Wonderopolis

Keep Kids Inspired During the Holiday Break with Wonderopolis™

Is there a way to keep their minds engaged while they're away from school? Absolutely! Take a daily trip with them to Wonderopolis during the holiday break. Why are all snowflakes different? Why do people kiss under the mistletoe? What are the Northern Lights? Explore answers to these—and many more—interesting "wonders" each day in Wonderopolis. Each new Wonder of the Day® presents a curious question, a related video to spark interest in the topic and fun activities in which the whole family can participate. Just because they aren't in school doesn't mean the learning—and the fun—has to stop!

Thanks to Martha Wells - the Technology Specialist at Broadmeadow and Hillside for this fun tip!

Virtual Fieldtrips to the Continents

Room 221 third graders wish they could travel on the Magic School Bus to all the continents! That would be a great example of experiential learning. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be in our budget, so we are settling for virtual field trips...

This afternoon we traveled all the way to the computer lab! While there, we were able to visit Europe, Australia, North America, South America and more! Room 221 scholars looked for specific information about each continent to which they traveled:

*2 countries
*2 bodies of water
*landmarks
*landforms
*products
*other interesting facts

Ask your third grader to share 2 facts they learned today! Click here to see some of the field trips. Scroll down to third grade and you can choose your continent!

Suffixes

A synonym is a word that means the same or almost the same. For example, mad is a synonym for angry. Third graders learned about synonyms yesterday morning at morning meeting. You can ask your child to name some for you.

You can have lots of fun with synonyms in the car or at home. You might play "I'm thinking of a Word" and use synonyms for clues.

I'm thinking of a word that is a synonym for smart. Do you know what it is?

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Did you hear? We finished our all time favorite read aloud this afternoon. The kids LOVED "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin. It's an amazing story, with adventure, beautiful language and many "surprise" connections throughout the tale. Click here to check out the author's website.

We'll continue to discuss the story over the next few days. The children are particularly interested in Grace Lin's writing. We will be sure to discuss what techniques she used to make the story so fantastic.

The story was so good, your third grader may want you to reread it to them at home! :o)

Least to Greatest

Today we played a game titled "Least to Greatest." Children worked in teams to put 6 sums like 39+39, 49+27, 16+17, and 19+45 in order from least to greatest. The children used several different strategies to achieve this task.

Many children started by comparing addends. For example, when comparing 39+39 and 16+17, it is clear that 39+39 is greater because both addends are greater than the addends in 17+17.

Often times children tried rounding to the nearest ten. For example, 49 rounds to 50 and 27 rounds to 30, so 49+27 would be about 80. Sometimes, this type of estimation did not give children an close enough estimate.

So, children sometimes added the tens digit of each addend. To get a closer estimate, they would look at the ones place. If the sum of the ones place was greater than 9, they would know that the tens place would be one greater. For example, when estimating 19+45, students would add 1+4 (from the tens place.) They would look at the ones place (9+5) and see that the sum is greater than 9. Therefore, the estimate would be in the sixties.

Look in your child's folder tomorrow for a copy of this game. Play it with your third grader at home! :o)

Adding a Suffix

Have you ever wondered why the 'p' is doubled when you spell the word skipping? Now you can ask your third grader!

Skip is considered a 1-1-1 word because it has 1 syllable, 1 vowel and 1 consonant after the vowel. If you add a vowel suffix (a suffix that starts with a vowel) to a 1-1-1 word, you usually double the final consonant. For example, the word run is a 1-1-1 word. If you want to add 'ing,' a vowel suffix, you know you need to double the 'n,' the final consonant. However, stick is not a 1-1-1 word because the vowel is followed by 2 consonants. Therefore when you add 'ing,' a vowel suffix, you do not double the final consonant.


***You can support your child by holding them accountable for the rules when they're spelling at home. Please don't correct all they do, but you can challenge them to find 3 words that are misspelled in their homework or writing. If you know that they've learned to double the consonant before adding a vowel suffix, you can suggest they try that. Happy spelling! :o)

Yes and...

Wouldn't it be great if your third grader would agree with you all the time? Well, we can't make that happen, but you can play a game together during which they pretend to agree with you... We've played during morning meeting. It's lots of fun, and it helps children develop elaboration skills. It also helps us "grow" ideas together.

