Our Week – September 25

Franklin Park ZooWe have had another great week of working and thinking together. Yesterday’s trip to the zoo was wonderful. The weather was glorious. The animals were stunning and your children were fabulous and respectful zoo visitors. It was interesting to note how many of the animals at the zoo were endangered and threatened. The children are curious about that and feel that it is one of the “pro’s” for having zoos.

Habitat Studies

Franklin Park ZooOne of our main science explorations in third grade is learning about habitats and biomes around the world. We explore micro-habitats as well, with our goal being to help children become more aware of the power and impact of one person and one act. We’ll explore food webs and food chains as we think about how everything is related.

At the zoo we saw a group of animals from Australia and animals from the Serengeti Plain in Africa. We saw animals from the Rainforest and lots of birds from all over, with some snakes and lizards as well. We’ll use what we saw yesterday to begin a list of questions to guide our learning so we can understand how each of us can make the world a better place.

Mindful Search for Writing Ideas

Franklin Park ZooWe are exploring qualities of good narrative writing. We are working to understand how character description, setting, dialogue and interesting details work together to make writing “sing.” We know ideas are important. We know details are good and that the whole piece needs to be organized. We have each completed one piece of narrative writing. We are exploring how the mindful details we notice outside can add to what we put on paper.

Twice this week at school and once at home, the children took time to notice the small things happening around them. One of the poems we read during shared reading is Happy Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson. The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings. Our time noticing helps us appreciate and actually see what is around us. We will use these mindful collections to identify habitat connections in science, as well as inspiring writing details.  Third grade writers often feel as though there is nothing to write about, and yet stopping to notice reveals so many different things. We can write about the breeze or the rocks or the toad or the ladybug or the feeling of the sunshine or the cricket band in the grass beyond.

Personal Weather Reports SEL – self-awareness

Franklin Park ZooThis week we added a daily temperature record to our morning routine. We also collected a list of different types of weather. We are using those weather terms for ourselves as we practice making personal weather reports. We are trying to become more aware of how we feel inside and how those feeling impact those around us, and our own learning. It was interesting to begin exploring the idea of feeling a sunny day inside yourself as opposed to a windy day, or a blizzard. We’ll keep practicing so more of the children understand how weather can be a metaphor for emotions so they can develop strategies for changing their “forecast” if they find themselves in a fog or a storm or a drizzle.

reading together

Bits and Pieces –

  • Our first challenge with Mr. Caron will be September 29th. It will be outside on the nature trail weather permitting.
  • We finished James and the Giant Peach and are working to make a model of our favorite characters, along with a description of our favorite events.
  • We began The Trumpet of the Swan and are keeping a journal of our thoughts while reading it much like Sam does in the story. We’ll see how the Philadelphia Zoo in the story compares The Franklin Park Zoo. I wonder what habitats will seem the same and which will be different.

artist-writers' workshopartist-writers' workshopartist-writers' workshop

It’s Monday – here are some books to check out

18399584This weekend I found some great books to share – some picture books and some new series chapter books.  When I got near the end of Troll and the Oliver I laughed out loud.  I think you will too.  Troll tries to catch the Oliver each day , but the Oliver is sneaky, and with a sassy little rhyme, is able to get away. Oliver always makes it home, but then there is that one day when Troll isn’t around.  It makes the Oliver pause for a moment, but then he guesses he must have won.  But did he?

24905362Fowl Play is a book of idioms.  There’s been a crime at Mr. Hound’s shop and the Gumshoe Detective Agency is on the case.  It’s silly and fun.  What’s the bigger crime – using words that way or the broken window?

The Friendship Garden is a new series to me.  The first two books, Green Thumbs Up and Pumpkin Spice, are great.  Anna has moved from green upstate New York to gray Chicago.  Everything is dull and bland, lonely and still until a small group 3rd grade class project leads Anna to the Shoots and Leaves community garden.  Anna loves gardening.  It takes some work, but she is able convince Reed and Kaya that they should form a school gardening club.  One thing leads to another and soon Anna has many garden friends, delicious fresh food and lots to celebrate.  After all, almost everything you need to learn about science and life can be learned around a garden.

2622682426165412What are you reading?  Leave a comment to let us know what you recommend.

