Comparing & Contrasting Chicago and Other U.S. Cities

Over the last month, students have worked hard researching information about a U.S. city of their choice.  Then they took their research, and began finding similarities and differences between their city and Chicago.  After organizing their information, they wrote compare/contrast articles demonstrating their new knowledge!  They turned out wonderful! 

Their compare/contrast articles are posted on their blogs! Room 203 Student Blogs.  Be sure to check them out, and don't forget to leave a comment!

Classroom Books

Please have your child check at home for any classroom library books that they may have borrowed!  

A Sneak Peek at Our LAST FULL week!

Reading:  Last week, we finished our interactive read-aloud book Holes by Louis Sachar.  Early this week students will think about the symbolism present in the novel and create a blog post reflecting their thinking.  We will watch the movie version of the story Friday of this week.  Students also finished their literature circle books last week as well.  They will be creating book jackets for the students who will be reading these texts next year; they will create an illustration for the cover, write a summary of the novel, reflect on how perspective was present in the text, and then give the book a rating.  

Writing:  Students will type their compare/contrast articles about Chicago and the city the studied during social studies.  They will finish and publish their final drafts Tuesday!  

Math:  Students will continue reviewing more challenging concepts present in math this year.  Today they will be reviewing adding/subtraction fractions with unlike denominators, and tomorrow they will solve "fraction of" and "percent of" problems.  

Science:  As a final assignment/project this week, students will be given a description of a habitat and then will have to create their own organism based on the adaptations, or physical and behavioral characteristics they think the animal will need to survive.  

Holes by Louis Sachar Movie

We just finished our class' interactive read-aloud book this week, Holes by Louis Sachar.  Students have had wonderful conversations about this text, and really have demonstrated some deep thinking focused around symbolism, irony, and foreshadowing.  

There is a movie version of the book that I would like to watch on Tuesday.  Students will compare the book and movie version. The movie, however, is rated PG.  I watched the movie this week, and can answer any questions to you may have about the movie's content!  If you do not want your child to watch the movie, please e-mail me letting me know.  Thanks so much!

Concert Reminder

Please remember the 3rd-5th grade concert is tomorrow at 2:00 in the Skinner Auditorium.  The students have worked very hard and are excited to share their performance with you!

Volunteers for Celebration Day, 6/21

On Friday, June 21st from 2:00-3:00, students will be participating in a Celebration Day celebrating the end of the school year!  The kids are VERY excited about this, and I recall many conversations from them about the dunk tank!

We are in need of volunteers for this event.  Please e-mail me if you are interested and available to volunteer.  The kids are really looking forward to it!

A Sneak Peek at our SECOND TO LAST Week!

Reading: This is the final week students will hold literature circles.  As a teacher, it has truly been a joy observing and listening to their conversations.  Their discussions have shown deep comprehension, strong analysis, and enjoyment of the texts they are reading!

Writing:  Based on their social studies research comparing Chicago to other U.S. cities, students will write four compare/contrast paragraphs (2 similarities and 2 differences) demonstrating their learning.  They will be posting their writing to their blogs this week!

Math:  Unit 12 will not be instructed this year.  After conferring with the 4th/5th grade math teacher, knowledge of rates is not needed until sixth grade math.  I feel it would be more beneficial for students to review challenging concepts found in the fourth grade math curriculum.  Therefore, students will review the following math concepts this week:

• Multiplying and dividing decimals
• Adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators 
• "Fraction of" and "percent of" problems

Science:  After discovering how animals were classified last week, students will learn about the physical characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and adaptations of animals for the remainder of this week.  

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Reading:  Students will continue literature circles this week!

Writing:  This week, students will spend time completing self and peer revisions, as well as self and peer editing on their persuasive food reviews.  They will publish and post their final food reviews to their blogs this Friday.  

Math:  Students will not be starting a new unit of math this week.  Instead, they will spend 20-30 minutes each day practicing and reinforcing important skills using math games.  New math games will be introduced this week as well.  Although students will not have study links as homework this week, they are expected to be practicing IXL.  

Social Studies:  After completing general research on another U.S. city, students will begin organizing their research into a compare/contrast matrix, discovering similarities and differences between their city and Chicago.  They will spend the week organizing this information and completing additional research.  

Science:  Students will begin a new mini-unit in science this week which focuses on living things.  Information and resources for this unit can be found on the third grade website: Unit 4: Living Things.  There are wonderful games posted for your child to play that will reinforce concepts and ideas being instructed in the classroom.  

