May 28th - June 5th

Important Announcements-

Monday, May 27 Memorial Day- There is no school in honor of our fallen service men and women.

6/3- 6/4- Full days of school

6/5- 9:00- 10:25  Last day of school!

**Accelerated Math classes - Please check out the Accelerated Math tab for some great information for the summer.  Happy reading!***

May Watts Spirit Days- As part of the end of the year festivities, the third grade has some fun activities planned for the students.

Wednesday, 5/29- Spelling Bee- How well did you learn those spelling words? Each class will host a Spelling Bee using all the words that you learned this year.

Thursday, 5/30- End the day with Jeopardy. Test your skill against classmates over material learned throughout the year.

Friday, 5/31- Read In! What better way to finish the week than with a celebration of reading. Bring your favorite books from home, a towel, an extra snack, a favorite stuffed animal, and read, read, read!

Monday, 6/2- Let's end the year at the movies! The third graders will watch the movie, Charlotte's Web. Spread out your towel, bring a special snack, and drink (no pop please!), and enjoy the movie!

Tuesday, 6/3- May Watts Field Day- The students will enjoy a morning of fun activities out in the sun. The students are encouraged to bring a water bottle and wear comfortable clothes. Don't forget to apply sunscreen in the morning before coming to school!

Week of May 20th

Important Dates:

Kindergarten Registration and screenings Monday, May 20

No School Monday, May 27

Reading - We will continue reading The Crowded House.  The Crowded House by Eva Jacob is a reader's theater play about a carpenter and his family who live in a crowded house. The family continues to get into each other's way. They decide to ask the advice of the wise man in the town, Bartholomew. The story has a lesson, so we will focus on the author's purpose. Will they figure out a solution to their cramped living situation? Ask your child what happens in the story this week.

Vocabulary - wits, wailing, faring, advice, dreadful, farewell

After we finish The Crowded House, the students will do a variety of reader's theater. 

Writing -Students will be writing poetry in the month of May. Some types of poems we will write are: acrostic, haiku, cinquain, limericks, free verse, shape poems and autobiography poems. We will also practice reading poems and may even memorize one!

Spelling - This week the students will be tested on list #30. The pattern is words that end in -le and -al.  The test will be on Friday, 24.

Science- We will continue our last science unit of the year this week. Students will begin to learn about the Earth's moon. The concepts we will talk about are: our solar system (basic review); how Earth and the Moon are alike and different; the different movements of the moon; and the 8 main phases of the moon.

Math-

Third Grade Math - The remainder of the year will be dedicated to solving word problems and a review of the standards.

Accelerated Math - Accelerated math is going to work on area and perimeter. The remainder of the year will be dedicated to a review of the standards we have learned so far. Please feel free to look at the Accelerated Math tab at the top of the page. We are adding explanations to some of the standards that we are covering.

May 13th - May 17th

Important Dates:

 5/13/13 - No School - School Improvement Day

5/15/13 - Rescheduled Jump for Heart

Students will be jumping rope to raise money and promote heart healthy activities.

Reading - The Crowded House by Eva Jacob is a reader's theater play about a carpenter and his family who live in a crowded house.  The family continues to get into each other's way.  They decide to ask the advice of the wise man in the town, Bartholomew.  The story has a lesson, so we will focus on the author's purpose.  Will they figure out a solution to their cramped living situation?  Ask your child what happens in the story this week. 

Vocabulary - wits, wailing, faring, advice, dreadful, farewell

Writing - Students will be writing poetry in the month of May. Some types of poems we will write are: acrostic, haiku, cinquain, limericks, free verse, shape poems and autobiography poems. We will also practice reading poems and may even memorize one!

Spelling - This week the students will be tested on list #29. The pattern is words that end like ever. The test will be Friday, May 17th. 

Science- We will be beginning our last science unit of the year this week. Students will begin to learn about the Earth's moon. The concepts we will talk about are: our solar system (basic review); how Earth and the Moon are alike and different; the different movements of the moon; and the 8 main phases of the moon.

Math-

Third Grade Math -   The remainder of the year will be dedicated to solving word problems and a review of the standards.