Our Week – September 18

artist writers' workshopIt has been another terrific week. We celebrated Dot Day, we began Artist-Writers’ Workshop, we learned what makes quality blog comments and we read, wrote, explored science and solved math problems together too.

International Dot Day

Inspired by Peter Reynold’s book The Dot, Dot Day is a celebration of perseverance, determination and growing self-confidence. It is fun, because Vashti who feels she can’t draw at all, can make a dot. We made colorful dots, window dots, and framed dots. We made dot pins, dot magnets and many painted dots. We made puzzles dots and personal dots too. We made a class super dot and put them all in a class gallery.

our dot galleryIn the book Vashti’s dots are put on display in a gallery and she is admired as a great artist. The boy who admires her work does not believe he can “draw a straight line with a ruler.” Vashti encourages him to make his mark and to see where it takes him. He does. We did too. If you are at the school some afternoon please come and tour our gallery in the hall outside our classroom. Together we make quite a mark. We had a fun day creating together.

 

dotsdotsdots

 

 

3E Rules

Our social-emotional learning has centered on responsible decision making. We’ve been thinking about how we show respect for one another and how we are each contributing to the well-being of our class and our school. Last week we created a list of behaviors that would lead us to success. Our next step was to decide on rules that felt most important for us to follow.  After discussion, rearranging and writing, we decided on the rules we will use to guide our choices and our work together in 3E. Here they are:

  • Be calm.
  • Be kind.
  • Try to solve little problems on your own.
  • Stay quiet when you should.
  • Be friendly and helpful.
  • Stay focused.
  • Stay in the classroom for directions and lessons.
  • Be cooperative.
  • Be safe.
  • Use supplies wisely.
  • Have fun.
  • Now that our class rules are set, our next steps will be to set individual goals to increase independence and develop skills with self-management and self-direction

Reading Guidelines

DSC06564Thank you everyone for helping us build a terrific reading museum today. We had some very special reading stacks on display. It was fun to see how everyone has grown and developed as a reader. It seemed that the class really enjoyed looking back and remembering great books shared as a family, the books that were first read and books that have been passed on to the next generation of readers.

Since we know we have all grown as readers and that we continue to grow as long as we continue to read, we established some guidelines for our reading time in the classroom. These are centered on the choices we make.   Some books are fun to look at and browse through. Some books are fun and quick to read. There are many different types of books – genre, they are called. It is good to try to read different types of books to stretch and grow our understanding.

We are working to grow into 40 minutes of reading a day. Our goal is that at least half of that time will be spent reading “just right” books. Other time might be spent with books like record books, almanacs, or comics.  If we are able to meet that goal we are wondering how many books we can read this year.

Understanding Multiplication and Arrays

We began the year learning about multiplication and it seems as though most of the children understand how it represents repeated grouping. As they select problems each day they are more independently able to understand the math story, represent it with an equation and solve it efficiently.

This week we learned about the commutative property. If one student has six plates with two cookies each and another student has two plates with six cookies each, they both have the same amount of cookies and that means if we know the multiples of 2 we also know some of the multiples of six. We are trying to help the children develop strategies for knowing these facts, just as they learned strategies for addition and subtraction facts last year.

 dotsBits and Pieces

  • We are excited to be able to go to the Franklin Park Zoo next week. Look for a reminder list early in the week so we are prepared for all kinds of weather.
  • Picture Day is September 22.
  • We have a challenge scheduled on September 29. We wonder what Mr. Caron will help us learn and puzzle through.

 

working together to write and create

Our Week – September 10

sharing ideasAs I write this, it feels surprising it is only our second week of school. Your children are so cooperative and friendly to each other. They listen to one another. They are thinkers and problem solvers. They are caring and interested in learning. What a wonderful group to spend the day with.

At the end of this week we will have a sense of how each part of our goes. We will have met with each UA teacher at least once so we know them and the expectations they have for us. We have learned more about blogging and everyone is able to have his or her own blog. In the next two weeks we hope to be able to get posts up for you to read, comment on and share. (I’ll send a note home in the front of the communication folder to let you know when your child’s first post is up for viewing, sharing and commenting upon.) We also learned a bit about Artist-Writers’ workshop, a quiet, mindful time for thoughtful learning and creation. We are looking forward to beginning that Tuesday morning. Along with daily reading, writing, and math work our days are full and, (I hope) fun.

