Week in Review: February 2-6

This week in science / social studies, we studied various landforms and then begun delving into our exploration of how soil is formed. Next week, we will use the soil samples you have been sending in to explore different types of soil. If you have not sent in a baggie yet of soil, please gather some this weekend and send it in on Monday so that every student will have their own sample to work with. I appreciate your support as we do these  hands on learning activities! On Friday, we turned our focus back to our Plastic PBL and worked alongside Mrs. Swyers' class to create mind maps of our thinking so far. Some great ideas were shared!

In math, we have quickly wrapped up our next multiplication unit where we focused on the 6s and 9s, as well as solving multi-step problems. We went over the test review in class on Friday, and I am sending them home with the kids so they can look over during the weekend. The test will be on Monday. We had a friendly competition of boys versus girls for the math review, and the boys won by one point, it was a close battle! Next, we move into 2D and 3D shapes, and area and perimeter. I have lots of fun hands on learning planned for those!

The girls hard at work on the math review.

The math review winners working hard to show their strategies!

In language arts, we have read several biographies (shorter picture books) as a class. Students have also read one with a partner, and are working in book clubs to read several shorter books about a historical figure of their choice. Rather than focusing on details such as birthday, date of death, and specific accomplishments, I am encouraging students to see the bigger picture of a person's life. We are using a strategy called Head, Heart, Hands and Feet where we learn about about a person's big dreams and ideas (what's in their head), what they love to do and are passionate about (what's in their heart), and the actions/steps they take to realize those dreams and passions (their hands and feet).

Next week will be a busy week with spring photos on Tuesday morning, a district wide writing assessment on Wednesday, a guest speaker for our PBL on Thursday, and a spirit assembly and Valentine's Day part on Friday. Have a great weekend, and enjoy the beautiful weather we are supposed to have!

Week in Review: January 26-30

We did some fun, hands-on activities in science this week! Students worked in small groups to build volcanoes outside and enjoyed watching them erupt. It was a great way for them to see how the surface of the earth can change very rapidly from a volcano.

They also simulated an earthquake with graham crackers as tectonic plates and frosting being the magma the plates rest on. Unfortunately due to my training this week, I missed all the fun of volcano eruptions and graham cracker earthquakes on Tuesday and Wednesday so I don't have any pictures of those.

In language arts, we are wrapping up our poetry unit and moving onto biographies next week. We took a look at a sample STAAR poetry passage to learn the kinds of questions they might see in April when it comes to poetry selections.

In math, we reviewed on Monday and tested on Tuesday over fractions. The test grades were good for the most part, and most of the mistakes that I did see were due to careless mistakes, such as not reading the entire question. We moved back into multiplication and are focusing on our 9s and 6s facts, so please continue to work with your child on learning those facts!

I hope you all have a great weekend, and remember that next Wednesday is an early release day, so students will be released at 12:45pm.

Week in Review: January 20-23

I could get used to these 4 day weeks! I think the students enjoy an extra day off as well. I hope you all had a great 3 day weekend.

This week we wrapped up our fraction unit in math. We did some review stations on Friday, will wrap up our review on Monday, and test on Tuesday. Next, we will begin working more on multiplication and division, particularly in solving 2 step word problems. Our fact focus will be on the 6s and 9s multiplication facts.

Using a number line and cars to model fractions to solve a word problem about driving to school.

Using counters to represent Girl Scout cookies...trying to determine the fraction of cookies that I ate!

Ordering fractions

We spent some social studies time on Tuesday and Wednesday discussing Martin Luther King, Jr. I was pleasantly surprised that most of them knew who he was and why he is such a significant figure in our history. For science on Friday, we did another activity with Mrs. Swyers class...this time building a model of a mountain and causing a landslide from "torrential" rainfall to observer how the earth changes.

Setting up our notebooks for observations.

Raining on the mountain to cause a landslide.

Mountain model done, getting ready for the rainstorm!

In language arts. we are still exploring various types of poetry, and trying our hands at writing them as well. Friday we did a fun activity I call "Found Poetry" where groups of students wrote descriptive paragraphs about a photograph. They then shared those paragraphs, and created a group poem by selecting the most beautiful language from each one. Look for a new bulletin board coming soon to display these as we finish up next week.

Just as an FYI, I will be out next week on Tuesday and Wednesday for more Capturing Kids Hearts training. I am honored to have been chosen as one of three "Process Champions" from our campus to receive this extended training, and bring it back to develop and implement a campus-wide plan of action. Mrs. Howard will be our substitute for both days, and she is great! I'm leaving my kids in good hands. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Week in Review: January 6-9

Happy New Year! We've kicked off 2015 with a great first week back! In science, students are working in small groups to study either earthquakes, landslides, or volcanoes. They will create a presentation to share their knowledge with the rest of the class next week.

