HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This two day week was a lot of fun...full of learning (as usual!)

Here is the run down...

• The students participated in two readers theater performances based on Thanksgiving.... they were fun to listen to, and the kids did a nice job using expression.
• They read a non-fiction article about the National Turkey and created a synthesis comic strip that displayed their level of understanding.
• They did math problems about turkey sales in different grocery stores.
• We watched a video about the original Plimoth Plantation of 1620, the roles of Pilgrim men and women, the voyage of the Mayflower and the importance of the Mayflower Compact.
• They followed a performance task to complete a turkey using their feet and hands (a definite keeper!!)
• We all had a ton of fun seeing all the science projects...I was incredibly impressed!

Like I said, a lot of learning!!

On a personal note....
Everyday that I come to work I am thankful. I have a wonderful job...a great principal to work for and a great team of teachers to work with. I have an amazing class (more on that below).

And of course...I am always thankful for my family...my husband and kids. Speaking of my kids...I want to share a quick story that will make you smile. Two years ago, my daughter Kate was three years old, and while we were driving down the road she said to me, "Mommy...do you know what happens on Thanksgiving?" I said, "Well, what do you think happens on Thanksgiving?" (wanting to know what she was thinking) Kate said, "The Thanksgiving Chicken..." I interrupted and said, "It's a turkey, sweetie." She continued, The Thanksgiving Chicken comes to your house and gives you a high five!"

My wish for you all this five day Thanksgiving break is that you enjoy your time with family and friends...and that you are all visited by the "high fiving chicken!" :-)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What I am Thankful For

by Mrs. Wills

Erica and her contagious smile,

Ashwin and his responsible nature,

Stephanie and her love for reading,

Aravind and his knowledge of everything non-fiction,

Kirsten and her love of drawing,

Grace for embodying her name,

Christine for her positive attitude,

Megan and her level of motivation,

Sriniket and his need to excel,

Pratulya for being so kind,

Nisarg for always being on task,

Chris and his sense of humor,

Riley and his laugh,

Abby and her endless stories about pizza,

Krishnapriya and her quiet gentleness,

and Joy for embodying her name.

FRIDAY!

WOW...what a week! I don't even know where to begin...

Math
We finished up our data collection and probability this week...we discussed the likelihood of an event occurring...and we used fractions to show the outcome...or probable result. We used number cubes, spinners, and file cards with numbers written on them. Yesterday the kids completed an assessment where they had to apply all of the parts of this unit to complete the task. They were allowed to use their math spiral as a resource as they decided which tables of information needed which kinds of graphs. They then had to graph two of the sets of data to show that they know all of the important parts of a graph. They will get these assessments back by Tuesday of next week. We will be entering into the multiplication and division units next. Please have your child practicing facts...the better they know their facts, the easier the unit will be for them.

Language Arts
Each student has picked a president or first lady to portray in our upcoming Hall of Presidents and First Ladies...the kids have begun reading the books and taking notes. We will be working to determine which information is important, using that info for a timeline, and then taking all of the information to create a student written biography. We ask that if your child comes home with their biography to read and take notes at home, please do not help them with this task. We want this project to be completed independently. Thank you.

I'm pleased to announce that almost everyone has finished publishing their "Dinorella stories" ...so I can now take them home and begin the very long job of scoring them!! :-) I can't wait for you to read them!

Social Studies
This unit on Political Science is full of wonderful vocabulary and learning! The kids have read about local, state, and national government. Today's reading selection was about the three branches of the national government and the duties of each one...the kids created a three column chart to write down facts about each one...they will answer questions pertaining to the three branches next week.

Speaking of next week...the kids will be participating in some Reader's Theater activities...we have some fun fall themed "plays" that the kids will be doing...we'll be focusing on their expression and fluency, not the actual acting out of plays...that we leave for the Spring...and happens to be one of my favorite units!

REMINDER...Science Fair Projects are due Monday!! I have spoken to a few of you that asked to use the Thanksgiving break to finish your projects...so I will expect them to arrive at school on Monday, December 1st. But otherwise, we're looking forward to seeing and hearing about the 13 other projects this Monday! (I need to get busy with Jake!!)

FYI...One last thing...I spoke with the kids today about the expectations of this program. I want them to know that yes, they're a part of this program because they're smart, but also because they are capable of work that is above average...and that I expect to see that above average work... that if the paper says "at least three facts", they should be giving at least four facts...they should always strive to do their very best work...very thorough work...and I'm going to be pushing them to do so...just thought you should know! :-)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your families.

Happy Friday!

I started this post on Friday, hence the date...only getting back to it now...sorry! (Went to the beach with my sister, my mom and my dad...shopped til we dropped...just got in...so here's the week's rundown!)

This has been a great week full of learning...


Language Arts
In Language Arts this week we began a unit titled, "Reading Social Studies Textbooks." We are using biographies for this unit because we use the textbook during social studies and that would be incredibly redundant! The students have been putting their schema and new facts into their "learning laptops"...ask them about this. After I modeled the entire process with Harriett Tubman, they got to choose to read and learn more about Thomas Edison or Louis Braille. They will take the information gained and develop a timeline of their famous person's life early next week. This is all in preparation for an in school biography project that your child will be hearing about on Monday. We will be doing ALMOST all of this project IN SCHOOL...so have no fear...we're not assigning this during the science fair at home projects!! More to come about this in next Friday's blog...but be on the lookout Monday evening for a paper informing you about this project!


Science Fair
Speaking of the science fair...I am SO excited to see and hear about all of these projects. In speaking with a parent, I know there is a little bit of frustration about how quickly these due dates seem to be popping up...I am sorry for this...we tried to make all of the due dates have your child finish the project BEFORE Thanksgiving...we figured you didn't want a project looming over you during the 5 day break...HOWEVER...if that five day break is what you and your child need...please feel free to send me a note explaining that you all will be completing the project that weekend...I have no problem with this. I just need it in writing from you, so that I know what schedule you're on. Thanks.


I went over the "data collection due Tues 11/18" with the kids in detail today, but if you have any questions, please feel free to email me this weekend. (wrote that part on Friday!)


Math
We have analyzed and constructed double line graphs and are moving into probability...they will be using terms such as more likely, less likely, outcomes, probability, and using a fraction to express the probability of something occuring. This is a particulary fun part of the unit and will take us into midweek...I love teaching this class...I'm always learning something from THEM!!

Fluency
Last week the kids all memorized a short poem about Fall to continue work on their fluency. This was our third formal speaking presentation so far this year. I am very proud of the work the kids have been doing with oral communication. They will be well prepared for the biography project we are embarking on!! (A couple of kids chose different poems...favorites from home...we REALLY enjoyed hearing them!)

FYI...we are doing some activities with "sticky notes" and it has come to all of our attention that the sticky notes we use from the county are generic and are not very sticky...so if you happen to have extra "post it" (the real brand) notes laying around the house and would like to donate them to our classroom...we'd love it! Thanks!

Hope you have a great week and I look forward to seeing your children tomorrow!

Happy Sunday!

We had a short week, but WOW, it sure was full of learning!

Language Arts...
We are closing up our unit on short stories...the kids have explored folktales, fairy tales, fables, and tall tales...they have analyzed all parts of story structure, discussed the mood a story evokes, and even written their own fairy tale. We will be working to publish these pieces this week in the computer lab. These fairy tales, or "Dinorella" tales, as we like to call them, will be scored for three of the six writing traits...IDEAS, ORGANIZATION, and CONVENTIONS. All three traits have been modeled, and each student has completed peer revisions to help "polish" their already WONDERFUL pieces! This week we are beginning a unit titled "Reading Social Studies Textbooks"...we are going to use biographies to teach the indicators in this unit. Our biographies will tie into the Social Studies unit on Political Science that we have already started.


Math...
This week the students were introduced to stem and leaf plots. This data organizer is very different than those they've seen before. We did an introductory activity where we all wrote our birthday months and dates on file cards and taped them on the chalkboard. We talked about how hard it was to read the data when it's disorganized and then brainstormed ways to display and communicate this data. They suggested bar graphs, line graphs, but when discussing further, they realized that it was very difficult to show both the date of their birth and the month of their birth on the same bar or line graph. Do you see where this is headed?! The stem and leaf plot is perfect for this data. We worked with our birthdays first and then used other data that is best represented on stem and leaf plots...we will visit this again this week and then move to double and triple line graphs. It is our goal that your kids will see a list of data and be able to decide which is the best way to display and communicate that data.


Science...
This week we tested our unknown powders by adding iodine, and the next day, red cabbage juice. The students made a hypothesis and recorded observable properties of the unknowns. This coming week we will be observing what happens when each unknown is heated, and then the kids will read an article that contains some background information about the powders. And finally, the students will draw conclusions about the identity of the mystery powders. This unit has definitely been a class favorite!


SCIENCE FAIR
As you know by now, all third grade magnet students have been asked to do a science fair project! On the inside of the cover sheet of the Science Fair packet is a helpful planning tool for you and your child. This is just a tool. I plan to check in with each student as this project is being completed in order to make sure each child is on track. HOWEVER...if you and your child are having a hard time sticking to the due dates, please just send me a note so that I know you are aware of the dates...extensions are no problem, as long as you know the projects have to be done by Nov 24th, the day before Thanksgiving break, so that they can be on display Dec. 2nd, the first Tuesday we return. If you have any questions during the project, please email me and I will get right back to you. This is my first Science Fair, so I am on a learning curve. Mrs. Maenner developed the planning tool packet and I am very grateful...both as her teammate and a parent of a third grade magnet student!

WORD STUDY...
Your children will be coming home with word study words this week. These words are listed at SpellingCity.com, a link that is available in the menu bar next to this entry. The kids just need to type in my name and choose the list of Consonant + le, + al, and + el words. They will be tested on these words Friday the 14th.

Hope your weekend was great! I look forward to the week ahead with your kids!

Why it will be a Saturday post....

Today Kate Wills is five years old...so I did the "Mom" thing and headed to a playground this afternoon...now we're headed to dinner to celebrate...so I promise to do the "Teacher" thing a little later this weekend! Enjoy your families and have a great weekend together!!

Fall Festival Celebration and a Presidential Election..who could ask for anything more!!?

What a wonderful week we've had! Researching candidates, learning about the electoral college vs. popular vote, running a mock election...we've been busy, but having a lot of fun...and let us not forget a whole day devoted to characters and our fall festival...Friday was a great end to a fantastic week! (And I need a nap. :-))

Social Studies and Language Arts

I feel the need to start with Social Studies...because if the kids enjoyed the past two weeks 1/2 as much as I did, it was WELL worth our time!! We spent last week discussing the history of voting...and this week we turned our focus to the two main candidates for president. We asked the kids who they wanted to see win the election...and then played an awful trick on them...we made them research "the other guy!" We felt that this was the best way to make them think outside of themselves and write about why the "other guy" was a good candidate...because whether or not he's the one we want, a whole lot of people think he's the best of the best...in each separate political party! They took this job on just like they do with everything they do...with motivation and a great attitude. They researched one day, and wrote informative paragraphs the next. The focus was on main idea, ideas to support the main idea, and details to support the ideas. The graphic organizer we used helped to make this make sense! After these paragraphs were complete, the kids got into groups and "voted" on the best well written paragraph for the candidate. Let me take a moment to say...ALL of the paragraphs were wonderful....but we couldn't share 16...they then chose speakers that would best communicate their message. Those choices represented the "popular vote", and then I represented the "electoral college"...I picked a few other people to share their paragraphs. THEN...here comes the really good part...Friday, we presented to Mrs. Foster's class and Mr. Schartner's class. We explained that we were not there to persuade them who to vote for, we wanted them to make an informed decision, therefore we were sharing information about the candidates. The speakers did an outstanding job...and the entire third grade participated in a mock election that afternoon. Believe it or not...I forgot to give the results to the kids yesterday...we were so busy with the Fall Festival...but in the third grade at Urbana Elementary School, Barack Obama won by 20 votes...the final tally was 61 votes for Obama and 41 votes for John McCain...I think we're in for a long night this Tuesday!!

Math

This week in math we started a unit on collecting and displaying information. We delved into double bar graphs, and we are headed into the world of stem and leaf plots, line plots, line graphs and much, much more!

Science

This week we found time to test our unknown powders...mixing them with vinegar...the "green" powder was very exciting to watch! We will test with iodine and cabbage juice this coming week. The following week we will be doing our final tests and then the students will be given some pertinent information to help them draw some conclusions based on all of our testing. We have some quite a few potential scientists in our group!!

FALL FESTIVAL!!