Choosing Classroom Jobs

independent writingOne of our S.E.L. goals is becoming more self-aware and understanding how each individual has a responsibility to the group as a whole. This year we brainstormed a list of jobs that we thought we should do in the classroom. We decided that we were each individually responsible to picking up our own areas, supplies and messes – but we could also help each other. Beginning on Monday, we will have daily class jobs. The discussions about how to solve problems like racing for the cushy seats or ignoring when trash gets bumped on the floor were impressive. One thing I found particularly thoughtful was the decision to revisit our choices if we see they are not working. It feels as though we are on our way to a smooth year.

Developing the Rules Our Class Will Live By

writingDeveloping social responsibility is another area we work with each year. We began with the questions: What will help you learn? How will we behave so that everyone can do his or her best? Our discussions followed a few rounds of the Name Game. The game helps us learn each other’s names, while also highlighting behaviors that lead to success. From our chats and experiences we think that we should: be calm, try to solve our own little problems, stay quiet when you should, be friendly and helpful, stay focused, be cooperative and safe, use supplies wisely and carefully, be kind and have fun. Also stay in the classroom for directions and lessons.

Again you would have been proud of your children and the thoughtfulness put into the discussion. They worked to share reasons they felt those behaviors were important and really listened to one another. We worked to turn “shouldn’ts” and “don’ts” in to positives so we would know what to strive for. We seem to be a group who understands the need for mistakes to learn, and a group who wants to act responsibly and enjoy spending our time together.

lots of readingblog planning

 

Reading and Writing for a Variety of Purposes

We’ve been thinking about the qualities of “great” writing and exploring a variety of writing purposes. With insects as a focus and window into the work of scientists, we’ve been learning insect facts while exploring how authors choose to inform and entertain us through their writing. We’ve used Venn diagrams to examine how books on one topic share both some of the same and different information. We’ve also compared how books in different nonfiction series are organized to notice how the features of nonfiction texts are used differently.

The children have been writing personal narratives and information pieces. Some are in their writers’ notebooks and some will be shared on their blogs. They’ve been recording facts and collecting their ideas and images about what we’ve been reading. They are interested in poetry and singing together. They have lots of share.   They seem interested by rich language and excited by choice. Ask your child what he or she has been writing about and reading. There’s lots to explore in our room and they are still finding their way through their many choices.

solving math problemsproblem solving

 

 

 

 

 Bits and Pieces –

  • We’ll be celebrating International Dot Day, September 15. Ask your child about The Dot and why they think it’s a reason to celebrate.reading together
  • We began our second chapter read-aloud, James and the Giant Peach. It goes along with our exploration of insects and entomology, and it is an example of next week’s homework assignment. We are reading from my childhood copy of the book. It is one of my favorites. Next week the children will be asked to bring in a collection of 3 to 5 titles (books if you have them) that are important in their life as readers. Be on the look out for details Monday.
  • Beginning to explore the concept of multiplication as repeated addition and repeated groupings of the same amount. We are learning which pictures and which addition sentences can also be rewritten as multiplication equations.4 fours challenge
  • We have continued to think about science and scientist. We’ve drew a picture of what we imagine when we think the word “scientist.” We also wrote about what we imagine them doing, the tools they use and the goals they have for their work. We know there are a wide variety of scientists.
  • Our first challenge with Mr. Caron will be September 29 in the middle of the day. We will likely be outside and active so children should be ready for that.
  • Thank you for attending last night’s curriculum night. We know it is a busy time of year (I guess they all are) and totally understand if you were unable to fit everything in.   The handouts we shared are in your child Friday envelope. If you find you have any questions or concerns, please ask. My school email has an extra initial. It is bweaves@sau.org if you are trying to reach me and it comes back to you.

recess fun

Our Week – September 3

interestsWe’ve had a wonderful start. It seems as though everyone is glad to be back at school. We have been sharing our summer fun and beginning to think about our hopes and dreams for a new year of learning. We are getting used to our new schedule and classroom routine. U.A. classes are at different times from last year and we are all working to learn how to be our best together. The class has noticed habits that help us be successful – staying focused, following a procedure, staying calm, making eye contact and making sure others are ready to understand. (Pretty impressive for 4 days of school!) We are already feeling good being together. Thank you!

