Think Tank in Third
Weekly Update- September 23, 2016
Week at a Glance
Math- This week we started discussing addition with regrouping. One thing we are really focusing on this year is proving our answers. We want to be sure students understand why they need to regroup and aren't just completing a process.
Writing- We continued making lists this week, and made a list of memories that will later become a personal narrative topic. We are loving the organization of our Writer's Notebooks so that students can use them effectively throughout the year. Next week we will begin mini-lessons to focus on specific writing skills.
Genius Hour- Genius hour did not happen this week because we were in an all-day training and had substitutes. We will pick up next week.
Online Learning Resources
Aleks: I know many of you have been anxious to get started with Aleks. We will be taking the pretest next week and students will have their login information after October 3rd. Mrs. Callahan and I want to wait until we are trained in Aleks to let students begin using this resource. Aleks will not be a required resource to use as it is in some grades, but all students will have access.
MobyMax: This is an awesome resource for math and reading. Students can earn game time as they work through lessons. All lessons are tailored to meet your child's individual needs based on a pretest they took. Students earn classroom money when they earn a badge. To log in: Students' usernames will be the same as their google account. For example, mine is pratt.3. The password for all students is eagles3!
Think Tank Tip of the Week
How do I have my child show their thinking?!
As you can see from the picture on the left, this group showed 3 different ways that they solved this addition problem. They used pictures, expanded form, and the traditional algorithm.
Think of the saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Visuals are a powerful way for students to show their thinking.