Reading: This week we'll immerse ourselves in poetry as we wrap up fiction and move on to our next unit. I LOVE reading poetry, and I try to instill this love in the kiddos. So, we'll have lots of time to read a variety of poems and find favorites. As we read poems, we'll learn about elements of poetry and types of poetry including free verse, lyrical, narrative, and humorous.
Writing: Our personal narratives are finished and they are great! We'll write our final copies and "publish" our stories. Then, we will write a personal narrative for a district assessment before beginning our next unit on poetry. Since we will be reading poetry during our reading time, this will give us a few days to read poetry before we start writing our own poems. During our first few days of poetry writing, I'll read a portion of a text written about poetry for kids by Ralph Fletcher. In his book, he talks about the three pillars of poetry, emotion, imagery, and music (rhythm). We'll learn that poets use these to create a mood, paint a picture, and create rhythm. Math: We'll start the week reviewing place value concepts, data analysis, rounding, and strategies for addition and subtraction. On Tuesday, we'll take a district assessment that will will include concepts from our current unit as well as our first unit on data analysis. Then, we'll move on to multiplication. First, we'll focus on arrays and equal groups as well as how to use numbers and symbols to represent multiplication. This will be the first of several multiplication units throughout the year. In this unit, we will work on fives, tens, twos, fours, and eights facts. Science: We are wrapping up our changing states of matter and mixtures unit. We'll take the unit district assessment on Wednesday. Our next unit involves learning about forms of energy. Students will explore some common objects to determine the type of energy used to kick off the unit. This is always a big hit! Social Studies: This week we'll begin learning about good citizenship. Also, we'll start our PBL about conservation which will incorporate citizenship. Upcoming Events October 8-Fall Conferences (no school) October 9-No school for students October 22-International Children's Week begins October 24-Book Fair opens for sales
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Hope you are enjoying the cooler weather! We have a busy week ahead of us. See below for a glimpse of what we will be learning.
Reading: This week students will apply their inferencing skills to analyze characters in fiction stories. We'll dig deeper into theories about characters while noticing patterns in their actions and determining how a character changes. Students will work with their reading partner as they study and get to know characters throughout the week. Also, we'll learn that readers think about lessons a character learns to help determine the theme. Writing: We'll finish revising and editing our personal narrative drafts this week. Then students will write a final copy and "publish" their story. I hope to have a publishing celebration on Friday. As we continue to revise our drafts, we'll learn how to improve word choice by choosing vivid verbs, descriptive words, and specific nouns. Math: Our focus will be on place value, however we will continue to solve problems involving addition and subtraction. As we explore place value concepts, we'll compose and decompose numbers up to 9,999, describe the relationships in the base-10 place value system, represent numbers on a number line, and compare/order whole numbers using the symbols >, <, or =. Science: It's all about mixtures this week. We'll create a mixture by combining snack items and then separate the mixture to understand that physical properties stay the same when mixed together. Throughout the week, we'll observe different mixtures and explore ways to separate mixtures based on physical properties. We'll wrap up the unit by the end of the week, but will probably take the unit assessment the following week. Social studies: We didn't have much time for social studies last week so we'll continue learning about government this week. Upcoming Events October 8th- Fall Conferences (no school for students) October 9th- No school for students Science Touch & Talk Vocabulary Touch and talk is a strategy used to get students talking about vocabulary at the beginning of a unit. Students choose an image that represents one of the science terms and tells something they know about it or a connection they have with the image. Then, the kiddos try to match the images to the words at the bottom of the page. This is a great way to practice communication skills as well. Addition and Subtraction We have learned various strategies for addition and subtraction during number talks and lessons. Addition strategies include compensation, (moving numbers from one addend to another), using friendly numbers, (round and adjust), breaking apart both numbers by place value, and adding on in chunks. The subtraction strategies we have practiced include counting back and counting on, (adding up). We'll also learn to use constant difference, one of my favorites! We used based ten blocks, place value charts, and number lines as tools to add and subtract. Observing Changing States of Matter We took ice cubes outside and placed them on a grid. Every two minutes, we recorded how many squares in the grid were covered by water. Although it was soooo hot outside, it was cool to watch the ice turn from a solid to a liquid. What is the Same? What is Different? This is a question I'll ask sometimes in math to encourage my mathematicians to notice a math concept. In this image, we noticed that one number line shows counting up whereas the other shows counting back. Counting Collections Our second round of counting collections was great. I can already see improvements since our first time. It was great to hear so many conversations about grouping and counting, and to see so many different ways to count. These mathematicians were so engaged in counting by fifties, twenties, tens, etc. It is music to my ears! Investigating How States of Matter Change When Heat is Added We observed matter change from a solid to a liquid and to a gas as we added heat to a pot of ice. We used a digital thermometer to display the temperature of the water in the pot. It took a long time for the ice to melt and begin to change into a gas, but we enjoyed watching the temperature increase. Everyone cheered when the water in the pot reached 100 degrees! Guidance Lesson One or our guidance counselors taught a lesson on how to show respect and use social cues from others. We played a quick game which required using eye contact, listening, and self regulation. Another Design Challenge for Enrichment Time, (Eslot) We listened to the story of The Three Little Pigs and were then challenged to build a house that could withstand the wolf, (a leaf blower). We'll finish these next week and test each house. I loved seeing all the creativity and collaboration! Coming up this week...
