Important Dates & Reminders
*I will try to highlight new dates and information with red text.
February 17, 2014: No school in honor of President's Day
February 22, 2014: After Hours Windermere Art Auction (see previous email and PTO website for more details)
March 18, 2014: 3rd Grade Musical Performance 7pm
March 19, 2014: Early release for professional development (Corrected date. Thanks Mrs. Shroyer)
March 27, 2014: End of the third quarter
March 28 - April 4, 2014: No school - Spring Break
April 7, 2014: No school for students, teacher grading day
April 14, 2014: 3rd quarter progress reports sent home
What We Learned This Week
Word Study
We studied and assessed common digraphs (two consonants that come together to make a new sound): ch, th, and wh. These can be hard for third graders to hear in words so they are especially important. Many of these words are high frequency sight words that have to be memorized. Assessments will be sent home on Tuesday.
We continued our study of nouns, looking at common, proper, singular and plural nouns.
Linking to Black History Month, we began researching our African American study subjects. Students used a graphic organizer to study Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a whole class. Pulling from two articles, one of which was from an encyclopedia, students responded to the following prompts:
- List facts you learned about Dr. King.
- Describe Dr. King using adjectives.
- What was Dr. King's dream?
- What was Dr. King's contribution.
We shared answers so students could see differences in quality and depth of answers as well as to realize there were no singular right answers, but many different ways to share what they had learned.
Students then began researching a famous African American. Using a similar graphic organizer, students began researching. Each student has a partner they will work with to compare findings and then improve their own work, clearing up misunderstandings and developing a sense of bigger ideas and themes.
Finally, students are working further on the research subjects with Mrs. Hastings, our library media specialist. We are learning general research strategies that can be applied to any topic or interest. We will work on transferring these skills to other interests throughout the year.
Writing
Students are still responding to our read aloud, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. We also wrote persuasive essays and debated favorite holidays. Student content has really improved, but convention has regressed. We will be focusing on that in the weeks to come. Many pen pal letters have arrived and I am anxious to have students read them. I know they are looking forward to opening their letters. I hope to have all pen pal letters by the end of next week.
Math
We are studying measurement. Specific standards include: determining area and perimeter, recognizing and representing area as a model of multiplication and/or an array, linear measure to the nearest inch, 1/2 inch, and centimeter; recognizing units of measure (e.g., kg and pounds represent mass/weight, miles and yards represent length, liters and cups represent volume/capacity). We took a short Friday assessment that will come home on Tuesday. It is my intent to start doing Friday quizzes again to identify students who need specific support and to communicate with you better regarding your student's math progress.
Science
Thank you for your generous donations to the Ohio Wildlife Center (OWC). They have great summer camps and volunteer opportunities. If you are interested, you can learn more here: http://www.ohiowildlifecenter.org/dnn/
OWC representatives shared indigenous animals (bard owl, screech owl, box turtle, woodchuck) and introduced many important life science standards: classification, habitat, human impact, food webs, ecosystems, nocturnal and diurnal. I will try to upload some photos from their visit this weekend.
