3rd Grade Curriculum Presentation

Math and Science for the Week of February 21-24

Parents,

This week will be a little odd!  We have a four day week as well as a Reading Practice STAAR test this week on Thursday.  

In Math this week, we will be moving on to 2-D shapes.  All students will receive a hole punched sheet with all the shapes that they will be required to know.  This sheet will be put into their green binder that they bring home everyday.  We will be studying the 3 requirements a shape needs in order to be a polygon.  

Polygons must be: 1. Flat, 2. closed, 3. and have straight sides.  All students will need to recognize circles, ovals, triangles, squares, rectangles, rhombuses, parallelograms, trapezoids, pentagons, hexagons, and octagons.  We will be focusing on certain vocabulary such as sides, vertices, and parallel lines.  Next week we will merge into learning about 3-D shapes.

In Science we will be moving on to studying clouds.  The students worked in groups at the end of last week to learn about 1 certain type of cloud.  They will be teaching the class early this week about their cloud and there will be much discussion.  We will be making an anchor chart together to hang in the classroom and they will use it to complete a cloud project/flip book that we will be working on in Science for the remainder of the week.  The students will be bringing home 18 flashcards and a study guide to study for their test the following week on weather, weather tools, and clouds.  Be looking for it and harass your children for it!

As always, call or email with any questions!

Mrs.S

Math and Science for the Week of February 13th-17th

Dear Parents,

This week in Math we will be studying a culmination of things.  We are going to finish up learning about Area and have a day of Problem Solving to go back over deciding on an operation.  Then we will be moving on to Geometry for the next couple of weeks.  In the later part of the week, we will be learning about congruent shapes.  All students will identify congruent and non-congruent shapes.  Two shapes are congruent when they are identical in shape and size. In other words, if you place an object in front of a mirror, the image that you see is congruent or " equal " to the object.  The students should pick up on this math concept fairly quickly.  


We have moved on to weather in Science.  Last week we focused on Weather tools and the students and I made a flip chart together of 8 major tools that meteorologists use to predict the weather.  They are as follows:
1. Weather Balloons
2. Thermometer
3. Barometer
4. Hygrometer
5. Anemometer
6. Wind Vane
7. Rain Gauge
8. Weather Satellites


This is vocabulary that they will most certainly need to know for a future test.  This week we will be studying the Water Cycle and Types of Clouds.  Flashcards will be made here at school and will be coming home in the latter part of the week. 


The kids will have a counselor lesson this week and we will be dedicating some time to a typing technology that we must implement into our classrooms for the remainder of the year.  It should be fun!


Love, Mrs. S

Math and Science for the Week of January 23rd-27th

Fractions, Fractions, and more Fractions!!!  We are still working on......you guessed it, Fractions!  We started our really basic two weeks ago and reviewed some 2nd grade concepts of what a fraction is (part of a whole) and we revisited how to write fractions in several different ways.  Last week we focused on comparing fractions.  Which fraction is larger or smaller or equal?  We played Level 1 of our Fraction Taco game last week and really had a blast.  We had a short assessment this past Friday on Fractions of a Whole, Fractions of a Set, and Comparing Fractions.  Look for that in your child's Tuesday Newsday this week.
     This week we will concentrate on making equal fractions.  We we will learn why 1/2 and 2/4 are indeed the very same thing.  We will practice this concept by playing level 2  in our Fraction Taco Game!  We also will be talking about making models with fractions.  You will see this in your child's HW this week.  They will need to read a word problem very carefully and illustrate exactly what it says, so that they can answer the given question in the word problem.  I tell the kids that the most important thing in Fractions is to read the directions very carefully and identify exactly what the problem is asking for.  So many want to skim over the directions and make an educated guess as to what they are supposed to do.  It has proven disastrous when working with Fractions!

