Language ArtsIn Writing Workshop students are publishing their animal research brochures. They have researched the diet, habitat, interesting facts, and physical description of their rainforest animal, and are in the process of writing organized paragraphs and creating text features. This is the final project in our informational writing unit. Later in the month, we will launch a unit on opinion writing. Students will choose a subject of a biography they read in April to develop and opinion piece, as well as creating persuasive speeches, petitions, and editorials on topics they feel strongly about. In Reading Workshop students will bring forward all they have learned all year about various genres. Students will find connections between genres, for example, the story structures in fiction are related to important elements in biographies. Students will be reading passages and responding to questions, with a goal of reading flexibly between genres. Students will learn to preview the text to ascertain its subject and structure, make a quick reading plan and break the text into manageable chunks. Then, when students read across these chunks, they can use strategies to summarize, synthesize, and determine where any difficulty lies and use the appropriate strategy to cope with it. MathematicsStudents will be learning about fractions. They will work with area models and the number line, as well as fraction strips. They will learn the fractional units of halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths. To build flexible thinking about fractions, students will be exposed to additional fractional units such as fifths, ninths, and tenths. Students will actively partition different models of wholes into equal parts. Towards the end of the month students will compare fractions that have the same numerator. As students compare fractions by reasoning about their size, they will understand that fractions with the same numerator and a larger denominator are actually smaller pieces of the whole. ScienceStudent began their third science rotation, Structures of Life, with Ms. Chitsaz.
Language ArtsIn Reading Workshop our focus will be biographies. This will be a return to nonfiction, but with a new structure. Students will be reading stories about real people who have done remarkable things. The reading skills that will be developed are determining importance, synthesizing, and analyzing critically. Students will also be expanding their knowledge of homophones and analogies. Pronouns will be our language focus. As students continue to grow as information writers, they are publishing their expert books as eBooks. They have worked hard to organize their information on their chosen topic, elaborate with interesting facts as well as big ideas, and fact check. A goal has been for students to edit as they write, but as they finish chapters they are rereading with capitals, punctuation, and spelling in mind. They will begin researching and writing rainforest animal brochures later this month. MathematicsStudents have been exploring area as an attribute of two-dimensional figures and relating it to their prior understandings of multiplication. They've learned that the space can be tiled with unit squares without gaps or overlaps. They've made predictions and explored which rectangles cover the most area when the side lengths differ. Students have progressed from using square tile manipulatives to drawing their own area models and manipulating rectangular arrays to concretely demonstrate the arithmetic properties. Students are also beginning to learn about perimeter as an attribute of plane figures, and applying their knowledge to real world situations through problem solving. They are measuring side lengths of shapes in whole number units to determine perimeter and solve problems where side lengths are given. They will use string and rulers to measure the length around circles of different sizes. This variation prompts students to think more flexibly about perimeter, and to understand that it can be the boundary of any shape and that its measurements are not limited to whole numbers. Students will also tackle problems in which some measurements around the perimeter of a polygon are missing but can be determined by reasoning. Students consider the efficiency of their strategies and identify tools for solving; for example, they use multiplication as a tool when measurements are repeated. ScienceStudents are wrapping up the Sun, Moon, and Stars unit. They participated in hands on science investigations and recorded notes and observation in their science notebooks. In addition to content knowledge, this unit has included art and creative writing.
Our final science unit will explore the structures of life. Language ArtsWe will be wrapping up the Animal Habitats unit this February. We will be exploring and learning about nonfiction text features. Students will be participating in Mystery Book Clubs this month and learning to make judgments and infer about clues as they read. In grammar, we will study prefixes, suffixes and helping verbs. In writing workshop, student have been busy working on their expert books. They have been researching, taking notes, and writing. We have been studying and practicing skills that writers use when writing interesting information pieces. MathematicsGeometry has begun in third grade! We have been learning about quadrilateral shapes and the attributes of polygons. Students are creating Britto inspired quadrilateral art. Our focus will shift to understanding perimeter and area. Many students are still memorizing their basic multiplication and division facts. Ideally, all students will be able to fluently multiply and divide within 100 by the end of the trimester. We will continue to practice at school and students should also continue to practice at home. ScienceStudents are continuing the Sun, Moon, and Stars unit with Ms. McKay. Their current focus in the phases of the moon. Social StudiesWe are studying the history of Tiburon and learning about important landmarks in our community. The students will be learning about the economy, the people, and the community of early Tiburon. Our classes are visiting four of these landmarks: Old St. Hilary’s, the Art and Garden Center (former bunkhouse for railroad and brick workers), the Railroad Museum, and the China Cabin (social cabin of the SS China). TechnologyStudents are creating movies to explain common text features in non-fiction books and magazines using the Explain Everything app. They have been learning to save and organize their projects in Digital Backpacks. We are also using the Notability app frequently which allows students to show their work with words, pictures, and photos.