Home School Communications

sharing booksI intend to send a note home every Friday (or end of that week day). It is important to me. I want you to know what we are doing so you can better understand the bits and pieces that creep into your home. I hope we can really work as partners because that is the way the learning and growth flourishes. I hope my (admittedly v…e…r…y… long) memos can help you have conversations with you children by knowing some of what we are doing and why. My own children were skimpy on the details when sharing what was happening in their classrooms (for years I worked in the same school they attended, and I still didn’t know) – so I am guessing some of you might wish for more points of conversation. I will share what I can through these notes. At first I will send this message both in paper and post it on the blog – the address is 3enews.edublogs.org If you’re on the blog, make sure you subscribe by email.  That way you’ll get a reminder each time there is a new post.  Communicating through the blog feels best because the news can be illustrated with photographs. You can see more of the action in our classroom.

writing togetherI hope the weekly memo provides you with conversation points. When each child feels his/her family is interested in what he/she is doing in school, they’ll do even better. Hopefully the Friday memo and blog post will give you something to talk about. Make sure you subscribe to the blog that way you’ll get an email when a new post is made.

Knowing Ourselves and Caring for Others

Our Social Emotional Learning (S.E.L.) Focus

Our SEL focus for the first month of school is becoming more self-aware and knowing ourselves as learners, friends and members of the school community. To learn well we have to be true to ourselves, but we also must be respectful and aware of others. We have spent part of all four of our days defining the kind of learning community we want to build and be part of. We read It’s Okay to be Different and Your Fantastic Elastic Brain to guide our discussions. We’ve been working to figure out what behaviors and attitudes lead us toward success. The Name Game has been at the center of this discussion most days. See if your child can tell you about what we are doing and what we are learning through this challenge.

playing togetherWe had fun reading Quick as a Cricket and The OK Book as a way to add to this discussion. Each of the children made a self-portrait and wrote a few sentences to describe themselves. We interviewed each other about “favorites” and shared some of our “passions.” We’re each different and the same all at one time.

Estimation – Reasonable Answers

In math we have been developing number sense through estimation. We compared the amounts of the same item in jars of this same size. We are developing strategies for comparing and learning ways to describe what we see. We are identifying the information we are actually using to guide our thinking – our estimates are not random guesses after all.

We begun exploring a challenge called Four 4’s. The children are working in pairs to see how many ways they can arrange and combine four 4’s in different equations to equal amounts from 1 through 20. The room is a buzz with this work. Together we discovered that 4/4 + 4 – 4= 1 and we’ve moved on from there. It is a way to help us learn that math is a language, that there are many different answers and different ways to approach this process. Plus it’s fun to work together at something that at first seemed impossible.

Part of our math block consists of problem solving most days. There are four problems and the children have been asked to choose at least one that challenges their thinking and abilities. Making this choice – some feel too hard, some feel confusing, some feel quick. –can be tricky but it will come with time. Some of the children took risks with the problems they selected. They weren’t sure how to approach them. Yay!   Trying something new is a way to learn. Other children selected problems that they felt secure in doing. They knew they could do them. With time they will all move on to greater challenges, whether on their own or with direction.

As you look at the work in your child’s folder don’t be alarmed if they are incorrect and I did not tell them. In the first two weeks I am learning about them as mathematicians. The feedback on the problems is meant to let them know what they are doing well and what they may want to focus on next time. I am trying to build the confidence and to establish a routine of independence and self-correction.

reading togetherBits and Pieces:

  • Mrs. Forcier has joined our classroom community. We are glad to have her.
  • We enjoyed our first chapter read-aloud this week, 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos. It’s fun coincidence that the 3rd grade in the book had fish as classroom pets and we do too. We are planning to get some neon fish like those in the book. Fun!
  • Talk to your child about science – we’ve had a great time catching insects and learning about them. They are exciting.
  • Check the paper memo for an updated UA schedule with our book selection library day.
  • Nearly twice a month we will have challenges with Mr. Caron on Tuesdays. The first is on September 29
  • Grade 3 Curriculum Night – September 10 in the Music Room
  • If you’ve not had a chance to get to all this round of paper work please try. It truly is important. Thank you! (We know it is a ton!)