News from O'Brien's Sour Patch Kids
February 5, 2014
Happy New Year!
CONTENT CORNER
Reading: We have been focusing on reading various stories and texts in reading groups. Students are having meaningful disucssions about their text and are reviewing story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution, theme) with fictional texts and text features (subtitles, captions, table of contents, etc.) with informational text. We have discussed the various informational text structures, such as description, cause and effect, and compare and contrast with informational text. We have been using Venn Diagrams to help organize our information when comparing and contrasting 2 informational texts . We have spent a lot of time on proving our answers and citing textual evidence using the Stoplight Strategy. During second quarter, we were working on finding the main idea and supporting details of a text. This continues to be a skill that we are working on. Students continue to become "text detectives" by using context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words. Students are learning about prefixes, suffixes, base words, and multiple meaning words during our word study time.
Writing: Students are currently working on an informational report. Students brainstormed topics, created subtitles, and researched their topics. We are currently in the drafting stage. Students will revise and edit next week using checklists and will publish their reports at the end of the month. I am very pleased with their persistence and enthusiasm towards their reports.
Science: We have begun our last science unit "Behavior, Growth, and Change." Students have been learning about how offspring often resemble their parents as well as inherited traits and learned behaviors.
Math: We have finished our unit on measurement. Students focused on measuring to the nearest 1/4 inch as well as determining perimeter and areas of polygons. We are finishing up our geometry unit this week. Students have been working very hard on classifying polygons and sorting them on their different attributes. We will begin our Fractions unit next week.
IMPORTANT DATES & REMINDERS
Valentines Party: Thurs. Feb. 13 2:30-3:15pm
No School: Fri. Feb. 14
No School: Mon. Feb. 17
3rd Grade Musical (O'Brien, Lewis, Denney cast): Wed. Feb. 26 7:00pm
Study Island
VALENTINES PARTY
These students have been seen spreading the seeds of the schoolwide LIFESKILLS.
- Alex, Vanya, and Will are demonstrating the lifeskill of Active Listening on a daily basis.
- Olivia and Ella have been showing the lifeskill of caring by keeping our classroom neat and organized.
- Ashwini, Max, and Jackson have shown initiative and personal best by working hard on their informational reports.
Mrs. Jackie O'Brien
Third Grade Teacher
Indian Hill Elementary School
Email: obrienj@ih.k12.oh.us
Location: 6100 Drake Road, Cincinnati, OH
Phone: 513-271-4721