April 30- May 2

STAAR is over, but the learning CONTINUES!

Language Arts
Reading: We will read Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile together this week.  This book will help us review the genre of fantasy and enjoy the imaginative craft writing that Roald Dalh so expertly demonstrates.  In this text, the enormous crocodile creates serve different "clever tricks."  We will use his clever tricks as a discussion starter for cause and effect and problem and solution.

Writing:  As we finish The Enormous Crocodile, your child will craft a persuasive letter to the crocodile.  In his or her letter should be at least 4-5 reasons why the crocodile SHOULD NOT EAT him or her.  We will send these letters home toward the end of the week.  Please read your child's letter and then use the provided stationary to craft a response as the ENORMOUS CROCODILE! :)  The letters will be due the following Wednesday.  Each child will have an opportunity to share the enormous crocodile's response in class!

Spelling:  This is a full week of spelling.  Words will come home on Monday.  Homework is due Thursday.  Spelling tests will take place on Friday.

Social Studies:  We discussed the southwest region of the United States last Friday.  This week, your child will bring home a review map.  He or she is expected to learn the location and spelling of thirty states (only ten more than last year).  The review sheets will come home 4/30.  Our states quiz will be on May 10th.  We will also be showing your child some great apps and websites to use for study aids.
This week your child will go on a states road trip.  He or she will visit Hawaii, Alaska, California, Colorado, New York and Florida.  The classes will travel to each of the Social Studies teachers to join her on a pretend road trip.  They will create scrapbooks in which they will journal about each state and record "memories" from the trip.  We look forward to sharing these with you at Showcase Luncheon!

Math and Science for the Week of April 30th-May 4th

Parents,

Well we made it past STAAR week and I must say it wasn't easy!  The kids worked really hard and were exhausted.  The STAAR party on Thursday was just what we needed to give our brains a break.

Believe it or not, this week in Math we will be gearing up for 4th grade!  The kids will learn multiple strategies on multiplying 2 digit numbers by a 1 digit number.  On Monday, we will be drawing out the multiplication problems on a tens and ones T-chart.  Your child will have this for HW on Monday night.  On Tuesday, I will teach them how to multiply a two digit number with another number that has many zeros.  They will find this trick simple and fun!  On Wednesday, we will use our past knowledge of expanded notation to solve the problems.  By Thursday and Friday, after hopefully truly understanding this multiplying two digit number skill, I will merge into teaching them the correct algorithm for multiplying a 2 digit number by a 1 digit number.  It should be a fun and challenging week in Math.

For fast facts, we will be making this week interesting!  The kids will go back to their colored timed multiplication tests.  This week will be for a grade.  I will give each child a verbal reminder on Monday what they specifically need to study.  Then, we will ALSO give them a practice division timed test that will NOT be for a grade.  Our goal is to have the kids apply what they know in multiplication facts, to division.

In Science, we are trekking along and having a good time learning about Ecosystems and Food Chains/Webs.  This week we will dive deep into learning about Food Chains and try to internalize what exactly a producer, consumer, and decomposer is when we are talking about food chains.  We will be watching a plethora of Non-Fiction videos, drawing/mapping out an actual Food Chain, and using Brain Pop as a resource to teach us as well.

It should be a fun week. I am glad to be back to learning and having a good time with these kiddos.

Love,
Mrs. S

STAAR Week

Tuesday, April 24

The Math STAAR test will be given Tuesday morning.  Students will need to arrive at school on time,  (7:50am) having had a nutritious breakfast.  The school will provide snacks and a water bottle for each student during the test.  If your child wears glasses it is IMPERATIVE that he or she brings them to school that morning.  Students will be given four hours to complete the test.  We have modified our schedules to meet this state requirement.  Lunch will be at 12:45.  Specials will be at 1:15.  For homework  this evening, students will also need to have a good night’s rest.   

Wednesday, April 25

The Reading STAAR test will be given Wednesday morning.  Students will need to arrive at school on time,  (7:50am) having had a nutritious breakfast.  The school will provide snacks and a water bottle for each student during the test.  If your child wears glasses it is IMPERATIVE that he or she brings them to school that morning.  Students will be given four hours to complete the test.  We have modified our schedules to meet this state requirement.  Lunch will be at 12:45.  Specials will be at 1:15.  For homework  this evening, students will also need to have a good night’s rest.   They will have worked very hard over the last two days, and deserve a night to relax!