Last Thursday we finished devoting class time to our Landform project and moved on Natural Resources on Friday.  The kids really seemed to have a firm grasp on what a Natural Resource is and I was really pleased with some of their insightful comments during discussion.  This week we are going to dive a little further and learn about renewable and non-renewable resources, where these things are found, and how we can conserve on Earth.

Looking forward to it!  Any questions about content, please just shoot me a quick email and ask. :)

Math and Science for the Week of January 17th-20th

This short week in Math we will continue our study of Fractions.  Students will review Fractions of a Set in the beginning of the week.  We will mainly concentrate on Linear Fractions this week by teaching the students how to play "Fraction War."  The kids will be comparing Linear Fractions to decide if 1/3 is less, more, or equal to 1/2. They will be given a visual tool to help them make these decisions.  Towards the end of the week we will teach the kids another fun game called "Fraction Taco,"  by which the students will cut and manipulate and make their own fractions to really reach those kinesthetic learners.  Friday will be an assessment of fractions of a whole, fractions of a set, and comparing fractions.

  Please continue working with your child on the concept of money.  The district did not allot a good chunk of time for us to reinforce money in their road map. I feel its very important to take a step back and review money, being that we only touched the surface for three days at the beginning of this semester.

*******This week for fast facts students that made a 100 on their 0's,1's, and 10's, will be given the flashcards for 2's this week.  They will be tested on their 0's, 1's, 2's, AND 10's this Friday.

Students that did not receive a 100, will continue to study their 0's, 1's, and 10's and will be given the same test this Friday. This week's test will be recorded for a grade.

In Science we are still working on our Landform power point project.  The kids have really enjoyed working on the computer and learning how to research.  I have about 6-8 kids in each class completely finished and enjoying some free time on the computers!  For those students substantially behind, I will be contacting parents to make morning time arrangements to catch up.  Ideally, we want to all be finished by Wednesday and print on Thursday.  We shall see if it happens!  Usually when it comes to teaching, nothing ever works out as planned!

Looking forward to another great week of learning. :-)

Mrs. S   

In Math and Science Week of January 9-13th

Well parents we made it through the first three days back.  We all were a little sluggish and tired by Friday!  We are already getting back in the groove and hitting the ground running.

In Math this week we will start the wonderful world of fractions!!  The first half of the week we will work on parts of a whole (imagine a pizza or pie) .  We will be trying to verbalize 2/8 pieces have been eaten, 3/6 pieces are shaded, etc....  The latter part of the week we will be looking at parts of a set.  For example 4/6 squares are shaded so that means 2/6 squares are NOT shaded.  Fractions, for whatever reason, causes grief across every grade level.  My fear is that there is a lot that has been forgotten over the past year concerning fractions, so I am going to really start basic at first as a review, and slowly build a foundation.  We will be studying fractions the next 3-4 weeks.

This coming Friday will be our first multiplication Fast Fact test.  The students will be expected to complete 30 problems in 1.5 minutes.  Flash cards to study will be given on Monday to study at home with you.  Students can also practice online with some websites on our Helpful Websites tab in the blog.  Please study x0, x1, and x10.  Students will only be tested on these this Friday.  This first test will not be graded.

In Science the kids will be working on a Land form project in Power Point.  Each student was assigned a Land form this past Friday, and will begin their research starting this coming Monday in class.  The kids will be given 30-45 minutes in class a day to complete this project.  They will be given a research paper with all the requirements to guide them through their research.  This project will hopefully be completed by this Friday the 13th, so that the kids can share them with their classmates the following week.

Here are the requirements of the project:

1. Land form's formal definition
2. How the Land form is formed
3. How the Land form changes over time
4. 2 real world examples of their Land form with location and 2 interesting facts per example

All students will be using Mrs. Moore's website on Land forms to conduct their research.  Here is the link:

Land Form Research Websites

It should be a great week of learning :)  

Love, Mrs. S

Welcome Back!!! Math and Science this week.....