Language ArtsWe will be starting the Animal Habitats unit this month. We will be studying rain forests in depth and students will be doing a great deal of reading and writing in this area. Students will be learning to distinguish between fact and opinion, as well as compare and contrast content. Throughout our language arts workshops students will be developing skills for reading and writing informational texts. They will have a small amount of time this month for fiction reading in class, so it is very important that students keep up with their nightly reading to keep their characterization and plot analysis skills sharp. Our grammar studies will focus on syllabication rules between consonants, prefixes, and suffixes. Students will also learn to use helping verbs and the verb to be. MathematicsWe are finishing up with multiplication and division. Students are analyzing patterns in the multiplication tables and applying strategies to model and solve problems. They will be learning to multiply single digit factors and multiples of ten. In order for students to be successful in their mathematical problem solving they must memorize their basic facts. Each student is at his/her own level and should practice for ten minutes each night until their facts become automatic. Towards the end of January we will begin studying geometry. Science RotationWe are officially starting our science rotations this month. This means your child will be leaving their normal classroom three times a week to learn science from a different 3rd grade teacher! By specializing instruction this way, teachers continue to improve their craft and students make connections with more adults around campus. We love getting to know the other kids too! Our class will be learning about the sun, moon, and stars with Mrs. McKay. Depth & ComplexityA common, universal language that helps promote critical thinking and gives students a chance to make connections between past knowledge and new knowledge and ultimately integrate that to the real world!
This Month’s Icon: Trends - Students will understand that certain patterns may occur over time based on changes in your environment or surroundings. Students will use the skill of comparing and contrasting to help identify where these trends take place. Language ArtIn Reading Workshop, students are continuing to engage in series book clubs. As groups read multiple books in a series, they are noticing patterns that emerge in the plot and in the characters' behavior. Students are pushing themselves to grow rich theories about their characters by making inferences based on the characters' actions. In Writing Workshop, students are publishing their third and final narrative. We are working on punctuating dialogue correctly, as well as revising in big and important ways. Verbs are the focus of our grammar studies. We are learning to identify verbs and use them in the present tense. MathematicsStudents are applying multiplication and division concepts to real world word problems. They are learning different strategies to model problems, and are also learning to explain their process and answer in clear sentences. Students are developing automaticity with their basic multiplication facts. This takes time and practice, but is very important. Social StudiesWe are learning about the Coast Miwok tribe. Students are discovering how the natural environment influenced the tribe's customs and daily life. As a part of our study, we have had a special guest speaker/dancer. We have also woven baskets, and we are looking forward to an enriching field trip to the Marin Museum of the American Indian next Thursday. TechnologyStudents are learning how to create presentations in Keynote, including creating text boxes and importing media. They are very excited to be iPad ambassadors at Reed School and share their knowledge with 1st and 2nd grade students. Depth & ComplexityAcross Disciplines: Students make connections across subject areas in order to obtain a deeper understanding of curriculum. They relate an area of study to other subjects within, between, or across disciplines. Ethics: Students take the time to identify when a character or idea involves principles or morals and when it may be controversial. They use “multiple perspectives” to help with this understanding. Scholarly AttributesBalanced: Scholars understand the importance of emotional, academic, and extracurricular balance. They incorporate various activities into their day-to-day lives in order to achieve a balanced self.
