Book Clubs!

In Readers' Workshop, students worked with their book club members to create a presentation that reflects the plot of their book. The purpose of our projects is to advertise our books so others want to read it as well.  So we want to hook our audience, but not give too much away; similar to a movie preview.  Ask your child what they're doing for their project.

In Writers' Workshop, students did the Developmental Writing Assessment (DWA).  The kids wrote these at the beginning of the year; now they're writing again to see growth and progress.  They'll continue this work tomorrow.

In Math Workshop, students found the perimeter and area of bread slices.  We used the crust to find perimeter and grid paper and the insides to identify area.

In Science, students watched an informational video produced by NASA explaining the Engineering Design Process.  Ask your child about the steps in this cycle.  This is very new to them so you might have to help them out... (Steps: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Experiment, Improve).

We finished The One and Only Ivan today! Check out this website based on the REAL Ivan: Click Here


Homework:

• Math homework:  Students have a choice for homework today.  They can either complete the paper worksheet sent home OR they can play First In Math for at least 20 minutes.
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Please sign and returns Unit 2 Math Assessment at your earliest convenience.
• Play First in Math, if possible.  We are gaining ground.  Encourage your child to play over the next week.  We could come back from Thanksgiving in first place!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Readers' Workshop, students completed a pre-assessment.  By the end of our next unit, we want students to be able to read informational text, consider and identify authors' points of view and bias, and support their thinking with evidence from text.

In Writers' Workshop, students either finished typing their personal narratives or blogged about their book club books, just right books, and our read aloud, The One and Only Ivan.

In Math Workshop, students applied their understanding of perimeter to solve for unknown sides involving fractions. Students' Unit 2 Math Assessment is coming home today.  Please review the assessment with your child and return at your earliest convenience.  Additionally, please note that the "open response" was not included in students' grades as dictated by Harford County.  Furthermore, we will do the "fact acquisition" portion when students return from Thanksgiving. The fact acquisition is a separate grade.

In Social Studies, we finished closely reading the Bill of Rights.  After each amendment, we tried to "get the gist", jotting down notes in the margins to make sense of the Bill's complex writing.

Homework:

• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Please sign and returns Unit 2 Math Assessment at your earliest convenience.
• No school for students next week.  Have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving!
• Play First in Math, if possible.  We are gaining ground.  Encourage your child to play over the next week.  We could come back from Thanksgiving in first place!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Wishing you and your family a very safe and happy Thanksgiving,

Mrs. O'Neill

Congrats, Jake!

Congratulations, Jake! He's the top player in First in Math in the entire third grade! 

In Readers' Workshop, students identified "Again and Again's" (AA's) to infer ideas about foreshadowing and symbolism.

In Writers' Workshop, students spent time typing their personal narratives.  Our goal is to finish typing by tomorrow.

In Math Workshop, students applied their understanding of perimeter to solve for unknown sides. 

In Social Studies, students closely read the Bill of Rights to help them identify and understand American citizens' basic rights.  Ask your child to name a few of their rights!

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• No school for students next week.  Have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving!
• Play First in Math, if possible.  We're in third place out of four third grade classes! 

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Thank you!

Thank you to all the visitors who were able to make it in today!

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• American Education Week: November 16-20.
• Play First in Math, if possible.  We're in third place out of four third grade classes! 

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

First in Math

In Writers' Workshop, students studied authors' leads, noting which leads they liked and why.  They then reread their lead in their personal narrative.  They used the strategy of "Try 5" to write the same lead 5 different ways and picking their favorite (see below). As writers, our lead is our "first impression" on the reader; it sometimes determines if readers abandon or stick with our writing.  Because of this, it's worth reconsidering and revising, making sure it sounds exactly right.

In Readers' Workshop, students learned that when an object, situation, or phrase come up again and again, we need to stop and ask ourselves, "Why does this keep showing up again and again?" The answers to this question help us infer ideas about characters, relationships, symbolism and theme.

In Math Workshop, students explored ideas regarding perimeter and area.  Please encourage your child to play "First In Math" at home! We're trying to take the lead in 3rd grade (we're currently in third our of four classes...).

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Picture Retake Day: Tomorrow, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20. 

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Picture Retake Day Tomorrow

Homework:

• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Picture Retake Day: Tomorrow, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20. 

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Classroom Divided!

Room 11 was a classroom divided today! See below. The kids came in very excited to show support for their chosen university.  

In Writers' Workshop, students spent time blogging.  Specifically they used claims, evidence and reasoning to show their thinking about our read aloud book, The One and Only Ivan. 

Some book clubs also met today.  In book clubs, we meet every other day to discuss characters, plot, conflict, etc.  The kids also are responsible for "jobs" in their readers' notebooks.  The kids love doing these jobs as they allow for a lot of student choice and creativity; what's more, they foster critical thinking about text. It's a win-win.  See an example below from our Stone Fox book club.

Our class also met with our kindergarten buddies, learning about and helping the littler ones understand and explain the Engineering Design Process.

