Week in Review: February 1-5

This week in language arts we finished up our rough drafts of their creative stories. We also did some editing and revising practice and will have a test over those skills next week. We wrapped up our traditional tales unit by performing a fun reader's theater in small groups in front of the class.

In math, we finished up our fractions unit with a test on Friday. Earlier in the week, we spent time practicing our fraction skills with IXL on the laptops, measuring classroom objects with Cuisenaire rods, and finding equivalent fractions on a number line. We move back in to multiplication next week with lots of problem solving!

We tried a new strategy for learning in social studies this week called jigsaw. With the jigsaw method, students are put into small groups, and each groups is assigned a different section of a textbook chapter. They are responsible for learning the information in their assigned section and then teaching that information to the rest of the class. Each group had to create a poster as well to represent what they learned. Students were held accountable for learning all of the material from the entire chapter, by taking notes during each presentation.

In science, we have continued learning about food chains and different habitat environments. We read Cactus Hotel one day and focused on plants in the desert environment and how they are adapted specifically to thrive in the dry heat. On Friday, we also planted sunflower seeds in our newspaper pots. It will be fun to watch them grow over the next few weeks.

Monday is the 100th day of school, and to celebrate, we are encouraging students to dress as if they were 100 years old. This is not required by any means, but if your child wants to participate, I have sent a letter home today with some suggestions for what to wear. When I told them about it this morning, they were already brainstorming ideas! And remember that Friday is our Valentine's Day party. Students who want to exchange Valentine's should bring a box or bag to collect their cards in, as well as 20 Valentines, one for each child in the class except for their self. Have a great weekend!

Week in Review: January 25-29

We worked on several things in writing this week. First, we wrote our final copies of our letters to our state representative protesting the destruction of the Brushy Creek Trails. The students were so fired up about this issue, and their letters turned out great. I made copies before I mailed them off, and sent them home in Thursday folders, so please take time to read your child's letter if you have not already. We also did some STAAR practice questions over revising, and next week we will focus on editing. In 4th grade, students will have to take a writing STAAR test, so this is just some good early practice! Finally, we began brainstorming ideas and planning out a fairy tale, legend, or tall tale. Each student chose one of those genres and we be writing an imaginative story over the next couple of weeks. In reading, we read several myths and legends, and continued to talk about themes in these types of traditional tales.

We met with our kindergarten buddies on Friday during reading time. Third graders helped their buddies finish a writing assignment and then learn to navigate a new app on the iPads called Chatter Kids.

In math, we are continuing to work on equivalent fractions. As always, the best way for them to learn is hands on, so we have spent a lot of time working with fraction bars and/or circles, and even making our own set of "fraction bricks" so that we can learn about decomposing fractions. For example, students should know that 1/2 is the same as 1/4 + 1/4.

In social studies, we are studying the economy and free enterprise system. Students are learning about wants vs. needs, as well as supply and demand and how those things effect price changes.

In science, we are learning about organisms in their environments, and how environmental changes can effect a population's growth. Ask your child about the armadillo game we played on Wednesday! Also related to science, we built biodegradable pots out of newspaper on Friday. We will plant seeds in them once they have had time to dry out and the students will get to take them home.

Just a reminder that next Wednesday is an early release day, with students leaving at 12:45pm. Have a great weekend!