Week in Review: April 25-29

My apologies that there are no photos this week! We have been busy reviewing reading and math skills for the upcoming STAAR test. In between review activities, we found time to perform our Wildlife Warrior assembly for a large group of parent on Tuesday. You can see the video of it on the blog post before this one. In math, we also begin studying weight and capacity...this is a very short unit which we will wrap up early next week. In science, we studied in great detail a cactus and a vinca (flowering plant) to compare and contrast their adaptations. In social studies, we are working as a class to create a timeline that reflects how America has changed over time. This timeline will include famous inventions, methods of travel, communication devices, and people of great influence. I can't wait to see the finished product as each student is responsible for creating one or two pieces of it. I will post pictures when it is done, but it might be a while. Our social studies time will be limited next week.

Thanks in advance to those of you who have already sent in your STAAR notes of encouragement. I'll look forward to getting the rest of them next week! Have a great weekend!

Wildlife Warrior Assembly

Week in Review: April 18-22

This week we have primarily been focused on preparing for Friday's assembly. And all of the work was worth it...the kids did a great job this morning! If you did not get a chance to see it this morning, we will be doing an "encore performance" for families on Tuesday morning at 8am in the cafeteria. We hope you can make it!

Amidst all of the assembly rehearsals, we did find time in science to present out plant adaptation posters. Each group did a fabulous job on the posters.

In math, we have wrapped up our study of 2 digit times 1 digit multiplication and we will have a test over this on Monday. Then for the next two weeks, we will be reviewing math skills and strategies, as well as reading comprehension strategies as we are in the home stretch before the STAAR test. I will go over test taking strategies, and the counselor will visit our class to discuss ways to combat test anxiety. My class has worked hard all year, and they are a bright bunch, and I know they will do very well on the tests. Please reinforce to your child that it is nothing to worry about, it is simply a way for them to show all that they have learned this year. By taking their time and using the strategies we have worked on all year, they will do an awesome job!

Today was also exciting because the class earned their 20th compliment and they voted to choose electronic recess as their reward. That basically means that on Monday, with parent approval, they may bring an electronic device to use during our recess time. We will stay indoors that day! I did explain to the students that they can only bring a device if they have permission from their parents, and they must understand that it is at their own risk, and the school assumes no liability if it is lost or damaged.

On a side note, I will be out this upcoming Thursday as I am going on the kindergarten field trip with my son's class. It's time for me to put on my mom hat instead of my teacher hat, and enjoy a day with my youngest on his first school field trip.

Have a great weekend, and we hope to see you on Tuesday morning for the 8am assembly!

Week in Review: April 11 - 15

This week in science, we have been studying adaptations that plants make in different biomes. Students worked in groups of 3 to research a specific environment, and then created a poster to show the adaptations plants make in order to thrive in their environment. They will have the opportunity to share their posters next week.

In math, we have begun learning about factors and strategies for multiplying two digit numbers by one digit numbers.

In language arts, students finished their final copies of an expository writing piece. I should have them graded and sent home in next week's Thursday folders. We also spent some time writing creative poetry tied to our Wildlife Warrior project. They also had their final meeting with the book clubs and wrote reflections for me on how they felt the book club process went.

Friday was Global Youth Service Day, so we spent  the day working as a grade level to prepare for an assembly that we are leading next Friday. We will be educating the school about the problem of Habitat Loss and what they can do about it.

Week in Review: April 4-8

This week we finished our expository composition rough drafts, we will publish our final copies early next week. We also continued working in book groups, focusing on cause and effect and summarizing. On Thursday, we used our language arts time to set up a new program called iStation Reading on our Chromebooks. This is an online reading tool that can be used to reinforce specific skills. The students did lessons this week on summarizing and vocabulary this week, with a focus on synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.

In math, we wrapped up our place value review and financial literacy unit with a district assessment on Thursday. We will begin 2 digit by 1 digit multiplication next week!

Early finishers in math play review games.

A new money / financial literacy math game.

In science, we are continuing to study the life cycles of animals and plants. We even have our own ladybug larva so we can observe firsthand how they change throughout their life cycle. We've also got tadpoles on the way!

We began a new unit of study in social studies about how communities change over time. This week, we have learned about how transportation and communication have evolved over the last couple of centuries.

It's hard to believe, but we only have 4 full weeks of school before the STAAR test. Even harder to believe is that there are only 8 weeks of school left in the year. Time flies when you're having fun in third grade!