Weekly Update

Thank you, Mrs. Stiles (Mrs. Wood's mom) for sewing new pillow covers!  The new covers look great in our sports themed classroom!

Reading Workshop
This week we added several reading strategies to our CAFE board.  We learned that strong readers don't skip words, mumble words, or pretend to know words when they don't.  Instead, strong readers use strategies to figure out tricky words, such as: look for chunks they know and put the parts together, read the whole sentence and think about what makes sense, try short and long vowel sounds (flip the sound).  We also talked about how readers use details from a story to create an image in their minds.  Talk partners got together at closing to share an excerpt from their books which created an image in their minds.

Writing Workshop

Students continued to write personal narratives this week.  We learned that writers include descriptive details to describe the setting.  We also talked about how writers create a clear sequence of events.  We practiced telling our story across our hands again.  This time we focused on using sequence words and describing each event in more detail.  Students also learned that writers use specific verbs to make their writing clear.  During workshop students needed to locate a verb in their writing to circle and change into a stronger verb.  For example, rather than writing "Jim walked home after school." students are encouraged to use a more specific verb to give the reader a clear mental image, such as "Jim rushed home after school."

Word Study

Our first official week of word study went really well!  Students practiced their spelling pattern in class Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  They rotated through three different word study centers.  Ask your child what his/her favorite word study activity was this week!  

Science

We continued to investigate water this week.  Through a water race investigation students learned larger drops of water move more quickly down a slope.  They also learned water moves more quickly down a steeper slope.  Check out the video below of one group's investigation.  We also built our own "thermometers" using small glass bottles, rubber stoppers, and straws.  Students observed that hot water expands, which causes water to rise.  They also observed that cold water contracts, which takes up less space, causing the water level to fall.

Social Studies
We finished up our "Where in the World is Troy?" geography unit this past week in class.  In this unit, students learned about the 7 continents and 4 oceans, the 3 countries located on the continent of North America, the Midwest Region, the state of Michigan, Oakland County, the city of Troy, and even their own street and house address.  All of that information will be included on the geography quiz that students will take in class next Friday, October 4th.  A study guide came home last week that includes what your child will need to know for the test and a labeling practice sheet (that does not need to be returned to school).  Below are photos of students doing a scavenger hunt using large maps of the city of Troy.

Math Workshop

This week students worked on building fluency of multiplication facts with 2s, 5s, 9s, and 10s.  They continued to practice multiplication and division word problems as well.  Students began a "Word Problem of the Day" each morning to give more practice reading and solving word problems.  Students were also introduced to the Distributive Property of Multiplication.  Below is an example of what we worked on together in class.

Weekly Update

Reading Workshop
We finished reviewing all reading genres--fantasy, realistic fiction, traditional literature, mystery, biography, autobiography, and informational.  Students will record the genre of each book he/she reads.    Soon we will begin to track the types of genres we are reading to make sure we are reading a variety of texts.  We also introduced the CAFE (comprehension, accuracy, fluency, expand vocabulary) board to students and taught a fluency lesson.  We discussed how readers pick up their pace while reading.  Students learned that readers follow the words with their eyes while they read, read smoothly so they don't have to look back so often, and read with feeling.

Writing Workshop
This week students have spent time writing independently in their writer's notebooks.  We have discussed the difference between a watermelon topic and a seed story (a big topic vs. a small moment from the big topic).  We also modeled for students what a writing conference looks like and our expectations for the class as we hold individual writing conferences.  Students practiced telling a small moment step by step across their "story hand" using sequence words.  Finally we focused on including descriptive details in our writing to paint a picture in the reader's mind.

Math Workshop
This week we continued to work on multiplication and division word problems.  Students need to be able to solve the word problems with a math drawing and an equation.  We also discussed equations with variables, such as 9 x n = 18 so n = 2.  Finally we learned a trick using our hands to help us with our 9 facts for multiplication and division.  Check out the video from You Tube to understand our 9s trick.


Science
We have completed the first two science investigations.  In the first investigation students observed water more closely.  They used a dropper to place individual drops of water on the different surfaces (wax paper, foil, paper towel, and sponge).  Through this investigation they learned water is absorbed by some materials and it beads up on some materials.  In the second investigation students explored the surface tension of water.  Using a dropper, students placed individual drops of water on a penny until the water spilled over.  Through this investigation students learned surface tension makes water form a sphere or dome and soap added to water reduces its surface tension.

