What We Learned
Next week's spelling words are: oil, enjoy, point, about, destroy, count, join, cloud, coin, joyful, out and cowboy. The categories for sorting should be oi, ou, oy (and they can work on ow from the additional words and cowboy). These patterns make a "gliding" sound as they are pronounced.
Additional words you can use for practicing spelling generalizations include: spoil, boil, foil, our, around, boy, joy, toy, brown, crown, crowd, broil, choice, joint, noise, aloud, appoint, avoid, disappoint, amount, cloudy, doubt, allow and scowl.
See earlier post http://3rdgradehudson.blogspot.com/2011/09/parent-information-highlights.html for additional activities. Activities we are doing in class include identifying parts of speech, roots, prefixes and suffixes.
See earlier post http://3rdgradehudson.blogspot.com/2011/09/parent-information-highlights.html for additional activities. Activities we are doing in class include identifying parts of speech, roots, prefixes and suffixes.
In reading we are concluding our research. We have been researching animals, but more importantly, we are learning how to conduct research. We looked at the important parts of non-fiction texts (table of contents, text boxes, graphs and data charts, and the index) to help us identify important research topics. We decided on classification, life cycle, habitat, adaptations and food web. We've gone over the meanings of these and then students started writing down "noteworthy" facts. At the top of each index card they also wrote down the research topic. They organized their noteworthy facts by topic and wrote down questions for each category that they still wondered about. We researched these in the computer lab using key word/term searches. We'll be sharing this information in PowerPoint and students will bring them home on their flash drives at the end of the year.
We also concluded our Mark Twain author study and his classic, Huckleberry Finn. We revisited our study of Roald Dahl and his childhood influences that led to his writing about the "magic" of childhood. We discussed the importance of "justice" in Mark Twain's books and how that was greatly influenced by the time period in which he grew up, during the Civil War and Reconstruction. I introduced our next author, Peter Sis, through is autobiography, The Wall. The Wall covers Peter Sis' life growing up in Soviet Czechoslovakia. This was a very complex discussion, but I was thrilled with the students' great questions. They will likely have more questions for you. We discussed how the Soviet government's control of information and freedom led to Peter Sis writing and illustrating books about great learners: Christopher Columbus in Follow The Dream, Galileo Galilei in Starry Messenger, and Charles Darwin in The Tree of Life.
We continued to write responses to our reading as Huck Finn. Authors shared daily about their reading. We looked for a complete summary (plot: beginning, middle, and end), the important 5 W's, past tense (a tricky skill for many 3rd graders), first tense (taking on the perspective of the character), and adding emotions.
We have moved on to two digit times two digit multiplication problems using the partial products method. We are also working on collaborative problem solving, working in groups with the goal of developing student understanding by giving them opportunities to explain their thinking and challenge others' thinking.
We started our life science in earnest this week. I shared kits from the Department of Natural Resources. We compared skulls, particularly jaw bones, to identify what kind of consumer the animal was (omnivore, carnivore, or herbivore); pelts to look at adaptations shared by many mammals; the interdependence of food webs; the important role of producers and decomposers. We will build on the importance of insects, especially pollinators for an end of year service learning project. We received our painted lady butterfly caterpillars, all of which have formed their chrysalises. Our praying mantis egg sack hasn't done anything yet, but we are anxiously awaiting it hatching.
Field Days
From Mr. Moore, "It's FIELD DAY TIME! This year our field day will be on Monday June 4th and we are looking for as many parent volunteers as we can get. There are two sessions available, 8:30 - 11:05 or 11:30 - 2:30 AM. Christy Harston has created a very cool volunteer sign up page on SignupGenius.com. All you have to do is click on the link below and select one or both of the sessions. A subway lunch and drinks will be provided for volunteers to enjoy.http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A48ACAB29A13-field
We also concluded our Mark Twain author study and his classic, Huckleberry Finn. We revisited our study of Roald Dahl and his childhood influences that led to his writing about the "magic" of childhood. We discussed the importance of "justice" in Mark Twain's books and how that was greatly influenced by the time period in which he grew up, during the Civil War and Reconstruction. I introduced our next author, Peter Sis, through is autobiography, The Wall. The Wall covers Peter Sis' life growing up in Soviet Czechoslovakia. This was a very complex discussion, but I was thrilled with the students' great questions. They will likely have more questions for you. We discussed how the Soviet government's control of information and freedom led to Peter Sis writing and illustrating books about great learners: Christopher Columbus in Follow The Dream, Galileo Galilei in Starry Messenger, and Charles Darwin in The Tree of Life.
We continued to write responses to our reading as Huck Finn. Authors shared daily about their reading. We looked for a complete summary (plot: beginning, middle, and end), the important 5 W's, past tense (a tricky skill for many 3rd graders), first tense (taking on the perspective of the character), and adding emotions.
We have moved on to two digit times two digit multiplication problems using the partial products method. We are also working on collaborative problem solving, working in groups with the goal of developing student understanding by giving them opportunities to explain their thinking and challenge others' thinking.
We started our life science in earnest this week. I shared kits from the Department of Natural Resources. We compared skulls, particularly jaw bones, to identify what kind of consumer the animal was (omnivore, carnivore, or herbivore); pelts to look at adaptations shared by many mammals; the interdependence of food webs; the important role of producers and decomposers. We will build on the importance of insects, especially pollinators for an end of year service learning project. We received our painted lady butterfly caterpillars, all of which have formed their chrysalises. Our praying mantis egg sack hasn't done anything yet, but we are anxiously awaiting it hatching.
Field Days
From Mr. Moore, "It's FIELD DAY TIME! This year our field day will be on Monday June 4th and we are looking for as many parent volunteers as we can get. There are two sessions available, 8:30 - 11:05 or 11:30 - 2:30 AM. Christy Harston has created a very cool volunteer sign up page on SignupGenius.com. All you have to do is click on the link below and select one or both of the sessions. A subway lunch and drinks will be provided for volunteers to enjoy.http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A48ACAB29A13-field
Thank you for all your help and making this fun day possible for your children. Please feel free to contact me with any questions."
Library
All library materials are due Friday, June 1, 2012. Students with missing materials must pay for the replacement prior to receiving progress reports.
Ukulele Practice Schedule
May 21 - Ukulele Orchestra.
May 22 - Senior Ukulele Orchestra.
May 24 - Ukulele Orchestra
May 25 - Senior Ukulele Orchestra
May 29 - Ukulele Orchestra.
May 30 - Ukulele Orchestra.
May 30 - Senior Ukulele Orchestra.
May 31 - Ukulele Orchestra Performance at 7pm in the Multipurpose Room at Windermere (more information to come). This will be our final ukulele date for 3rd and seniors.
Important Dates & Reminders
May 28 - No School, Memorial Day observed
June 4 - Field Days, send your student with a water bottle and sunscreen already applied.
June 5 - Field Days rain date
June 7 - Last day for students
June 8 - Summer begins for students