Accelerated Math - Accelerated math is going to work on area and perimeter.  The remainder of the year will be dedicated to a review of the standards we have learned so far. Please feel free to look at the Accelerated Math tab at the top of the page.  We are adding explanations to some of the standards that we are covering.

Week of May 6th!

Important Dates:

 5/6/13 -Volunteer Appreciation Dessert Reception
Mark your calendars volunteers.  The Volunteer Dessert Reception has been re-scheduled for Monday, May 6th from 2:00-3:30.  Please come and be our guests for some yummy desserts.  It's our way of saying "thanks" for all you do to help the May Watts community.  May Watts wouldn't be the great school it is without the time and talent of all our fabulous volunteers.

The third grade students will be preforming a special "thank you" about 2:45pm -- don't miss it!

 

5/9/13 - Jump for Heart

Students will be jumping rope to raise money and promote heart healthy activities.

5/13/13 - No School - School Improvement Day

Reading - This week we will be reading the poem I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor.  The poem is about a girl who shares her love for desert life as she tells of treasured experiences such as dancing in the wind on Dust Devil Day or sleeping outside on a hot summer night.  This story will lead into our writing unit on poetry. 

Writing -  Students will be writing poetry in the month of May.  Some types of poems we will write are:  acrostic, haiku, cinquain, limericks, free verse, shape poems and autobiography poems.  We will also practice reading poems and may even memorize one! 

Spelling - This week the students will be tested on list #28.  The pattern is contractions.   The test will be Friday, May 10th.

 

Social Studies - The students have been learning about immigration through Ellis Island and Angel Island in the early 1900's.  We will also discuss the Great Migration when many African Americans moved North from the South to have a better life.  A study guide will come home soon.  The test should be this week sometime!  

Science- We will be beginning our last science unit of the year this week.  Students will begin to learn about the Earth's moon.  The concepts we will talk about are: our solar system (basic review); how Earth and the Moon are alike and different; the different movements of the moon; and the 8 main phases of the moon.

 

Math-

Third Grade Math -  Currently third grade math is learning about volume and capacity.  The students are learning how to measure weight in grams and kilograms and how to measure liquid capacity in liters and milliliters.  After we complete this short unit.  The remainder of the year will be dedicated to solving word problems and a review of the standards.

Accelerated Math - Accelerated math is continuing to study fractions.

Week of April 29 - May 3

Hello Third Grade students and families!  Welcome to May!  Here's what's happening in third grade this week...

Important Dates:

 5/6/13 -Volunteer Appreciation Dessert Reception
Mark your calendars volunteers.  The Volunteer Dessert Reception has been re-scheduled for Monday, May 6th from 2:00-3:30.  Please come and be our guests for some yummy desserts.  It's our way of saying "thanks" for all you do to help the May Watts community.  May Watts wouldn't be the great school it is without the time and talent of all our fabulous volunteers.

The third grade students will be preforming a special "thank you" about 2:45pm -- don't miss it!

5/9/13 - Jump for Heart

Students will be jumping rope to raise money and promote heart healthy activities.

5/13/13 - No School - School Improvement Day

Reading - This week the students will discuss the setting of a story and how it affects the mood/feelings of the reader.  We will read a fun story called Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch.  Later in the week, we will be reading the poem I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor.  The poem is about a girl who shares her love for desert life as she tells of treasured experiences such as dancing in the wind on Dust Devil Day or sleeping outside on a hot summer night.  This story will lead into our writing unit on poetry. 

Writing -  The students are finishing up their natural disaster posters and will practice how to write to a prompt - or on-demand writing.  This is when the students are told to write on a certain topic in a timed environment.  The students will learn how to use linking words such as for example, because,  for instance, therefore, etc. to explain their opinion.  After the students complete a few prompts, we will be moving into a unit on poetry.

Spelling - This week the students will be tested on list #27.  The pattern is to change y to i.  The test will be Friday, May 3rd.

Social Studies - The students have been learning about immigration through Ellis Island and Angel Island in the early 1900's.  We will also discuss the Great Migration when many African Americans moved North from the South to have a better life.  

Math-

Third Grade Math -  Currently third grade math is learning about volume and capacity.  The students are learning how to measure weight in grams and kilograms and how to measure liquid capacity in liters and milliliters.  After we complete this short unit.  The remainder of the year will be dedicated to solving word problems and a review of the standards.