Homework:

• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20.  If you are planning on coming in for American Education Week, please be sure to send in a list of planned visitors. Thank you!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Creating A College-Going Culture

In Readers' Workshop, students used "Contrasts & Contradictions" to grow ideas about character change and theme.

In Writers' Workshop, students continued to publish their personal narratives.  If they didn't finish, they took their writer's notebook and lined paper home to finish tonight.

In Math Workshop, students learned how to log on and use the online program "First in Math".  Some students may have played this last year.  Each student's log in information and password is located on the inside front cover of their planner.

College-Going Culture:  This year in room 11 we're creating what's referred to in education as a "College-Going Culture".  Essentially, I'm introducing students to Big Ten Universities.  Each student picked their own Big Ten college.  Later on in the school year, the kids will research their university, majors, etc. As a result this initiative, however, students have been routing for their university's football team each weekend.  As such, this weekend Michigan State (my Alma mater) and Maryland are playing each other in football this weekend.  

Tomorrow, if your child wants, they can wear green and white to support Michigan State or red and yellow to support Maryland. If you'd like to learn more about creating a College-Going Culture and its benefits, click here.

Homework:

• Finish publishing personal narrative, if applicable 
• Play "First in Math" (if possible)
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Early Dismissal: tomorrow
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20.  If you are planning on coming in for American Education Week, please be sure to send in a list of planned visitors. Thank you!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Contrasts & Contradictions

This morning the kids had an assembly about math.  See a snapshot left.  Ask your child what they learned about money, at the assembly.

In Readers' Workshop, we learned that when we're reading and a character suddenly does or say something opposite of what they've been saying or doing all along, we have to stop and ask ourselves, "Why is the character doing that?"  The answers to this question help us consider character change and theme.  See some examples of how we use stickies to grow our thinking about "Contrasts & Contradictions" below.  For short, we abbreviate "CC's".

Students took their Unit 2 Math Assessment today.  I'll send home results and grades next week.

In Social Studies, students learned about Veterans Day. They then had time to write a letter to a veteran, thanking them for their service.  

Homework:

• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20.  If you are planning on coming in for American Education Week, please be sure to send in a list of planned visitors. Thank you!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Test Tomorrow

In Writers' Workshop, students are learning how to organize their writing using paragraphs.  Yesterday, students learned that anytime time moves forward or backward a lot, we make a new paragraph.  Today, students learned that anytime the setting changes, we also make a new paragraph.  Students reread their personal narrative drafts, editing to show where they will indent when they publish (see below).

 

In Readers' Workshop, students payed special attention to how characters treat each other and noticed patterns.  We use these patterns to develop complex character theories.

In Math Workshop, we spent time reviewing for our assessment tomorrow.  Students have a review for homework, due tomorrow.

In Social Studies, students finished their informational comic strips about citizenship.

In Word Study, students created and labeled letters within verbs to apply their knowledge of the CVC rule when adding suffixes.

Homework:

• Math review 
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Tomorrow
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20.  If you are planning on coming in for American Education Week, please be sure to send in a list of planned visitors. Thank you!

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Math Review

Homework:

• Math review (due Wednesday)
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Wednesday, November 11.
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Kiddle.Co

Today I introduced students to many books they may not have heard of yet.  I gave them each a list and students highlighted books they might be interested in.  We then used "kiddle.co" (Google's kid-safe search engine) to research and preview the books we highlighted.  Students commented on my blog, describing which books appealed to them and why.

Homework:

• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Wednesday, November 11.
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Math Test Pushed

Unit 2 Math Assessment update:  As some of you may have heard, I was out unexpectedly yesterday.  Because of this unplanned absence, I was not able to spend the time reviewing for our Unit 2 Assessment as I had planned. Therefore, students' test that was scheduled for tomorrow, is pushed to Wednesday, November 11.  I will send home a review next week.  Thank you!

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Wednesday, November 11.
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Sentence Variety

In Writers' Workshop, we created basic sentences (noun + verb) and then used our understanding of adverbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, and articles to write longer and stronger sentences.  We also noticed that we could manipulate where we put our prepositional phrases to help us vary the way we begin sentences.

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Friday, November 6.
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.
• American Education Week: November 16-20

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Math Test Friday

In Readers' Workshop, students looked for memory moments.  When they came to a memory moment, they stopped and asked themselves, "Why might this memory be important?" to help them infer ideas about conflict and theme.

In Writers' Workshop, students identified nouns, verbs, articles, adverbs, and adjectives. This week, we'll  be using these parts of speech to vary the way we begin our sentences.

In Math Workshop, students used their schema to generate ideas about weight.  Students explored objects throughout the room, identifying their possible weight in grams.

In Social Studies, students are applying their knowledge of citizenship to create informational comic strips.

In Read Aloud, students identified one color to best represent the character Mack.  Ask them about their color and why they chose it.  See some samples below!

Homework:

• Math homework
• Read 20 minutes 

Reminders:

• Unit 2 Math Assessment: Friday, November 6.
• Picture Retake Day: Tuesday, November 17.

Classroom Supplies:

Kidblog Link:  https://kidblog.org/class/RES11/login

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill