A huge thank-you to everyone for the generous and kind notes, cards, and gifts. I can't express my gratitude enough to you all. Thank you so much, it is very much appreciated! :)
I hope you all have wonderful holiday breaks and enjoy time with family and friends!
Friday, December 20, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Social Studies Quiz & Alphabet Book
There will be a social studies quiz this Friday. Students will be allowed to use their text to complete this assessment. Today, a study guide went home to help students additionally review if they choose to. Notecards and answers to the study guide do not have to be turned in!
Also, by this Friday, if students do not have 15 alphabet book pages completed, they will need to work on them over break so that 15 are finished when they return. Alphabet book pages, an example page, and the project rubric can be found on the Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be page!
Also, by this Friday, if students do not have 15 alphabet book pages completed, they will need to work on them over break so that 15 are finished when they return. Alphabet book pages, an example page, and the project rubric can be found on the Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be page!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Quarter 2, Part 3 Project
For Part 3 of this project, students will be choosing an endangered species to research more about. By Thursday, students will need a list of their top 5 endangered animal choices to research. Because there can be no "repeat animals" in the class, students will make their final selection on Thursday.
On Thursday, students will also be bringing home the colored paper/construction paper they will need to create the pyramid (this is what they'll glue the pyramid piece to!). They do not have to use this paper, however. If your child wants to use a different type of paper, the dimensions of each square should be 12" by 12".
A great list of endangered species can be found on this website - Endangered Species List.
Also, additional research links can be found on the Helpful Links page of the third grade website which students can use to research more about their animal. (There are vocabulary resources on this page as well which will help your child with their vocabulary packets!)
On Thursday, students will also be bringing home the colored paper/construction paper they will need to create the pyramid (this is what they'll glue the pyramid piece to!). They do not have to use this paper, however. If your child wants to use a different type of paper, the dimensions of each square should be 12" by 12".
A great list of endangered species can be found on this website - Endangered Species List.
Also, additional research links can be found on the Helpful Links page of the third grade website which students can use to research more about their animal. (There are vocabulary resources on this page as well which will help your child with their vocabulary packets!)
A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...
Reading: This week is our final week with the James and the Giant Peach character study. Students will complete their final reading response log, vocabulary packet, and comprehension/vocabulary quiz this Friday. We will also be watching the movie version of this story on Friday as well. Lessons this week will focus on theme. This is a very challenging, and very important, concept for students to learn! Lessons focused on theme will continually be instructed throughout the year.
Writing: Students will continue to practice writing reading responses this week. Students will focus on revising their work, making sure they explain their text evidence thoroughly. Examples of responses, including an example one, can be found on the Third Grade Website. (The third component - voice - will not be instructed until we return from break!)
Math: We will be starting Unit 5 after winter break. Our focus this week will be on creating extended math responses. However, your child can continue to review and practice IXL skills at home!
Social Studies: This will be our final week of Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be in social studies, and will be starting science when we return from break. Students will continue to be working on their Chicago ABC books in class this week (the rubric for this project can be found online!). By the end of this week, students should have about 15 pages of their books completed. There will be an open-book quiz over material in this unit on Friday.
Important Dates:
Writing: Students will continue to practice writing reading responses this week. Students will focus on revising their work, making sure they explain their text evidence thoroughly. Examples of responses, including an example one, can be found on the Third Grade Website. (The third component - voice - will not be instructed until we return from break!)
Math: We will be starting Unit 5 after winter break. Our focus this week will be on creating extended math responses. However, your child can continue to review and practice IXL skills at home!
Social Studies: This will be our final week of Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be in social studies, and will be starting science when we return from break. Students will continue to be working on their Chicago ABC books in class this week (the rubric for this project can be found online!). By the end of this week, students should have about 15 pages of their books completed. There will be an open-book quiz over material in this unit on Friday.
Important Dates:
- This week is Spirit Week! Please read the previous post about the different themes and focuses each day!
- If you have not signed and turned in your child's progress report (only the bottom portion), please do so as soon as possible!
- Quarter Project 2, Part 3 was sent home today! The due date for this final portion is Friday, January 10th.
Friday, December 13, 2013
James and the Giant Peach Character Study
Written By: Blake C.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Math Homework - Extended Response
Because students will not have math study links for Wednesday and Thursday night, they will be completing a math extended response instead. A document containing information about steps of a response are posted on the Third Grade website. An example copy of a response will be posted soon!
Progress Reports
Tonight your child will be bringing home his/her progress report. Please go over it with them and sign and have the bottom portion signed and returned by this Friday!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Progress Reports - Social Studies & Science
Although social studies is the primary focus of this first part of the quarter, lessons and concepts from the first "Living Things" unit (primarily related to the food chain) did trickle over into Quarter 2. So, grades for the food chain will appear on this progress report, and updated/additional social studies grades will show up after the progress report is printed as well! Please let me know if you have any questions!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Spirit Week
The week of December 16th will be SPIRIT WEEK at Skinner North! The schedule of Spirit Week is listed below:
- Monday, 12/16: Pajama Day
- Tuesday, 12/17: Wacky Hair Day
- Wednesday, 12/18: Decade Day
- Thursday, 12/19: Country Western Day
- Friday, 12/20: Skinner Spirit Day
Quarter 2, Part 2 Project
Students' PowerPoints for their Quarter Projects will be due this Friday. We will begin presentations on Friday, and will continue them throughout the next week. ***For Friday, students must also bring in a printed copy of the PowerPoint slides.
