Thank you for making sure your child was here in time to participate in Keyboarding Boot Camp. Let's continue this great practice at home! There is a label inside your child's planner with log in/password information. If every child could practice 2-3 times a week they will be ready to take Milestones on the computer in April. Authentic typing is also very important. Maybe they could type a letter to a relative, etc. We will also be typing answers to reading/math responses in class for more practice.
QUESTIONS TO ASK: What was the Garbage Barge and how did it help New York realize it had a garbage problem? (There are some great clips about it on YouTube) What is 4Ocean doing to help clean up the ocean? Why should we recycle? How do you use 1/2 to help you compare fractions? What is your reading goal? REMEMBER: *Penguin project is due Jan. 31 with the paragraph as described in the directions. *NO school on Monday in remembrance of Martin Luther King's birthday. *The Talent Show is 6:30, Thursday Jan. 24 at Pope. My final teacher dance! :) *Make sure and check out SeeSaw for projects your child completed in class and fun pictures/videos! NEXT WEEK: Math - students will measure to the 1/2 and 1/4 inch and learn to make/read a line plot with their data. Language Arts - students will continue to read Mr. Popper's Penguins learning new vocabulary words, finding the main idea/details of a text, and learning to reread to dig deeper into the meaning of a text. The class has learned two ways to organize an opinion piece depending on whether they are writing about a problem(need)/solution or a noteworthy person, place, or idea. Now they will focus on adding facts to defend their opinion, edit while they go, and write leads to grab the reader's attention. Social Studies - we will continue to learn about the early explorers of North America. In the ILC this week students completed a research hunt to give them a general overview of many explorers. We will continue that overview study in class and then in the ILC they will take a deeper dive into one explorer of their choice. Science-our STEAM recycling focus will go to the next level (but it is a secret) more on that in next week's blog. We will start to explore more about animals' adaptations, the regions of GA and why animals live in the region they do. Have a great weekend!
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Happy New Year! It is wonderful to be back with your children. We are in full swing learning new standards and applying the ones we've already introduced. In your child's folder was a 1/2 page letter from Mrs. Grindstaff describing the lesson she taught with our class this week. (I hope you saw the fun videos on SeeSaw when the students created their own rap, song, or poem!) They each came home with a bouncy ball to remind them when they hit obstacles they should look for strategies that help them bounce back - not crack like an egg. This is a great concept for us all to model for the students and apply in our own lives.
QUESTIONS TO ASK: What is your reading super power? What type of writing are you learning to write this quarter? Why is it important for everyone to recycle? Who was the speaker you heard today and what was the message? REMEMBER: *Parent journals are back. Please respond and return by Wednesday. * Look in your child's folder for a project that integrates our reading, science, art, and writing. I always enjoy the creativity the students show in this project! *Keyboarding Boot Camp is next week for our class. Children will go to Mrs. Pascual each morning at 7:20 or as soon as they arrive (IF they arrive before 7:45.) NEXT WEEK: Math - This week students learned about the meaning of a fraction, how to recognize them, and place them on a number line. Next week they will start comparing fractions using models. Language Arts - We've just started a great new novel study - Mr. Popper's Penguins. So far we've used the book to study new vocabulary and determine the main idea of a chapter. Next week we will focus on looking for clues in the text that help us infer and dig deeper into the character's motivations. During writer's workshop students are beginning to think passionately about topics and write to convey their opinions. Exploring problems/needs and solutions, as well as, recognizing and acknowledging the wonderful people/things around us are the springboards we use to motivate their writing. How to organize your writing into an effective piece is next week's primary focus. Science - We will continue to explore the needs of recycling and start to explore the habitats located across the state of Georgia. Social Studies - This quarter students learn about the early explorers, how they adapted, or failed to adapt, to the physical environments in which they traveled. We go to the ILC next week to begin this study. I hope you have a great weekend and stay warm! Here's hoping this week's publishes! Last week I was bragging on how hard your children are working on their nonfiction books. They are using their nonfiction informational reports to create a nonfiction book that has to include 3 text features - diagram, caption, etc. It is exciting to watch them plan a layout and begin to publish their book. They will have fun in January sharing them with our STEAM buddies!