Writing: This week, we'll focus on revising our personal narratives to improve the quality of our drafts. After reading mentor texts with a writers' eye, we'll work on crafting strong leads and satisfying endings. Also, we'll learn how to show emotions by creating a mental image instead of telling. Our grammar instruction will include using specific nouns which we will also apply to our drafts. Reading: We'll continue to make inferences while reading fiction stories and use text evidence to support our thinking. Also, we'll learn to summarize a fiction story using elements of fiction as a guide. Later in the week, we will begin studying characters in our stories. Students will make inferences about characters based on what they say, do, think, and feel which will help them develop theories about the character. Math: Our focus this week will be on using strategies such as compensation and breaking numbers apart to add and subtract within 1,000. Students will use various tools including number lines, base 10 blocks, and models to help solve one and two-step problems involving addition and subtraction. Science: We'll investigate how states of matter change by observing ice melting, water heating, and water changing to a gas. The big science idea is that adding or removing heat causes states of matter to change. Social Studies: Monday September 17th is Constitution Day. We'll learn what the Constitution is and why it is important. Then we'll take an imaginary trip to the White House as an introduction to our national government. Upcoming Events September 19-Spirit Night @ Baskin Robbins Find the Number Students used their knowledge of numbers and place value to match images and numerical representations to numbers on a recording sheet. They had to determine the value of the number and prove their thinking. This was a great way to review and for me to pre-assess. Rounding On an Open Number Line After learning how to round to the nearest ten and nearest hundred, we practiced rounding numbers using a number line. We pretended the number line was a highway and in order to exit the highway you had to round to the nearest 10 or 100. The kiddos used cars to "drive" on the highway which was lots of fun. The Boat Challenge We designed boats out of a piece of foil with a length and width of 15 centimeters. Then, we tested the boats to determine how many pennies the boat could hold before sinking. This proved to be more difficult than it looked. Surprisingly, the boats that were square and almost flat held the most pennies. These young scientists were eager to tweak their designs and retest their boats. Reading Workshop I love seeing these readers sooo engaged in their books. And they looks so comfy too! Counting Collections In this activity, students worked with a partner to organize and count a collection of objects. Then they recorded their thinking to show how they counted. Lots of great thinking was happening as mathematicians counted by tens, twos, fives, etc. One group made an array, while another made groups of 50 or 20. The kiddos were very excited to count their collections! I was impressed with how well most of the partnerships worked together to record and count. Using Base Ten Blocks and Number Lines to Practice Addition Dot Day! September 15th is National Dot Day, (inspired by the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds). After reading the book, I asked students to make their mark by creating their own dot art. Some of the kiddos were really eager to paint using dots while others created Google drawing with dots and other made a large dot with markers and water! Some kiddos chose to do it all! Check out the photos to see some of the various works of art inspired by dots. Exploring Magnetism After watching a short video clip of trash being sort based on physical properties, we tested four different metals for magnetism. We discovered that iron is magnetic, but copper, aluminum, and zinc are not. The kiddos were so excited to use magnets, so I gave them some to time to make their own discoveries. You can tell from the photos that these young scientist are really engaged! Literacy Groups During reading, I read the book The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg to elicit questions. Students recorded their questions at stopping points during the interactive read aloud. After reading, we had a lingering question...Who is the stranger? The kiddos met with a group to discuss their thinking and to put clues from the text together to figure out who the stranger could be. You might want to ask your child about the story and some of the questions they asked. Our New Comfy Chairs and Lap Desks We are really enjoying our new chairs and lap desks from DonorsChoose. It has been a bit challenging trying to share as everyone wants to use them. Thank you so much to those of you that made donations to help us get new flexible seating options. I can already tell that these items are going to get lots of use! Exploring Sink and Float We conducted a test to see if various fruits would sink or float. It was surprising that the smallest fruits sank and the larger ones floated. We also tested some similar objects made of plastic or wood. Which One Doesn't Belong We did our first Which One Doesn't Belong this week. For this routine, students decide which one they think doesn't belong. They must justify their thinking and explain it to a peer. It may seem too simple, (and this particular one was),, but it is a great way to dig deeper into math concepts, use math vocabulary, and review. For example, for this WODB we discussed even/odd numbers, doubles, and groups. Working Together to Solve a Data Problem My mathematicians were given a data set with symbols for a pictograph. They worked in groups to create a pictograph that accurately displayed the data. Collecting, Recording, and Creating Dot Plots We gathered data about dice and penny decades and displayed the data on dot plots. Bluebonnet Book Kickoff
Mrs. Kupersztoch gave a presentation about the Bluebonnet book program. Each student received a list of the books with a checklist to keep track of books read and quizzes passed. I'm hoping we will have lots of participation from our class. Students that read five books and pass the quizzes will get to participate in the voting party and those that read 10 books will get invited to the Bluebonnet breakfast. The deadline to read books and take quizzes is January 25, 2018. I hope you enjoyed your three day weekend. I'm sure the kiddos needed some rest after our first few weeks of school. This week, we have a lot to pack into our four day week, including a Bluebonnet kickoff lesson from our librarian. See below for details about our learning for the upcoming week.