Photos from the Lizzadro Museum

Here are some photos from students' field trip in March to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art!

A photo slideshow by Smilebox

Wrigley Ballpark Tour

Students had a wonderful field trip to Wrigley Ballpark!  They learned a lot of interesting information about the history of the stadium, discovered what made Wrigley a landmark in Chicago, toured the stadium, and got to watch the players practice.  Check out a few pictures from the day!

This free slideshow design created with Smilebox

Kleenex

A big THANK YOU to those of you that donated an extra box of Kleenex to the classroom!

Allergies, sniffles, and sneezes have hit Room 203 students and our Kleenex supply is once again diminished!  Any Kleenex donations to the classroom would be greatly appreciated! :)

Math Test Date Change

There is a change in the date of students' math tests.  The Unit 11 math test will be this Friday, May 31st  instead of next Tuesday.  Looking more closely at the objectives of the final lessons, along with the final assessment, I modified instruction and decided to remove unnecessary components of the unit.  

Students' study guides will be due tomorrow.  Students had time in class today to get started on them!  

Please e-mail me with any questions!

Unit 11 IXL Checklist

The Unit 11 IXL checklist is posted on the third grade website: Unit 11.  Your child also has this checklist attached to his/her homework chart.  Depending on assessments in the classroom, I may have also marked a number next to certain skills on your child's checklist.  I recommend that these skills are practiced first!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading:  Next week students will continue reading their literature circle books and having discussions.  I was blown away by the deep thinking and analytical talk they contributed to their groups during these discussions.  Throughout the week they will continue to learn strategies to help them develop and strengthen their discussion skills. 

Writing: Students will finish drafting their Food Review conclusion paragraphs on Tuesday and use the remainder of the week to type their drafts.  Self and peer revising and editing will take place the next week.  

Math: Lessons 11.5, 11.6, and 11.7 will be instructed this week.  Students will be given a review guide on Tuesday/Wednesday of this week which will be due next Monday.  After completing an additional review guide in class Monday, the Unit 11 Test will be Tuesday, June 2nd.  

Social Studies:  Students will continue researching the U.S. city of choice both in the computer lab and in the classroom.  They will share their learning with their teammates and as a group will come up with a series of questions that they are still wondering.  Students then will create "interview questions" to ask someone who lives in that city.  

Important Information & Dates:

• Information regarding transportation for next year went home Thursday, 5/23.  Please be sure you have looked over this information and turned in necessary materials if it relates to you!
• Friday, 5/31: Field trip to Wrigley Stadium.  Students will be eating lunch, as normal, at school. 
• Friday, 5/31: Quarter 4 Project, Part 3 due!

Spring Music Assembly

Third, Fourth, & Fifth Grade

Spring Music Assembly

Friday, June 14th, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Over the last few weeks, Skinner North students have been moving and and grooving to the sweet sounds of jazz music.  Come learn about when and where Jazz began and how it has evolved throughout the years.  

Expect to see a flyer in your child's homework folder this Friday!  DVD ordering information is included with the flyer as well.  

Student Blogs

Be sure to continually check your child's blog.  These blogs have served as a great tool to publish and showcase your child's work in the classroom.  This tool has also promoted reflective and analytical writing and discussion amongst students.  On Monday students will be posting their Sound Inquiry Mini-Projects!

Room 203 Student Blogs

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Reading:  Students will begin literature circles this week!  After practicing each of the roles, observing a literature circle in action, and developing expectations and "ground rules" for their own group, they will begin having discussions this week.  

For independent reading homework for the next 3 weeks, students will complete a reading response log focused around the 5-6 roles they will be completing in literature circles.  Students can choose to complete the responses in any order, and will only be completing a response Monday-Thursday.  The log is also available on the homework page of the third grade website: Discussion Role Responses

Writing:  Students have completed the introduction paragraph of their persuasive food reviews and will work on drafting the body paragraphs this week.  Lesson topics will focus on using strong topic sentences, differentiating between types of evidence, using key words that emphasize transitions, and using closing sentences in paragraphs.  

Math:  The Unit 10 test will be on Monday this week, and students will begin Unit 11: 3D Shapes, Weight, Volume, and Capacity on Tuesday.  Lessons 11.1-11.3 will be instructed this week.  Please check the third grade website for the Unit 11 Family Letter, key vocabulary, and games.  The IXL checklist for Unit 11 will be posted early this week! Unit 11 Resources

Social Studies: Last Friday, based on an interest survey, students were placed in their "city teams."  They will begin researching different cities this week focusing their research on the geography, climate, businesses, population, historical facts, landmarks, famous people, and cultural features found in each city.  

