Third Grade Tribune
News from 3L and 3R May 5, 2016
End of the Year
We can hardly believe that the end of the school year is approaching. It’s been such a fun and exciting year of learning with your children! In the midst of all of that learning, many students have checked out books from the classroom libraries, as well as, the school library. We kindly ask that you and your child take a quick look around your home to see if any of these borrowed books show up. If you could send them to school with your child before May 13th, we’d greatly appreciate it!
ELA
In Reading, the class has been practicing all of the skills learned this year as we read Charlotte’s Web. Focusing closely on point of view, using context clues, and determining the theme of a story, students have worked in small groups, independently, and with partners to think deeply about the text as they read. Charlotte’s Web is always a favorite of the kids and so far they are really enjoying it! Students have also worked diligently to complete their independent reading projects during class. They should be proud of how much they’ve grown as readers this year!
In Writing, the class just finished studying homophones and is switching gears this week to study simple, complex, and compound sentences. Using conjunctions, students will work to make their sentences more varied in structure. We will end the year by completing our Third Grade Rocks writing unit. This unit includes a timeline of third grade events, a narrative writing piece about one of their favorite third grade moments, and a letter to incoming second graders about what to expect in third grade. Students have already begun and are excited to continue this culminating project!
Math
Mathematicians have been working hard in the classroom continuing their study of fractions. Students need several experiences with fractions before preceding to formal fraction operations because they need to build up some fraction sense. This means that students should develop an intuition that helps them make appropriate connections, determine size, order, and equivalence, and judge whether answers are or are not reasonable. Through hands on approaches and illustrations students have been able to compare factions and find equivalent fractions.
During the last two weeks of schools, students will engage in a hands on, culminating activity called Geometrocity. Geometrocity is a project based learning activity where students will take their geometry skills and design their own city. During this multi-tiered activity students will be creating a city that uses 2D and 3D shapes, practicing both plane and solid geometry. Students will utilize many types of geometric skills such as building nets to create buildings and structures along with designing parts of a city with shapes, lines, angles, and more. It's sure to be a fun time for everyone!
Science
Important Dates
May 12th- 3R to Green Acres
May 20th- 3L to Green Acres
May 24th- Third Grade Field Day
May 26th- End of the Year Party, Last day for students