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year!!!  I hope all of your holiday break was filled with family, fun, and laughter.  It is good to be back :)  This crazy short week will be a great transition to get back into the school groove.

In math this week we will be counting money. We will use coins and bills to count and identify money. Students are expected to identify coins and their value and count dollar amounts. Students also need to use the correct symbols to label amounts. Counting coins is a concept that was introduced in 1st grade, reviewed in 2nd grade, and hopefully mastered by 3rd grade. It can be a difficult concept for students to master so please practice counting at home. Just take out a coin purse, grab a handful of coins and have the kids count! The best way to master the concept is to practice, practice, practice!

In science we will be looking at landforms. Landforms are natural formations found on Earth. We will study many examples including mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, basins, prairies, oceans and many more! Here is a link with some other examples: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/landforms/glossary.shtml

There will be no Fast Facts test this week, but that doesn't mean you can't start practicing.  We will start with multiplication this month.  Please practice the x 0, x1, and x10.  All students will have to make a 100, before they can move on to the next level on their multiplication test.  So practice, practice, practice.  Good ol' flashcards are NOT overrated!

Once again, welcome back.  I look forward to the 2ND half of the school year :)

Mrs. S

Math and Science for the Week of November 7th-11th

Dear Parents,  
It was great seeing all of you at field day last week!  We hope to see you again this Friday for the Veterans concert that your child will be singing in.  
On Friday we took a pop quiz over Math concepts we have been working on over the last two weeks.  The quiz consisted of Measurement in customary units, Perimeter, Time, and Temperature.  I was very pleased with the mastery that was evident of these concepts!  The students are really improving with time to the minute.
In Math this week we will be moving on to a new concept.......Multiplication!!!  Students will brainstorm things that come in groups: 2 eyes, 3 wheels on a tricycle, 8 sides on an octagon, etc.  We will discuss that multiplication is actually just equal “groups of” things.  Through a game called “Circles and Stars”, students will represent 5 “groups of” 3 with 5 circles and 3 stars in each circle.  Students will use repeated addition ( 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 15) to discover the total amount of stars.  We will then connect this to the multiplication sentence of 5 x 3 = 15.  Students will also be introduced to the concept of “arrays”.  We will learn equal rows of things such as 4 rows with 3 cookies in EACH row ( 4 x 3 = 12).   Please look out for any opportunities at home to point out “arrays” or “groups of” things.  Example:  If your family is making cookies, use multiplication to find out how many cookies are on the pan.  If the football team scored 3 touchdowns, use multiplication to find out how many points in all.
Our Fast Fact Friday Quiz will consist of addition/subtraction facts combined and will be recorded in the gradebook.  Students should be studying facts every night for at least 5 – 8 minutes. 

In Science this Week the students will take the Energy, Force, and Motion test.   Students have a study guide AND flashcards to help prepare for the assessment.  It was given to them on Friday to take home and begin preparing with you!  We also will spend the week preparing for the test with different activities as well as a fun game of Jeopardy is planned.
 

Math and Science for the Week of October 31st-November 4th

Dear Parents,


This week the kids will look forward to field day on Friday at 8:10 to 9:00!!!  


In Math LAST week, we studied time to the minute and learning how to read a scale on a thermometer in Celsius and Fahrenheit.  I found that our kids had a tough time with time (pun intended!).  When the clock got into what we called "the danger zone," the majority of students would actually misread the hour of the clock.  So instead of writing 1:55, they would write 2:55, because the hour hand appeared as though it was on the 2.  Please work with our kids anytime you can and make them read an analogue clock for practice.


In Math THIS week, we will begin working in measurement as we use rulers to find the length of objects using the customary measurement system.  We will focus on inches, feet, yards, and miles.  Students will practice predicting the length of objects around the room, measuring with rulers, and then calculate the difference between the predicted and the actual length.   We will also work on the concept of Perimeter.  We will talk about the border around our bulletin boards or the fence around the school to introduce the concept of a perimeter.  To find the perimeter, students will measure all sides of an object or shape and then find the sum of these sides.  To challenge your child on perimeter,  give them the total perimeter of an object or shape and encourage them to find all the possible lengths that could equal the given perimeter.  
Our Fast Fact Friday Quiz will be practice.  Students should be studying facts every night for at least 5 – 8 minutes.   