*** Important Dates & Information

• Friday, May 24th: Field Trip Permission forms are due
• Friday, May 31st: Quarter 4, Part 3 project due (Quarter 4 Project)

Wrigley Stadium Field Trip

For our final field trip this year, students will be taking a tour of Wrigley Stadium, as it was one of the famous landmarks students studied this year during our Chicago social studies units.  

Our classroom is looking for two volunteers for this field trip.  The field trip will take place on Friday, May 31st; we will be leaving the school around 8:45 a.m. and will return between 11:30 a.m.  

Please e-mail me if you are interested in volunteering!

Social Studies & Science Grades

*Progress reports will be passed out this Wednesday, May 15th. 

You will notice that social studies and science grades will show up differently than they have the past three quarters.  When beginning Quarter 4 we continued with the Sound Unit of Study and students engaged in inquiry projects related to a sound topic of their choice.  This is where the four science grades will come from the progress report.  

This week we will start Unit 4 in social studies, so there will be no grades on the the progress reports for social studies.  After a few weeks of research for social studies, we will integrate social studies into writing time.  We will continue with science afterwards and also integrate the science instruction of our final unit during the reading block.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  

Help at Home

If anyone is able to volunteer at home preparing some materials for the classroom it would be greatly appreciated!

I have all the materials and an example copy ready.  I simply need 2 lines drawn on a file folder, and then labels put on each file folders.  It might be a fun child/parent project :). 

Let me know if you are interested and available to help, thanks so much!

Social Studies

For our final unit, students well compare and contrast Chicago to another big city in the United States.  

If your child still has any of the social studies final projects - please have him/her bring them back into school so that they can use it as a resource (it will not be a problem if they don't have it!).  Final projects include the Unit 1 Scrapbook and the Unit 2 ABC book.  Thanks!

THANK YOU!

Thank you all so much for all of the Teacher Appreciation gifts!  I appreciate all of the apples, mugs, cards, flowers, treats, and kind words from all of you and the students.  I cannot express how grateful I am to be working with such a wonderful school community that has such supportive parents.  Thank you for letting me educate and love your child! 

Skinner North Wellness Fair

The FOSN-Wellness Committee has organized a Wellness Fair this Saturday, May 18th from 10:00-1:00.  Students and families are invited and welcomed to attend!  There will be lots of interactive booths with fun demos, a scavenger hunt, and great raffle prizes that are all free! 

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading:  Last Friday, students practiced the first literature circle role of "Summarizer."  Each day this week, I will model one of the remaining four literature circle roles, and students will practice this role before starting their "Perspective" literature circles next week.  

Writing:  We have started our Food Review writing unit!  Students have been very excited (and hungry) during writing :).  This week, students will learn how to use figurative language to describe their food of choice.  We will also begin looking at key features of persuasive writing like using "hooks" in the introduction.  Students will begin working on the introduction paragraph this week which contains a hook, explanation of topic, opinion description, and thesis statement. 

Math: This week students will finish Unit 10 and will complete lessons 10.4-10.6.  A review/study guide will be sent home Monday and will be due Friday this week.  Students will play a review game in class on Friday and will be taking the test Monday, May 20th.  Games, the IXL checklist, and additional study guides (for extra practice) can be found on the third grade website: Unit 10

Social Studies: We will begin our final unit of Social Studies this week!  Unit 4: Chicago and Other Cities focuses on students comparing and contrasting  historic interests, geographical boundaries, business and industry, culture and environment, and political systems of Chicago and another major U.S. city.  Information on this unit can be found on the the third grade website: Unit 4.  This week, students will begin researching another U.S. city.  

Garden Planting Friday

Each grade of students will be spending 30 minutes outside on Friday helping to plant in the school garden.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately, and is wearing clothes that can get dirty.  Thanks!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading: Near the end of last week, as a cumulative assignment for the class' shared novel The Sign of the Beaver, students drafted two "bio poems" focused on the two main characters, Attean and Matt.  They will type, print, and publish their poems this week.  Starting Thursday, students will be introduced to literature circles and choose which book they will be reading for literature circles.  The four book choices all relate to the theme of Perspective: Eggs by Jerry Spinelli, Schooled by Gordon Korman, Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass, and Never Mind: A Twin Novel by Rachel Vail & Avi.  

