Weekly Update- 10/28

In math we completed Topic 3.  On Monday we will be starting Topic 4: Meanings of Multiplication.  This is a very short topic (only 5 lessons) so another test will be on the way soon!

This week in reading we learned about the author, Paul Goble.  The students looked at and read a number of books by this author.  Based on what they read and observed, they made inferences about the author.  The students then read a fake biography about Goble and they had to find the information that they thought was incorrect.  Afterwards, they compared the fake biography and the real biography to check their information.  Later in the week, the students were assigned popular third grade authors (Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Louis Sachar, Andrew Clements, Roald Dahl).  In groups, the students looked at books by these authors and made inferences about them.  They then used the netbooks to research their author to find out if their inferences were correct.  The students did a great job working together to complete their assignments this week!

In writing, the students and I conferenced about their work and we discussed areas in which they could improve.  After our discussions, the students responded to a prompt.  They also filled out self-evaluation forms, which the students placed in their writing portfolios.  Yesterday, the students wrote spooky Halloween stories.  We turned off the lights, used a flashlight, and the students shared their stories with the class during snack time!

The students practiced identifying continents and oceans using the netbooks for social studies. 

As a reinforcement to our lessons on continents and oceans, the students worked in groups to create their own world maps.  We also talked about the hemispheres, Equator, and Prime Meridian.  We will be having a quiz next Friday.  A study guide will  be going home on Monday.

In grammar we learned about compound sentences and the students have been working on using them in their writing.  They have learned a few more letters in cursive and are doing well forming their words.  In Fundations, we started unit 4 today.  Unit 3 focused on v-e (vowel-consonant-e) words.  This unit focuses on v-e exceptions.  The students received a few more trick words to memorize.  Those went home yesterday. 

In Spanish, the students learned greetings.  They learned how to say, "Good Morning" (Buenos Dias), "Good Afternoon" (Buenos Tardes), "Good Night" (Buenos Noches), and "I am good" (Estoy bien), "I am okay" (Estoy mas o menos), "I am bad" (Estoy mal).  The students practiced having conversations with each other using the phrases and vocabulary they have learned.

Trooper Bambara stopped by to talk to the students on Tuesday.  He spoke to them about the importance of respect and the students were able to ask him questions about his job.  We also got the chance to see his squad car!

We will be having our Halloween party on Monday!  Halloween costumes should be sent to school in a bag and we will change into them during the day. Please remember to leave masks and weapons at home! The students will not need a snack on Monday.

Weekly Update- 10/21

We started off our week with the Bear Run!  The students had a lot of fun running the race and cheering for their classmates!

In Spanish, the students learned how to say, "My name is...".  They practiced greeting each other using the phrase, "Mi nombre es". 

In shared reading we read the book, Lighthouses: Beacons of the Past.  The students practiced the strategy of asking questions when they read.  This week they asked questions about the title, unfamiliar words, the author's purpose, and about connections.

In guided reading we worked on the skill of inferencing.  An inference is when you take text clues and your own background knowledge to come to a conclusion.  This is a higher level skill that we will continue to practice with next week. 

In Fundations we began unit 3.  This is a one week unit that will focus on the vowel-consonant-e  (v-e) syllable.  The trick words that the students should know by this point were sent home yesterday.  Please review any of the misspelled words with your children.  They will be held accountable for the correct spelling of these words in future Fundations lessons and in their writing.

In grammar the students learned about fragments and run-ons.  We will be focusing on this skill during reading responses, journaling, and when they edit and revise their writing pieces. 

In math, we are continuing to work on Topic 3.  We will be having a topic test next Friday (10/28).  A study guide will be going home on Monday.  In addition, as I did last chapter,  I will be assigning the Topic 3 practice assessment on the Pearson website.  Please continue to practice addition and subtraction facts at home.  We have been practicing at school with the netbooks, flashcards, and iPad.

We completed our unit on Matter and we are now working on more map skills in Social Studies.  This week we talked about the differences between maps and globes.  We also learned about continents and oceans.  The students learned a song to help them remember the 7 continents. 

Weekly Update- 10/14

We started Topic 3 in math this week.  The students used place value blocks to practice adding numbers.  They are doing a great job with their regrouping! 

In science we talked about the differences between physical and chemical changes.  The students completed an experiment using antacid tablets to illustrate a chemical change.  They also worked in teams to complete a matter crossword puzzle and we played the game, "I Have, Who Has" to review some of the important vocabulary words.

We read the book, Wild Baby Animals in shared reading this week.  This was an informational text that explained about many different baby animals found in the wild.  For each animal, the students learned about how the babies learn, grow, and survive.  The students also used this text to practice their skills with prediction.  In guided reading we talked about identifying the author's purpose. 