You can play in pairs or small groups. The first player makes a statement. It could be as simple as, "It's going to rain tomorrow." The next player adds to that statement by saying, "Yes and..." For example, player two might say, "Yes and I am excited to wear my new raincoat." The next player might say, "Yes and that raincoat looks really nice on you." And so on...

A few children got stuck. This came up especially when another child spoke about a topic they didn't know much about. I suggested that children use their background knowledge to come up with a response. If they can find something to connect with, they should be able to come up with a "Yes, and..." For example, one child said, "The Celtics have the best record in the NBA." His partner didn't know very much about basketball, so she struggled to come up with a response. She might think back in her mind to find what she does know about the Celtics. She might have said, "Yes, and they will win while wearing their green uniforms."

Have fun with this game. You might even try playing it at the dinner table! :o)

Homophones

Yesterday we added to our Word Wall for the first time! Our Word Wall consists of homophones that are commonly misspelled. A homophone is a word that sounds like another word, but has a different meaning and is spelled differently. We learned three sets yesterday:

know - when you understand something completely

no - a negative response to a question, a reference that something is not true, rejection of something, or denial of permission
***********************************
which - used to ask a question when there are several possible answers

witch - a female that is thought to possess magical or evil powers
***********************************
right - something that is correct; also the opposite of left

write - create words or letters on paper with a pen or pencil

Virtual Dino-Dig

This afternoon we went on a virtual dino-dig! We learned about the tools and the process paleontologists use when they excavate a fossil. Click here to try it out yourself!

Evening Routines

I belong to a website/group called Flylady. I read this essay today in an email and think it's very important for all parents and families to remember. You can check out flylady at flylady.net.

Here's the essay:

The purpose of a good evening routine is to get everyone calm and settled enough to get to sleep at a decent hour. When children do not get enough sleep, their school work and school behavior suffers. Sometimes children who haven't gotten enough sleep act tired and groggy, but just as often they act wild and inattentive. School-age children need 9-10 hours of sleep every night to be healthy and mentally alert. That means if your child gets up at 7 a.m., he has to be in bed by 9 p.m. And many parents do not get enough sleep either! You cannot be healthy and take care of your family if you are exhausted.

Two things have to happen before a family can have a good evening routine. First, the homework routine has to be in place. When evenings are spent in a battle over homework, no one can be calm and settled. Second, there has to be a family policy about outside commitments. If every afternoon and evening is a constant round of activities, there is no time for homework, family dinner, and an evening routine. I suggest that you limit everyone in the family to one or two outside activities at a time. Otherwise our lives get as cluttered as our homes!

Here are some suggested steps for a good evening routine.

1.Everyone gets home from work, sports practice and after-school care around 5:30. While Mom or Dad gets dinner going, the kids work on homework.
2.After dinner, everyone has some time to finish homework, play, talk, read, or watch TV. Do not allow children to get overstimulated with wild play, violent video games, or scary TV shows. Keep it calm and easy. Most elementary school children are supposed to read to a parent every night, and now is a good time to do that.
3.Start the bedtime routine about an hour before bedtime. Have it written down and posted for each child. Each child is responsible for their own routine. Here is an example for an elementary school child:
a.Collect homework and school supplies, get parents to sign whatever needs to be signed, get everything in the backpack, put the backpack by the door.
b.Choose clothes for the next day and lay them out.
c.Get in the tub for a bath, or wash face and hands if it's not a bath night.
d.Brush teeth.
e.Get in pajamas.
f.Get in bed for some quiet time with Mom or Dad. You have to do exactly the same thing at the same time every night. If you do, then your child's body will be trained to fall asleep at the end of the bedtime routine.

Middle and high school kids still need a routine, although it will be different and they have to be part of establishing it. Preparing for the morning is still appropriate, as is some quiet time reading in bed before going to sleep.

Once the children are in bed, it's time to wind down yourself and get ready for a good night's sleep.

Thanksgiving

We went on an awesome website this morning that you may want to check out. Do you want to know the truths and myths about Thanksgiving? Plymouth Plantation has created a website to teach you the truth about Pilgrims and Native Americans. So much of what we know is based on ONE letter about "the first Thanksgiving" written by a Pilgrim in 1621. The children learned that this primary source gives us some answers, but also leaves historians with many questions. Let your third grader share the rest of what they've learned at:

http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html

The Room 221 community also discussed what Thanksgiving means to different people. Although I encouraged children to celebrate and enjoy their own traditions with family, I also asked them to pause and remember that not all people celebrate Thanksgiving. Some families who are relatively new to this country do not choose to celebrate the holiday. In addition, many Native Americans don't choose to celebrate Thanksgiving because they consider it a Day of Mourning.

Whatever you choose to do tomorrow, I hope you enjoy time with your family.

Potato Hill Poetry

Thanks so much to the PTC for bringing third grade Potato Hill Poetry! Mr. Andrew Green was a pleasure to work with in our classroom last week. He shared many of his wonderful poems with us. As he shared, he talked about many important techniques and strategies writers can use to create powerful poetry.

*Think about how words sound together
*Use alliteration
*Share what's in your heart
*Write about things your remember
*Poems can have patterns
*Get inspired by something
*Include the 5 senses
*Write about small moments

The children were given ample time to create their own poems. Mr. Green honored their poems by reading them aloud himself. Ask your child to tell you about theirs.

Room 221 will continue our study of poetry by reading, reading and reading more poetry. Finally as we finish our unit on Open Response, we will jump into writing our own poems every day!

Thanks again to Mr. Green at Potato Hill Poetry and the PTC for bringing him to us.

Learning Buddies

Room 221 had such fun working with their 4th, 5th and 1st grade Learning Buddies this morning. We worked together with our partners to write a note thanking one of the many wonderful adults in our building that help us each day. Ask your third grader who they appreciate most at Eliot School.

More Stereotypes

This morning we continued our discussion about gender stereotypes. (Although I haven't told the kids they are stereotypes yet...) I displayed many photographs of popular toys: Easy Bake Oven, bead kit, Battleship, wrestling action figure, Bakugan figure, and more. I asked the children to write B if they considered the toy for boys, a G if they considered the toy for girls, and BG if they thought both boys and girls could enjoy that toy.

The discussion was rich. At first, some children felt strongly that certain toys were just for girls. Some children felt strongly that certain toys were just for boys. However, as the conversation continued, children realized that all children could play with any of the toys.

I tried to push the conversation further by playing devil's advocate. I asked them to honestly think about what they would say or do if they walked into a playroom to find a boy playing with baby dolls. I could tell what a caring group of children they are from their responses. They know that the "right" answer is to be kind to a child playing with something, even if the toy is surprising to them.

Room 221 will continue this conversation. I want all children to be able to follow through with their assertions to treat all children with respect.

Challenge your child to think about this the next time they hear, or say, "That's a boy toy," or "That's a girl toy!"

Stereotypes

Last week third graders were given a true/false quiz. They were asked to answer the following:

All mechanics are boys.
All nurses are girls
All doctors are boys.
All football players are boys.
All ballet dancers are girls.

Their responses were fantastic! I asked them to complete the "quiz" the best they could and be sure to raise their questions and concerns during our discussion.

I was very impressed with the children's response. Most of them answered false to every statement. They felt strongly that you can't say anything about a person's abilities or likes/dislikes because of their gender.

The point of this experience of course was to introduce the children to the concept of stereotypes. A stereotype is when we make an assumption about a person based on the group they belong to - in this case 'boys' or 'girls.' We will have more conversations about stereotypes. You can have some interesting conversations about this with your child at home. :o)

I am from...

Click here to check out Room 221's amazing "I am from..." poems. They are accompanied by their self portraits. I love the way each third grader showed their unique self through art and poetry.

Publishing

Each third grade author is publishing their first personal narrative. The children have been working hard to include many qualities of effective writing in their work. Ask your child if he/she has been:

*Writing a little seed story (NOT a watermelon topic)
*Including true, exact details from the movie they have made in their mind
*Beginning with a hook - perhaps using setting, action or dialogue

This is hard writing work and certainly not all children are in the same place in their progress. My biggest goal for writers at this point in third grade is that their writing is (mostly) clear, it makes sense and that the writers are intentional. When I say intentional, I mean that third grade writers are working to be reflective and think about what they can do to make their writing the best it can be.

Today we began the process of editing. When I refer to editing, I mean checking the mechanics of writing - capitals, punctuation, spelling. Correct writing mechanics makes the writing easier to read.

I can't wait to share their writing at our conference! :o)Melanie

Helping Your Child With Math

I know it can be hard to support your child as they work through Think Math. It is very different from my experiences learning math, I'm sure it's different from yours as well. However, there's still a lot you can do to create a math-friendly atmosphere at home. For starters you can display a positive attitude towards mathematics - even if you find it difficulty or unpleasant, or think you were never good at it.