Writing:  On Monday this week, students will comment and respond to each other's final Sign of the Beaver reading responses.  Time was spent in class instructing students on what makes an effective comment, particularly pertaining to a reading response.   Students have been highly engaged in posting their written work and commenting on their peers' work too.  If you haven't checked out your child's blog yet - be sure to do so! Third Grade Student Blogs.  

On Thursday, we will begin a new unit of study: Review Writing.  Students will first construct food reviews.  This week, students will read several food reviews which will serve as mentor pieces.  They will discover how food review writers use sensory images and persuasive language in their writing.  This will be a highly engaging unit for our writers!

Math:  Students began Unit 10: Reflections & Symmetry on Monday.  This week, students will complete lessons 10.2-10.4.  The Unit 10 page on the Third Grade Website has been updated too! - Unit 10.  The page is updated with the Unit 10 Family Letter, vocabulary, games, and IXL checklist.  

Science:  Students will finish creating their Sound Inquiry PowerPoint presentations on Monday this week, and will be presenting their new learning to the class on Tuesday and Thursday.  

Important Dates/Information:

• Wednesday, 5/8:  Wednesday is a half day this week
• Friday, 5/10:  Part 2 of Quarter 4 Project is due Friday

Unit 9 Review

There will be an additional study guide passed out today for the Unit 9 Test tomorrow!  This and IXL will be great additional practice of your child.  Your child can also find the Unit 9 "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game posted on the third grade website as well! Unit 9 Review Game

A Rip in the Pants

To deepen students' understanding of the concept of perspective, which is the theme of our current reading unit, each student constructed a piece of writing where they took the perspective of a different character involved in a "situation."  Students experienced the writing process as they brainstormed, drafted, revised, edited, and published their work.  Their work is posted on their personal student blog: Student Blogs - Perspective Writing Piece.  They would love for you to comment on their writing! 

Here is the following "scenario" each student received: 

Just about a week ago, a teacher found that his pants had ripped during school.  Not many people saw him walking down the hallway, and he didn’t realize it either.  Not until he walked into his classroom did he realize what had happened.  Before he knew it, whispers were going around the class. 

As you read each story, try to determine which PERSPECTIVE this story is told from – the student, the principal, the teacher, another teacher, a student who disliked the teacher, or the pants … 

*** A lesson I learned for next year is to make it a requirement that students do not use real teacher's names in this piece :).  I found many stories that I was a part of, where my pants "ripped" haha!  I'm sure this just added to the enthusiasm students had when constructing these pieces!!!

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Reading:  Students constructed their final reading response today for the Sign of the Beaver.  Tomorrow students will take their third and final comprehension and vocabulary quiz.  On Wednesday and Thursday students will complete a culminating activity where they write a "biography poem" taking the perspective of both Matt and Attean. 

Writing:  Students completed their final "Pant's Perspective" pieces today and published them onto their blogs.  Lessons on Tuesday and Wednesday will focus on how to create effective comments.  Students will not only comment on one another's perspective pieces (guessing which perspective the story is told from), but will comment on each other's reading responses from Sign of the Beaver as well.  

Math:  Tomorrow students will check their study guides and play "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" for Unit 9.  The game will be posted to the third grade site tomorrow as well!  The Unit 9 test will be Wednesday, and students will begin Unit 10 on Thursday.  Please check the third grade website for information and resources on Unit 10!

Science: Students began meeting in their "inquiry groups" related to the sound topic they chose previously.  As a group, they compiled their learning and questions together, and are starting to find big/main ideas about the topic.  Students will create a PowerPoint showcasing their learning for the rest of the class Wednesday-Friday.  They will present their final PowerPoints Monday and Tuesday of next week.  

Important Information:

• There will be a field trip this Friday to the Orchestra.  
• Part 2 of students Quarter 4 projects is due 5/10/13.  

Art - Toilet Paper Rolls

The art room is in need of any extra toilet paper rolls you may have for an art project Skinner students are working on.  If you have any, or can start saving some to turn it, we would really appreciate it - thanks!

Starry Night

I am looking forward to seeing those of you who are attending Starry Night this Saturday!  I am auctioning off "A Day of Fun" with me this summer!  Here is what will be listed in the program:

Fun Day with Mrs. MaginaJoin Mrs. Magina on a day of adventure. You choose from Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, a movie, or a manicure/pedicure with lunch. Date TBD in July/August.Highest bid wins!