Accelerated Math - Accelerated math is continuing to study fractions

Week of 4/22 - 4/26

The staff at May Watts will reschedule the "Thank You Volunteers" celebration which had to be postponed due to the weather. As soon as the date is set, we will post it. We hope you can make it. Our third graders have something special planned for you!
4/22-Earth Day, Book Exchange Collection
4/23- Book Exchange Collection
4/24--4/26- Book Exchange
The students will be taking Interim Assessments this week on from 1:00-1:45 on M, T, W, and F. Students should get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast each day. They should also bring a healthy snack and drink plenty of water.
M- English Language Arts Part 1
T- English Language Arts Part 2
W- Math Part 1
R- None
Friday- Math Part 2
Just a reminder that we will no longer be mailing report cards or other items left behind for those students who are not in attendance on the last day of school. Parents will need to contact the office and come in over the summer to secure their belongings.

Citizenship- We will have a refresher on how the students can problem solve.

Reading– This week, we will read a story called Meanwhile Back at the Ranch written by Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrated by Tony Ross. This is a hilarious book about Rancher Hicks, who drives to the town of Sleepy Gulch, looking for a little excitement. Little does he know that some amazing things are happening to his wife and ranch during his absence! The strategy that we will work on this week is how setting affects the feelings/mood of a story.

Writing - The students will practice prompt writing this week. The students will write an opinion piece on a topic or text supporting a point of view with reasons and information. They will provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. This should be organized with a concluding section that relates to the opinion presented. Students should strive to write complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons. We will also continue our natural disaster projects and begin presentations of posters.

Grammar- We will focus on using complex linking words and phrases (for instance, in order to, in addition). These are words that are used to connect the opinion and reason in sentences and essays. (This is different from the traditional reference of referring to linking words as linking verbs.)

Spelling - This week we are on list #26. The pattern is words that end in er, ful, ly, and able. Please help your child review this week because some of the words  may be more difficult.The test is Friday, April 26th.

Social Studies–

We will begin a unit on Immigration and The Great Migration. The students have an opportunity to learn about someone in their family who has immigrated to the United States. The students will gain knowledge of the reasons why people immigrated to the United States. They will also find out about an important time in history called The Great Migration. The students will learn how these events helped to form our country.They will also learn about the significant individuals and events that were important in the development of our country and communities.
 Math-

Third grade math –

We will teach students how to calculate the volume of a cube.

The students will measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). they will add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.

The students will also understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). The students will also recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories.

Accel.math –

We will work practice ordering fractions and adding/subtracting fractions.

Week of 4/15 - 4/19

Important Dates:

Thursday, 4/18: Volunteer Luncheon 2:00-3:00

Reading:

This week we will be reading the story Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears retold by Verna Aardema.  The genre of this story is a West African tale which is a story that is passed down through time.  In the story the King Lion calls a meeting to find out what led to an accident.  The reason why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears is revealed.  The students will work on creating mental images, sequencing, and onomatopoeia.

Writing:

The students will be researching and writing about natural disasters. They will be creating a poster about the information that they learn and then will present it to the class.

Spelling:

Unit 25 focuses on -tion and -sion words. Every student should be practicing their words throughout the week to prepare for the test. Please make sure to help your child study. If you need a copy of the words, they are posted on the third grade blog.

Science:

We are continuting to work on the Simple Machines unit. The students will learn about the 6 simple machines and how they make work easier.  At the end of this week, the students will take a test over the six simple machines.

Math:
Both third grade math and accelerated math are working on fractions.  Third grade math will have a quiz at the end of the week.

Hot Lunch Choices:

It has been brought to our attention that the kids who are ordering hot lunch are chosing something in the morning and then changing their mind at lunch time. The rule is that whatever the child picks to eat in the morning is what they have to have at lunch. Please help your child make up his/her mind by viewing the menu on our school website. Thanks!

LMC Book Exchange Coming Soon!

If you are doing any spring cleaning, please consider keeping the children's books for our book exchange. It is a great way to recycle books your child has outgrown and get different books. Our 5th Annual Book Exchange will be held the last week in April. More information will come home soon.

