Writing: We'll finish creating our public service announcements in Powtoons! I can't wait to see the final products. There are a few kiddos making a different type of presentation, but the majority of the class chose Powtoons. Also this week we are going to start planning letters to various leaders in the community and/or government related to our our PBL.
Reading: Last week we started book clubs! Everyone was very excited our their books and meeting with their groups. Each group decided on norms they will follow during their meetings and started reading their books. We even completed our first book club reading response. During the next few weeks, students will be reading their book club books, recording their thinking to share during meeting, discussing the chapters with their group, and writing responses in their notebook. As the groups meet and discuss, I'll take listen in and take notes as a way to monitor comprehension. I'll also help facilitate as needed, although these are student-led discussion groups. We'll also work on context clues, making inferences, and character analysis this week during mini-lessons and book clubs. Math: We finished our measurement unit on Friday which included time, perimeter, weight, and capacity. This week we will learn how to multiply a two-digit number by a onw-digit number. Science: Our focus this week will be on food chains. We'll discover how living organisms pass energy and how changes in a food chain affect the ecosystem. Social Studies: This week we'll learn about Henry Ford and other entrepreneurs that started a business. Upcoming Events: Tuesday, March 28 STAAR testing in 4th & 5th Wednesday, March 29 STAAR testing in 4th & 5th Friday, March 31 Family Movie Night @ 5:30
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Using Scales to Complete a Scale/Weight Matching Activity We worked in groups to match various images of scales to the weight in ounces and in pounds. It was challenging, but most groups were successful! Estimating and Weighing Objects using Pounds and Ounces Students found objects around the room and estimated the weight of the object in ounces or pounds. They had to determine the best scale to use before finding the actual weight. Lots of fun and super engaging...they didn't want to stop! Comparing Ounces to Fluid Ounces We watched a short video of a Coca Cola being poured into a scale that measures weight and wondered why the can said 16oz but the scale read 18oz after the Coke was added. Then we examined various objects to see if the label said ounces or fluid ounces to gain an understanding of the difference between these concepts. We sorted the times and discovered that the items labeled fluid ounces could all be poured. Book Clubs! We are sooo loving our book clubs! Students chose their top book choices and were then grouped by books. Each group wrote their norms, started reading their books, and conducted their first meeting where they discussed their thinking that they recorded while reading. Measuring Capacity As part of a 3 Act Task, students compared cups, pints, quarts, and gallons after predicting how much water there would be in a gallon milk carton filled with ice. As you can tell, it was a lot of fun pouring water. Ecosystem Game We played an ecosystem game to gain an understanding of how living organisms affect an ecosystem. In the game, the panthers, (students), had to hunt for prey, (pictures of predators that panthers eat). In the first round, all the animals were thriving, but in the second round there was a drought. The panthers didn't find as much and a few panthers perished. In the next round, there was an infestation of insects that damaged plants in the ecosystem so there was even less food. More panthers perished. In the last round, humans cleared the land for a farm and buildings there was less space and less food. I didn't think to get pictures until the last minute. I posted one on Class Dojo that I took with my phone, but this is the only picture I captured on my school camera. Finding the Mystery Volume to Measure Capacity We estimated and predicted how many half-cups it would take to equal the mystery volume. Then we had to estimate the right level of a container of a given amount of cups and then measure to see if our estimates were close. Ecosystem Game
We played a game where the armadillo population increased or decreased depending on various event in the ecosystem. Great way to use vocabulary! Literacy Circles Students read a poem, recorded their thinking about the poem, and then met with a group to discuss to share their thinking and discuss the poem. Creating Advertisements for the Economics Fair Noticing and Wondering about Scales Reading to Our Kinder Buddies We met with our buddies to read them stories and to listen to them read. Each student chose a picture book and practiced reading it fluently with expression. They did a fabulous job keeping their buddy interested in the book, and many were even asking them questions about the story. They were also attentive listeners as their buddies read. Hope you have a great spring break!Wow! The Planet Protectors really went all by producing some terrific products to sell at our 5th annual Economics Fair. As always, all of the money raised from our sales will be donated. This year, the Planet Protectors want to help save the world's oceans. We are VERY excited to announce that we raised...$2,783 which will be donated to the Ocean Conservancy! Thank you so much for all your support! And, thanks to everyone who was able to come out today and watch our young entrepreneurs in action!
Our Economics Fair was a huge success! We raised $2,783 which will go to recycling programs at our school and conservation organizations! I am so proud of all the kiddos for their hard work and willingness to donate all the proceeds. Thank you for helping your child succeed in being an entreprenuer!
(pictures will be posted soon) Finding Area and Perimeter Observing Habitats in the Courtyard To kickoff our ecosystem unit, we observed two different areas of the courtyard. We looked for living and nonliving things and tried to find evidence showing how living things interact and how nonliving things contribute to the environment. We found some interesting insects, birds, eggs, and one group even found a lizard. Finding the Area and Perimeter with 36 Tiles We used 36 tiles to make as many different rectangles as possible and then find the area and perimeter of each rectangle. We discovered the area was the same for each one. Measuring the Gardens We had soooo much fun finding the perimeter and area of the gardens. It was interesting to see what each group decided to do when they figured out using inches would be difficult to find the area but not the perimeter. We had some great conversations about using the best unit of measurement. As we shared our results, we place some charts in the garden to represent the square units. This really helped solidify our understanding of perimeter and area. And the best part...everyone was engaged plus it was nice weather! Researching Ecosystems Each student chose an ecosystem to research. They are discovering the wildlife, climate, characteristices, and threats to the ecosystem. Students will use the information to create an interactive webpage using Thinklink. We are off to a great start! Coming Up Week of March 6-10
Writing: We'll continue writing our public service announcements using a storyboard format. Later in the week, we will start creating our PowToons, slideshows, or videos. Reading: As we read nonfiction texts this week, we'll continue to work on making inferences, drawing conclusions, summarizing, and cause/effect. Math: This week we'll learn how to determine the perimeter of an irregular figure with a missing side length. Also, we'll review telling time to the minute and parts of a clock. We'll practice telling time in different ways, reading clocks, and determining intervals of time. Science: We are starting a new unit this week on ecosystems, environments, and food chains. This is one of my favorite units! We'll start by learning about the different types of ecosystems. Social Studies: Our focus this week will be on income, saving, and spending. Students will explore human capital needed to earn income as well as planned and unplanned spending. Upcoming Events March 8: Kindergarten Round Up March 9: Third Grade Economics Fair at 8:15 March 10: Science Assembly |
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |