cards. Nature Walk It was the perfect day for a nature walk-sunny and 78 degrees! These young scientists observed trees, rocks, and areas of soil. I love the pictures of them observing in the trees! Might have to sneak in a few more tree pics this week. Biography Book Clubs Students chose a person to read about from a selection of books I gathered. They worked in groups reading about the same person. Each group read several picture books and discussed their subject several times. Exploring 2D Shapes with Exploragons Exploring Trapezoids Each table group was given a set of shapes to explore. They had to determine which ones were trapezoids and try to figure out the rules for trapezoids. Observing Soil The kiddos LOVED observing the soil, especially if there was a bug in it. You would think they had never seen a worm before! Students recorded observations in their notebooks and listed the things found in their soil sample.We will compare different soil samples next week to make a final claim about what soil is and how it is formed. Biography Projects Each book club group chose a product to create to showcase the person they read about. We'll finish these up next week. So far, their projects are looking great. I can't wait to see the end results! Exploring Trapezoids Making New Year Resolutions with Kinder Buddies This was a great way to wrap up our week! |
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |