FIELD TRIP
Chaperones: Please be sure you bring your cell phone and photo ID. Also pack yourself a lunch, and water, and be sure dress for rain.
Liz Stephens (Riley's Mom)
Kelli Keegan (Rowan's Mom)
Brandon O'Brien (Taylor's Dad)
Teresa Atkins (Noah's Mom)
Tracy Luttrell Jones (Cole's Mom)
Liz Winter (Colby's Mom)
PARENT LED ART
This Friday we will be having our first parent led art session of the year. This year, we will be making art inspired by the work of Faith Ringgold. Our first project will revolve around a personal memory. Each student will create an image based on a favorite memory. They should be prepared to draw and write about their memory. Please discuss possible ideas with your child this week, so they come to class on Friday ready to draw and describe their memory.
OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
This week your child should have brought home a small informational flyer advertising Oregon Battle of the Books.
"The Oregon Battle of the Books, OBOB, is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. Students in 3rd-12th grade, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints. The mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students."
Last year I had 14 students from my class participate in the program. They had a blast!
To learn more about about how to participate, please visit the site listed below, or follow the instructions that were sent home last week by Llewellyn's OBOB coordinator, Karen Blecha.
http://oboblsta.pbworks.com/w/page/5653620/FrontPage
LITERACY
This week in Literacy we immersed ourselves in our Novel Class Clown.
On Monday, we finished up our main idea and details task for Chapter 4, in our Reader's Notebook.
This task, had us going back to the text to locate supporting details relating to Lucas' bet! We copied each supporting detail into our notebook, used quotation marks to show that the evidence came straight out of the book, and wrote the page number to show where we found our evidence.
On Tuesday, we focused on two new reading skills:
1) Answering Focus Questions
2) Visualizing
First, we glued in a focus question for Chapter 4. Focus questions will promote higher level thinking, investigation skills within a text, and evidence-based writing skills.
We glued in a RAPS chart that reminds us of the steps to writing a good reading response. We then referred to this RAPS format as we wrote our answer together. Our answer included quotes and page numbers from the text, as well as transitions between our own ideas and the evidence from the text. Throughout the year students will get lots of practice with this skill.
When we were finished with this in-depth task, it was time to take a lighter approach to our reading as we focused on visualizations.
Good readers create pictures in their mind while they read. We used this concept as we read Chapter 5 of Class Clown.
On Wednesday, we focused on building vocabulary as we read Chapter 6.
We glued in this checklist of strategies good readers use to help understand the meaning of a word they don't know.
Then we read Chapter 6 together with the purpose of learning new words. We used a post-it note to jot down words that were new to us along the way, and when we were finished, we focused our vocabulary study on the word "promptly".
I introduced the above format for studying a new word in their notebook.
On Thursday, some students had a chance to read Chapter 7 independently, and practice answering a focus question on their own.
Not all students had time to finish this task, so we will continue next Thursday, and then complete our final chapter of Class Clown on Friday. This means students will begin reading new novels the week after next. Stay tuned for our Reader's Workshop Volunteer Sign-ups!
WRITING
In writing, students were introduced to the purpose of our next writing assignment - writing for entertainment. In order to demonstrate the difference between writing that entertains the reader, and writing that does not, I read two different descriptions of my favorite part of summer.
My first example reads like a “list” or a summary of my favorite event, and does not describe the experience with details that help the reader visualize the moment.
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Then, I read them a second example that uses descriptive words to describe a moment in more detail. Instead of saying "I love the boat", I use 4 or 5 sentences to describe what's going on around me while I'm on the boat. This gives the reader a mental image to visualize while reading, and shows the reader what I care most about.
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In order to help students "zoom in" on a moment they can describe in detail, I introduced the graphic organizer below.
Once each student had practiced narrowing their topic, or “zooming in” on the moment, they used a concept web to help them think about the types of details they could begin to describe during their moment.
We discussed the 5 senses, and how details that relate to these senses will help create a mental image in the mind of the audience, which helps entertain them.
Students once again used a writing checklist to support their effective use of the writing process.
This week students will practice their revising and editing, before each has an individual writing conference to discuss their work.
MATH
In math, we focused this past week on practicing our strategies for solving double-digit addition and subtraction
28 + 37
35 - 18
We spent several days completing a variety of practice opportunities, aimed at all of the strategies for both double-digit addition and subtraction. While students may have a preference for one strategy or another, all students are required to understand all representations. Students should be able to demonstrate the use of each strategy, as well as the interpretation of each strategy.
We will build more mastery of these strategies this week.
On Thursday, students had an opportunity to complete some Unit 2 Place Value practice on the Chromebooks, as they had their second session this year with IXL Math.
Feel free to have your child login to IXL Math at home! Use the above username and password to access hundreds of 3rd grade math skills your child should master this year. The site provides great practice with rote memorization of facts, as well as exposure to a wide range math vocabulary and skills.
35 - 18
We will build more mastery of these strategies this week.
On Thursday, students had an opportunity to complete some Unit 2 Place Value practice on the Chromebooks, as they had their second session this year with IXL Math.
SCIENCE
In science this week we began the final project for our forestry unit - Amazon Rainforest Simulation. On Monday, I read the story the Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry. This wonderful story illustrates the complex issue related to the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.
I then introduced our project to the class, and explained that our science focus was about to become a social studies focus, as we begin to examine how various people use the forest. To better understand the dynamics at play, the students will be taking on the perspective of the following groups of people.
Our learning is being framed in the context of a role-playing simulation that involves these 5 groups of people who all, for some reason or another, have an investment in the Amazon Rainforest. The goal of the activity is for students to take on the perspective of their group in order to grapple with their real-world concerns, and come up with a solution to the conflicts of deforestation in the Amazon.
On Tuesday, the students were assigned to a group and spent time reading about their “group” in order to give them an understanding of who they are and how they use and feel about the rainforest.
On Tuesday, the students were assigned to a group and spent time reading about their “group” in order to give them an understanding of who they are and how they use and feel about the rainforest.
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Meet our groups...
Each group nominated a spokesperson who will represent their group at the Rainforest Council Meeting. The meeting will be a place for each group to share their thoughts and concerns about the Rainforest, and then brainstorm a possible solution to the problem of the disappearing rainforest.
On Wednesday, the groups spent time creating a prop for their spokesperson in preparation for the Rainforest Council Meeting. The students had some creative ideas for their props.
Natives
(blow dart and arrow)
Loggers
(tree stump and axe)
Farmers
(farming tools and corn)
Tourism Agents
(sign advertising Rainforest Tours)
Pharmaceutical Agents
(bag for gathering medicinal plants)
In addition to creating props, each student was asked to create a personal identity for their character, within the group they were assigned. They filled out a little Amazon Rainforest Biography about themselves, and then draw a portrait.
Ask your child to share some of their information about their fictional self.
We will complete an art project relating to their person in the coming weeks.
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday, October 18 - Field Trip to Hoyt Arboretum
Wednesday, October 19 - 10:00 AM Late Start
November 8-9 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
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