A math educator, lecturer, and workshop leader says, "One of the most significant things parents can do is to help their children understand the normalcy and the value of struggle in mathematics... Learning math ultimately comes down to one thing: the ability, and choice, to put one's brain around a problem -- to stare past the confusion, and struggle forward rather than flee." People who struggle with math assume they just don't get it and never will. Those who do not struggle believe their success is the result of ability, but then may lose their confidence the first time they hit a stumbling block. You can help your child expect, cope with, and work through the mathematical difficulties and frustrations they encounter.

You can also explore math together as a family. Just like you read to your child each night, you can find ways to include everyone in the family, without focusing on the stressful parts - speed and memorization. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Your child can practice rounding at the grocery store. If you are trying to keep track of the running total you can ask them to round each item to the nearest dollar. If an item costs $6.27, your child can figure out that rounds to $6.00

If your child is ready for more of a challenge they can do the rounding, and keep the running total in their head.

2. Your child can help you figure out the cost of your items after you apply your coupons. Give the amount of the item and show them the coupon. They can estimate the cost.

3. Challenge your third grader to track the number of minutes they spend watching television, reading, doing homework or eating. They can graph their data and compare the results on different days.

4. Play 20 questions with numbers. Think of a number - you can adjust the number based on your child's skill level. Ask your child to figure out your number by asking questions that can be answered with yes or no. For example, a child might ask, "Is your number odd?"

5. Play with math in the car. Challenge your child to find license plates whose digits add up to a certain number. Or you can skip over the letters and read all the digits as a large number. If the license plate read, '6G1 T43' the number would be 6,143.

6. Challenge your child with math riddles. For example:

I have 6 coins in my pocket. They are worth 30 cents. What coins might I have?

Again, you can adjust this game based on your child's skill level.

Have fun with math! :o)

Fundations

Our spelling program follows the phonics concepts and skills taught in the Fundations program. Your children have been working with Fundations since kindergarten. We began Unit 1 this week.

The review concepts for the first unit are:
• closed syllable
This syllable has only one vowel and that vowel is followed by one or more consonants. (ex. at, itch, scram) The vowel sound is always short.
• spelling of the /k/ sound
Rule: At the end of one syllable words, ck is used immediately after short vowels
(sick). If there is another consonant after the short vowel, you only use the k (milk). The letter c is most often used at the beginning of the word and the letter k is most often used at the end of the word.

The new concepts for the first unit are:
• tch sounds like /ch/ and is used in spelling after a short vowel (catch)

As we practice and review new concepts I will begin holding children accountable for using the phonetic rules in their own writing.

Pico Ferme Nada

We played a great game at Morning Meeting that you can play at home. It's called "Pico, Ferme, Nada." One player thinks of a three digit number (although you can play with as many digits as you'd like). The other player(s) try to guess what the number is. The player who chooses the number tells the guessers if they are right using the words pico, ferme, nada.

Pico means that the digit is in the number and it's in the right place.
Ferme means that the digit is in the number, but it's in a different place (therefore having a different value).
Nada means that the digit is not in the number at all.

For example, the person thinking of the number comes up with 784. They don't tell the other players. The other players start guessing. Perhaps they guess 743.

7 is pico because it's in the right place.
4 is ferme because it's in the number, but in the wrong place.
3 is nada because it's not in the number at all.

The players then use their reasoning skills to make a new guess.

I know this sounds a little complicated, but the kids know how to play. Let them teach you! It's lots of fun. ;o)

Halloween Candy

Halloween candy will be allowed in school for a snack or dessert for two days! The children may bring in 1 piece on Tuesday (today) and 1 on Wednesday. After Wednesday, I will ask the children to enjoy those treats at home! :o)

Challenge: Today, I will ask third grade mathematicians to estimate how many pieces of candy they collected last night. I'm sure our answers will range from 30 to 687. Tonight, you might encourage your child to pull 10 pieces of candy away from the rest. Using this group of ten, you can ask them to revise their estimate. (If "this pile" is 10, how many groups of ten do you think you have all together?)

I will be interested to hear the new estimates tomorrow.

Vocabulary Parade

Today we went on a parade around the building to show off our awesome vocabulary costumes! We impressed many people with our knowledge of language!

