MATH: Students are flying through these multiplication and division
facts! This week we are finally learning the last of our multiplication
numbers, 7’s and 8’s! We discovered that since we have already learned all of
the other multiplications, 7x7, 7x8, and 8x8 are really the only ones left to
discover! The class has come up with great strategies for multiplying and
dividing. Some of these include using count bys with fingers, making equal
shares drawings, and drawing arrays. Students have also come up with a strategy
of breaking one number apart and multiplying in 2 steps. For example: if we are
trying to find the answer to 8x6, we can break the 8 up into two parts (4 and
4), and solve it by adding 8x4 +8x4. All are great strategies; however, practicing
fluency each and every night is extremely important for students! Please quiz
your child to help with these fast facts. Multiplication.com is also a great
website for them to get some extra practice. Another idea: ask your child about
Multiplication War! This game can be used with a deck of cards and the kids
love it! In the coming weeks we will continue to work on multiplication and
division word problems, understanding square numbers, and solving two step
story problems.
READING: I have been so impressed watching students continue to grow as
readers in the whole group, small group, and independent setting. The kids are
doing a great job making Daily 5 choices and working hard to manage their time
and get everything done on their ‘must do’ list. Last week we added one more
component to Daily 5, respond to reading. After seeing examples modeled and
practicing on their own, students helped develop a rubric for writing a
thoughtful reading response. It has been fun reading their responses about the
chapter books they are reading independently. As always, we continue to learn
new CAFÉ strategies that we practice in the whole group, small group, and
independently. This week we are looking at questioning strategies before,
during, and after reading. In the coming weeks we will learn more about text
and graphic features in fiction and non-fiction books, and have more practice
on making inferences within a text.
WRITING: Our class is continuing to focus on personal narrative
writing. We talked about how to zoom in on a specific moment (a seed topic) as
opposed to writing about a big moment (watermelon topic). After completing
their first narratives, students shared with the class. We talked about what we
are proud of as writers with this first writing piece. After listening to other
students’ narratives, kids focused in on a goal that they wanted to work on for
their next piece. As a class the goals chosen were: using descriptive language,
writing sentences that flow easily, using bold and detailed words, improving
punctuation/conventions, engaging the reader, and developing characters. I was
impressed that they came up with these goals all on their own after listening
to each other’s writing! Kids signed up for the goal(s) that were most
appropriate for them. I can’t wait to teach mini-lessons on each topic and see
the improvement each child makes on their next writing piece. Up next: more
personal narratives…kids will be writing about ‘silly secrets of third graders’!
SCIENCE: This week we finally started our new science unit, Motion
and Matter! To begin, students began investigating magnets and their
interaction. Students explored with paper clips and magnets and developed some
great questions to explore throughout the unit. A few of the questions included:
How many metals can magnets stick to? How do magnets stick on our desk when
paper clips are on them? Why do the paper clips stay together after we take
them off of the magnet? When you put two magnets together, how come it feels
like air is between the magnets and they won’t connect?
Throughout this
investigation students will continue to learn about the attraction between
magnets and paper clips while thinking about our class focus question: What
happens when magnets interact with other magnets and paper clips? Kids will
develop a model that explains the interaction between the magnets and the paper
clips. Take a look at our classroom photo tab to view kids exploring these
interactions! They had a fun time.
SOCIAL STUDIES: While we are exploring in science, the
class will take a short break from Social Studies. When we return, kids will
learn about the regions in the United States, and compare and contrast 2
regions.
UPCOMING DATES:
Don’t forget to
sign up for a conference! Conferences will be held the week of November 3rd.
I’m looking forward to meeting with you all.