Language ArtsIn Writing Workshop, students have been taking their second personal narratives through the full writing process. They each chose one of their personal quick writes from their writing journal, then applied new writing techniques and strategies to enhance their stories. We have been editing the drafts together, and students are publishing their final drafts using Pages. We are excited to share these stories with you! During the month of November we will be learning to paragraph and include dialogue with commas and quotation marks. We will continue to develop editing and revising strategies. In Reading Workshop, students have been assigned a book series and a book group. Students are developing their listening and speaking skills as they participate in daily book talks. Accelerated Reader - All students in our class have made their personal AR goals - woohoo!! We will be having an all-school celebration on Monday, November 10. Students will be setting individual AR goals for the 2nd trimester. MathematicsIn math third graders are learning beginning concepts about multiplication. They are understanding new vocabulary such as product, factors, and arrays. Students are expected to memorize their basic multiplication facts in this order: 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 9, 3, 6, 4, 8, and 7. Students should study 10 minutes every night and focus on learning their multiplication fact(s) for the week. ScienceWe will be completing the Matter and Energy unit. Students are learning the attributes of the three forms of matter, as well as how to make scientific measurements of matter. We will also investigate how matter can sometimes change during a chemical reaction or when heat is added. Social StudiesLater this month we will begin to learn about the history of our community. We will begin with a study of the Miwok Native American people. TechnologyThe third graders are using the iPads as tools to demonstrate their learning in various ways. We will begin using a program called, “Explain Everything” which allows students to record their “pen strokes” and voices which they can use to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts. Additionally, we will be using the iPads as a means to practice and assess how well students are learning their multiplication facts. Scholarly AttributesThese attributes distinguish strong and promising strong and promising scholars from ordinary academics. We discuss these ideas in depth and promote the behaviors frequently in class. This Month’s Icons: Inquirers - Scholars are curious and imaginative. They ask questions and seek out knowledge, which leads to more questions. Learning is a lifelong process and never ends. Persistent Thinkers- Scholars ponder ideas and exercise intellect. They know it is okay to not always have the right answers and persevere through challenges. Icons of Depth & ComplexityA common, universal language that helps promote critical thinking and gives students a chance to make connections between past knowledge and new knowledge and ultimately integrate that to the real world!
This Month’s Icons: Unanswered Questions - Students understand that there are many times when information is unclear, missing, or unavailable. They ask questions based on this missing information in order to try and gain a better understanding through various forms of research. Rules - Students understand that there guidelines that help us structure our understanding of a concept learned. They will learn to construct rules that help us with this understanding. Language ArtsThis month our Reading Workshop unit is Following Characters into Meaning. Throughout this unit students will be envisioning, predicting, synthesizing, and inferring. Each day students will apply these skills to both their independent books and our classroom literature selection, Because of Winn Dixie, through partner and whole class book talks. They will be challenged to think deeply about and to learn from their characters. Nouns will be the focus of our word work. Students will work with partners to explore and investigate common, proper, abstract, concrete, and collective nouns. We will then create a class Noun-as-Image art project. Our writers are off to an impressive start. In our Writing Workshop students have published their first personal narratives of the year. Throughout October students will be applying new techniques and strategies to take their second narrative piece to the next level. Students should be at least halfway to their first trimester AR goal at this point. MathematicsThird graders have studied place value and rounding. Students used a variety of strategies to have a complete understanding of these concepts. Students are currently focusing on fluently adding and subtracting within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. Students should practice math facts frequently to achieve automaticity. This will allow them to focus on higher level problem solving skills. In a few weeks we will begin multiplication. We will learn about arrays, patterns, skip counting, new vocabulary, and strategies for learning multiplication. ScienceThis month students will begin a Matter and Energy unit. Students will work in small groups to conduct scientific investigations. They will learn about energy sources and how energy is transferred. Students will learn about matter and how heat can melt solids and evaporate liquids. They will conduct a simple chemical reaction using vinegar and baking soda. TechnologyStudents are gaining familiarity with the iPads and will continue to utilize them in the classroom for many different things. As October unfolds, students will become more familiar with the program, “Pages”. Students are using the “mirroring” feature of the iPad to display ideas, examples, and other items of note to the whole class. The mirroring feature projects the screen of any particular iPad onto the projector for everyone to see. Students will become more familiar with Notability and will also have the opportunity to learn a program called “Explain Everything.” “Explain Everything” allows students to record their voices and pen strokes to help explain and show mastery of various concepts. The third grade team is also having students take spelling tests on their iPads. The iPads give results immediately to provide instant feedback. Depth & ComplexityA common, universal language that helps promote critical thinking and gives students a chance to make connections between past knowledge and new knowledge and ultimately integrate that to the real world! This Month’s Icons: Multiple Perspectives - Students understand that we have different roles and knowledge within what we learn. We may have opposing viewpoints, and we do our best to understand each other’s point of view. We use empathy and ask ourselves how others might see a situation differently. Language of the Discipline - Students understand how vocabulary terms are used in a specific content area or discipline. Scholarly AttributesThese attributes distinguish strong and promising scholars from ordinary scholars. We discuss these ideas in depth and promote the behaviors frequently in class.
