“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” ~Alfred Mercier
Literacy
During Literacy this week, students will interact with a variety of texts by making connections, making predictions, and drawing conclusions. Students will engage in discourse around literature using accountable talk strategies. We will finish reading the first book in the Magic Tree House series as we explore story elements and determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues and strategies. Students will determine relevant details and facts in texts that support their thinking and opinion. We will begin reading the second book in the Magic Treehouse series, working to compare story elements between the two texts.
Graphic novel book clubs will meet this week to discuss their opinions about the book.
Our first writing piece for the year will be a personal narrative, in which students write about a special memory. We have brainstormed ideas to write about, as well as read published texts that model certain writing strategies and organization. Students have chosen a small moment memory to develop into a story, planning their ideas using a storyboard. We have explored effective ways to 'hook' or entice your reader when writing your story's beginning. We will investigate strategies for writing 'lasting impressions' next week.
Students have a Vocabulary Notebook in which they record new words and their meanings. Students are rewarded/recognized for using these words in their speech, writing, or if they notice it when reading published works.
Vocabulary Word of the Week:
optimism - belief in good things happening
Example: Although she wasn't feeling well, Amirah had great optimism that she still go to the movie later in the day.
As students write, type and publish their thinking, I will challenge them to edit their writing for possible capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors.
Websites of Interest:
Clever Login Instructions for Home
Literacy At Home Announcement (YouTube video)
The Best Children's Books by Lexile Levels (search a variety of books for your child that range in Lexile levels.
Scholastic's Guide to Third Grade Reading and Writing (identifies the big ideas, provides examples and ideas for support at home)
Dance Mat Typing (interactive website for practicing typing skills)
Typing Club (excellent resource for developing appropriate typing skills)
Math
In Math, we will apply place value concepts to add and subtract 3-digit numbers. Students will also apply strategies to estimate sums and differences, and determine key signal words associated with addition and subtraction. We will interact with word problems, using key words and strategies to make sense of the situation, before adding or subtracting.
The Multiplication Masters incentive, which tracks the facts students have mastered, will be introduced toward the end of Quarter 1! However, it's not too early to start practicing! As students master their facts, we will record their progress until all facts (0-10) are mastered. (The Multiplication Masters slides will be posted on our Google Classroom site for reference.) I strongly encourage students to practice their multiplication facts (0-10) on a daily basis as this skill will appear in our math units throughout the school year, as well as in fourth grade! Go ahead and master the multiplication facts to build fluency and automaticity!
Websites of Interest:
Interactive Multiplication Games
Reflex Math (login via Clever, Explore Learning App) - students have been assigned 0-10 addition and subtraction fact practice)
Science and Social Studies
We will participate in various Social Emotional activities, as well as other cooperative learning games that build connections with one another. These experiences will assist us in establishing and maintaining a respectful, fun learning community in which students feel safe when taking academic risks. During the first week of school, students worked together to create a class mission statement:
"Our class mission is to achieve learning goals in an environment where citizens demonstrate CHOMP, respectfully cooperate, and model a growth mindset."
Our SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) topics will be centered on building and maintaining a growth mindset, particularly when faced with challenges and set-backs. We will also celebrate the unique qualities and characteristics that make the people in our classroom special - one of a kind!
In Social Studies, our first unit focuses on local government and citizen's rights and responsibilities. We have investigated the structures and functions of local government, as well as the role of local government services in our community. Students brainstormed solutions to potential local issues, and will prepare a letter to town council members that detail a suggested plan of action.
In Science, our first unit of study is focused on matter and energy. We will first identify the states of matter, and then determine the mass of certain solid objects. Students will participate in a variety of STEAM learning experiences, experiments, and informational text reading as we delve into this unit.