QUESTIONS TO ASK: How has Attean and Matt's friendship changed throughout our read aloud Sign of the Beaver? Why is it important to look at the key on a graph? How did your STEAM buddy do with his/her retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff? REMEMBER: * We need all auction items by next Thursday. * Next Friday is PJ day. *Next Thursday and Friday dismissal is at 12:30. *Be sure to check SeeSaw for pictures of the children reading their projects and a project they completed in the ILC. NEXT WEEK: Math - We are going to do our first STEAM project totally focused on our math standard - reading and creating graphs. There will also be a couple of assessments on problem solving and graphing. Language Arts - Continuing to listen to the Sharing through the Seasons projects and publishing their nonfiction books will be the focus. Of course the class holiday party, school-wide sing along with Polar Express day afterward will be the week's highlights! It was a great week in room 100! The students made a lot of progress on their informational writing pieces. They learned to take a simple fact and elaborate to add interesting details, change some plain verbs to more powerful ones, write interesting leads and topic sentences, and add transition between sentences to help their writing flow. Hopefully, you'll see a few of these applied in their parent journals, as well. If you notice your child isn't writing in paragraphs in the journal know that we are practicing and discussing this every week! QUESTIONS TO ASK: What is R.A.C.E. ? (It is a reading strategy to help them write thorough responses.) How do you know if you need to multiply to solve a problem? Divide? Who is Matt and why is he in the wilderness on his own? (From our new read aloud The Sign of the Beaver). REMEMBER: * Please send in games/books for the students at our sister school, LaBelle Elementary. *Write back in the parent journal and return by Wednesday. * Return the inclement weather form in your child's folder. * Help your child learn the 4s table AND practice for The Sharing of the Seasons Project. NEXT WEEK: Math - We will progress to solving 2- step word problems using all four operations. The 4s table will be on the Friday practice assessment. Language Arts - After learning about writing strong conclusions, finishing their piece, and typing it (whew) the students will get to have fun turning their piece into their own nonfiction book. They will also apply the strategy Notice/Wonder in reading. As they list observations they've noticed we will discuss what these make them wonder about. This strategy truly helps students become engaged with the text and take their thinking to the next level. Social Studies - The class will explore economic terms such as natural, human, and capital resources, opportunity cost, and consumers and producers. I hope you have a great weekend! WOW! Thank you for all the birthday wishes, cards, gifts, and love (except for all of your children wearing black)! :) The class gift of flowers, dinner out, and lunch was incredibly generous and I feel appreciated and celebrated. Thanks! Make sure you check out See Saw for the video of the kids having fun with the balloons Mrs. Lamphere used to so kindly cover my desk. Yesterday in SeeSaw I posted a picture of your child with his/her STEAM buddy. We loved having Mrs. Smith's class visit. Your children are wonderful with them. The American Indian rotations also made our week great! The class visited each third grade teacher and learned about a different region of the United States and the Indians that settled it. They had an opportunity to experience different teaching styles and have some fun while learning. I hope each of you have a wonderful week with lots of family and rest. Here are some questions to start discussions in the car trips and around the table: - What are some nonfiction text features you learned and how do they help you understand the text better? (ex. glossary, index, captions, close ups, cutaways, maps, diagrams, etc.) - Tell me about some of the regions you studied? What natural resources were there and how did that influence the way the Indians lived? There is a bag of artifacts and facts in your child's book bag today to help you with those answers. - Who is the main character in our new read aloud - Sign of the Beaver and where is he living? WHEN WE RETURN: Math - the 3s table will be tested at the end of the week and students will practice one step problem solving determining when to multiply and when to divide to solve. Language Arts - in Writer's Workshop students will continue to write an informational text. We will focus on taking facts and elaborating to make them more interesting, creating leads, and adding transition. We will also continue to analyze and understand how to read nonfiction texts. Social Studies - we will go to the ILC on Monday and students will practice their keyboarding skills by typing paragraphs about a region of American Indians they researched. Science - students are in for a treat as they attend a puppet show by Brooks and Branch teaching them about erosion, weathering and water pollution. We also look forward to a guidance lesson with Mrs. Grindstaff. Again, thank you for helping me celebrate a milestone and all its possibilities/opportunities. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed the latest See Saw posts. The email last week explained the STEAM challenge and the videos you saw. The Kidspiration graphic organizer was completed in the ILC with Mrs. Bates and a partner. Students researched different regions that American Indians settled focusing on how the resources of that area influenced what they ate, their housing, and their clothing. This quarter our standard is to write informational writing, so the students will use their research to write a report and then type it in the ILC.
QUESTIONS TO ASK: How did India Opal change from the beginning of the novel to the end? Show me how to use the Alien Method to solve 9 x 6. What genre is the book you are reading right now? REMEMBER: * Please write back to your child in the parent journal and return it by Wednesday. * Walk to school day is this Wednesday, Nov. 7. I'll be walking from the Chimney Springs Clubhouse.We will leave there at 7. Let's get 100%! The Tritt Blast lists several other locations to walk from, as well. *The Tritt food drive is all this week. Each class is trying to donate 100 items for a local food pantry. The class and I discussed how important it is to help others and that even one can of soup can help. Thanks for helping them learn the importance of caring. NEXT WEEK: Math - As we continue to review using the multiplication properties students will also practice multiplying problems like 20 x 8, 30 x 4, etc. KEEP practicing those multiplication tables 0, 1, and 2. Next week we will add the 3s. If we go slowly and children become confident at each step it won't be so overwhelming. Language Arts: Not only will the class study how to write informational writing they will also learn the most effective ways to read informational passages and books. Science: Our study of fossils continues. Mrs. Grindstaff will also visit us for a guidance lesson. Have a great week! We had a great day! Thanks to all our chaperones. I tried to take pictures of all the students and posted them on their SeeSaw account, so make sure to take a look. They also posted their descriptions of the four multiplication strategies they learned this week.
