Math and Science for the week of Nov 24-25

Parents,

We just have two days this week!  There will be NO HOMEWORK and NO FAST FACTS.

In Math we will be finishing up multiplication of 9's.  We will make groups of nine, arrays of nine, number lines with nine, and repeated addition to solve problems with 9.  Some of your child's work might look like this:

1. 8x9 = 9x8 = 72

2. seven nines = 7 x 9

3. 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 5 x 7

4. 3 groups of 9 = 3 x 9

5. 6 x 9 =
    5 x 9 + 1 X 9
    45 + 9
    54


We will watch this you tube video on the nine hand trick to help us while we memorize our facts:

 In Science we will be finishing up our Unit of Energy.  The kids will have a great Lab on Energy on Monday.  On Tuesday, we will finish up a four door fold-able project on Energy that we have been working on and journal about the energies we have learned about in detail.  The four door fold-able will be a project grade in Science as well as a journal grade in Science when completed.

I hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. S

Nov. 17-Nov. 25 in Language Arts and Social Studies

LANGUAGE ARTS

READING

Reading

Last week we worked on talking about what strategies good readers use when comprehension breaks down.  Students agreed that when I ask what strategies they try when stuck their first response is usually, sound it out.  While that is one strategy that may help readers who are stuck, it isn't the most effective strategy.  Some other strategies we decided good readers use are:
asking ourselves- does it make sense?
if not, looking at the pictures
reading on
going back and rereading
trying out a synonym and seeing if it makes sense
looking for parts of a word we know
our list will continue to grow as students start noticing what is helpful when they come to a problem while reading.

We also started and will work until Thanksgiving on context clues.  Students know that context means that there are clues in the text that can help a reader discover a words meaning.  Students will participate in class discussions on Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters as we discover the story and uncover all the new vocabulary it has to offer.  They will also work in small groups to share strategies for comprehension.  

SPELLING
We will not have spelling work again until December.  Instead, students will bring home review homework on capitalization and punctuation.

WRITING and SOCIAL STUDIES
Students have been working hard in writing.  We will be working on a number of pieces over the next 7 days.  Students will learn some organization strategies to guide their publication of a personal narrative.

We will then combine our work in Social Studies and Writing.  Students will learn about personification by consuming the mentor text I am the Ocean.  They will apply what they know from our work with landforms and create a landform poem with personification.  These are always some of our most amazing writing pieces.  Your child will share his or hers with you at Publisher's Picnic in May.

Finally, we will also be working on postcards to tell friends and families about vacations we have taken to different regions.  Students will be expected to apply learning and share with the recipient the climate, weather, activities and landforms they encounter while on their imaginary vacation.

Math/Science Week of November 17th

Parents,

The kids are LOVING multiplication!  So far we have learned/reviewed FIVE multiplication strategies that the kids can use to solve multiplication problems.

1. Groups of-3x4 means three groups of four
2. Jumps of-3x4 means three jumps of four on a number line
3. Rows of- 3x4 means three rows of four in an array.
4. Repeated Addition in 3x4 means 4+4+4=12
5. Using facts we know to solve ones we don't know:
                    6x8 = 5x8 + 1x8
                    6x8 = 40 + 8
                    6x8 = 48

This coming week we will use all these tools above that are in our tool belt now to solve multiplication facts of 6,7,8 and 9.  Once the kids have these strategies down, we will also be studying multiplication word problems and what they look like and sound like.  In multiplication word problems you are always given a number of groups and a number IN each group as you search for a total product.

Just an FYI, a district MATH assessment is scheduled in class on Tuesday.  It is not graded or inputted into the grade book, but the data is used as a tool to drive large and small group instruction in Math.  There is no way to study for this test.  It will measure things that have been learned in class so far this year.

Most kids are now studying multiplication Fast Facts at home.  In the back of their green notebook you will see a checklist of the order in which we study our facts in 3rd grade.  They are at the bottom of this blog post as well.  Please study fast facts with your child every night.  The Quick Math app on the I-Pad is excellent practice as well.

In Science we have studied Mechanical, Heat, and Sound Energy with great detail.  The kids will now be moving on to Light Energy this week.  A study guide went home last Friday with flashcards.  An Energy Assessment is scheduled for this Friday the 21st.  It consists of 25 multiple choice questions about the four energies we have studied.

A short week is up ahead next week.  We have a FUN energy Science Lab planned on Monday the 24th to wrap up our Science Unit.  In Math for those two days, we will be tying up loose ends and making sure we are ready to start division in great depth when the kids come back from Thanksgiving break.

Love,
Ms. S

0,1,10

0,1,2,10

0,1,2,5,10

0,1,2,5,10,squares

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6,7

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6,7,8

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6,7,8,9

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6,7,8,9,11

0,1,2,5,10,squares,6,7,8,9,11,12

Math and Science for week of November 10th

In Math this week we will be continuing our study on multiplication.  In the beginning of the week we will work on arrays.  Below are several examples of arrays.  Students can use their knowledge of arrays to help them solve multiplication problems that they don't know.

\

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will dig deeper into what the kids learned in 2nd grade about multiplication.  We will spend Tuesday discussing all the Math in Focus multiplication strategies such as making groups, repeated addition, skip counting on a number line, using facts you know like 5x7 to solve 7x5, and making arrays on dot paper.  On Wednesday, we will work on division strategies learned in 2nd grade such as using multiplication fact families to solve division problems, dividing and sharing equally, dividing by grouping.  We will then spend some time breaking down real world word problems and deciding how to solve.  We will spend the end of the week studying the commutative property (numbers can be multiplied in any order) and the associative property of multiplication (numbers can be grouped and then multiplied in any order).

Fast facts will be graded and inputted this week.  Kids should be studying every night for at least ten minutes.

In Science we are continuing our study of energy.  We barely skimmed the surface of Thermal Energy last week.  This week we will become familiar with insulators and conductors as well as discuss where the six sources of hear come from:the sun, friction, deep down inside the earth, your body, electricity, and fire.  An Energy test is scheduled for the 21st of November.  

Parents please try and attend our annual Veterans Day program this Tuesday at 8:30.  It is a real treat!!

The November Scholastic order for Skrivanek's class will be due on Wednesday the 12th.  Thanks!

Ms. S

Update from Mrs. Ford

LANGUAGE ARTS

READING

Reading

We will continue working with non-fiction features.  Students will learn how to use a FQR (Facts, Questions and Responses) chart this week as a note taking tool and helpful tool to solidify comprehension.

WRITING
Students have been working hard in writing.  We have selected a kernel narrative to take through the writing process.  Last week and this week we have talked about snapshot lead.  Students have brainstormed what senses were engaged at the beginning of their memorable moment.  We have almost finished adding our first round of details to our leads and will continue to learn how to participate in peer and teacher conferences to fine tune our writing.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Landforms

We are starting a new unit in Social Studies, Geography.  Our geography unit is made up of two parts, landforms and map skills. We will start the unit with a look at landforms.  This week and last we review many landforms that are, hopefully, familiar to our students.  

The BIG idea in social studies that we will try to drive home is that our daily life is affected by the land surrounding us.  When we plan vacations, what we pack, what we do, and our travel are all determined by the land and water features surrounding our destination.  

Some of our upcoming vocabulary will be:

Geography-the study of Earth’s features

Landform- natural features, or shapes, of the land including mountains, valleys, plains, plateaus, etc.

Climate- the kind of weather a place has over a long period of time

Human Feature- something that people add to the landscape, such as a building

     Adapt- change to fit the environment

We've used this video and songs to help us remember the different types of landforms.