And then Friday...what a day...we started off the morning with a great pumpkin math activity...we made all kinds of predictions about pumpkins and then verified them all...we weighed, measured circumference, diameter, height, we counted pumpkin seeds...boy, were we surprised at how many seeds there were in each pumpkin!! After our math activity the kids did some creative writing...poems and stories about Fall...man, do I have some talented writers! And then in the afternoon, we had the most marvelous party planned by Ms. Kim and helped by so many wonderful parent volunteers. The kids made beautiful frames, played a fun memory game, and enjoyed delicious treats! Thank you so much to all of you...for making donations to make this party SO amazing...it was one the kids will remember for a long time. One more thing...Ms. Kim had the kids write down on a leaf what they are thankful for...and then they hung them on branches...this "Thankful Tree" is on the table in my room...if you get a chance this month...stop by to see it...your children are all very thankful for YOU.

Let me apologize for the SUNDAY posting...but I was definitely not getting one out on Friday...I had to hurry home and be "Mom" and go trick or treating...and I needed yesterday to recover!! So...sorry to make you wait...hope the pictures below make it worth it...this will be a very long post based on how many pictures I want to share...so enjoy the pictures and the extra two days with your kids! I look forward to seeing them on Wednesday!

OOPS...it's Saturday!

Sorry to all of you faithful blog readers...the week got away from me! I was at a Junior Great Books training on Wednesday and Thursday...it was wonderful!! But it kind of threw me off a bit! However...I'm back and ready to roll!

First and foremost...WE FILLED THE MARBLE JAR AGAIN!! Our celebration will take place on Tuesday...they have voted to bring a pillow, blanket, or sleeping bag, and do all of their classwork in the horizontal position...should be interesting! :-) So please help your third grader remember his/her things on TUESDAY the 28th!

Language Arts...we are in the middle of our Short Stories unit...we have read fairy tales, folktales and now we're heading into fables! This past week our focus was folktales, specifically "Anansi the Spider" tales. Anansi is the main character in West African folktales...he is a sneaky, sometimes clever spider who tries to trick other characters, but often gets tricked himself! The kids wrote wonderful cinquain poems about Anansi, and I will try to make these into a movie and get it on the blog...I guess you know by now that I gave up on the other movie...but never fear...I will win the battle of the blog video!!

Math...the kids took a test on Monday (will come home this Monday) and spent the rest of the week problem solving and delving into other numeral systems. After learning the Roman Numeral system, they researched, practiced and taught each other about the Babylonian, Greek, and Egyptian numeral systems. We will tie this all together on Monday and then move into a fun unit on data collection. The kids will be making double bar graphs, line graphs, stem and leaf plots, and much, much more!

Science...we are having so much fun in Science! We continue to gather as much information as possible about our unknown substances. We will be testing the powders with vinegar, iodine, and red cabbage juice this week! Last week we did a filtration experiment and found interesting things in our petrie dishes three days later. Some children observed crystals and were very interested in this phenomenon...hence a homework assignment that will come home on Monday. It is optional, but will give your child extra credit in Science if completed. See the take home folder for details! Also...be thinking about a science fair project...each third grade magnet student will be required to do a science fair project...so stay tuned!

Social Studies...we decided to take advantage of the timing and do a little learning about our political system and voting. Last week we focused on the history of voting, and this week we will be learning about the electoral college and how voting takes place in our country. We are thinking about having a mock election on Friday, but we will see how the week plays out. We have not talked with the kids about the candidates themselves, but we know they have their opinions and a mock election might be fun!

A few reminders:
1. Your child may bring a blanket, pillow, or sleeping bag on Tuesday, Oct. 28th to celebrate filling the marble jar. Some kids asked if they could wear their pjs...and bring a stuffed friend...that is fine with me!

2. Your child is to come to school on Friday dressed as a book character. They should have a written summary of the book they've been reading. HINT...this is not a retelling...just a summary...a paragraph will suffice! (Summar: who the book is about...what the main problem in the story is...how it is solved.) They will receive a speaking grade and a writing grade on this assignment.

3. You are welcome to enjoy our Fall Festival party on Oct. 31...it's from 1:30-2:30. If you are able to make a donation to the party, please place it in an envelope and label it Fall Festival. I will pass this on to Ms. Kim who is organizing a fun time for the kids!

4. Your child does not have school on Monday, Nov.3 and Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Enjoy your families!