Weekly Photos Here
Unit of Inquiry How the World Works Flyer
Presentations were a success and I definitely saw improvement among most students when speaking to an audience. When students are presenting I am looking for eye contact, voice volume, introduction to the audience, and listening skills when students are watching the presentations. We completed a Venn Diagram about carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. The students participated in an interactive slide show about Food Chains. With the information from the slide show the students were able to identify the sun as energy, plants as producers, and consumers as humans and animals. We then took our learned information and completed our UOI vocabulary journals.
In English we continued our morning routine of 15 minutes writing. Our writing focuses on story sequencing, describing animals, and setting descriptions. For phonics we focused on vowel teams and reviewing glued sounds. UOI was intertwined with vocabulary and writing as usual. Our 6+1 Traits of Writing we looked at beginning, middle, and end.
In math we wrote numbers eleven through twenty in word farm. Please be advised that at the end of the school year we will check students’ understanding of numbers. One skill we are looking for is the ability to write numbers in word form. I suggest students practice writing numerals in word form.
Next week our Unit of Inquiry officially becomes How The World Works. The Central idea of the new UOI is, People find ways to make their lives easier. Students will take a walk around the school observing simple machines. We will look at pulleys, levers, screws, wheels and axles, inclined planes, and wedges. These simple machines will also be our UOI vocabulary for this unit. Vocabulary is taught using the Frayer Model. Students define, create a sentence, give an example, and draw a picture. I have attached the flyer for How the World Works below the weekly photos. Please click on the link.
For English phonics I will introduce the vowel teams ou, oo, ue, and ew. Words that use these vowel teams are book, blue, chew, and soup. Students will continue their 6+1 Traits of Writing looking at beginning, middle, and end. During our daily morning routine, Sunday through Wednesday, they will write for 15 minutes. Students are being reminded on a daily basis to capitalize, punctuate, and use finger space. My hope is that, next year, grade 3 teachers will not need to remind the students and these are skills they carry into the new school year.
For math we will review volume, subtraction, place value, and addition with numbers larger than 100. As these are skills we will be continuing for the month of April, please discuss these skills with your child. Ask them if they understand. If they do not understand discuss these skills and ideas in your home language. Students will only benefit from these type of discussions at home.
IMPORTANT DATES!!!
- Final round of ASA begins April 13th
- Progress Reports April 17th
- Three Way Conferences April 22nd – 24th
- Book Week April 20th – 24th
- Reading Buddies April 22nd
- Book Swap April 23rd
- Character Day April 24th