Chaperone Needed

On May 3rd, students will be taking a field trip to the Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center from 9:00 am - 11:30 am.  Students have been spending time preparing for this field trip by listening to the story and music of Appalachian Spring.  

We are looking for one parent chaperone to attend this field trip.  Please e-mail me if you are interested and available! :) 

Unit 9 IXL Checklist

The Unit 9 IXL checklist can be downloaded from the third grade website!  Unit 9: Fractions, Decimals, & Percents.  There are great games on this website that correlate with the different lessons being instructed as well.  

Quarter 4 Project

Some information on the third grade website has been updated: Quarter 4 Project.  The rubric for the Droid project has been changed and adjusted so it matches the description page.  I also included a link to an online bar-graph maker that is a great resource for the Survey mini-project!

Kleenex

Room 203 is in need of some Kleenex!  We are almost out boxes from the beginning of the year, and with spring just about here I have a feeling students will really be in need of some soon.  If you have any extra boxes that you could donate to the classroom, we would really appreciate it!  Thanks!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading:  Today students took a comprehension and vocabulary quiz on Chapters 9-17 of Sign of the Beaver.  Lessons later this week will strongly focus on asking questions.  Students will define "thin and thick" question and learn to differentiate between the two.  The focus on learning "thick questions" (question that are open-ended, and result in deep inferential thinking and analyzing) will help students have richer discussions as they transition into literature circles after The Sign of the Beaver is complete. 

Writing:  Students are wrapping up their perspective pieces!  Self and peer revising and editing will be the big focus this week.  Students are learning acronyms to help them learn the difference between revising - ARMS (add, remove, move, substitute) and editing - CUPS (capitalize, usage, punctuation, spelling).  They will be posting these perspective pieces to their student blogs this Friday!

Math:  In Unit 9, Mrs. Fetzer and I have decided to skip lessons 9.5-9.7.  Today students worked on lesson 9.8: Multiplying Decimals and Thursday they will complete lesson 9.9: Dividing Decimals.  We have two extra days this week devoted to additional practice and challenge activities.  We are planning to have students take the Unit 9 Test next Wednesday.  

Science:  Students will continue to independently research their Sound topic and then meet in small inquiry groups and organize their group's learning.  They'll search for "big ideas" within their learning.  Groups will meet this week and start planning what to teach the class about their selected topic.  Next week they will begin creating a PowerPoint presentation showcasing their new learning.  

Homework: 

• Vocabulary Packets: This week's vocabulary words will be introduced tomorrow, and the vocabulary packet will be due next Monday.  The comprehension and vocabulary quiz will be Monday as well.  
• Independent At-Home Reading: Instead of having the students complete reading responses this week, they will be using sticky-notes to "track" their thinking while they read.  They are asked to complete 3 "tracks" each night Monday-Thursday.  
• Quarter 4 Project, Part 1:  The first part of this quarter project is due this Friday!  Please remember, project descriptions and rubrics can be found on the Third Grade Website: Quarter 4 Project

Important Dates/Information:

• Wednesday, 4/24 - Open Books Field Trip: Students will be taking a creative writing course during this field trip.  The program will focus on "Food Imagery."  Students will write a poem about a food they really like or dislike using lots of vivid imagery!  Open Books will then publish each child's poem in a booklet that they'll send to us.  This will be a experience for the students that will kick of "Food Review writing" that we'll be starting in the classroom next week. 
• Thursday, 4/25 - Picture Day
• Saturday, 4/27 - Starry Night Fundraiser 

Droid Mini-Project - Grid Paper

Some students have been asking about grid paper for the "Droid" mini-project.  I included a PDF of centimeter grid paper that can be downloaded and printed from the third grade website under Quarter Projects: Centimeter Grid Paper.  

Sound Mini-Inquiry Groups

Over the next two weeks in science, students will be working in mini-inquiry groups.  Now that students have finished uncovering key questions and learning content about sound energy, they have chosen a sound topic that interests them to "dive deeper" into.  Group topics include - ear anatomy, sonar, infrasound and ultrasound, noise and sound pollution, vocal cords, hearing loss, speed of sound, and animal and human echolation. 

Students will research these topics online using web-questions that can be found on the third grade website: Sound Inquiry Groups.  An important component of inquiry is that it is student-driven; students will research and find new information that's interesting to them, and ask and track questions as they research as well.   

Vocabulary Packets

Students have another vocabulary packet to complete this week with their seven new terms. It has been amazing to see how engaged students are in learning these words!  They are so excited to use them in their speaking and writing and love showing me when they find the words in their reading.  

This week the vocabulary packet will be due Friday.  I've included some online dictionary and thesaurus links under the "Helpful Links" tab of the third grade website: Vocabulary Work.  These are great tools for your child to use!  They're also very user-friendly because they are specifically created for kids.  

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Reading: Students will read Chapters 9-17 of Sign of the Beaver this week and will take a vocabulary and comprehension quiz over these chapters Friday.  The following are learning goals for the week:

• Describe how and why a character changes based on events of the story 
• Read to answer and respond to questions (clarification and content questions)
• Retell the text to summarize information
• Create mental images that enhance and extend visualization

Along with the comprehension and analysis lessons, students will write reading responses using textual evidence along with an explanation of how the evidence supports their claim or thinking.  

Writing:  Last week students were given a situation or event where many characters were involved.  They then were given the task to write from one character's perspective.  This week students will revise their work by focusing on previously instructed craft lessons.  They will also take part in the peer revision process and edit and publish their work.  On Friday students will be posting these pieces to their blogs!

Math:  This week students will complete lessons 9.2-9.4.  Listed below are learning goals for the lessons:

• 9.2: Rename fourths, fifths, tenths, and hundredths as decimals and percents
• 9.3: Use calculators to determine the percents of more difficult fractions
• 9.4: Solve "fraction of" problems

Science: After creating instruments over the weekend, each student played their instrument in front of the class today.  Students will drew conclusions about how instruments produce vibrations (pluck, strike, blow).  Then they categorized students' instruments based on this information.  Later in the week, students will begin "Mini-Inquiry" research projects on sound.  Based on an interest inventory they will be able to choose an area of sound that interests them (the human ear, sound and animals, music and sound, pitch/frequency, etc.).  There will be more information to come about these!

Important Information

• This Wednesday is parent-teacher conference day!
• Please have your child turn in their permission slip form for the field trip to Open Books

"Take-Home" Folders - Passed Back Work & Notes

Just a reminder to please remove all "Friday Folder" materials from the take-home side of students' green folders each and every Friday.  Today I checked through their folders and many of them still had corrected papers and important notes in their folder.  Please be sure this is something you check and remove over the weekend.  Thanks! 

Important Dates this Week

Monday, April 8th: Book Fair begins (it will end Friday at 1:00)

Tuesday, April 9th: Spring Open House for perspective parents, at 4:00

Wednesday, April 10th: Field Trip permission slips will be passed out (they will be due the following Wednesday)

Friday, April 12th: Half-Day, dismissal at 11:45 am

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Reading:  After focusing on point of view and perspective lessons last week, students will begin our shared class novel Sign of the Beaver.  Comprehension lessons this week focus on previewing the text by making predictions and asking questions and asking questions while reading.  Students will analyze the text by focusing on how events affect characters in the novel.  On Thursday, students will take a vocabulary and comprehension quiz over Chapters 1-8.  Information on this unit can be on the third grade website: Perspectives Reading Unit

Writing:  Students will be given a situation where many characters are involved, and have to  retell the situation from one character's perspective.  This ties in nicely with our reading unit!  Students will learn how word choice affects their voice in a written piece, and will also practice creating more complex sentences.  This will help them vary the length of their sentences in a given piece. 

Math:  Students will take the Unit 9 pre-assessment on Monday, as well as practice and review skills in Unit 8 using IXL.  The Unit 8 Test will be on Tuesday.   We will begin Unit 9 on Wednesday, working on lessons 9.1 and 9.2.  Information about Unit 9, including the Unit 9 Family Letter, can be found on the third grade website: Unit 9. 

Science:  Students will uncover the final 2 key questions of the Sound Unit this week: Can sounds travel through liquids, solids, and gasses? and How is sound different when traveling through different mediums?  Students will take a Sound Quiz on Thursday this week.  They will be able to use their Science Notebooks and classroom readings.  

Homework:  For the next 3 weeks, students will begin completing a vocabulary packet for homework each week using 7 words found in our class' shared novel.  The vocabulary packet will usually be due on Fridays, but because there is a half day this week, it will be due Thursday.  Here is a suggested approach as to how your child should complete their vocabulary packet:

• Monday: synonyms and antonyms, 2-3 per box (box #'s 4 and 5)
• Tuesday: other forms of the word, and an association, example, or sketch (box #'s 6 and 7)
• Wednesday: my very own sentence (box #8)
• Students will complete any remaining sessions in the classroom!