Volunteer Luncheon:

Volunteering is a gift from the heart! Thank you for the gift of time that you have so generously given our children and our school. Please join us for a dessert reception in your honor on Thursday, April 18th. This wonderful event will take place in the multi-purpose room between 2:00-3:30. We hope to see you there!

Week of 4/8 - 4/12

Important Dates:

Tuesday, 4/9: No School
Wednesday, 4/10: 3BA Field trip to DuPage Children's Museum
Thursday, 4/11: 3K and 3BR Field trip to DuPage Children's Museum
Friday, 4/12:  3A and 3P Field trip to DuPage Children's Museum

Friday, 4/12: Young Author's Breakfast

Thursday, 4/18: Volunteer Luncheon 2:00-3:00
 

Reading

We will continue to read and work on Rocking and Rolling. It is a nonfiction piece that talks about the earth and the natural disasters that occur in our world.  The students will be working on a research project in writing that coordinates with the story.

Writing

The students will be researching and writing about natural disasters. They will be creating a poster about the information that they learn and then will present it to the class.

Spelling

Unit 24 focuses on -ed and -ing words.  Every student should be praciting their words throughout the week to prepare for the test.  Please make sure to help your child study. If you need a copy of the words, they are posted on the third grade blog.

Science

We are continuting to work on the Simple Machines unit.  The students will learn about the 6 simple machines and how they make work easier.  This week, the third graders will be going on a field trip to the DuPage Children's Museum to explore the different simple machines with their hands-on learning lab. Each teacher will need 4 parents to go with. If you are interested, please contact your child's teacher via email ASAP. 


Math
Due to the day off on Tuesday and the field trips this week, we will only be having math on Monday.  Please continue to work on basic facts and fraction concepts at home.


Hot Lunch Choices

It has been brought to our attention that the kids who are ordering hot lunch are chosing something in the morning and then changing their mind at lunch time. The rule is that whatever the child picks to eat in the morning is what they have to have at lunch. Please help your child make up his/her mind by viewing the menu on our school website. Thanks!

Young Author's

The Young Author's Breakfast for all participants will be on Friday, April 12th before school. Manuscripts and certificates will be passed out at that time.  Please return the permission slip as soon as possible. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners were announced in school and will be posted to the Edline LMC page.

LMC Book Exchange Coming Soon!

If you are doing any spring cleaning, please consider keeping the children's books for our book exchange.  It is a great way to recycle books your child has outgrown and get different books.  Our 5th Annual Book Exchange will be held the last week in April. More information will come home soon.

Volunteer Luncheon

Volunteering is a gift from the heart! Thank you for the gift of time that you have so generously given our children and our school. Please join us for a dessert reception in your honor on Thursday, April 18th. This wonderful event will take place in the multi-purpose room between 2:00-3:30. We hope to see you there!

 

Happy Spring!

Important Dates:

3/25-3/29: Spring break

Tuesday, 4/9: No School

Friday, 4/12: Young Author's Breakfast

Thursday, 4/18: Volunteer Luncheon
 

Note: Last day of school has been changed to Monday, June 3rd because of the snow day!

 

Reading

The story we will read next is called Rocking and Rolling. It is a nonfiction piece that talks about the earth and how earthquakes shift our world. It goes well with the writing research project we will be doing.

 

Writing

The students will be researching and writing about natural disasters. They will be creating a poster about the information that they learn and then will present it to the class.

 

Spelling

We will take our Unit 23 spelling pretest on the Monday we come back from Spring Break. Then we will have a spelling test every Friday until the end of the year. Please make sure to help your child study before every test. If you need a copy of the words, they are posted on the third grade blog.

 

Science

We had so much fun learning about matter, but it is time to move on. We will be moving on to our Simple Machines Unit after break. The students will learn about the 6 simple machines and how they make work easier.  During the 2nd week of April the third grade will be going on a field trip to the DuPage Children's Museum to explore the different simple machines with their hands-on learning lab.  Each teacher will need 4 parents to go with. If you are interested, please contact your child's teacher via email ASAP. All parent chaperones have to pay their own way ($13.00- sorry).


Math
Both third grade math and accelerated math will be working on fractions after spring break. 


