Back in Action!

A big welcome back to everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing break with your families.  We have been fully back in action in Room 203, and students have been busily working in the classroom.  Here is a brief look at our week:

• Writing:  Students will begin learning steps to take when constructing extended responses in math.  Our focus for the next couple months will be having students explain their thinking when it comes to problem solving, being clear as to why they take certain mathematical steps.    

• Math:  Students will finish Unit 5 this week.  A study guide will be sent home, and the Unit 5 test will be next Monday.  A review session will take place on Friday.  

• Reading:  We will spend the next couple months reviewing and reinforcing different concepts in reading.  This week, students will focus on author's purpose.  For additional practice on this topic, this is a great resource for your child to use: Author's Purpose Practice Activities.  There is an even an author's purpose battle-ship game!

• Social Studies & Science: Using the website wordle.net, students created "word clouds" representing the many different topics and concepts related to how Chicago came to be the thriving city it is today.  They created covers to their alphabet books using the wordles.  Science instruction will begin this Wednesday.  Unit 2 will focus on rocks and minerals.  Resources and activities can be found on the third grade website:  Unit 2: Rocks & Minerals.