Please note that we have an optional weekly homework challenge in Math. Students may choose to complete it - or not! You can expect to see it uploaded somewhere between Friday and Monday of each week, and it's due the following Monday. Of course, students are really welcome to hand it in at any point. Here is this week's.
Here's a test for all you RSS Feed subscribers - did it work?
I meant to mention that we started working on calculating elapsed time today. It was challenging - which is fine. One way to support your students is in helping them make sure they can read an analog clock. Without this building block skill, it's much more difficult to calculate elapsed time. I know those analog clocks are few and far between! Another way to support them is to help them calculate time to the next hour, using the half-hour as a landmark stopping point if necessary. So: If it's 4:40, how many minutes until 5:00? If it's 4:10, how many minutes until 5:00? Try getting to 4:30 first. How many minutes till 4:30? How many minutes between 4:30 and 5:00? How many minutes in all from 4:10 and 5:00? Different students will need different supports, but if you meet your child where they're at, this is a great life skill to practice. Also a great use of that time stuck in traffic, waiting in line, etc.! (And be sure to keep reading for this week's actual Classroom News!) Welcome to the first edition of the Classroom News on our new website! You can sign up for an RSS Feed on the right side of this page. I'd love to hear how/if this works for you!
Please be sure to read through this post: homework info is at the bottom! Reading - We focused on how to think about our reading this week. Readers practice "stop and jots" where they pause to write down their thinking on a sticky note as they read. Then, these sticky notes can be analyzed for patterns - students "grow a big idea" from the evidence collected. Perhaps a series of examples of how a character isn't very nice lead to the big idea that "The character isn't very nice." This can be supported with the stop and jots - "So-and-so isn't very nice because... a, b, c." We'll continue growing ideas about books next week. Writing - Students chose the one small moment story they'd like to focus on to make their best piece. They rehearsed for story telling by telling their story orally and sketching it. Next week, we'll continue developing strategies for telling a story step-by-step with lots of detail. Math - Students practiced using multiple strategies for addition. For example, a student might add by place - 34 + 57 can be broken down into 30 + 50 and 4 + 7 and then combined (80+11 = 91). They might also keep one number whole: 57 stays as 57, but 34 is added on in parts. 57 + 30 = 87, 87 + 4 = 91. Double-checking using both strategies is a great way to develop number sense and prevent computational errors. Next week, we'll start working with bigger numbers in the hundreds. Social Studies - Students finished applying their knowledge of map features by designing a town and/or completing a map scavenger hunt. Our study of geography has led us to New England. Students learned the locations of the New England states. We'll continue to "zoom in" our study to Massachusetts next week. Any hands-on experience with maps will benefit your student! Miscellaneous - Again, please bookmark this site and/or sign up for its RSS Feed! I am looking forward to developing it more in the weeks and months to come! Homework: Our weekly reading log that went home last Monday is due this coming Monday. A new log will be sent home on Monday. In addition, we will send home Math and Social Studies homework next week. Math homework will always be assigned on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and is due the following day. Thursday will be either Social Studies or Science, based on the unit we are currently working on. Again, this assignment is due the following day. This coming week, we will begin practicing Word Study (aka spelling) routines in class, in preparation for Word Study homework going home the following week, the week of October 5th. Please help your student implement routines at home that will allow them to develop independence in completing and returning their homework! |
Mrs. WalterPlease visit here regularly for updates on what we're learning in third grade! Subscribe to the RSS feed below. Archives
February 2016
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