September 18, 2016

Testing is going very well!  The students have stayed focused and done their best each day.  Only three more days, then we'll be back to our normal daily schedule.  Check out below to see what we've been learning in class...

Math:  We continued our study of multiplication and division, focusing on word problems. We discussed when to use each operation.  We learned how to answer a type of assessment question called a constructed response.  We focused on using models, equations, and then a written explanation to show our understanding of multiplication and division.  A small group went to the Innovation Lab to work on multiplication extension.

Reading:  We began our story, Lemonade War. We are focusing on the main characters, Evan and Jessie, and the character traits that describe their actions.  We are learning how to use text evidence as as the basis for our discussions.  We are also talking about our focus question and how we can use text evidence to write an argument piece to prove our point.  We worked in small groups on non-fiction passages, annotating each paragraph and making  sure we can put the main idea of each into our own words. We will continue working with these same passages next week and learn how to cite two sources when answering questions.

Social Studies:  We continued our study of Greece and the influences on our country.  We focused on the Olympics, the architecture, and the democratic roots. We learned about the significance of the Greek games. We talked about the architectural influences (doric, ionic and corinthian columns, marble stairs, and statues and carvings on buildings). We compared the Greek democracy to our democracy (direct vs. representative).  

Class News and Announcements...

Thank you to everyone who signed up to donate items for our Greece Day.  You can send in your items with your child that morning, or beforehand if the item isn't perishable.

Thank you Mrs. VanGelder and Mrs. Gohlke for offering to help during our Greece Day! We still need two volunteers if you are interested in spending the morning with us.  Please email me if you are interested.

Fall Break begins next Monday, September 26.

Remember to be encouraging your child to master addition and subtraction facts.  Every student should be practicing for 10 minutes EVERY night. This should be as much of a habit as reading 30 minutes a night.  We'll be moving to memorization of multiplication facts in the spring time.

Your child can click on the link to at the bottom of this blog to review Ancient Greece.  There are also some great resources on our third grade page.  Go to www.cobbk12.org/kemp/faculty/thirdgrade

Dinner Conversation Starters...
*Do you think Evan Treski is justified in being angry with his sister Jessie in the story, Lemonade War?  Why or why not?
*How are multiplication and division alike?  How are they different?
*Which  buildings in our country show the architectural influences from Greece?
*What was the purpose of the games in Ancient Greece? What is the purpose of the Olympics?