Important Reminders: 

• Please note that Parent-Teacher Conference sign-up forms went out last Friday.  Be sure to turn these in as soon as possible.  Times will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis!  I will try my best to meet everyone's needs! :)
• Friday is a half day!
• If you have not viewed your child's Quarter 3 Project - "My Rock Tells a Story" - you can view it on their student blog!  They would love for you to comment on it as well! Student Blogs

Student Blogs

Today students used their own personal school blogs for the first time, and they were beyond excited to use this publishing tool!  Each student posted their Quarter 3 "My Rock Tells a Story" project on their blog.  You can access students' blogs by clicking the following link: Student Blogs.  

You can find your child's name on the left hand side of the blog and leave a comment for them. This is a great way to send friends and family your child's work in the classroom.  

To explain a little more, using the KidBlog program, all students' posts have to be approved by me before they show up on their blog.  Comments, either from students in the room or outside users, also have to be approved by me before they are published on the blog as well.  This is a definitely a great privacy feature that ensures safety. 

Quarter 4 Project

Students' Quarter 4 Project description and rubric will be passed out tomorrow.  You can also find the project information on the third grade website: Quarter 4 Project. 

Throughout the next quarter, your child will be completing four mini-projects based on important math concepts that have been instructed throughout the year.  There will be four separate due dates for each of the mini-projects.  Your child can choose to complete the projects in any order.  Be sure to look for the project description and rubric packet!  Please let me know if you have any questions!

Due Date #1: Friday, April 26^th

Due Date #2: Friday, May 10^th

Due Date #3: Friday, May 31^st

Due Date #4: Friday, June 14^th

Parent-Teacher Conference Forms

Parent-teacher conference forms will be sent home tomorrow along with students' Friday Folder materials.  Please make sure to indicate your first, second, and third choices on the form.  Times will be scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis.  I will try my best to accommodate your needs!  Please turn this form in no later than Wednesday, April 10th.  Thanks!

Unit 8 Math Test

Students' Unit 8 Math Test will be next Tuesday, April 9th.  Students will be completing a review/study guide in class tomorrow.  An IXL checklist is attached to their homework charts - be sure that your child uses this great resource! 

Student Blogging

We are beginning to use student blogs in the classroom.  These blogs will serve as online portfolios of students' work for the remainder of the year.  They will be posting their Quarter 3 Rock Stories for their peers and family to see.  Students will also use this publishing tool to post reading responses and opinions about our class read-aloud, as well as the shared novel, Sign of the Beaver, that we will begin reading soon.  They will also be posting food, movie, and book reviews that they will create during our next writing unit.  Blogs are such a powerful tool for your child to use in the classroom, because it allows them to have an authentic, real-world audience to showcase their writing and work.  

I do take a very cautious approach to using blogs in the classroom.  During our morning meetings for the next couple weeks we will have many discussions about blogging.  Tomorrow students will be taking home a "Blogger's Contract" for you to read and sign.  I would appreciate you having a conversation with your child about blogging as well.  

The following are expectations that are written out in the contract: 

To be a responsible online writer, I promise that when I write, I will:

q  Honestly express truthful thoughts and ideas. If someone asks, I will be able to prove that what I write is true

q  Always treat all people with respect.  I will never write to cause harm or to hurt the feelings of others

q  Never do anything to cause harm to the computers I am writing on. I will set a good example for others

q  Do my absolute best to write truthful and useful information. If I make a mistake, I will fix it

q  Always write in a way that protects the identity of my classmates, my family, and myself; I will never use my last name when writing

q  Always write in a way that brings respect and honor to my school, my family, and myself.

I ask that you sign and have your child return this contract by Monday of next week.  If you have any questions, as always, feel free to contact me! 

THANK YOU!

A big THANKS to Isabel's family who donated post-it notes and Sudoko books to the classroom - thank you! :)

Interactive Area Tool

In class today we used the following website - Interactive - Area of Rectangles - and explored different levels with different groups.  The students really enjoyed this site!  It is also posted on the Unit 8 page of the third grade website.  

Unit 8 IXL Checklist

The Unit 8 IXL checklist is posted on the third grade website: Unit 8 IXL.  This checklist will be stapled to your child's homework chart.  This is a great practice tool for your child to be using!