Hot Lunch Choices

It has been brought to our attention that the kids who are ordering hot lunch are chosing something in the morning and then changing their mind at lunch time. The rule is that whatever the child picks to eat in the morning is what they have to have at lunch. Please help your child make up his/her mind by viewing the menu on our school website. Thanks!

Young Author's

The Young Author's Breakfast for all participants will be on Friday, April 12th before school. Manuscripts and certificates will be passed out at that time. Watch for the permission slip to come home soon. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners were announced in school and will be posted to the Edline LMC page.

LMC Book Exchange Coming Soon!

Our 5th Annual Book Exchange will be held the last week in April. More information will come home soon.

Volunteer Luncheon

Volunteering is a gift from the heart! Thank you for the gift of time that you have so generously given our children and our school. Please join us for a dessert reception in your honor on Thursday, April 18th. This wonderful event will take place in the multi-purpose room between 2:00-3:30. We hope to see you there!

Week of March 18th - 22nd

Upcoming Events!

The Book Fair is Here! 
The Final May Watts Book Fair of the year runs through Tuesday, March 19th.  Please support the Book Fair, all proceeds from the Book Fair go to refreshing and updating LMC materials for the students.  For more information go to http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/maywatts.

Raging Waves Plunge into Fitness

Raging Waves Waterpark in Yorkville is offering a FREE day pass to any student who complete at least 25 hours of exercise between February 18th and April 15th.  The student needs to document exercise and turn the form into Mrs. Andrews.  Click here for more information and to download the form. Plunge into Fitness

Why so many tests?

PTA Meeting - March 18^th – 7:00 pm in the LMC

At the March 18th PTA meeting, Principal LeCrone will be presenting information to answer the question - "Why is my child taking so many tests?" He will speak about the myriad of tests the students take, the reasons behind the tests, how the results are changing, and what you can expect in the future.

NO SCHOOL- SPRING BREAK - MARCH 25-29- NO SCHOOL

Reading:

For the next two weeks, the students will read the story, “Yippey Yay!” by Gail Gibbons. Gail Gibbons is a great author who uses graphics to help the reader understand the topic better. The genre of this story is expository nonfiction which explains information and ideas. This story is about the life of the American Cowhand in the Old West. It was an exciting and tough time which included taming wild horses and working on cattle drives. The students will identify the main elements of a nonfiction text such as headings, captions, graphs, glossary, index, and table of contents. The students will practice finding the main idea and details.

Vocabulary: ranchers, tending, profit, corral, stray, market


Grammar: Teachers and students will be reviewing grammar topics studied throughout the year.  

Spelling: This week the students will be tested on list #22 which is a VCCV pattern.  The test will be on Friday, March 22nd.


Writing:

We will begin our Expository how-to unit with immersion in Cook Books, manuals, directions for projects, and literature with step by step instructions. The students will write noticings (what they observe). This will include such details as the materials, the steps listed in order, the use of transition words, and noticing that the text teaches you how to do something.

Further along in this unit, the students will write flash drafts for the how-to prompt, “ How to wash your hands.”  They will read their papers aloud to other students, and their classmates will demonstrate their steps. The third grade teachers will also model “I do’s” for the students. Next, the class will work on “We do’s” as practice. At the end of the unit, the students will write a final “You do” – something that they can teach the class to do, something that they are good at, and have experience doing. They will write down the materials needed and use bullet points to highlight the steps of how to accomplish the task/activity. Here are a few ideas – how to draw something, make a recipe, cheer, shoot a basket, make a paper airplane, play an instrument, or make Origami.


Science:

Our next Science Unit covers Matter. The students will observe and describe the properties of matter. They will also learn the three states of matter, and how it can change states. The children will learn difference between a physical and a chemical change. Throughout this unit, our students will conduct engaging experiments to enhance their understanding of matter.


Math:

Third Grade Math- Third grade math has moved into unit 5 which focuses on fractions. Students have learned  that fractions are parts of a whole and may also be part of a group. This week we will learn more about equivalent fractions and how to compare fractions. 


Accelerated Math- We are completing unit 6, which focuses on division and angles.  The study guide is due Wednesday and the Unit 6 test is Thursday, March 21st. 

