Mathematics
We just finished our big unit on Multiplication and Division Patterns and Concepts. I am happy to report that all of our students have shown marked growth over the course of this unit, as we explored the meaning of multiplication and division through carrying out investigations in the context of story problems. Kids know when to multiply and divide, and have a deeper understanding of both operations having connected their work to a variety of models. Nearly all of the kids are proficient with multiplication facts 0s, 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s - and we will continue to work on those 4s, 6s, 8s, and 9s. Now is a great time to make multiplication flash cards a regular practice at home to hone fact fluency.
Next up is our unit on Money, Fractions, and Probability - with the big emphasis on fractions.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
• represent common fractions (e.g., halves, thirds, fourths, tenths) as equal parts of a whole, parts of a set, or points or distances on a number line.
• Use fractions to represent numbers that are equal to, less than, or greater than one.• Solve problems that involve comparing and ordering fractions by using models, benchmarks (0, ½, 1), or common numerators or denominators.
• Identify equivalent fractions.
• Add fractions with the same denominator.
*Note that we have our first go at the Math OAKS on Tuesday through Thursday March 18-20. If your child will be absent, they will take their first Math OAKS after Spring Break.
Writing
We've kicked off our
new unit on poetry in Writer’s Workshop!
Our goals for this unit are for students...
We began with a “Haiku Hike” at nearby Wapato Park last week for our March Field Study. We stretched our legs and our right-brains as we honored the tradition of gathering poetic inspiration from the natural world. We've been revising these poems back in the classroom and creating beautiful watercolor illustrations to accompany them. Poetry is often the doorway to using figurative language for young writers, and I am excited to see what they are coming up with. This next week we will get into free-verse, two-voice, cinquain, and rhyming couplet!
Don't forget to save the date for our POETRY SLAM!
Friday March 21, 10:30-11:20am, SIA Gym - 3rd grade + 6th grade Poetry Slam!
We will transform the gym into our "SIA Poetry Café", enjoy some refreshments, and have great time as kids get a chance to step up to the mic and share their poems. Let me know if you'd like to help with set-up or donating refreshments!
Our goals for this unit are for students...
- to be able to create (in their own words) a basic definition of poetry
- to be familiarized with various forms of poetry
- to read/write various forms of poetry
- to learn basic vocabulary and techniques of poetry
- to learn why/how to use a thesaurus
- to become more proficient with sentence fluency and word choice
We began with a “Haiku Hike” at nearby Wapato Park last week for our March Field Study. We stretched our legs and our right-brains as we honored the tradition of gathering poetic inspiration from the natural world. We've been revising these poems back in the classroom and creating beautiful watercolor illustrations to accompany them. Poetry is often the doorway to using figurative language for young writers, and I am excited to see what they are coming up with. This next week we will get into free-verse, two-voice, cinquain, and rhyming couplet!
Don't forget to save the date for our POETRY SLAM!
Friday March 21, 10:30-11:20am, SIA Gym - 3rd grade + 6th grade Poetry Slam!
We will transform the gym into our "SIA Poetry Café", enjoy some refreshments, and have great time as kids get a chance to step up to the mic and share their poems. Let me know if you'd like to help with set-up or donating refreshments!
ReadingNaturally, we’ve been reading a ton of poetry this week – getting exposed to everything from Maya Angelou to Shel Silverstein, from funny rhyming couplets and limericks to reflective Japanese nature haiku. The kids have really been enjoying finding favorites and sharing them with one another! We've been reading nonfiction magazines, books, and reference materials to dig into geology and Earth science topics. As always, we continue our daily core practices of sustained, silent independent reading time as well.
Also, we wrapped up our first round of OAKS reading and the kids did a fantastic job. I don't release scores to the children - but if you'd like to know how your child did simply shoot me an email.Science
Having finished our classroom lab work investigating and identifying rocks and minerals, we've been learning more about the Earth forces that have shaped the land around us in the Columbia River Basin. We learned about the layers of the Earth and basic plate tectonics, created models for how plate boundaries interact, and hiked to the top of Beacon Rock to see how the Missoula floods carved out the Columbia Gorge. Last week we read articles and looked at diagrams showing the physical features of volcanoes, viewed a short documentary on Mt. St. Helens, and interviewed 4th grade teacher Nancy Fisher about her childhood experiences witnessing the eruption first-hand!
That's the news for now!
Upcoming....
• Monday March 17 - No School - Teacher In-service Day
• March 18-20: 1st Round OAKS Math for 3rd grade
• Friday March 21, 10:30-11:20am, SIA Gym - 3rd grade + 6th grade Poetry Slam!
Join the 3rd & 6th graders for an hour of poetry readings! We will transform the gym into our "SIA Poetry Café", have refreshments, and a great time as kids get a chance to step up to the mic and share their poems. Let me know if you'd like to help with set-up or donating refreshments!
No comments:
Post a Comment