In Science this week, We will continue our study of Energy, Force, and Motion.  Students have been working hard to gain an understanding of potential and kinetic energy.  We have discussed mechanical energy, gravity, and the concept of push/pull.  Now we will explore light energy, sound energy, and heat energy all this week.  Ask your child to use their own words to teach you about all these different kinds of energy around us.
 

Math and Science for the Week of October 17th

Parents,


This week will be fast and furious with our two half days on Thursday and Friday.   In Math this week, students will continue working on addition and subtraction word problems.  We have been working hard on 3-digit subtraction with a medial zero.  Here are two different scenarios with medial zero:
                           705                                           705
                        - 422                                          -426
                     ---------                                   ---------
In the first problem, the ones place does not need to be regrouped, therefore the zero in the middle of the problem will be a 10 and the 7 will be reduced to a 6.  In the second problem, the ones place does have to be regrouped. Therefore, the zero in the middle will be reduced to a 9 and the 7 will be reduced to a 6.  This is all very confusing to nine-year-olds!!!   This is a really hard concept for 3rd graders and they are having a tough time with it and need LOTS of practice.  Please work with them if you can at home.  It's always good to hear someone else's voice teaching a hard concept. :)
This week we will be working on subtracting across three zeros such as this:
                                   800                                                   500
                                 -555                                                  -224
                            -----------                                         -----------  
Our Fast Fact Friday Quiz will consist of subtraction AND addition problems this week and will be a practice only !!  This is our first week to mix addition and subtraction.  Please study both this week.  Students should be studying facts every night for at least 5 – 8 minutes.  


In Science, we just concluded our study on Matter and had our first big Science Test last week.  We had fun studying for the test playing Matter Jeopardy and Matter Game-board Bonanza!  We are moving on to reading thermometers in Celsius and Fahrenheit, as well as making mixtures and figuring out the best tools to separate them again.  


I look forward to conferencing with all of you at the end of this week and discussing your child's progress in 3rd grade.


Love, 
Mrs. S   

In Math and Science This Week....

Dear Parents,
If you are interested in what your son/daughter will be learning this week, please take a few minutes to read this.


In Math: 
We will move in to our study of subtraction with re-grouping.  Students will subtract 2-digit and 3-digit numbers.  This is a challenging skill for third graders so any extra practice at home is wonderful.  We will practice the very important skill of recognizing when a problem solving situation requires addition or subtraction.  We will use the table below to help guide our mathematical decision to add or subtract in order to solve a problem successfully.  This week will will be really Focusing on Comparative Subtraction Word Problems and Missing Part Subtraction Word Problems.

Combine 2 or more groups of things	Addition
Compare 2 groups of things	Subtraction
Take some things away from a group	Subtraction
Find a missing part of a group	Subtraction

Our Fast Fact Friday Quiz will consist of subtraction problems only and will be a practice.  Please see your student’s Tuesday Newsday folder for the Fast Fact quiz from Friday.  This can help guide your studies at home each night.  As we begin working with addition and subtraction of large numbers, correct re-call of math facts will be incredibly important.  Students should be studying facts every night for at least 5 – 8 minutes. 


In Science:

This week we will continue investigating matter by experimenting with the changes of matter.  Students will learn about “physical changes” and “chemical changes”.  We will look closely into changing from a solid to a liquid and vice versa, and changing from a liquid into a gas and vice versa. We will conduct a fun experiment called The Great Ice Cube Race to observe one of these changes and discover what a physical change needs in order to happen.  We will assess the students knowledge of the states of matter through an end of unit exam next week.