The Wheatlands AT News
September 22, 2014
It's been a fantastic week in AT!!!
3rd Grade Math
Students in third grade learned how rounding is an efficient method of estimating sums. Ask them to show you how to estimate by rounding the addends to the highest place value for 2 and 3 digit addition. They should be able to explain these vocabulary words: addends, sum, round, commutative property of addition, associative property of addition, identity property of addition, estimate, and regrouping. Students continue to work in flexible small groups to address any needed reteaching or extensions to skills as determined by formative assessment. Our chapter 2 test will be next Thursday. Watch for review pages to come home on Wednesday. It would be helpful to go over these concepts with your child to prepare.
4th grade math
Students in 4th grade completed the the Unit 1 district assessment on Friday (a few need to finish on Monday). They worked to attend to precision, and I look forward to seeing their results and growth. District Unit Assessments are not sent home, only chapter tests; but I will meet with each student to share their results with them.
Our next unit explores the relationship between multiplication and division, and models for multiplying and dividing. The unit pre-assessment will be on Monday (followed by some much deserved math challenge game time). We will then begin to form our differentiated groups based on mastery of content. Students will also be completing a project in this unit. Stay tuned!
Thank you for your support in helping them complete assignments on time and bring materials to AT class.
5th Grade Math
Students in 5th grade have been brainstorming ways in which multiplication and division are utilized through real world experiences. They selected topics and began work with their partners this week. Students have begun to explore the essential questions of how multiplication and division are utilized in their particular topic. Some are exploring the math involved in remodeling a room, owning a football team, and operating the Library of Congress (to name a few). They also discussed what form their final product might take in order to present their findings to the class. We are working on "keeping it real"
Please note: Parents are not expected to complete their multi-thousand dollar room renovations! LOL
They will have time this week to work in AT math, but may also need to complete portions of the work at home. Research online, a trip to a bakery or Home Depot, or even a Bears game (again all optional) may be part of the research they wish to conduct. :) Talk with them this weekend about the work that they started with their partners.
The Wheatlands PTA and Publishing Center Proudly Presents: Author Kathy Elstad
The Wheatlands PTA and Publishing Center are delighted to welcome author Kathy Elstad on Friday, October 3rd. Ms. Elstad will talk with students about her career as an author and her book The Long-Legged Turtle.
AT Reading/English Language Arts
3rd Grade
3rd graders are continuing their study of Frindle, by Andrew Clements. They are thinking and talking about how Nick’s words, actions, and reactions reveal his character traits, motivations, and emotions. They will determine if Nick is a "troublemaker" this week. We will be finishing our create-a-word project with a poster too, and finishing up the book with an opportunity to write a reading response.
Please be sure students write a short response to their daily reading on their reading logs. Some students are doing a lovely job sharing their thinking or writing a brief summary of their text. This doesn't take much time and can be anything they are thinking in response to the reading, not only summary. Questions, connections to their own live or other texts, opinions about the book or what the characters are doing are just a few examples. The purpose is to help build their metacognitive processes. Reading logs are due on Fridays.
4th Grade
Students in 4th grade set some goals related to expanding the genre that they read. Many students realize they need to read a greater variety, including more non fiction and historical fiction. Next week we will be exploring how emotions and empathy are critical to deep comprehension…not just inferring the emotions of the characters, but noticing their own emotional responses as readers and the role that plays in higher level thinking about their texts. Students will also begin a project to share their reading lives with others.
5th Grade
Students in 5th grade received texts that they would will be reading for small group. All texts relate to perseverance. Some texts are fiction, others are non-fiction, but all will lead to great conversations. Students will meet for their first discussions on Tuesday. They will have work to do to prepare for the discussion in addition to doing the reading. Ask them to tell you about this work and show you how they are prepared to talk with and learn from the others in their groups. Students will complete a self evaluation at each discussion. I will assess students in discussion periodically throughout the reading and eventually, they will assess each other's participation in the group. I predict some fantastic discussions from this group!
As always...Keep reading, writing, thinking, and communicating!
Mrs. Reetz
Email: scollier-reetz@sd308.org
Website: www.oswego308.org
Location: The Wheatlands Elementary School, West Barrington Drive, Aurora, IL, United States
Phone: 630.636.3500
Twitter: @WheatlandsAT