The slides do not need to be printed in color and do not need to be printed on separate pages. All 6 slides can be printed on 1 page. When printing, follow the instructions listed below if you would like to do so:
The slides do not need to be printed in color and do not need to be printed on separate pages. All 6 slides can be printed on 1 page. When printing, follow the instructions listed below if you would like to do so:
- After clicking print, find the "print what" drop down section
- Click "handouts"
- Then, under "color/grayscale" click "grayscale"
- Next, under the "handouts" section set it to 6 slides per page
A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...
Reading: This week for James and the Giant Peach, lessons will focus on how the setting affects characters in a text, and also how and why characters change throughout a novel. Students received 7 new vocabulary words today and will be completing the vocabulary map for homework (due Friday). Students will also be completing reading responses that reflect different topics instructed this week and last. On Friday students will take a comprehension and vocabulary quiz over chapters 16-27.
Writing: This week students will be introduced to the final component of extended responses - voice. Information about reading extended responses can be found on the ISAT page of the Third Grade Website. You can also find a "sentence starter" document that will help your child compose this type of writing, along with an example response that includes each of the instructed components.
Math: Today students corrected their Unit 4 study guide, and tomorrow will be taking the Unit 4 test. Afterwards, they will take the Unit 5 pre-test, and will focus on constructing math extended responses for the remainder of the week. Students have learned how to restate the question, search and find important information, show their work in an organized way, write the steps they took to solve the problem and will now be learning how to explain why they took each step. Unit 5 lessons will start next week!
Social Studies: After learning about what caused the Chicago Fire last week, students will focus on the effects of the fire this week. Students will also use classroom time to continue working on their "Chicago History Alphabet books." The Alphabet Book rubric can be found on the Third Grade Website, along with Alphabet Book pages if your child wants to work on some at home! - Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be
Important Information:
Writing: This week students will be introduced to the final component of extended responses - voice. Information about reading extended responses can be found on the ISAT page of the Third Grade Website. You can also find a "sentence starter" document that will help your child compose this type of writing, along with an example response that includes each of the instructed components.
Math: Today students corrected their Unit 4 study guide, and tomorrow will be taking the Unit 4 test. Afterwards, they will take the Unit 5 pre-test, and will focus on constructing math extended responses for the remainder of the week. Students have learned how to restate the question, search and find important information, show their work in an organized way, write the steps they took to solve the problem and will now be learning how to explain why they took each step. Unit 5 lessons will start next week!
Social Studies: After learning about what caused the Chicago Fire last week, students will focus on the effects of the fire this week. Students will also use classroom time to continue working on their "Chicago History Alphabet books." The Alphabet Book rubric can be found on the Third Grade Website, along with Alphabet Book pages if your child wants to work on some at home! - Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be
Important Information:
- Tuesday, Dec. 10th, Progress Reports passed out
- Friday, Dec. 12th, Quarter 2, Part 2 Projects Due!
- Dec. 16-20: Spirit Week
Friday, December 6, 2013
Class Morning Meeting Activity
This is the class playing Silent Ball. To playSilent Ball, you have to be silent the whole time. If you talk, the game starts over. The goal of Silent Ball is to pass the ball around the whole circle without anyone talking. The class plays Silent Ball because they do an activity everyday. The whole class is Invovled with this and likes to play this game very much. So far our class record is 24(What we really want for our class record is 31).
Written By: Isaiah B.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...
Reading: For the next 3 weeks students will be completing a Character Study using the shared text James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Information about the unit can be found on the Third Grade Website - Character Study. Lessons this week will focus on how we learn about characters, noticing how characters change, and understanding character motivation. There will be a vocabulary and comprehension quiz on Friday.
Writing: Students will be using a new graphic organizer this week to complete their reading responses. Responses will continue to be focused on using text evidence to support a claim, and explaining the evidence.
Math: Lessons 4.7-4.9 will be instructed this week, and we will take one day to practice writing math extended responses. The Unit 4 test will be next week!
Social Studies: Students are continuing to learn about different people and events that helped make Chicago the city it is today! Friday will be a work day for students, giving them time to make their "Chicago Alphabet Books."
Important Information
Writing: Students will be using a new graphic organizer this week to complete their reading responses. Responses will continue to be focused on using text evidence to support a claim, and explaining the evidence.
Math: Lessons 4.7-4.9 will be instructed this week, and we will take one day to practice writing math extended responses. The Unit 4 test will be next week!
Social Studies: Students are continuing to learn about different people and events that helped make Chicago the city it is today! Friday will be a work day for students, giving them time to make their "Chicago Alphabet Books."
Important Information
- Friday, 12/6: Picture re-take day
- *** Please see post below about homework this week!
Pictures from the Field Trip
Check out some of the pictures from the class field trip to the Mitchell Museum of American Indian from October!
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| This picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox |
Homework
1.
Reading Response Logs: Today students started a
Character Study, using the shared text James and the Giant Peach.
For the next three weeks, students will be writing reading responses from their at-home independent reading books which will reflect learning
goals of the unit. They correlate with the different mini-lessons that
will be taught during the week. Your child was provided with a list of
different response questions/prompts. Students are asked to choose one different response to complete each
night. They can choose whichever prompt they like, and are not required
to go in a particular order.
2.
Vocabulary: On Monday of each week, students will be
introduced to 7 higher-level vocabulary terms that will be found in the text
during the week. They each were given a vocabulary "word map"
packet to gain a deeper understanding of the terms. These packets will be
due on Friday. Each Friday, students will be assessed on the
terms. Here
is a "suggested" schedule for your child to complete for the words each night:
- Monday: Box 4 (Synonyms) & Box 5 (Antonyms)
- Tuesday: Box 8 (My Very Own Sentence)
- Wednesday: Box 7 (My Association, Example, or Sketch)
- Thursday: Box 6 (Other Forms of Word) & Study for Vocabulary Quiz (Fri.)
- *** Box #2 will be completed in class during reading workshop!
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