Language Arts and Social Studies

LANGUAGE ARTS

READING

In Reading over the next few weeks we will be synthesizing our reading.   
My concrete example for synthesizing is this...
Think about when you make pasta.  You have to boil the water, add the dry noodles and then cook them, but that's not the way we eat our pasta.  We have to strain the noodles to get rid of the water but keep the REALLY  good pasta.  It's the same when we synthesize our reading.  We have to read the whole book, and even let it boil for a while, but synthesizing happens when we strain the information and we are left with the REALLY good stuff. 
This week we are working with non-fiction.  Your children are reading texts and trying to distinguish the FACTS (to record in their notes) from their THINKING (connections, thoughts, ideas, questions).

WRITING
This week in Writing we are working on how-to essays.  We have reviewed the features of this text.  Over the next few days, we will consume some good examples and create a class essay.  Then, students will work to create a how-to essay to teach us how to play his or her favorite game.

SPELLING
Spelling continues to be more of the same.  Students should bring home new spelling words on Mondays.  Homework is due on Thursdays.  We will take our test on Friday.

SOCIAL STUDIES

GEOGRAPHY

Students will have a geography quiz on Friday.  It will cover the first half of our unit of study.  Please make sure to look over the review sheet sent home last Friday.  Students have also been encouraged to take their Social Studies Journals home each night to aide in preparing for the quiz.  

Math and Science Week of Jan 28-Feb 1st!

Dear Parents,

Last week in Math, we introduced fractions and spent the week talking about unit and non-unit regional fractions which look like this:

This week we will be spending some time on fractional parts of a set, which look like this:

Looking at this picture you might ask your child, what fraction of these objects are blue?  What fraction are NOT red?  What fraction of these objects are green and yellow?  Fractional parts of a set are just that, something in a set that can be divided into categories or non-categories.  On Friday, the kids will be assessed on their mastery of regional fractions and fractional parts of a set.  Next week we will continue our study of fractions, but move on to linear fractions.

The kids are really enjoying these multiplication fast facts are some are really taking their learning seriously!  They are super motivated to "move up to the next level," and I can tell there is some serious studying going on at home at night!  Thanks for flashing all those cards every night!  This week's test will not be for a grade or recorded in the grade book online.

In Science last week we briefly touched on our earths renewable and non-renewable resources.  We discovered that most, if not all, non-renewable resources are found under the earth.  We talked about ways to protect our natural resources, like turning off the water when you are brushing your teeth, or using a cloth rag instead of a paper towel every time because this creates more trash.  Lastly, we talked about the meaning of the arrows in the recycling sign and discussed the three R's....REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE!  We will have a short quiz at the end of the week on renewable vs. non-renewable resources..

Here is a song for your enjoyment titled, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE!!!

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Mrs. S  

LA and SS 1/22-1/25

READING
We will continue working with QAR (Question Answer Relationship) as we read and answer questions.  Students wrote some pretty tough questions last week to go with the article we read on Mei Lee's special gift.  
We will begin this week, applying this strategy and others on reading passages.  After we perfect using our reading skills in class, I will start to send home passages for homework.  

WRITING
The kids did a super job composing friendly letters to their third grade pen pals.  In the week to come, they will receive a letter from their pen pal.  We will then start working on composing a thank you letter response.  

SPELLING
Spelling homework will be shortened to 6 points this week.  

SOCIAL STUDIES
We will continue to learn about land forms.  This week we will start thinking of various ways to describe land forms or bodies of water.  The book I AM THE OCEAN will serve as our guide and inspiration as we begin to create LAND FORM POETRY!

Math and Science for the Week of January 22nd

Parents,

Another four day week is upon us.  They always seem crazier to me than a normal five day week!  This week in Math we will be starting the wonderful world of FRACTIONS!!!   Fractions seem to cause trouble across all grade levels, so we are going to be starting out very simple to review all those 2nd grade objectives over Fractions that the kids should know, but might be a little rusty on.  This week we will just be focusing on regional models, which are pretty much basic shapes like circles and rectangles being cut into slices.  We will be trying to verbalize 2/8 pieces have been eaten, 3/6 pieces are shaded, or 1/8 pieces are Not shaded, etc....  You will be seeing Fraction Homework coming home very soon.  We will be focusing on Fractions for almost four whole weeks!

Your student survived their very first multiplication fast fact test this past Friday.  If they made a 100, they will receive a new set of flashcards for X2 this Tuesday.  Their new test this Friday will consist of X0, X1, X2, and X10.  If they did not receive a 100 on last weeks test, your students will continue to study the initial set of flashcards sent home and retake the X0, X1, and X10 test again.  This Friday's Fast Fact Test will be recorded in the grade book 

Last week, your child completed their first technology project in Science on an assigned Land form.  We will be moving on to Natural Resources.  All students will discuss and learn examples of renewable and non renewable resources and where they originate from.  Students should come to discover that most non-renewable resources come from under the earth.  We will merge into conservation and recycling next week.

There will be a Pizza Party in each 3rd grade classroom during lunch next Friday.  If you did not sign your child up for this fun event at the auction in October, it's not too late!  I believe you can still go on the PTA website and sign your child up!