Week of March 4

Dates to Remember

GRADE 3 ISAT SCHEDULE

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

Session 1- Reading 9:30-10:25

Session 1- Math 10:45-11:40

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

Session 2- Reading 9:30-10:25

Session 2- Math 10:45-11:40

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

 

Session 3 - Reading 9:30 - 10:25

 

Session 3 - Math 10:45 - 11:40

As you can see all testing will be done before lunch.  Our specials for the week, along with math instruction has been changed to the afternoon.

Please make sure your student gets a good night's sleep and eats a healthy breakfast each day of testing. Don't worry, every year, after the first session the students are relieved to know - they do know this stuff!!
 

Spelling: This week the students do not have spelling words.  The next pretest for unit 21 will be on Friday, March 8.

Writing: We will continue our "Oregon Trail Journal Writing". To go along with our social studies unit on Westward Movement, the students will be keeping a journal of their trail experiences. In addition, the students will be writing responses to reading passages.

Social Studies: "Oregon or Bust!" This week the students will continue heading West and traveling on the Oregon Trail! The students will be playing an Oregon Trail game where they roll dice to determine the hardships and tragedies they will encounter during their 2,000 mile, six-month journey West. The students love playing the game and learning about how the pioneers endured the difficult journey for a better life.

Math:
Third Grade Math- Third grade math has moved into unit 5 which focuses on fractions.
Students will be learning that fractions are parts of a whole and many things can be divided into fractions. Students will be expected to identify fractional parts of a whole, fractional parts of a number on number line, and fractional parts of a set of objects.

Vocabulary - fraction, numerator, denominator, equivalent

Accelerated Math- We are beginning unit 6, which focuses on division and angles. We will start with division by teaching the traditional long division method and the partial quotients method. Then we will review the relationship between multiplication and division to solve more word problems.

Vocabulary - dividend, divisor, factor, quotient

Week of February 25, 2013

Dates to Remember:
Wednesday, 2/27:  Young Author's pieces due
Wednesday, 2/27:  Watt's Whirl
Friday, 3/1: No School: Institute Day
Week of 3/4:  ISAT testing

Reading:  This week the students will continue to practice functional reading. Functional reading means reading that we see in everyday life.  For example, the students will practice reading show programs, a sports schedule, recipes, store signs and many more.  It is important for them to be able to locate important information and infer details from these everyday readings.

Grammar: Figurative Language = a play on words. We will continue to work on metaphors, similes, idioms, and onomatopoeia.

Spelling: This week the students will be tested on list #20 which is using the endings er and est.  The test will be on Thursday, February 28th.  There is no school on Friday.

Writing: We will be finishing up our Frosty writing and then moving on to "Oregon Trail Journal Writing".  To go along with our social studies unit on Westward Movement, the students will
be keeping a journal of their trail experiences.  In addition, the students will be writing responses to reading passages.

Social Studies: "Oregon or Bust!" This week the students will be heading West and traveling on the Oregon Trail!  The students will be playing an Oregon Trail game where they roll dice to determine the hardships and tragedies they will encounter during their 2,000 mile, six-month journey West.  The students love playing the game and learning about how the pioneers endured the difficult journey for a better life.

Math:
Third Grade Math- Third grade math has moved into unit 5 which focuses on fractions.
Students will be learning that fractions parts of a whole and many things can be divided into fractions.  Students will be expected to identify fractional parts of a whole, fractional parts of a number on number line, and fractional parts of a set of objects.

Vocabulary - fraction, numerator, denominator, equivalent 

Accelerated Math- We are beginning unit 6, which focuses on division and angles.  We will start with division by teaching the traditional long division method and the partial quotients method.  Then we will review the relationship between multiplication and division to solve more word problems.

Vocabulary - dividend, divisor, factor, quotient 

Week of February 25th, 2013

Dates to Remember:
Wednesday, 2/27:  Young Author's pieces due
Wednesday, 2/27:  Watt's Whirl
Friday, 3/1: No School: Institute Day
Week of 3/4:  ISAT testing

Reading:  This week the students will continue to practice functional reading. Functional reading means reading that we see in everyday life.  For example, the students will practice reading show programs, a sports schedule, recipes, store signs and many more.  It is important for them to be able to locate important information and infer details from these everyday readings.

