5/11
The third graders continue to work very hard. We started a new novel called Frindle. The kids are enjoying it very much. We have had great discussions about it. We have learned a lot about Highland Park and how it grew throughout the years. In math, we continue to learn multiplication including multi-step problem solving. The kids are getting quicker with their math facts as we continue to take our multiplication timed tests. The third graders are in the middle of writing another four-paragraph expository paper. The topic of this paper is summer!
We stretched out our compliment chain today to see how long it was, and it stretched the whole length of the room. What a great feeling it was for us to see how long it had gotten!!
Reminders: Highland Park Project is due 5/16
Chicago Landmark Project is due 5/29
Maps testing: 5/14 and 5/23 (see the note in the Friday Folder)
5/4
Happy Friday! It was a great week in third grade. In reading, we reviewed our skills, grammar, and had our reader’s theater. We performed the story called Voyage Across the Solar System. The kids put on a great performance! Our Hacker’s Trail journey came to an end with two wagon trains barely making it to Hacker’s Valley, and one unfortunately not making it there at all. It was a great experience and the class learned a lot from it. In math we are getting quicker and quicker with our math facts. We continue to study about Highland Park and learn how it came to be. In science we have continued to talk about forces in motion and had some to time explore the other day.
4/27
We had a great week in Room 107. In reading, we read a story called The Planets. We concentrated on making predictions. In math we are practicing multiplication. The kids are getting quicker and quicker with their math facts. Flash cards are a great way to practice at home. Hacker’s Trail is as exciting as ever. We are at Devil’s Flat, about 2/3 of the way to Hacker’s Valley. In library we researched more about Pioneers and specific things about them. Our product is using google docs to create a paper to teach the rest of the class what we learned. We started our study of Highland Park and the kids are finding it to be so interesting.
4/13
We had another great week in Room 107. Our trip along the Hacker’s Trail is getting quite interesting with many hard decisions to be made. We are about a third of the way to Oregon right now. In reading, we read an expository nonfiction story this week called Spiders and Their Webs. We discussed it and talked about our favorite facts from the story. We concentrated on asking questions and making inferences. Our novel studies are going well with both books getting exciting. We are having great discussions. In math we finished our unit on measurement and have started multiplication. We looked at how addition and multiplication are related. We had Mad Science this week which was all about simple machines.
4/5
Welcome back! I hope you all had a nice and relaxing spring break. Our week back was wonderful and very busy! We started our last theme in reading called “Discoveries.” Our first story was a favorite, Charlotte’s Web. We concentrated on making inferences. In our third grade reading groups we started reading new novels: Dear Levi and Sarah, Plain and Tall. The kids are very excited to be reading a new novel and are enjoying the discussions we are having. In math we started a new chapter and have reviewed perimeter, area, and volume. We are off on our journey of Hacker’s Trail. Our wagon trains and supplies are set and we will be heading west.
Enjoy your day off!
3/23
Thank you all so much for attending conferences. The kids were very excited to be able to lead them and discuss with you all their achievements this year. It was a pleasure to meet with you.
We had a great week in Room 107! We are on a review unit in reading and reviewed many skills including cause and effect, author’s message, prefixes, and sequence. We read a reader’s theater this week called The Robodogs of Greenville. The kids did a nice job performing it. We continue our Pioneer study and started our simulation Hacker’s Trail. We got into our wagontrains and picked our wagonmaster. We will start on our journey after spring break. The kids enjoyed the traveling Pioneer Museum that came to Braeside. What a great experience we had! We also started a poetry unit and will be studying the author Jack Prelutsky. In math we spent this week studying the metric units; length, capacity, mass, temperature, and problem solving.
Have a fun and relaxing spring break!!
3/9
We had a good week in Room 107. ISAT testing is over and the kids worked very hard! We started the novel Little House in the Big Woods. The students are getting a great picture of how it was living back in the Pioneer days. They are enjoying the story, discussing it, answering and asking many questions, and completing activities and reports on the chapters we have read. We also continued working on our Pioneer Journal. In math we are almost finished with our chapter on customary measurement. We have looked at length, capacity, weight, and temperature. We went on our field trip to tap maple trees to get sap and understand how maple syrup is made. The kids enjoyed this field trip very much. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at conferences next week. I know the kids are extremely excited to be leading their conference.
3/2
The third graders in Room 107 are working very hard! ISAT testing has started and the children are putting in a lot of effort. They are going well. In reading this week we concentrated on cause and effect. We read the story Ramona Quimby, Age 8. We discussed it and answered questions. In math, we started our unit on measurement. The customary units are the first chapter and so far we have looked at length, estimating, and measuring. The kids have enjoyed measuring different objects around our classroom. We are learning so many new things about Pioneers as we read the book, If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon. As you all know, the third graders will be leading their spring conference. They are very excited about this and have been working very hard to prepare.
2/24
The students worked hard again this week! In reading we read a fantasy story called Chestnut Cove. We followed the characters in this story as they went through changes because of a watermelon contest. We concentrated on asking questions and cause and effect. The kids also created a homophone book. It is great! In math, we finished our chapter on patterns. We will be starting a new unit on measurement next week. We continue to work on reading responses. The kids are working hard and really doing a nice job on them. We started our unit on Pioneers and the first thing we are doing is reading the book If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon.
2/17
We had a very busy week in Room 107. We are working hard on Reading Responses and getting very good at them! The key is to remember each part and make sure to write enough information. In reading we read the story Bat Loves the Night and concentrated on author’s message and sequencing. In math we finished our chapter on solid figures. We will start out new chapter on Tuesday. It involves figuring out and making different kinds of patterns. We have been spending time in class challenging ourselves by working on different kinds of math challenge questions. In science we are just finishing up our unit on the Solar System. The students finished their Solar System books, created alien creatures, and designed a page in a space catalog. We also had our Mad Science class and learned even more about space! Enjoy the long weekend!