Thursday, April 26

(PLEASE LOOK FOR A BRIGHT ORANGE FLYER TO BE COMING HOME.) 

Any students absent on Tuesday or Wednesday will have to make up the STAAR test on this Thursday (4/26).

Students will have a day to celebrate their hard work over the week with a STAAR PARTY on Thursday.  Students may bring a pillow, blanket, and books to use as we celebrate with a cozy READ IN during the language arts block.  For math, students may bring a strategy board game to play with classmates.  We ask that you keep any electronic game devices at home. 

Friday, April 27

Friday is our annual BIKE or CARPOOL to school day.  We are asking kids to help do their part to reduce pollution.  If possible, please help your student bike to school.  If this is not possible, carpooling and riding the bus to school is another way to help reduce emissions and take care of our environment.  Friday will be a regular school day.  We will be back to work!

Your children have been hard at work keeping you up to date with their favorite happenings at school.  Please read and comment on their excellent reporting.  The website is http://hce3rdgradethoughts.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for all your hard work, cooperation and support this year!

Omi Ford and Angela Skrivanek

LA and SS for the weeks of 4/16-4/27

Language Arts

Reading- This week we have been fine tuning our learning to get ready to apply ALL our reading strategies on the STAAR test next week.  Students have a reading passage due this Friday, April 20th and they should be reading nightly and posting to the blog or recording their summary on a sheet of notebook paper.  

As we prepare for next week, please know that your student will need all their reading strength for the math and reading STAAR tests next week.  There will be no reading homework the week of April 23rd-27th.  I simply want your kids to rest and relax.  They need to think positive thoughts and ready themselves for success on the STAAR.

Spelling- Students will be tested on word work this Friday, April 20.  There will NOT be any spelling given the week of April 23rd-April 27th.

Writing- We are working hard to finish up our BIG 6 planet research.  Students have learned about the location, rotation, climate, appearance and other interesting facts about their planet.  As we finish our research, students will select one of three computer products to use as a way to share their new learning with others.

Social Studies

We have learned about explorers, pioneers, tall tale characters, and now scientists/inventors.  All of these people helped shape the Story of America.  Their contributions shaped our country and changed our physical, medical and economic story.  Below you will find a list of people we have discussed over the last few weeks.  We will finish up with scientists and inventors this week and then play some review games next week to solidify our learning.

Mrs. Ford's Homeroom, our book order is due this Friday, April 20th.  You are welcome to send back the paper form or order online.

Thanks for everyone's support at home!  ~Mrs. Ford

Third Grade Historical People

1.   Pierre-Charles L’Enfant (1754-1825)- A French born American builder and cityplanner. He planned and designed Washington D.C., our nation’s capital.pP.346

2.   Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)-An Italian explorer working for Spain who sailed to the Americas while trying to reach Asia from Europe. p.332

3.    William Clark and Meriwether Lewis – American explorers who, in 1803, led The Corps of Discovery in exploring the land west of the Mississippi River. They journeyed overland across North America to the Pacific Coast and back. p. 284

4.    Jane Addams (1860-1935)-The first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1931), Jane Addams is widely known for her role in the establishment of Hull House in Chicago in 1889 which offered medical care, legal aid, language classes, music, and drama to more than two thousand needy people each week. p.68

5.   Helen Keller (1880-1968)-An American writer who had lost her sight and her hearing at 19 months of age. She was taught by Anne Sullivan. p. 119

6.   Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)-An escaped slave who used the Underground Railroad to lead more than 300 slaves to freedom. P. 118

7.    Daniel Boone (1734-1820)-An American pioneer leader who helped settle the state of Kentucky. P. 216

8.   Davy Crockett (1786-1836)-An American pioneer who served as a U.S. representative from Tennessee. Crockett fought in Texas against Mexico and died at the Alamo. P. 219 

