Parents,

Next week will be our last full five day week of the year!  It will be the last week of Math Homework and the last week of fast facts.  In Math, we will go back to measurement.  We will be studying weight in the Customary system first with ounces, pounds, and tons.  Students will walk around the room and search for things that are about an ounce and about a pound.  Next, we will study weight in the metric system focusing on grams and kilograms. The latter part of the week we will work on capacity in the Customary and Metric system.  Students will learn about "Gallon Man!"

In Science, we will be studying about Volcanoes in honor of Pompeii and our Rome study.  We will be labeling parts of a volcano, building volcanoes out of model magic, painting our volcano, and erupting our volcano!  The kids are definitely excited about next week.  We will also learn the details of the destruction on Pompeii and read some interesting factual books about that event.  

I have definitely seem some improvement in the fast fact grades and I am so excited that the kids are really taking this oh so important skill seriously.  Please keep it up over the Summer. Your child's 4th grade Math success depends on it!

We will have Roman Numeral HW all next week and the kids wanted me to post this YouTube Video for you to enjoy with them!

Can't wait to see all of you on Wednesday at Noon for Publisher's Picnic!  It will be a beautiful event and its always one of my most favorite every year.

Love, Mrs. S

Math and Science Week of May 13th-17th

Parents,

This week will be a whirlwind of events and a little wild!  

In Math this week we are taking our previous learning about multiplying two digit by one digit numbers and we will now be applying them to WORD PROBLEMS!!!  Everyone's favorite.  You will see this in your child's HW on Monday and Tuesday night.  On Wednesday next week will work on the Problem Solving Method and Thursday and Friday we will introduce using Roman Numerals!!!  Yes!!!  This is a really fun thing to learn about because that means we are stating our Winds Of Time Unit.  Have your child look around the house for something that has Roman Numerals on it.  Their HW on Wednesday night is to bring to school something that has Roman Numerals on it.

Yes we are still doing Multiplication Fast Facts!!!  This week will be graded so STUDY, STUDY, STUDY.

In Science we are moving on to Adaptations.  This will be the last thing we study before we embark on our Winds of Time Unit concerning Volcanoes.  In the beginning of the week, we will discuss what exactly are adaptations and why do scientists believe they occur in plants and animals.  Towards the middle of the week, we will get into specific plant and animal adaptations and how these specific adaptations occur in specific habitats and help them survive in that particular Ecosystem.  We will end the week with a Brain Pop video and Quiz on Plant Adaptations.

Special happenings this week: 
1. Roman Soldier presentation in Library on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
2. Counselor Lesson on Friday with Ms. Clifton

Have a great week!
Mrs. S

States Road Trip, Play and Book Club

There is much going on the next few days at HCE in third grade!

Today, students started on their Road-trip Across America.  We took an imaginary trip to Colorado and California.  We skied and visited Hollywood.  Then, we journaled about our excitement in our state scrapbooks.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, students will rotate to Ms. Goble and Ms. Rozzell's classrooms to learn about 4 other states.  By Friday, they will have a scrapbook full of journaled memories and souvenirs.

On Thursday, we will head to Main Street Theater to watch the play, Charlotte's Web.  This chapter book has been a class read aloud for us in Language Arts this year.  It will be exciting to see how the actors and actresses portray our favorite scenes!  We will be back on campus in time for lunch.  Please have your student wear his or her HCE t-shirt that day.

Spelling lists should still be coming home.  Please encourage your child to complete his or her homework menu by Thursday each week.  Spelling tests are on Fridays.

In Language Arts we are in full blown BOOK CLUB.  Students are reading a text with a group in their class and are responsible for working through the book in between and during meetings.  In between meetings, they look for SPARKLING or NEW words, record questions or wonderings they have and record connections.  Each week, when we meet, they present their findings and wonderings to the group for discussion.  It's always fun to see how students have grown as readers.  This type of preparation and participation takes maturity!   

Third grade will give our States Quiz May 16th.  Students are expected to know the location, name and correct spelling of 30 states. Review materials were sent home last Wednesday.  Please help your child review nightly.  This is a large amount of information and cannot be learned in one or two nights.  We will be reviewing states in class each day.  If you could please continue this review at home each night it would benefit your child!

Thank you for all you do to support learning at home!

Math and Science Week of May 6-10th

Parents,

The kids are really enjoying learning two digit by one digit multiplication.  I showed them four different ways last week to solve this kind of problem.  On Monday of this week, they will be assessed on these four different ways of completing a two digit by one digit multiplication problem.  Tuesday through Friday we will spend concentrating on the regular algorithm that they will use to solve these multiplication problems for the rest of their life.  We will start off easy with no regrouping to get the strategy down, then in the latter part of the week we will work on two digit by one digit multiplication problems with regrouping.  Obviously a child that knows their Math Facts well will be quicker at these types of problems!!!  HINT HINT!!!

We will also being doing our regular multiplication fast facts test on Friday.  This week will be recorded in the grade book.  Please make sure that you are practicing with your child at least five minutes each night.  This will make a night and day difference in their success in 4th grade Math.

In Science we just completed our Ecosystems unit.  The kids in their free time this week will be finishing up an Ecosystems project that they are working on in groups.  During Science class time, we will be moving on to discussing "Plants and How They Grow."  Our study will include plant life cycle and certain adaptations that plants make in order to survive in their particular habitat. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email!

Love, 
Mrs. S