The third graders are continuing the nonfiction unit by learning how key details support the main idea. Students will also practice summarizing a nonfiction text by using the main idea and supporting details. Then students will use this knowledge to write a nonfiction piece.
Math
Students are using measuring strips to see the pattern in numbers. Students will use connecting cubes and make strips with markings for up to ten groups of five, ten, three, six, and nine. After skip counting is recorded on the strip to determine the multiples of these various numbers, students will be encouraged to see the relationship in the numbers. These measuring strips will help students figure out multiplication problems.
Social Studies
The class is studying the Plains Native Americans. They will learn about their way of living, food, homes and animals. Then they will compare and contrast the Plains Native Americans and the Wampanoag.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!
Language Arts
Students are learning to identify main idea and supporting details in a paragraph. First the class focused on finding the main idea in a set of pictures. Then they learned that the main idea may be in the beginning or end of a paragraph. The next step is to transfer this learning to finding the main idea in an article.
Students published their personal narratives and are displayed outside the classroom. Below are examples of the hard work students put forth to write and illustrate their stories.
Since this story is not readable from the photograph. Here is the story the student wrote describing her personal narrative.
Have you ever been scared to do
something? I know I have! My first time skiing was really scary. I was so
nervous! What if I fall or mess up? I knew I couldn’t do it! I wanted to go
home. I wanted to leave Mt. Southington, CT. My mom got my skiing gear, but I
didn’t put it on. I was worried. I was getting even more scared every second I
was there. My mom got my skiing shoes and my helmet. I wanted to ski, but I
could get hurt! My mom encouraged me. I still didn’t want to risk skiing down
that steep hill. I didn’t know what to do! I finally tired of standing around
and being afraid. I would ski down that hill, and nobody could stop me! I was going to get over my fear and stop
worrying! I could to do it! But should I? Time was running out! Mount
Southington was going to close soon, and I couldn’t make up my mind! I had to
decide! Should I risk skiing and get over my fear, or should I give up and
regret it my whole life? I didn’t want to get hurt, but I felt like I should do
it! I thought and thought. Finally, I made my decision. I was going to do it. I
got on my skiing gear and my skiing shoes, and I went up the ski lift. I got to
the top of the snowy hill and I froze. The mountain was so high! It was at
least 20 feet off of the ground! I couldn’t do it! It was too late to turn back
though! So I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt a cool breeze on my
face and I opened my eyes. I pushed my cold feet, and the next thing I knew, I
was skiing! I felt so excited that I got over my fear! I got to the bottom of
the mountain and I slowed down. Then I went to see my mom. We took all of my
gear off and my mom gave me a big hug. I could tell she was proud of me. I was
elated that I asked my mom for ice cream in the lunch room at Mount
Southington. I was proud and happy. I never forgot the day I skied down a hill
at Mount Southington.
Social Studies/Writing
Students used their knowledge of the Wampanoag Native Americans in social studies to write from the perspective of a member of the tribe. Here are samples of the student work related to this endeavor.
Math
In math students are undertaking the concept of multiplication through the process of looking at groups of objects and expressing their thinking as repeated addition, skip counting, groups of 2, 4, 5, etc., doubling, and or multiplication. Students started this unit by taking a trip to the grocery store and viewing items such as a bag of apples, or groups of oranges, bottled water and representing this in mathematical terms. This week students will view groups of stamps and assign a value for the stamps. Then students will figure out the total value of the stamps by the aforementioned methods. This is a hands-on unit where student thinking is emphasized and working with partners is critical to learning the concept of multiplication.
Here is an interesting video about context for learning.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Veterans Day - Week of November 11
Students are discovering nonfiction text features and their purposes in nonfiction books. Some examples include table of contents, labels, photographs, captions, comparisons, types of print, cutaways, maps, tables, close ups, index, and glossary. Student will have the opportunity to explore nonfiction texts to locate these nonfiction features. Most students are familiar with some of these features but have they ever thought about its purpose?
Students are continuing to write about their Native American characters. Each student has chosen a Native American name and is writing from the persona of that character. Students are incorporating the knowledge gained from their study of the Wampanoag tribe to undertake this project. Below is a YouTube video which demonstrates the information students will be conveying through their stories.
In math students will be focusing on understanding different types of subtractions problems. These subtraction problems involve comparison of quantities. Students will be able to use cubes, pictures and number lines to visualize this math concept.
