Third Grade News
The 3rd Six Week's
Reading
We will continue to review how to write a summary, making an inference, and identifying poetic structures. However, we will cover other new topics, such as, theme, character traits, and character change.
We will begin the six weeks with going over the difference between main idea and theme. The theme is the underlying message that the author wants to convey, whereas the main idea is what the story is mostly about. Then we will look for themes within the stories that we read.
Towards the end of this six weeks, we will discuss character traits. Characters do things. They feel things. They hear, say, and think things. But the important thing is that characters act. And these actions show us what kind of people these characters are: friendly, sad, nosy, happy, love struck, confused, angry, or inventive. When we talk about character change, we often describe the character the same way we might describe ourselves or others.
Students will identify their physical traits vs. their character traits. Then we will look at a well known character, Cinderella and her evil Stepmother to identify character traits and we will discuss how they change. To celebrate the end of this unit, we will watch the cartoon version of the Grinch. We will discuss the character traits of the Grinch and how he changes throughout. Students are welcome to dress up at citizens of Whoville. We will be sending more information
Writing
During writer’s workshop, we will use the writing process to write expository essays. Writer's use expository text to explain why or how something happens. For example students should be able to tell what their favorite subject is and why. We will also continue to read, interpret, and analyze poetry.
Math
In this six weeks, we will be learning how to summarize a data set with multiple categories and how to solve single and multi-step problems using data represented in tables and graphs. We will be collecting data and learning how to organize, display, and interpret the data. The types of graphs the students will be using are frequency tables, dot plot, pictographs, and bar graphs. They will also be applying their knowledge of addition and subtraction in order to solve word problems about their data.
The following link is a way for them to review how to make frequency tables, dot plots, data and bar graphs at home http://safeyoutube.net/w/pfp
We will also analyze the attributes of geometric shapes and figures in order to draw conclusions about their properties. The students will be classifying and sorting 2D and 3D figures based on names or attributes such as shapes of faces, number of vertices, edges, and faces. They will also be learning the characteristics of different quadrilaterals such as rhombuses, parallelograms, trapezoids, rectangles, and squares.
Science
In Science we will learn about cause and effect relationships found in nature. This will include investigating rapid changes such as: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.
Social Studies
Students will work on cardinal directions and map skills. We will understand that the physical environment is varied in terms of climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards. They will also understand that the physical environment directly affects where and how people live, and that people can directly affect the environment.
Lunch Money!
Tis the Season for Colds (School Policies)
When your child is ill, please contact the school to let us know he or she won’t be attending that day. It is important to remember that schools must exclude students with certain illnesses from school for periods of time as identified in state rules. For example, if your child has a fever over 100 degrees, he or she must stay out of school until fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea illnesses must stay home until they are diarrhea free without diarrhea-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours. A full list of conditions for which the school must exclude children can be obtained from the school nurse.
Here is PCE's Student/Parent Handbook for information on school polices and procedures.
PTA Christmas Shop
Important Dates
11/23-11/27- No School: Thanksgiving Break
12/1- Picture make-up day
12/4- Tree Lighting/Choir Performance on the Square
12/11- Field Trip: Nutcracker at UNT
12/17- Third Grade Class Party from 12:15 to 1:15
12/18- Third Grade Whoville Day (dress up like a character from Whoville)
12/18- School Sing-Along (more information to come)
12/21-1/4- No School: Christmas Break
1/18- No School: Martin Luther King Observation
2/12- Valentine's Day Class Parties
2/27- Daddy Daughter Dance
3/3- Boosterthon Begins
3/14-3/18- Spring Break
3/25- Bad Weather Make Up Day (if needed)
4/15- Bad Weather Make Up Day (if needed)
5/9-5/10- STARR Testing
5/30- No School: Memorial Day
6/2- Last Day of School/Early Release