We began a poetry unit in Language Arts, and over the next few weeks, students will be exploring all types of poems. They will even be writing several of their own poems! We began the week with a discussion of the features of poetry, after students had the opportunity to read many different types of poems.We focused on free verse poems towards the end of this week (poems that follow no set rhyming / rhythm scheme, and no punctuation rules). For one activity, students rotated around the room reading 5 different poems and jotting their thinking down on sticky notes. We then spent some time as a class discussing each poem and their thoughts.

To wrap up the week, students used "Monarch Butterfly" as a model to write their own free verse poem from the point of view of an animal or object.

In math, we are delving into fractions, and they seem to be doing well with this so far. We spent two days rotating through 4 stations, where students used manipulatives such as fraction circles, folded paper rectangles, pattern blocks, and fraction bars to explore equivalent fractions. It will get more challenging next week, as we discuss fractions as a set.

Next week, we will back into the regular homework routine. On Monday, your child will come home with a Bingo sheet, a math worksheet, and a spelling list. You will notice that the spelling list looks a little different, but they will still have 15 words as always.

Have a great weekend!

Week in Review: December 15-18

This week was pretty much a catch-up week for us. Between a counselor visit, a special music assembly, and our party on Thursday we stayed busy. We still managed to squeeze in a lesson on fact and opinion in reading, take a test over mixtures and matter in science, and start learning about fractions in math. We will hit the ground running again in January!

Speaking of January...can you believe the first half of your child's third grade year is behind us? The time has just flown by, and I have loved getting to know each of my students. I was so spoiled this year with so many individual Christmas gifts, as well a very generous class gift. I will be doing some shopping for sure over the winter break! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group of kids and families this year, and I look forward to seeing everyone in January.

Week in Review: December 8-12

This week in math, we wrapped up our unit on multiplication and division. The test was almost all problem solving (word problems) so we got lots of extra practice doing solve around the room and  a great online program called Thinking Blocks. Students did very well on the test, and I am sending those home today!

Students worked their way around the room, solving three word problems on large chart papers, then covering their answers with a sticky note labeled with their name, so I could easily check on their progress, yet they could not see other responses.

We used the Thinking Blocks online tool to solve multiplication and division problems with strip diagrams.

On Friday, students had a chance to look at their district math assessment. This was a great learning experience for them as they practiced taking a standardized test, and then looked at what kinds of questions they missed. It's also a great tool for me to guide my instruction. We will touch on fractions next week, but the bulk of that unit will be after winter break.

In science, students enjoyed working through six stations exploring different mixtures, and the tools we can use to separate different types of mixtures, such as a magnet, funnel, or sieve. We discussed properties of matter, and how materials in a mixture maintain their original properties. 

We also did more research about the effects of plastic for our PBL. And on Friday during science, we participated in an "Hour of Code" (actually 1.5 hours, because they were so into it!!) where students had a chance to experience computer programming through fun Angry Birds and Frozen-themed games. They can work on this more at home from the links on my Websites page on this blog.

In language arts, we learned about the three purposes of writing: to entertain, to persuade, or to inform. We also practiced a new strategy called RAN, which is an acronym for Reading and Analyzing Nonfiction. It is a great tool to get them thinking about what they are reading, and applying their prior knowledge to what they are learning.

Remember that next week is only a 4 day week, then the kids are out of school until Tuesday January 6, 2015!! Thursday the 17th is our winter party from 12:45pm-1:30pm, and you are welcome to join us.

Week in Review: December 1-5

This week seemed a bit choppy, with an early release day on Wednesday and district math and reading benchmarks on Thursday and Friday. However, we did enjoy a visit to the library and seeing our kindergarten buddies on early release day. On Tuesday, we had a special presentation about the country of Greece from Tina's mom and grandmother. The kids enjoyed learning about her country, and getting a chance to learn one of their traditional dances.

In math, we started the week with a quick review of place value, and then began exploring division. We will have a test next week over multiplication and division, before moving into fractions before the winter break.

In science, we wrapped up our study of natural resources and began talking about mixtures. Ask your child about our birdseed experiment!

In language arts, we spent the early part of the week learning test-taking strategies to prepare for the benchmark. But on Thursday and Friday, our regular science and language arts time was taken up by the benchmark tests.

I wanted to remind you about Family Fitness Night this upcoming Tuesday December 9 from 6:30pm-8pm in the cafeteria. Our coaches have worked hard to organize a fun evening for all that will promote fitness and healthy choices. There will be a mini boot camp going on from the folks at LA Fitness, as well as an obstacle course set up by Camp Gladiator. Round Rock Food Services and HEB are providing healthy food samples. There will also be multiple activity stations set up for families to participate in. I will be out on Tuesday for my last day of TAG training, and Mrs. Satori will be substituting, but I do plan to attend the Fitness Night.  I hope to see you all there!