Please make sure your child reads nightly.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Welcome November!
Reading in Room 17
In preparation for reading nonfiction texts, the class will focus on the following reading strategies to help improve their comprehension skills. The students will be learning metacognitive strategies to keep track of their inner conversation as they read. Students will be made aware that a proficient reader uses fix-up strategies when meaning breaks down as they read.
Stop, Ask, Fix: Student Checklist Students should use these strategies and keep them in mind when reading. ❑ I periodically stop and ask, “Does this make sense?” ❑ I express the difference between my own knowledge and beliefs and ideas expressed in text. ❑ I express awareness or lack of awareness of what the content means. ❑ I express doubt about understanding when I am unsure or when meaning is unclear. ❑ I ask “Where did I lose track?” ❑ I identify the place where I began to lose comprehension. ❑ I use fix-up strategies when I experience problems. ❑ I reread. ❑ I read on and try to clear up the confusion. ❑ I substitute words I know (and that fit the context) to replace words I don’t understand to see if that works. ❑ I make mind pictures to “see” in my head what the text means. ❑ I connect what I am reading to what I have read previously in this text
In math this week students will use the base ten number system to understand the equivalent of one group and the discrete units that comprise it. Students will participate in solving subtraction problems which involve finding a missing part. They will use strategies to visualize the problem through the use of a number line, sheets, strips and stickers, number grids as well as understanding the relationship between addition and subtraction.
For example this equation can be solved using the following strategies:
36 + _____ = 79
In social studies students have been brainstorming the roles and jobs of the men, women and children of the Wampanoag tribe by reading various nonfiction texts about this tribe. This will provide the background knowledge to start undertaking the writing assignment. Students will write a story about the life of their Native American character from that character's point of view.
The food the people ate and cultivated.
The ways these Native Americans caught their food.
These people were gatherers.
They used everything in their environment to survive.
Please feel free to engage in a conversation with your child about what they are learning in school.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Week of October 28, 2013
Language Arts
Last week students completed the performance assessment for Unit 1 in Language Arts. Each reading group performed a skit based on a chapter in the book they read. As the students performed their skits, the audience (the rest of the class) was expected to identify the character trait of the main character in the skit as well as the character's feelings, an action, and a motive connected to the character's action. Students were excited to perform the skit and everyone enjoyed the opportunity that this experience afforded them.
This week students will start another set of books that relate to our Native American Unit in social studies. Students will transfer their knowledge learned about characters, character's feelings, actions, and motives to undertake a new endeavor. The students will apply their background knowledge to more complex characters.
In addition, the next unit in Language Arts is a nonfiction unit in which students will learn about nonfiction conventions and main idea and details. Students will read a variety of nonfiction texts including books about the Wampanoag and other Native Americans.
Math
In math, students are learning to solve addition problems with 2 and 3 digit numbers by breaking numbers apart and recombining them. For example, 65 + 35 = 100 can be interpreted as follows:
60 + 30 = 90
5 + 5 = 10 so 90 + 10 = 100
Another strategy students might use for this problem is:
65 + 30 = 95
95 + 5 = 100
Students may also choose a number line to solve this problem. Below is a You Tube video relating this strategy.
Social Studies
In our Wampanoag Native American Unit, students have formed families and assumed the roles of various members of a family. Students created puppets to visualize their identity in their family.
Next, students will write a character sketch about their Native American puppet expressing their knowledge learned about the way of life of the Wampanoag people.
STAY TUNED IN TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ROOM 17!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Welcome to my blog!
I will be sharing the 2013-2014 school year with my readers.
Presently students are in the process of transitioning to third grade. We are working on building a Tribes' Community where students will develop a rapport with one another so they will feel comfortable in the classroom.
October in Room 17
In October students will complete their study of character development and write a narrative about a personal experience which impacted their feelings, actions or motivations. Stories that students read to help them with this unit include:
Math
In math students have been learning about grouping numbers in tens and hundreds. Students practiced their addition and subtraction facts. Multiplication was introduced as equal grouping.
Examples of equal grouping are given below:
In October students will focus on place value to the 1,000 place. Students will continue working on word problems in math.
The field trip to Wood Memorial Library initiated the study of our Native American Unit. Students will learn about the environment, way of living, food, homes and roles of the Wampanoag people.
Further updates will be coming as the school year progress.
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