Reading: We'll continue to read fiction stories while learning strategies good readers use to comprehend, including visualizing, asking questions, making predictions, and using cues from the text to help understand when to gather information and when to visualize. I will continue to conduct beginning of the year reading assessments while students continue to build reading stamina. Writing: Last week, we generated ideas for personal narratives and began writing stories from our lives. This week, we'll learn how to zoom in on a small moment, add details, and stretch a moment using sequential order. Also, we'll work on grammar skills using a mentor sentence from a quality narrative story. Math: We'll continue collecting, recording, and interpreting data using pictographs, bar graphs, and dot plots. Additionally, we'll solve one and two-step problems using categorical data represented in frequency tables, pictographs, bar graphs, and dot plots. As part of our spiral review we'll compare and represent numbers up to 1,200 to review place value concepts. Science: Our focus will be on classifying matter based on physical properties. We will investigate the ability to sink and float, measure mass & temperature, and explore magnetism. Students will begin using Stemscopes, our online science resource, this week as they complete an interactive investigation and read about matter. Social Studies: We'll learn about the importance of voting and good citizenship. We are starting Class Dojo this week! You should have received an email inviting you to join our class on Class Dojo. If you didn't, please email me. Have a great week! Reading Partners We formed reading partnerships this week and practiced sharing our thinking about a read aloud. Describing Matter To introduce matter, I told a fun story about an alien coming to earth. The alien took some items from earth back to his planet and left clues about the items since he didn't know the names of them. The kiddos had a good time guessing the items. We learned that the alien described the items based on physical properties. Then I challenged students to find two objects in the room and write a description of the items on a sticky note. They read their descriptions with a partner and tried to guess each others items. Everyone had so much fun trying to guess! Working with Bar Graphs using Desmos We used an online tool called Desmos to wonder & notice about a numberless bar graph. Students typed their responses in a text box and shared them with the class. This is a great way to ensure everyone participates as well as sharing mathematical thinking. The kiddos also wrote true statements and questions about a bar graph on Desmos. Students had time to read and interpret various graphs in news articles. Investigating Physical Properties of Matter These scientists really enjoyed classifying matter as they rotated through different stations to investigate magnetism, temperature, mass, texture, and the ability to sink or float. Everyone was engaged and thinking about matter! Interpreting Pictographs and Bar Graphs Using Nearpod Nearpod is an interactive tool I often use to engage students during lessons. It allows me to insert images into a presentation which students can interact with. For this lesson, I added a variety of graphs with various questions. It is great because the kiddos can draw on the images or type in a text box. Each slide is submitted so that I have a record of their thinking. I can also share specific student work with the class as examples or to prompt further thinking. How Far Can You Jump? I wanted to collect data to display on the board in an unorganized way, so I asked the kiddos to see how far they could jump. This proved to be very exciting! They could hardly focus on anything else while others were jumping. Each student recorded their data on a sticky note which they randomly placed on the board. Afterwards, I demonstrated how tricky it was to interpret the data when it was all mixed up. Of course I made it look really confusing, so the kiddos suggested I organize the data, or make it into rows which I did. We looked at the range and decided we could group some of the data together and also replace the sticky notes with dots, (or X's) thus creating a dot plot. Count Around the Circle We did our first count around the circle. First we counted by twos starting at 50. Then we counted by fours starting at 50. We looked for patterns and noticed the ones place was a pattern that repeated and that all of the numbers were even. This is a routine we will do often to help build number sense. Collecting and Recording Data about Raisin Boxes Summarizing and interpreting data from dot plots is a new skill for 3rd graders, so to make it more meaningful we collected data about the number of raisins in a box. I gave each student a mini raisin box and asked them to estimate the number of raisins in the box. I also asked them to think of an estimate that is too low and too high. This requires them to think more about what is reasonable. We recorded our estimates on a number line which requires thinking about the placement of numbers in relation to their value. After that, everyone counted the number of raisins in their box and collected all of our data. Then students recorded the data on a dot plot. Design Challenge-Building a Beanstalk During enrichment, we learned about the design process engineers use as we designed and built beanstalks. The challenge was to build the tallest free standing beanstalk out of 10 pipe cleaners. I was impressed with their ideas, collaboration, and designs. The winning beanstalk was 16 inches tall! I think we have some future engineers in our class! |
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |