Week of September 5

ELA:

We will not have a reading homework sheet nor a spelling list this week due to not having school last Friday or Monday this week.

This week, we will change gears and begin a social studies unit on communities, citizens, and laws. We will identify the specific text features found in this informational text and determine why the author would include them and how the text features help us as reader to better understand the content. We will also determine the main idea of a section of text and the details that support it. This is a challenging standard and we will work with it a lot this year. 

We will also continue our close reading of Nasreen's Secret School. This story has great new vocabulary and we will repeat our work with gist and finding the central message using our Somebody - in - wanted - but - so tool to find it.

Math:

This week in math students will continue to build fluency with math facts using the array model and familiar skip counting strategies.  We will continue to manipulate arrays to study the commutative property. The students will continue distinguishing rows from columns and noticing that the meaning of the factor changes depending on the orientation of the array (commutative property of multiplication).  Students will be writing the 2 different multiplication sentences to interpret the same array (different orientation).

For example:

We will begin to introduce the distributive property as a strategy for multiplication.  The students will use arrays to decompose unknown facts as the sum or difference of two known facts.

For example: 

                                           7 threes = 5 threes + 2 threes

                                            7 x 3 =    5 x 3     +      2 x 3       

                                           21      =     15       +        6

Things to practice at home:

Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 x 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each.  Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide.  Examples: If 6 x 4 = 24 is known, then 4 x 6 = 24 is also known. (Commutative property of multiplication)

Homework:

Lesson 9

Lesson 10

Complete 2 i-Ready lessons

Practice 2, 3, 4, 5 math facts at home

Science:

This week in Science we will continue our discussion on the “Scientific Method”.  We will look at  the tools scientists use while making their observations and procedures they follow during their science explorations.

August 29

What a great second week! A reminder that this Wednesday is Early Release with dismissal at 1:35. Also, next Monday is Labor Day and is a school holiday.

Resources this week:
Cox:
Tuesday: media
Thursday: pe
Friday: art

Kluge: 
Monday: media and pe
Tuesday: music
Friday: art

ELA:
Check out these photos of our first "carousel" activity viewing illustrations from books we will use during this reading module. We worked on communicating in a group and working together to produce one main idea.

This we will read Nasreen's Secret School, the story of a young girl in Afghanistan, who faces many obstacles to be able to go to school and learn. We will read the text closely and use the same organizational tools we used with Rain School to determine the gist and lesson of the story. We are becoming familiar with the term, gist.

The gist is the main idea, what the page, section, chapter, or book is about. The gist does not include many details, but at the same time can be supported with details.

When we read closely, we read a text numerous times, each time with a different purpose or focus. One focus we have is to make note of words that are unfamiliar in meaning to us as we read. We then go back in the text and try to use context clues to determine the meaning of the new word.

Example: Poor Nasreen sat at home all day because girls are forbidden to attend school. Because the author writes "poor Nasreen" and tells us she is staying at home, we can guess that forbidden means not allowed. We can use the "plug it in" strategy and see if "not allowed" makes sense and it does. Poor Nasreen sat at home all day because girls are not allowed to attend school.

MATH:

In math the students will continue learning to distinguish between the number of groups and the size of groups to write multiplication facts.  They are learning to use arrays, counting rows and how many in a row, to write multiplication facts.  They will continue to create pictures, multiplication equations, and number bonds to model their understanding.

This week we will continue to work on understanding the meaning of the unknown as the number of groups in division and interpreting the unknown in division using the array model.  We will use the Read, Draw, Write (RDW) strategy to solve math problems. The students will also begin to study the commutative property of multiplication by manipulating arrays.  They will notice that the meaning of the factors in a multiplication sentence changes depending on the orientation of the array.

For example: 

This array has 4 rows and 3 columns. It can also be described as a 4 by 3 array.

The array can be rotated to show 3 rows of 4 or 3 by 4.

These arrays can be used to model division.  The problem will determine which way to draw the array.

For example:

Bob has 12 star stickers.  He puts them into 3 boxes.  How many stickers will be in each box?

                                                    12 ÷ 3 = 4 

There will be 4 stickers in each box.

Math Vocabulary:

Array – an arrangement of objects into equal rows and columns

Multiply - an operation showing how many times a number is added to itself

Equal groups – same number of objects in each group

Factor – number of groups and the number in each group

Equation – a statement that two expressions are equal, for example 4 x 3 = 12

Divide – separate into equal groups

Things to do at home:

Practice making arrays at home.  Talk about changing the orientation of your arrays and write the multiplication equation.

Create your own multiplication and division word problems and write the equations for the problems.

Look for groups of things at home.

Practice multiplication facts.

Math Homework:

We will have Module 1 Lessons 4,5, and 6 as homework this week. At this time the specific days will vary due to early release and science baseline testing.

SCIENCE:

This week in Science we will continue learning about the scientific method.  The students will discuss testable questions and reasons why scientists must keep accurate records during their explorations.

                                        

August 22, 2016

Welcome to week two of third grade! Our first week was very busy, but wonderful! We are really enjoying our new students! On Monday, students will bring home their Weekly Conduct Reports. Please initial at the bottom and return it the next day. It is blue. This will come home each Monday.

You have probably heard that we started our baseline testing and we will have one more day of math on Monday. The tests are 80 minutes each day. This week, we will take the Achieve 3000 levelset assessment which will calculate the appropriate Lexile or reading level for each student. We will also take the iReady math diagnostic. These tests are online.

Resources this week:
Cox:
Tuesday: art
Thursday: pe
Kluge:
Thursday: pe

On non resource days, we almost always have recess!!! Our school population has grown so we will be gaining additional resource teachers which means more frequent resources! Yay!