This Month’s Icons: Principled - Scholars do the right thing because they know it is expected. They demonstrate integrity, honesty, and fairness, even when no one is watching. Risk Takers - Scholars are courageous and know that mistakes are a part of the learning process. Scholars willingly take on academic risks that will benefit their personal learning. Language ArtsThis month we are starting our first unit, “Off to Adventure!” by reading a variety of stories, we will focus on a variety of skills. Students will deepen their reading comprehension skills by practicing sequencing key events, making inferences, as well as identifying cause and effect. You will find your child’s spelling list with their homework. Your child may practice their words using the website www.spellingcity.com. I have posted the link under the student section on our class website. In addition, we will be focusing on grammar using Daily Language Review and a variety of targeted mini-lessons. Students will dive into Accelerated Reader (AR) this month! Students earn AR points by taking quizzes based on books they’ve read. All students will start the trimester with a modest goal. We will adjust individual goals as necessary to give each child an achievable challenge. In writing we will be launching Writer’s Workshop. Students will be learning about the difference between watermelon stories and seed stories. They will be brainstorming seed ideas and beginning to write drafts of memorable moments in their lives in preparation for writing their first personal narrative. MathematicsUsing common core math strategies we are focusing on place value and rounding for the first few weeks. The main difference between Common Core and California State Standards is that we cover fewer topics in greater depth. Students are asked to explain their thinking and to come up with multiple ways of solving problems. Students need to memorize their basic addition and subtraction facts as well. Soon we will move onto regrouping in addition and subtraction. *Challenge Math - The first monthly math project is available to our students for extra credit. This optional work is posted on our website under the Student Tab - "Plan a Party". This project is due at the end of September. Students will also be given alternative math homework sheets for extra challenge, or extra reteach, depending on their needs. Reminder - math homework should be an independent activity that takes about 10 minutes each night. Lastly, students are working on different assignments, tasks and games throughout the week based on how they are understanding the skills being taught. Social Studies3rd Grade students will begin the year studying Geography. We will focus on their local community and landmarks, as well as world geography and map skills. TechnologyAll 3rd grade students at Bel Aire will be using iPads in our one-to-one classrooms to enhance their learning. iBooks, KeyNote, Explain Everything, ShowMe, and Notability are just a few of the Apps students will be using and becoming very comfortable working with. We will be using Edmodo as a tool not only for conversations, but to complete assignments as well. Students will be able to "discuss" books and literature read in the classroom using Edmodo. We will be focusing on "Depth and Complexity" questions that direct the students to take a deeper look at the story they are reading. Students will learn that all comments must be kind, important, and necessary. Students may occasionally have homework in Edmodo and will reflect on field trips, classroom projects, and learning. Depth & ComplexityA common, universal language that helps promote critical thinking and gives students a chance to make connections between past knowledge and new knowledge and ultimately integrate that to the real world! This Month's Icons:Relate Over Time - How are elements related in terms of the past, present, and future? How and why do things change? What doesn’t change? Big Idea - What theory or general statement applies to these ideas? How do these ideas relate to broad concepts such as change, systems, chaos vs. order, etc? What is the main idea? Scholarly AttributesThis Month's Icons:
Scholars are good communicators- Scholars express themselves with confidence and clarity. They collaborate and actively listen to others while honoring multiple perspectives. Scholars are productive- Scholars come ready to learn with the necessary tools and materials. They set goals, gather resources, and complete tasks. |
AuthorMrs. San Galli Archives
April 2015
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