9.    Louis Daguerre (1789-1851)-A French artist and early inventor in the field of photography. P. 386

10.       Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884)- an inventor and manufacturer who developed a mechanical harvester in 1831. p.388

11.       Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)-A French chemist known for inventing the process for pasteurization, which made milk safer to drink. p.297 

12.       Jonas Salk (1914-1995)-The American microbiologist who invented the vaccine to prevent polio. P.223

13.       Henry Ford (1863-1947)-An American automobile engineer and manufacturer. He invented the assembly line. P. 372 

Math and Science for the Week of April 16th-20th

Parents,

This week will be nothing short of a cramming session for finals!  All week long in Math we will study old concepts in whole group, partners, and alone.  In the early part of this week, we will be going over Objective 1, which covers all number sense.  The kids will be working on ordering numbers, comparing numbers, fractions, money, and place value.  On Tuesday, we will take a quiz independently over these objectives.  Towards the latter part of the week, we will be working on 3-D attributes, temperature, reading graphs and charts, area, and perimeter.  The kids have been enjoying so far working hard in pairs to be the group that receives a 100 on their review packets.  It's become quite the competition in the classroom and I am proud that the kids are taking their learning seriously.

This week in Science we are still discussing Living and Non-Living attributes.  The kids are in the process of making a Living/Non-Living book and and then we will be phasing over to how organisms live together and competition of needs.  Eventually we will be headed towards the study of ecosystems.  

Scholastic orders for my homeroom will be due this Friday.  I hope everyone has a great week ;)

Love,

Mrs. S

Math and Science for the Week of April 9th-13th

Count down to STAAR!!!  That's what the next two weeks will be about in Math.  We will have two weeks of review and practicing word problems with old skills we already know.  There will be many opportunities in the next two weeks to work in groups and learn from peers, as well as work alone and learn from one's mistakes.  In the beginning of this week, we are focusing on probability, reading spinners, reading pictographs and bar graphs.  We will have an objective quiz this Tuesday and I expect the kids to do very well.  The latter part of the week we will dive into reviewing Multiplication and Division.  By Friday, the kids will do a series of word problems on Multiplication and Division word problems.  They will have to read the problem and decide what operation will work for that specific problem, then apply the strategies that we have learned in order to solve the problems.

In Science, we are moving on to Living and Non-Living things.  In order for something to be classified as "living," it must be alive or it must have been alive at some point.  There are three characteristics that we are using to qualify something as living:
1. It MUST reproduce
2. It must acquire or make food
3.It MUST grow/move

The kids will be watching several NF videos on this topic as well as making a flip book this week over Living/Non-Living.

This Friday is FAMILY FAIR!!!  If you are in my Homeroom, please sign and return the form that will be telling me how your child will be leaving that day.  I will be going to NYC this Thursday night, and I want to make sure that the substitute knows exactly how each kid will be leaving after school.  Thanks for your help;-)

Love,
Mrs. S

April 9-13 LA/SS

We've been working away in LA and SS.


Reading
In reading we have been focusing on poetry.  We've reviewed rhyme and rhythm and discussed the three different types of poetry third graders need to know....
1. narrative
2. lyrical
3. free verse
We will continue to think about poetry and also review a few other concepts that need fine tuning like... 
cause and effect, summary and non-fiction features.
The STAAR reading test is Wednesday, April 25.  We want to get our reading minds in shape to knock this test out of the park!
Practice Passages will come home the next two weeks to help us get our skills and strategies in shape!


Writing
We've just started our BIG 6 research project.  Each child made a list of 3 planets they would be interested in researching.  Ask your student what planet he or she will become an expert on this month.  We've organized what information we want to know and reviewed how to cite sources for a bibliography.  We will be doing some intense research this next week.   When we have completed our research, students will have three different technology products to choose from to share their research and writing with others.


Spelling
It was nice to have a week off, but the next two weeks (April 9-13 and April 16-20) will be normal spelling weeks.  Word sorts will come home on Monday.  Homework will be due on Thursday.  We will test on Friday.


Social Studies
We finished learning about some important explorations in American History.  We will spend the next week discussing how some important people in history have had their stories stretched and changed to become TALL TALES.  Students will work through a menu to explore and create as they learn about this genre and these famous people.