Grammar: Figurative Language = a play on words. We will continue to work on metaphors, similes, idioms, and onomatopoeia.

Spelling: This week the students will be tested on list #20 which is using the endings er and est.  The test will be on Thursday, February 28th.  There is no school on Friday.

Writing: We will be finishing up our Frosty writing and then moving on to "Oregon Trail Journal Writing".  To go along with our social studies unit on Westward Movement, the students will be keeping a journal of their trail experiences. In addition, the students will be writing responses to reading passages. 

Social Studies: "Oregon or Bust". This week  the students will be heading West with their school families and traveling the Oregon Trail! The students will be playing an Oregon Trail game where they roll dice to determine the hardships and tragedies they will encounter during their 2,000 mile,  six-month journey West.  The students love playing the game and learning about how the pioneers endured the difficult journey west for the opportunity of a better life.

Math:

Third Grade Math- Third grade math has moved into unit 5 which focuses on fractions.  Students will be learning that fractions are parts of a whole and many things can be divided into fractions. Students will be expected to identify fractional parts of a whole, fractional parts of a number on a number line, and fractional parts of a set of objects.

Vocabulary - fraction, numerator, denominator, equivalent

Accelerated Math - We are beginning Unit 6, which focuses on division and angles. We will start with division by teaching the traditional long division method and partial quotients method. Then we will review the relationship between multiplication and division to solve more word problems.

Vocabulary - dividend, divisor, factor, quotient.

February 11th-15th

Dates to remember:

*Remember to return any conference forms (if a conference was scheduled).

Thurs. 2/14 - Valentine's Day Party 2:30-3:15
Please click on the tab above to read Mr. LeCrone's letter regarding Valentines Day.

Fri. 2/15 - Human Society visit!  (Please notify your child’s teacher if your child has a dog allergy.)

Reading: We will be reading a historical fiction story this week called, Boom Town by Sonia Levitin.  This story is about a family's experience when they arrive in the west during the Gold Rush.  Amanda, the daughter, finds herself with free time after they move to California.  She decides to bake a pie that leads her to starting a booming business.  She encourages people she meets along the way to start their own businesses, and eventually, a town develops.

This is a great story to help us transition into our new Social Studies unit (see below), as well.

Strategy - Fact vs. Opinion.  We will be reviewing facts and opinions throughout the story.
Vocabulary - miners, nuggets, skillet, stagecoach, settle, boom town, landmark

Grammar: Figurative Language = a play on words.  We will continue to work on metaphors, similes, idioms, and onomatopoeia.

Spelling: The next test will be on Friday, February 15th. The pattern in each word is double consonants.

Writing: This month we will be working on a variety of writing projects with a winter theme! Here are the highlights...

· Mitten writing (descriptive writing) - Students will design a mitten and then write a description of their mitten. Will their description be good enough for someone to pick their mitten out of a bunch of mittens? Close attention to details and creative use of adjectives will be necessary.

• The Snowman Caper! (point of view writing)- In this assignment, students will practice writing from different points of view. The students will develop a story about a child's missing snowman. They will tell the story from either the snowman's point of view, the child's, a newspaper reporter covering the story of the missing snowman or a detective investigating the crime. It will be tons of fun listening to the various points of view!

· Frosty gets a Makeover! (creative/persuasive writing)- This will be a group effort. Students are given the task of updating Frosty's look. What kind of hat will Frosty don in 2013? Groups will design a new, hip, up-to-date look for Frosty in the form of an advertisement. In addition, the students will compose a new song to go along with Frosty's makeover. Each group will present their proposed look to the class and everyone will vote on which is the best new look and song for Frosty! Creativity at it's best:)

Social Studies: We will begin a new social studies unit this week!  The students will be learning about the Westward Movement in the United States.  We will review where we left off with the 13 colonies becoming free and establishing the USA.  Then we will briefly explain how we acquired the remainder of the land in the USA.  Our focus will be on the Oregon Trail.  The students will learn what migration is and what life was like during the expansion to the west.  We will be play an Oregon Trail game where the students will learn about the real-life situations and hardships that the families experienced.