In writing we have started to talk about personal narratives.  We read some examples and the students brainstormed ideas for their personal narratives.  They had to think of events that were memorable, occurred over a short period of time, and happened to them.  Today, the students filled out graphic organizers and shared them with each other.  They will begin drafting next week.  In addition to the writing the students are doing for the writing program, they are also journaling everyday.  They are doing a fantastic job of writing complete sentences, using punctuation and capital letters, practicing starting sentences with different words, and adding description into their writing!

In Fundations, we are continuing to learn about 1-1-1 words and adding suffixes.  This week the students learned that 1-1-1 words that end in the letter "x", are exceptions to the rule.  Whenever you have a 1-1-1 word ending in "x" (tax, box, fox), you do not double the consonant before adding the suffix.  We also added a few more sound alike words to our list.  These words include; guest, guessed, banned, band, missed, mist, son, sun, some, sum.

This week we had an awesome assembly about bucket filling!  In addition to learning about bucket filling, the students learned how to use their lid when other people try to dip from their buckets.  The students are doing a great job of being bucket fillers in the classroom!

The Bear Run has been rescheduled for Monday.  Please send your children to school in sneakers, comfortable clothes, and ready to cheer their classmates on!  Have a great weekend!

Weekly Update- 10/7

This week in math we completed Topic 2.  We learned about equations, how to estimate differences, and how to check if an answer is reasonable. We will start Topic 3: Using Place Value to Add and Subtract on Tuesday.

We have continued to learn about states of matter in science.  This week we learned about the particles in solids, liquids, and gases.  The students acted as though they were the particles and then created a project. 

SOLID PARTICLES

LIQUID PARTICLES

GAS PARTICLES

The students also learned about physical changes such as melting, freezing, evaporation, and condensation. We looked at some websites and watched videos.  We also performed some experiments to illustrate these processes.  To show evaporation, we dumped water outside and measured the distance across the puddle (19 inches).  Twenty-five minutes later we went back outside to measure the puddle again and it had disappeared!



In reading, we read the book, Folk Tales of Latin America.  The students loved hearing these folk tales which gave explanations for why armadillos burrow underground and have detailed shells and why coyotes howl at the moon.  The students practiced retelling the stories by including only the most important details from the beginning, middle, and end of the story.  We also read the book, Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days.  The students completed comprehension questions and activities related to the story.  They will finish this book next week.

In writing, the students continued to work on their descriptive paragraphs about their favorite places.  This week, we took our writing pieces through the drafting, revising, and editing stages.  The students practiced peer revising and peer editing to help each other add more description and correct grammatical errors. 


We started Spanish this week.  The students were introduced to Senora Sullivan and each picked out a Spanish name and designed their Spanish nametags.


In Fundations, the students learned about 1-1-1 words.  These are words that have 1 syllable, 1 vowel, and 1 consonant after the vowel.  Some examples are; grip, stop, brag.  The students also learned that when adding vowel suffixes (-ing, -ed, -es) to 1-1-1 words, you double the last consonant before adding the suffix.  For example, STOP becomes STOPPING. When adding a consonant suffix (-s, -ly, -ment), you just add the suffix like in the word STOPS.  In grammar the students learned about simple sentences. 


For the month of October, we will be focusing on the character trait of respect.  We are reading the book, The Hundred Dresses which illustrates this trait.  The students are doing a great job of filling each other's buckets!

Enjoy the long weekend!

Bucket Filling

Bucket filling is when you have to be kind and Mrs. Sullivan has been teaching us about Matter.
Mrs. Sullivan has been magnificent.  Somtimes we play games.  Sometimes we play games for math.
Mrs. Sullivan is SO MUCH FUN!!!!

BY AURA

Being Kind

Being kind is very important. In this school we should always be kind. I know nobody would want their bucket being dipped from. You should even be kind to your sister or your brother even if they're not in this school.  Always include everybody, even if you're not good friends with them. You shouldn't copy or cheat. That dips from peoples' buckets too. You can also make new friends. Fill everybody's bucket! By:Sydney

Bucket Filling

Remember not just to fill your friend's bucket, but to fill other peoples' buckets even if they are not your friend. Other people might feel left out so you need to include everybody. You might dip from someone's
bucket by not being fair. It does not matter how many nominations you get it, just maters if you fill other
peoples' bucket.  Having your bucket full is great and having your bucket dipped is not good at all.
The book, How Full is your Bucket For Kids is a really good book to understand what bucket filling
is. If your parents don't know what it is you should tell them because it is really important.  By:Hannah