Love,
Mrs. S

Math/Science Week of January 14th-18th

Dear Parents,

Our first week back last week went off without a hitch!  The kids were ready to get back into a routine and so was I!!!

In math this week we will be counting money.  In the beginning of the week, the students will be expected to identify coins and their value and make change up to a dollar in a variety of ways.  This should be a review of second grade.  Students also need to use the correct symbols to label amounts. Counting coins is a concept that was introduced in 1st grade, reviewed in 2nd grade, and hopefully mastered in 3rd grade! It can be a difficult concept for students to master so please practice counting at home. Just take out a coin purse, grab a handful of coins and have the kids count!  The best way to master the concept is to practice, practice, practice!  In the later part of the week, we will be counting coins as well as dollars and putting the amounts together.  Students will again be expected to add up the amounts correctly, and place the decimal and dollar symbol in the correct place.

This coming Friday will be our first multiplication Fast Fact test.  The students will be expected to complete 30 problems in 1.5 minutes.  Flash cards to study were given last Monday to study at home with you.  Students can also practice online with some websites on our Helpful Websites tab in the blog.  Please study x0, x1, and x10.  Students will only be tested on these this Friday.  This first test will not be graded.  All students will need to make a 100 in order to move up to the "next level."

In Science the kids will be working on a Land form project in Power Point.  Each student was assigned a Land form this past Friday, and will begin their research starting this coming Monday in class.  The kids will be given 30-45 minutes in class a day to complete this project.  They will be given a research paper with all the requirements to guide them through their research.  This project will hopefully be completed by this coming Monday the 21st, so that the kids can share them with their classmates all week.

Here are the requirements of the project:

1. Land form's formal definition
2. How the Land form is formed
3. How the Land form changes over time
4. 2 real world examples of their Land form with location and 2 interesting facts per example

All students will be using Mrs. Moore's website on Land forms to conduct their research.  Here is the link:

Landform Research Websites

It should be a great and busy week!  You can always email with questions ;-)

Love,
Mrs. S

Mrs. Ford is BACK!

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to school, and back to third grade with Mrs. Ford!
I missed all of you while I was gone.
Here's a little look at who I was spending my break with...

Language Arts

Reading- We will spend the rest of this week and next week reviewing inferences and beginning to analyze questions using QAR (Question Answer Relationship).  QAR is useful as a tool for conceptualizing and developing comprehension questions. "QAR creates a way of thinking about the types of questions that are most appropriate for different points in guiding students through a text. Questions asked before reading are usually On My Own QARs. They are designed to access relevant prior knowledge. In creating questions asked during reading it is important to balance text based and inference questions. Search and Locate QARs should dominate and should build to the Author and Me QARs. Finally, after reading questions are primarily Author and Me and On My Own QARs. Please remember that too many Right There QARs may indicate and overemphasis on literal, detail questions. QAR is useful as a student tool in providing a basis for three comprehension strategies: locating information, determining text structures and how they convey information, and determining when an inference would be required. It initially helps children understand that information from both texts and their knowledge base and experiences are important to consider when answering questions. It helps students search for key words and phrases to locate the appropriate information for answering questions. Finally, QARs help students recognize whether or not information is present in the text and, if not, that it is necessary to read “between or beyond the lines” to answer the question." (the reading lady)
Reading homework is back on track.  Please have students check the reading blog to record homework.

Writing- Students have finished writing a personal narrative.  We will be working the next two weeks on letter writing.  Students will receive a third grade pen pal.  We will learn how to correctly format and write a friendly letter to that person.  Then, after each child receives a letter, we will learn how to write a thank you letter in return.  We are hoping that this real world application will inspire a new generation of letter writing! :)

Spelling- Students will once again bring home spelling words on Mondays.  They will work to complete 8 points off the spelling menu by Thursday and we will test on Fridays.

Social Studies

Geography We will start our unit on land forms   In third grade we work to learn land form vocabulary.  Then, we will find when on our EARTH different land forms or bodies of water may be found.  Finally, we want students to think about how life might be based on what type of land form or body of water we live near.  

Math/Science Week of January 7th

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year!!!  I hope all of your holiday break was filled with family, fun, and laughter.  It is good to be back :)  This crazy short week will be a great transition to get back into the school groove.

This week in Math we will be diving into graphing.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will mainly be practicing the proper way to read and label Picto, Bar, and Tally Graphs accurately.  Then we will be taking the information given in the graph and use it to answer questions.  On Thursday and Friday, the students will be conducting a survey of their own, and be required to create their own picto and bar graph that corresponds correctly to their data collected in the survey.

There will be no Fast Facts test this week, but that doesn't mean you can't start practicing.  We will start with multiplication this month.  Please practice the x 0, x1, and x10.  All students will have to make a 100 before they can move on to the next level on their multiplication test.  So practice, practice, practice.  Good ol' flashcards are NOT overrated!

In science we will be looking at landforms. Landforms are natural formations found on Earth. We will study many examples over the next couple of weeks including mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, basins, prairies, oceans and many more! Here is a link with some other examples:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/landforms/glossary.shtml

Also, here is a super cool video to help your child understand and remember the different land forms:




Once again, welcome back.  I look forward to the 2ND half of the school year :)

Mrs. S