February 2015

Language Arts

We 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.

Mathematics

Geometry 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.

Science

Students are continuing the Sun, Moon, and Stars unit with Ms. McKay. Their current focus in the phases of the moon.

Social Studies

We 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).

Technology

Students 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.