Classroom News!

Math
This week we delved into some early algebraic concepts as students observed and built growing patterns using tiles and cubes on their iPads.  These growing patterns are new to many students; students were asked to build steps 3, 4 and 5 of a growing pattern and make conjectures about the 10th arrangement or 20th arrangement without actually building that arrangement. We created a "T" chart to look at the relationship between the arrangement number and its number of tiles or cubes. Figuring out a mathematical rule for how the patterns were growing was a challenge to many students, but we will revisit it several times in both similar and different ways this year. Students also explored Work Places, a set of math stations where they get more independent practice and skill building through problem-solving, fluency-building games, and more.

Reading

We are about midway through The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. We are practicing making predictions and connections about and with the text, and learning to back up those predictions/connections with evidence.  We practice this together as a class with our read-aloud, and then students practice again while independently reading.  We continue our conversations about finding a “just right” book during independent reading that will help them grow as a reader.

Writing

This week, we continued drafting – and for some, started revising and editing - our personal narratives and imaginative stories.  This week’s mini-lessons were about editing.   Students are learning how to use an editing checklist to make corrections to their piece. 

We also did some:

 • observational writing – writing descriptions and observations about the “mysterious artifacts”

• letter-writing - as students replied to Mrs. Parks, the archaeologist who sent us the artifacts. 

• reflective writing  -- about what is developing in our current read-aloud, and our own silent reading books

• nature journaling – writing about what we saw and heard at Wapato Park on our hike today

Social Studies

As I'm sure you've heard - our class received an important letter and package this week from a local archaeologist. Our bright young group of students has been selected to help analyze a collection of artifacts found in the Columbia Basin. This week, we examined the artifacts, and students used their inferential and observational skills to figure out what materials they were made from, what they might have been used for, and who might have used them. The class reached consensus that these must have been owned by Native Americans. Students wrote letters stating their findings back to the local archaeologist.  We’re eager to hear her response!

Nature Studies

Though quite wet and chilly, we had a great first nature adventure hiking the loop at Wapato Park today.  We did a little scavenger hunt, learned about a few native plants, and practiced our outdoor observational skills and ethics.  (Yes, for safety reasons, we opted for the Wapato loop  - last week I encountered a herd of cows roaming freely on the Oak Island trail!)      

Questions to ask your Third Grader:

•  What did you find most challenging about working on the Growing Patterns with tiles and cubes?   What is a T-chart, and how can it help you “crack the code” of a pattern?

• How is Edward Tulane changing as a character?  How do you know this?

• What are you working on as a writer?  What is your strategy for checking to see if you forgot to capitalize or include punctuation?

• Tell me about the trunk your class received from Mrs.Virginia Parks.   What was your mission this week?  What artifact did you study?  What was it made from, or used for?  Who do you think owned it, and why?

• What plants did you learn about on your hike at Wapato?  Can you tell me about how Native Americans used them?  What else did you see or hear on your adventure?

Reminder:

• Morning field study at Wapato Park this Thursday, Oct. 3 –  please check that your child is dressed for the weather – (we had several kids today who did not have warm layers or waterproof coats/jackets – I keep some extra on hand but it’s always better to come prepared)

That's the news for now!  Have a great weekend - stay warm and dry!

Warm regards, 

Asa