QUESTIONS TO ASK: Give an example of each of the properties we studied this week Zero, Identity, Commutative, and Associative and tell why they are important. You can listen to their SeeSaw if you're not sure :) What are a few of the Healthy Habits Mrs. Grindstaff taught you during guidance this week? Which do you think are the most important? How does a fossil tell us of long ago? Why might a shell fossil be found on top of a mountain? REMEMBER: *The Tritt-Mazing Race is Monday! Our time is 11:30-12:30. We hope you can come cheer on Benson's Braves! *Send in a can/plastic bottle drink on Monday. It is one of our incentive days! Students will watch a movie while enjoying popcorn and a drink of their choice they bring from home. *Thursday is the third grade picnic - you can send in beach towels, quilts, frisbees, etc. Anything that would be fun, appropriate for a picnic. *Wednesday is Hat Day for Rally Kids! Students may bring in $1 and wear a fun hat (no masks, please). Next Week: Besides all the fun we will still be learning! Math - Students will learn how to use the distributive property of multiplication to solve 2 digit x 1 digit multiplication problems. Language Arts - We will finish Because of Winn Dixie and use the novel to study the reading strategy of determining cause/effect, review finding the main idea, and complete our character study of India Opal and the Preacher. Science - We will continue to learn about fossils and in a few weeks students will make cast and mold fossils in the science lab with Mr. Giunta (thank you Foundation)! The effects of weather/erosion will be introduced. Thursday is our STEAM morning and the children will apply their new knowledge of weathering/erosion in a stimulating STEAM activity. We will be using a new app called Stop Motion so hopefully there will be some interesting videos for them to post on SeeSaw. And of course, there is Halloween! Ours wouldn't be complete without a visit to our STEAM buddies and a math activity using Dem Bones. What a great week! The students are so excited that they met all four goals! So there is no homework Monday or Wednesday night! Electronics day will be next Friday, October 26 (race day). On Monday students will bring home a paper to "register" any devices they want to bring. I will not set a fifth goal, but I know many students are going to continue to fund raise so they can make the sleepover at Tritt. They also want Tritt to make its goal so they can have a more exciting jumbo slide during the race and they want to paint the principals! Our next collection day is Monday, so please return all envelopes. Thanks!
In your child's folder is a list of the vocabulary words they learned first quarter. Whenever you can use those words, ask your child to use them, and ask them what they mean. We will continue to do that in class as new words are introduced. QUESTIONS TO ASK: What is a verb? What is the answer in division called? How is the theme of friendship evident in Because of Winn Dixie? REMEMBER: Our field trip is Thursday. Students wear their new STEAM shirts if they have one. They will also wear them on Friday for the race. All students may bring $5 in an envelope or baggy with their name on it to shop in the gift shop. All lunches should be in disposable containers. NEXT WEEK: Math - We will continue to practice division and begin to learn how to use the associative property to solve multiplication properties. Language Arts - Today students used Because of Winn Dixie chapters to begin determining the main idea. We will continue using that strategy next week as we finish the novel. Informational writing will be introduced and students will begin making lists of topics they are "experts" on that they might like to use as a writing idea. Students will also complete activities to help them practice spelling the high frequency words that they spell wrong in their writings. Science - How do fossils tell us about life long ago? Add our field trip, the Tritt-Mazing Race, and Electronics Day and we are going to have another fabulous week! Enjoy your weekend with your families! The students are excited about the Tritt-Mazing Race on October 26. All parents are invited to attend. They are also hoping we meet all of our class incentives!
* Extra recess with popsicles and no homework that night *Movie with popcorn (students bring a drink of their choice) and no homework that night * Third grade picnic with a special dessert and no homework that night *Electronics/game day and no homework that night Last year we even added a 5th incentive our class did so well. Students have shared various ways they earned extra money such a lemonade stands, etc. Thanks for helping your child feel like they are contributing! OUR FIRST COLLECTION DAY IS MONDAY! QUESTIONS TO ASK: How are multiplication and division related? How can we use one to solve the other? How would you describe India Opal (the main character in Because of Winn- Dixie)? What is a pronoun? REMEMBER: * The student leadership team is collecting snacks (individually packaged) for our sister school, LaBelle Elementary. *Chik Fil A day is Oct. 18 and order forms are due by the 16th. All proceeds go to Rally Kids (cancer research for children) * ALL envelopes for the Tritt-Mazing Race should come in on Monday even if there's nothing in it. * Please be on time for your conferences I will make sure we stay on time. *Students are dismissed at 12:30 every day next week. *Check See Saw for your child's posts. NEXT WEEK: Math - Students will learn different strategies to help them solve division problems. It is time to start learning multiplication facts. Please help your child practice the 0, 1, and 2 tables. They've learned the properties of zero, one, and doubling for 2s, so hopefully they will learn these quickly. Language Arts - We will continue to use the novel Because of Winn- Dixie to apply reading strategies such as: expanding vocabulary, reading with fluency, studying characters through their traits, and finding the main idea. The writing will focus on how to respond to reading questions in paragraphs. Have a great week and I look forward to meeting with all of you! |
AuthorMrs. Amy Benson Archives
December 2018
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