Headlines
Students were engaged in a Visible Thinking routine known as headlines.  They worked together to come up with phrases they felt described our classroom community.  Then they worked with a partner to decorate a pennant with a headline.  Pictures of each pennant are below.  In case you are unable to read a headline, the pennants say the following:
-Kind and Nice in Every Way
-Keep Calm and Read On
-Reach for the Stars
-Best Team in School
-Have Fun While Learning
-Fill Buckets Everyday
-Do Whatever It Takes to Learn
-Never Give Up
-Believe Anything Is Possible
-Good as Gold
-Work Hard Play Hard
-Never Bully

Jog-a-Thon
Students attended an assembly to learn more about the upcoming Jog-a-Thon.  Your child's pledge sheet and collection envelop went home on Thursday.  The 2013 Jog-a-Thon will be Friday, October 5.  A couple of students from our classroom were picked to participate in the assembly...

Weekly Update

We had a busy first full week in Room 13! Students are becoming more familiar with our classroom routines and are immersed in exciting learning experiences in all subject areas.

Reading Workshop
This week students learned how the classroom library is organized and how to return books when they are finished reading them. Each book has a label that helps students determine the section of the library and the correct basket in which it belongs. Readers continued to record each book they read and were able to "shop" for new books when they finished the books in their book box. They learned a strategy for choosing "just right" books called IPICK and used it to help them make good choices. Students also reviewed the characteristics of 6 fiction genres including realistic fiction (RF), fantasy (F) traditional literature (TL), mystery (M), science fiction (SF), and historical fiction (HF).

Writing Workshop
Students started the week by decorating their writer's notebooks, and they had a blast! They used personal photos, pictures from magazines, stickers, scrapbook paper, and drawings to cover their notebooks with things that we hope will inspire the writing they do this year. We then began our first unit of study, Personal Narrative. Students thought of special people and special places in their lives and then brainstormed "small moment" stories they wanted to write as the first entries in their notebooks. 

Read Alouds
We are continuing to read stories that teach our students themes, or lessons that we want them to learn and appreciate. This week's stories included I Hate English (Acceptance), Ordinary Mary's Extra Ordinary Deed (Kindness), and The Empty Pot (Honesty).


Math Workshop
Math workshop is now in full swing! We continued on with our first unit, Multiplication & Division 0-5, 9, & 10. This week students used multiplication and drawings to represent equal groups and arrays. They also learned that division is just multiplication with an unknown factor. Students especially enjoyed the game rotation in math workshop this week as they played math card games with partners and even learned a multiplication game on the iPads.

Social Studies
We began our first social studies unit this week called "Where in the World is Troy, Michigan?" In this geography unit, students are learning about the location of Troy in relation to its greater surroundings. Essentially, we will start in outer space and zoom in to find the city of Troy. Along the way, students will learn about the 7 continents in the world, the 3 countries on the continent of North America, the 50 states in the U.S.A., the 5 regions of our country, our state, our county, and finally the wonderful city of Troy.

In Other News....

Students are busy selling entertainment books to friends and family at home.  Students who have already turned in money for at least one book earned a fake mustache!  

Weekly Update

Our All-Stars are off to a great start in third grade!  We have been very busy this week learning various rules, expectations, and our daily routine.  We look forward to spending the school day with your child and getting to know him/her!  Below is a brief update of some of the happenings in school this week.

Reading Workshop 
This week students reviewed what is expected of them during Reading Workshop.  We start each workshop with a mini-lesson at the carpet, followed by independent reading time.  We end each workshop with a closing to review the mini-lesson and talk about their reading.  Students also reviewed the difference between an easy, just right, and challenging book.  We will continue to help students shop for appropriate leveled reading material.  They also learned how to complete a reading log.  Students will fill out their reading log each time they finish reading a book.

Writing
Students have been busy completing different writing assignments to display inside and outside our classroom.  They have shared some information about themselves through a "Player Profile," written three school goals for third grade, and told us their dream of what they'd like to be in the future.  Students also wrote a personal narrative today for the district writing assessment.

Math Workshop
We began our new math curriculum today.  We will teach math as a workshop model.  Students will rotate between three groups, which include: working with the teacher, playing a math game, and completing a journal page.  Today we practiced multiplying with 5.  We learned that multiplication is repeated addition.  If you click on the "Math" tab at the top of the page, you will find the first Family Letter.  Please read through this letter regarding Unit 1.  You will learn a lot more about the new math curriculum on Thursday, September 12 at Curriculum Night.

Read Alouds
This week we introduced the concept that books have a theme.  In other words, the author typically teaches a lesson.  The themes which we will focus on will also help us teach character traits to the students.  We will focus on the following themes in our classroom: honesty, teamwork, perseverance, acceptance, friendship, and courage.  This week we read aloud Swimmy, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, and Officer Buckle and Gloria.  Ask your child which theme/s these books teach.