Curriculum Update

November has been a busy month - as they all seem to be! 

In reading, we worked further on story elements while reading various types of fiction.  We've practiced identifying main characters, choosing traits to describe them, and then finding evidence from the text that supports those traits such as dialogue or specific actions and behavior.
Students have also learned to recognize the story problem and solution while sequencing important story events. 
Comprehension has been a big focus this month.  We are learning to think more deeply about our reading and to cite reasons for our thinking.
During Term 2, the focus will be on nonfiction.  Students will learn about nonfiction text features like bolded/highlighted text, headings, the table of contents, glossary, and index.  They will learn about captions and diagrams and how these features aid in comprehension.

In math, we have practiced making bar models to help us solve one- and two-step word problems.  Students learned to take problems apart one sentence at a time and highlight key words and information. 
Recently, we have begun working with multiplication and time skills.  During class, students typically rotate to different stations to practice these skills in various ways.  At home, please continue to have your child study their basic facts in some way that is comfortable for them.  Students who have a strong grasp of their addition facts transition much more smoothly into multiplication. Term 2 focuses mostly on multiplication and division concepts. 

We have started learning about opinion writing, and this week, lessons mostly focused on differentiating between fact and opinion, the structure of an opinion graphic organizer, and understanding how to build an essay that is well-organized.  In grade three, students need to state their opinion on a given topic, support it with three reasons, provide facts or details for each reason, and provide a closing that restates their opinion.  For our first assignment, students are reading nonfiction text about entomophagy - the practice of eating bugs.  They will need to decide whether the cafeteria should include bugs on the school menu and support their thinking with evidence from the articles.  We had some very lively discussion about this in class!

We are learning about motion and forces in science.  Students have completed several hands-on and interactive activities to explore these concepts.  You will see some of these coming home in Friday Folders.  We are also just starting a social studies unit on the Wampanoag.  Students always love this unit.  Be sure to ask your child what they're learning in class!

Next week is conferences.  I'm looking forward to seeing you all and discussing your child's progress!
Sara Hartley

Google Hangout and Pumpkin Exploration

We've been busy doing so many wonderful things in Room 8 these days!  Last Friday we had our first Google Hangout with our friends in North Carolina!  Students got to share their thoughts about our Global Read Aloud book, A Boy Called Bat.  It was so nice to be able to talk with each other in the moment!

On Tuesday of this week, we had some wonderful volunteers come in to help us with our Pumpkin Exploration.  Thank you to Mrs. Emig, Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Sheehan, Mrs. Bryson, and Mrs. Froio.  We're sorry Mrs. D'Amore was unable to join us for the fun!
Everyone had such a great time measuring and weighing their pumpkins, checking to see if their pumpkins and other items would float, and then carving and counting all of the seeds in their pumpkins.  Students were surprised to see how many hundreds of seeds they had!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

Exciting Happenings in Room 8!

Today students received letters from their Sixth Grade Buddies.  Everyone was so excited, and we'll finally be meeting with them Monday afternoon to do some fun Halloween activities.  Our partner class is Ms. Magee and Ms. Osowski, who are co-teaching this year.

As a matter of fact, three students from this class came to our room today to celebrate this month's superpower - CREATIVITY - by showing students how to create a personalized jack-o-lantern using Google Slides.

This week we've been working on a new letter to our Indiana pen pals, and tomorrow we will be doing a Google Hangout with our friends in Cary, North Carolina.  We'll be able to see each other and talk about A Boy Called Bat in real time, which is so exciting!

Next Tuesday, we have parent volunteers coming in to help us with our annual Pumpkin Exploration activity, which is a bit messy, but so much fun!  Students will be combining their math and science skills to explore concepts like mass, density, and volume. 

Stay tuned for pictures of these exciting events.....

IXL Login Information

Hello Parents!
If your child is interested in using IXL math at home, please have them use the link below .

IXL Math

Username is their first initial, middle initial, last name.
Password is their Google Password WITHOUT THE NUMBER.

Connecting with others for the Global Read Aloud!

This past week, we have received handwritten letters from our Elkhart, Indiana pen pals in Mrs. Troutman's class, we've talked with our new friends in Cary, North Carolina on Flipgrid, and we've been sharing ideas with these friends as well as those in Canada on Padlet!
I've included our first Padlet below.  Scroll through and check out the titles to see where students are located! 

Learning to Peer Edit

We are beginning to wrap up our first personal narrative in writing, and yesterday, students used a checklist to individually review their work for specific elements such as:  a focused seed idea, an attention-grabbing lead, transition words, and a thoughtful ending.  

Today, we practiced peer editing for the first time.  To begin, I modeled this process with a wonderful student volunteer - thank you Elise!  Students then were partnered up and given a peer editing checklist to use.  They took this task so seriously, and as I walked around, I couldn't believe how thoughtful they were being about each other's work. 

I've included pictures of the checklists below as well as some student shots.  Well done third graders!

Global Read Aloud 2018

This week our class will be starting the book, A Boy Called Bat, by Elana K. Arnold.  This book is part of the 2018 Global Read Aloud.  I've inserted a link below that will help you get a better understanding of what the Global Read Aloud is all about.  The second link is a book trailer by the author herself.  It's a great peek inside the story!

During the next six weeks, we will be partnering with 2-3 classes across the country to share our thoughts about the book.  I've already connected with a school in North Carolina, Indiana, and Canada.  We will do this via Flipgrid, Padlet, Google Hangouts, and even good old-fashioned letters!  I am so excited I can hardly contain myself, and I know the kids will be too!