Math:

Third Grade Math- We are working on Unit 4 which covers multiplication and division. Students will be expected know that multiplication is repeated addition and division is repeated subtraction. In addition, students will be expected to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays and measurement quantities. Should learn to solve these problems in a variety of ways such as drawing pictures, an equation with a symbol for the unknown number, using math facts and drawing arrays.

Vocabulary - array, associative property, commutative property, distributive property, dividend, divisor, factor, product, quotient.

Accelerated Math - We are beginning Unit 6, which focuses on division and angles.  We will start with division by teaching the traditional long division method and partial quotients method.  Then we will review the relationship between multiplication and division to solve more word problems. 

Vocabulary - dividend, divisor, factor, quotient.

February 4th - 8th

Dates to remember:

Wed., 2/6 - Rainforest food donations are due for our rainforest party which will be from 1:30 - 2:30. We are really excited!

Please click on the tab above to read Mr. LeCrone's letter regarding Valentines Day.

We are still finalizing the date, but Terri Hancock, Director of Education from the Naperville Humane Society, will be coming to visit with her therapy dog. She will visit for 15 to 20 minutes to discuss the training of a working dog and the proper care for animals. Please notify your child’s teacher if your child has a dog allergy.
 

Thanks!

The Third Grade Team
 

Reading: We will continue to work on our "Dog Unit" this week. We will be finishing activities with the story Rosie, A Visiting Dog's Story by Stephanie Calmenson. The story is about a working dog named Rosie. Rosie is a terrier whose friendly nature makes her a perfect visiting dog. She brings comfort to people in nursing homes and hospitals. This story is a personal narrative. We will also discuss other working dogs and how they help humans everyday.

Strategy - Summarizing- Students will learn how to summarize the key events in the story.

Vocabulary - firm, confident, comfortable, approach, equipment, program, appointment


Grammar: Figurative Language = a play on words.

Spelling: The next test will be on Friday, February 8th. The learning target is words that have an  /or/ sound.

Writing: This month we will be working on a variety of writing projects with a winter theme! Here are the highlights...

· Mitten writing (descriptive writing) - Students will design a mitten and then write a description of their mitten. Will their description be good enough for someone to pick their mitten out of a bunch of mittens? Close attention to details and creative use of adjectives will be necessary.

The Snowman Caper! (point of view writing)- In this assignment, students will practice writing from different points of view. The students will develop a story about a child's missing snowman. They will tell the story from either the snowman's point of

· view, the child's, a newspaper reporter covering the story of the missing snowman or a detective investigating the crime. It will be tons of fun listening to the various points of view!

· Frosty gets a Makeover! (creative/persuasive writing)- This will be a group effort. Students are given the task of updating Frosty's look. What kind of hat will Frosty don in 2013? Groups will design a new, hip, up-to-date look for Frosty in the form of an advertisement. In addition, the students will compose a new song to go along with Frosty's makeover. Each group will present their proposed look to the class and everyone will vote on which is the best new look and song for Frosty! Creativity at it's best:)

Science: We will continue our in-depth study of tropical rainforests. Students will find out where they are located and identify the 4 layers. In addition, students will have computer lab time to work on their animal slide presentation.

Rainforest Party- The students will be celebrating the Rainforest Unit with a party on Wed., February 6th from 1:30-2:30. We will be playing Rainforest Jeopardy, sampling foods from the Rainforest, and dancing the Limbo! We can’t wait!

 

Math:

Third Grade Math- We are working on Unit 4 which covers multiplication and division. Students will be expected know that multiplication is repeated addition and division is repeated subtraction. In addition, students will be expected to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays and measurement quantities. Should learn to solve these problems in a variety of ways such as drawing pictures, an equation with a symbol for the unknown number, using math facts and drawing arrays.

Vocabulary - array, associative property, commutative property, distributive property, dividend, divisor, factor, product, quotient.

 

Accelerated Math - We are working on Unit 5 which focuses on place value of very large numbers and multi-digit multiplication. This week, we will go over different multiplication methods. We will start by teaching partial products to solve a single digit by multi-digit multiplication problem. Then we will move on to multi-digit by multi-digit multiplication. By the end of the week, we will cover traditional and lattice multiplication. Encourage your child to bring home their SRB's to review the partial products method.