ELA:
On Friday, a reading homework sheet was sent home with a letter explaining the expectations. We went over this together in class in great detail. Students should be reading at least 20 minutes, 4 times each week. The short written responses on the homework sheet should be based on what they are reading. It is not due until Friday. This will be a regular routine… Friday to Friday. It does require a parent signature.

Spelling will not begin until next week.
                                         
The overall theme for our first nine weeks is how reading is powerful and how people around the world go to great lengths to access books and read. Our first text is Rain School. This week, we will learn a new term... "gist". The gist is the main or central message, what is text is all about. The gist does not include a lot of details. We will use a great tool to help us determine the gist.

SIWBS

Somebody (the main character)...

in (setting)...

wanted (motivation)...

but (problem)...

so (resolution)...

When we think about these specific elements and put them together, we can usually determine the gist or main idea of fictional text. We can tell someone the gist of a paragraph, a chapter, or even a book. This is a good strategy students can use at home to talk about what they are reading.

This week, we will read Rain School several times and will lift evidence from the text to answer questions. Students will use sticky notes to mark text that supports their answers. 

We will also revisit the strategy of using clues in text (context clues) to help us determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Example from Rain School:

"He gathers grass and saplings with the other children, and they make a roof."

To figure out the meaning of saplings, we can use context clues...  If Thomas gathers the sapling, it must be a noun, because he can pick it up. Also, he picks it up with the grass, so we can guess it might also be part of a plant. They use it to make a roof, and we have seen roofs in pictures made of grass and branches from trees. So a sapling must mean something like a branch.

During our writing lessons, we will begin to draft personal narratives in our writing journals using ideas from our memory cards and our idea lists. I will share some of my personal stories, too. 

Math:

In math this week we will introduce multiplication with the concept of repeated addition to find totals.  The students will use counters to make equal groups of a specific number. They will learn to recognize equal groups of counters as units and count units using language of groups and unit form: 4 equal groups of 3 counters make 12 counters, or 4 threes make 12.  The students will relate the equal groups of objects in scattered forms to the array model, making the connection between 1 equal group and 1 row in array models. They will distinguish between the number of groups and the size of groups as they count rows and how many in a row to write multiplication facts.  We will start modeling dividing a whole into equal groups and will create pictures, number bonds, and multiplication equations to model understanding. 

Things to Remember:

Array – repeated rows of numbers or objects

Multiply - an operation showing how many times a number is added to itself

Equal groups – same number of objects in each group

Factor – number of groups and the number in each group

Equation – a statement that two expressions are equal, for example 4 x 3 = 12

Divide – separate into equal groups

Math Homework:

Module 1 Lesson 1

Module 1 Lesson 2

Module 1 Lesson 3

Things to do at home:

Practice skip counting by 2’s, 3’s and 4’s at home. 

Practice drawing model representations or groups and ask your child to analyze the model. 

For example:                  

XX           XX       XX

How many times do you see a group of two? Have them count the groups, write the number sentence, and say the words together.

3 groups of 2’s

3 x 2 = 6

Science:

This week in Science we will discuss that scientists raise questions about the natural world, investigate them through explorations and develop explanations based on their explorations.  We will begin to understand that scientists question, discuss, and check each other’s evidence and explanations.  

                                                             

3rd Grade Orientation

We are looking forward to meeting all of our new third graders at orientation! If you would like to bring your supplies that day, please do! See the supply list tab above.

Upcoming Events!

Please check out the previous post 

for many photos 

from our BSE Multicultural Days!!

Resources for the week of May 16:

Cox:

Tuesday: Art

Kluge:

Monday: PE

Wednesday: Art

Thursday: Art and Media

Upcoming Events:

Monday, May 16: JEA Presentation

Wednesday, May 18: Early Release
Thursday, May 19: "Stop Bullying" Assembly

Friday, May 20: Field Trip to Tree Hill - Click the photo to visit the Tree Hill website!

Monday, May 23: Science CGA

Wednesday, May 25: Field Day  10:05 - 11:15 Events

                                                     2:10 - 2:40 Tug of War

Wednesday, May 25: BSE Mandarin Library Night  Please come! There will be a raffle and crafts, plus information about their summer reading program!

Monday, May 30: No School

Multicultural Days

Here is the result of our heritage homework!
Look at all of the countries represented in each class!

We learned about many cultures, art, music, and dancing!

PERU

Volunteers Needed!

The school year is coming to a close.  There are many exciting events occurring in May. In order for these events to be successful the school needs your help!

Volunteers are still needed to supervise the Bounce Houses and Slides for Bounce and Boogie this Friday, May 13. We are asking volunteers to arrive at 5:30 and stay until 8.  Please email bsevolunteer@gmail.com if you are interested in helping.  Responsible High school students and 8^th graders are also welcomed to volunteer and earn service hours.

Tracy Williams is still looking for volunteers to help clear out and organize the book room. Please email bsevolunteer@gmail.com if you are interested.

The school is having a BOGO book fair May 18, 19, and 20.  Yes, the school is having a Buy One, Get One free book fair!! This is a wonderful way for the students to get excited about reading over the summer. Volunteers are need to help the students select and buy books. If you are interested in helping, please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4daba62ea1fe3-bogo

Field day is May 23, 24, and 25.  15 volunteers are needed for each grade level to help with the Field Day events and pass out the Popsicles.  It is a fun and exciting time to spend with your child’s class. If you are interested in helping, please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4daba62ea1fe3-field

Thank you for all of your help during the school year. The students, teachers, and staff appreciate all you have done.

Barbara York

BSE PTA Volunteer Coordinator