Last week, we watched a short informational video about autism so students could get a better understanding about the main character, Bat, and how he interacts with the world.  I would encourage you to have discussions with your child about the book and the activities we are doing in class.

Global Read Aloud
Elana K. Arnold Book Talk

Getting Familiar with Google

Students now have their personal Google accounts.  Their username and passwords are glued inside of their Agenda Mates, so if they are ever looking to do some practice at home, they may do so.  We will be using Google Classroom once in a while for homework this year as well.  In addition, many of the programs we use at school may also be accessed through their Google accounts.  If you haven't sent in headphones for your child yet, please try to do that by the end of next week.  Thank you!!!

Today, students created their own Google Doc and practiced using various functions on the toolbar.  I gave them a very specific "Task List" to follow, and I was so impressed at how well they did.  They learned to bold and underline text, to center text, to number a list, change the font as well as the font size.  Check out the pictures below to see them working on this activity!

Well done everyone!

What's Happening in Room 8?

September is going by incredibly fast, and we're already learning so much in Room 8.  Below you will find a summary of what we're working on in each of the curriculum areas.

This month we have focused on the following skills in reading:

• Selecting a book from the library.
• Determining whether a book is "just right" for our individual reading levels.
• Distinguishing between the various genres - this is ongoing.

As the month goes on, we will continue our genre study while learning about story elements such as character, setting, story problem and solution.

In class we also just finished our first interactive read aloud, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo.  These read alouds are used to expose students to text that is engaging and "meaty."  They are meant to generate discussion among students and to further their comprehension of and interest in the story.  Our new book is The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes.  Please ask your child to share their thoughts about these books with you at home!

We have just finished our first chapter in math, Numbers to 10,000.  This chapter focused on place value concepts, ordering numbers, comparing numbers, and identifying number patterns.

Chapter 2, which we've started this week, is Mental Math and Estimation.  Students will be encouraged to use mental math strategies for both addition and subtraction.  In order to work efficiently with these strategies, it is important for students to have a strong grasp of their basic facts.  XtraMath will be helpful in building these skills.  Students will also be rounding three- and four-digit numbers to the nearest ten and hundred.

In writing we are learning about Personal Narratives.  Students have worked with this form of writing in second grade as well, but third graders will be encouraged to further develop their ideas with greater detail, voice, use of dialogue, and strong vocabulary.
Beginning lessons have focused on the importance of choosing a "seed idea," one that is focused and specific.  For example, instead of writing about a week spent in Vermont, a student might choose to write about the day they tried skiing for the first time.
This week we learned how to fill out our graphic organizers, and today we practiced writing attention-grabbing beginnings.

We've started our Map Skills unit in Social Studies this week.  In this unit, students will learn about the parts of a map including the title, compass rose, map key, scale, and grid lines.

I would encourage you to check out any maps you might find when you're out and about as a family.  Students discussed that maps are sometimes found in malls, stores, restaurants, or museums.  Have your child collect and compare them for fun.

As always, if you have any questions about the curriculum or what we're doing in class, please contact me at school.  Friday Folders are coming home for the first time on Friday, September 20th.  I hope you enjoy having the chance to see what we're doing in class.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Sara Hartley

Supply List for 2018-2019

Welcome to a brand new school year!  I am so excited to see my third graders again in a few short weeks.  This year, PTO has posted the supply lists for each grade here at Spofford; however, I would like to make it available here as well. 

Please try and have these supplies ready for the first days of school.  Anything not on the list I will be supplying for your child.  Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions or concerns.  My school email is:  shartley@boxfordschools.org

See you all soon!

SUPPLY LIST - GRADE THREE

• Post it Notes (3x3 lined)
• Pencils (pre-sharpened are best)
• Pencil Pouch (no boxes please)
• Expo markers (black or blue)
• Dry erase marker
• Scissors
• Glue Sticks (pkg of 3)
• Highlighters
• 1" binder
• Handheld pencil sharpener with container for shavings
• Sturdy folder for homework and school notices
• Hand wipes
• OPTIONAL: red/green pens, washable markers, colored pencils, crayons

A Peek at our Most Recent Padlet

We are having so much fun using Google Classroom!  Recently, students have created a Google Document at home to respond to our classroom read aloud, and last night, students added to this wonderful padlet below.  I'm so impressed with the effort that students have put into their writing -- such thoughtful ideas and observations!  Well done everyone!!! 

Fun Happenings in Room 8

We had such a fun day the day before December break.  It was wonderful for the kids to just hang out with friends, play games, and enjoy one another!  Here are some pictures of them doing just that!

Magnetism

We are now focusing on magnetism in science.  This afternoon, students had so much fun using bar magnets to explore items around the room (and items from my junk drawer as well).  Prior to this activity, the N and S ends of the bar magnet were a bit of a mystery.  During this hands-on exploration, students discovered that when the same ends were near one another, they repelled.  This was fascinating and fun for students to see!  Students were able to recall what they learned about positive and negative electrons to further their understanding of this concept.

In reading, we are learning to use a new strategy called, RACES, to help us formulate more in-depth written responses for open-ended questions.  During reading this morning, we used this step-by-step strategy to create a response for a story recently read in class.  Tomorrow, students will practice another question in pairs before attempting this independently.  The system also gives students sophisticated sentence starters for citing their evidence, explaining/elaborating their ideas, and summarizing their thinking.  This will make a big impact on students' ability to respond to reading in writing.  Look for this type of work to come home in future Friday Folders.