Volunteer - Quarter 3 Projects

A big THANKS to Adriana's mom, Iliana, for coming in and helping the students record their voices for their "My Rock Tells a Story" projects.  

I am in need of one more parent volunteer this week to help students finish these projects.  Any day of the week would work, and I promise, the program is very user-friendly :).  

I would really appreciate the help!  Please e-mail me if you are available and interested! 

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

I hope you all had wonderful, relaxing breaks with your families!  It's hard to believe we are about to enter the fourth quarter of the school-year - it sure has flown!  Here is a look at what students will be working on in the classroom this week:

• Reading:  Upon returning from break, students will be starting a new reading unit focused on Perspectives.  This week students will work on building reading skills related to point of view.  They will identify and determine whether a text is written from the first person, third person limited, or third person omniscient point of view.  Later in the week, they will discover how point of view and perspective affects their understanding of a text.  Be sure to check the third grade website for information about this new unit! - Reading Unit: Perspectives

• Writing:  During writing this week, students will use this time to finish recording their voices for their "My Rock Tells a Story" quarter projects.  They will also create their own personal blog, using it as a portfolio for their writing work.  The will showcase their final quarter projects on their blogs!

• Math:  On Monday students will finish a real-world problem-solving activity relating to the area of rectangles.  This week, lessons 8.5 - 8.8 will be completed.  On Friday, students will play a review game to practice and study for their test.  The Unit 8 test will be on Monday or Tuesday of next week.  A study guide will be sent home early this week.  

• Science:  Students will explore the following key questions this week:
• How is sound made?
• How does the length of an object affect vibration and pitch?
• Can sounds travel through gasses and liquids?

• Homework:  Students will be given a set of questions that they will need to respond to for their reading responses this week.  They only need to choose 5 out of the 7 to answer.  Students will also be given a point of view worksheet on Monday that will need to be completed and turned in Friday.  Please remember, you can always check the third grade website for daily homework: Homework

My Rock Tells a Story

Here is an example of a final copy of students' Quarter 3 "My Rock Tells a Story" digital stories.  Students have really enjoyed this entire project, and their final products are turning out great!  Thursday is the last day students have to work in the computer lab on their PowerPoints.  The rest of the PowerPoint will need to be finished at home!  The final due date for the PowerPoint will be Friday, March 22nd.

Specials Change

Sorry I didn't clarify this earlier - students' special schedules will change after we return from spring break!  Sorry if there was any confusion!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  

A Sneak Peek at our Week ...

• Writing:  Students will be wrapping up Part 3 of their Quarter 3 projects this week.  They have really enjoyed creating the PowerPoints for their Rock Stories, and are really growing into tech-savvy students!  They will begin adding their voice to their digital stories this week.

• Math:  Students will complete lessons 8.2-8.4 this week, and work collaboratively on a problem solving activity relating to perimeter/area on Friday.  

• Reading:  Last week students began a mini-unit on reader's theater.  They will perform their skits in front of the class this Friday.  There will also be a comprehension and vocabulary quiz on the scripts on Friday as well.  

• Science:  Last Friday, students took a "sound walk" around the school, observing different sounds.  Today students categorized the sounds into different groups based on their source.  During a lab this week, they will uncover the question, "How are sounds made?"

• Field Trip:  Please remember there is a field trip Wednesday to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art.  We will be back at Skinner in time for recess and lunch.  

Specials Schedule Change

Students' specials will be changing a little for the remaining part of the school year.  Instead of having them in the morning, all specials will be held from 1:55-3:00.  Here is the new schedule:

• Monday: Art
• Tuesday: P.E.
• Wednesday: Spanish & Music
• Thursday: Spanish & Music
• Friday: Art & Music

Printing Chicago Brochures

Students have the option to print their brochures at home (if they would like to print in color), or I can print them here at school. 

If you are printing at home, a few words of advice for easy-printing:

• When your child is finished with their brochure, have them click Save Final (instead of Save Draft) - this changes their file into a PDF which prints better
• After you click Print, a screen will pop up, and then click Print Properties
• Then click ...
• Landscape (so it prints horizontally)
• Flip on short edge
• Front and back 

Please remember, you can always e-mail the PDF file to me to print, or if your child has it saved on their flash-drive, I can print it from the classroom printer tomorrow. 

Students worked so hard on these brochures, and became quite tech-savvy along the way!  They are very excited to share their final products!