Click here to see for yourselves.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! :o)

Word of the Week

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar. (Ask your child about the chapter book "Donovan's Word Jar" by, Monalisa Degross.)

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.

Last week's word was:

miscellaneous - a group of unrelated, random things

This week's word is:

flame (inspired by the wonderful band we saw last week :o) - burning, fire

Spelling Test Tomorrow

Hopefully your child has made you aware that we have our first spelling test tomorrow. Our super spellers have assured me all week that they have been studying. Today, we learned some fun strategies for studying.

Khameran taught "Rainbow Words." All you need is some paper and several crayons. Write a spelling word in one color. Write the same spelling word in a different color on top of the first one. Repeat in many different colors.

Austin taught us to use our white boards. Write the spelling word at least 3 times before erasing, to study a new word.

Jesse introduced us to "Look, Say, Spell." First, you look at the written word. Second, you say the word. Next, you spell the word. Finally, you cover the word and try writing it on your own. After that, you check the spelling.

Alex and Satsita taught us about "Pyramid Words." You write the first letter of the word. Directly below that letter you write the first two letters of the same word. Directly below that, you write the first three letters of the same word. Repeat the process until you have spelled the entire word. For example:
t
th
the
ther
there

I hope these strategies help make study times a little more fun! Thanks to all who helped teach these important new strategies.

Spelling Words

Thanks to Sandy Jacobs for asking me about this spelling letter. I didn't realize I had never sent it out! Always feel free to ask me for something I said I would do. Sometimes things get lost in the shuffle... :o)

In third grade children are taught that writers spell correctly out of respect for their readers. "Dictionary" spelling is much easier to read than invented spelling. Writers want readers to easily read and understand what they're trying to say. There are many ways we teach children to improve their spelling so they can be more respectful of their readers.

Each week the children learn and practice phonetic concepts and skills through the Fundations program. This program presents information through systematic and explicit instruction. At the end of each unit all children will take a test to demonstrate their understanding and facility with the skills and concepts presented. In addition to this, writing will be assessed to see that each child is applying these skills and concepts to their spelling in context.

Third graders are also responsible for spelling "trick words" that were introduced in kindergarten, first and second grade. (Most of these words do not follow phonetic patterns or rules.) Students were given an assessment on their spelling of these words. The words they were not able to spell correctly were placed on a list called "Words to Learn". They will choose 10 words from this list each week to bring home and study. Each Friday they will take a spelling test to demonstrate their mastery of these words. If a child makes an error on a word it will be placed on their list for the following week.

Some children did very well on the pre-assessment and therefore had very few words on their "Words to Learn" sheet. These children will not take very many individualized spelling tests. However, they will engage in other Word Study activities that are appropriate to their ability level.

We are looking forward to continued work with your child to improve their spelling.

Spelling Words

Third graders brought home spelling words today. They should study 5-10 minutes each night. Look for a yellow letter in their folder tomorrow explaining our spelling program.

Fossils

Have you ever imagined yourself as a paleontologist? Digging up dinosaurs bones from deep beneath the ground? Most of your children have. They are very excited as we begin our dinosaur unit. Last week many fossils (and replicas) were spread throughout the room. The children acted as true scientists as they drew observational sketches and took notes about what they drew. At the end of the two sessions, we held a scientific meeting. The scientists shared their findings and made theories about what they noticed.

This week, we are learning that a fossil is the "preserved remains of plant or animal life." Together we read Aliki's book, "Fossils Tell of Long Ago." We will also learn how a fossil is formed.

Stay tuned for more details!

New Dictionaries!

Thank you so much to the Needham Rotary Club! Yesterday morning each student received their very own dictionary - inscribed with their name. The looks on each child's face was priceless. Each child was truly excited. They can't wait to share them with you. We love words! :o)

The class worked together to write a thank you letter to the Rotarians. Check it out!

October 14, 2011

Dear Rotarians,

Thank you for the dictionaries. We love every part of them! We love how much information they give us. We like learning about the planets. We notice that Earth is tiny compared to many of the planets. We like that there is sign language in them. The pictures above the letter show us how to make that letter. We like the longest word in the English language. We learned that it’s the name of a chemical. It is fun trying to pronounce it.

We find it easy to look up words and their meanings in our new dictionaries. We can find new and interesting words that we haven’t learned before. The Word Wizard in Room 221 finds new and interesting words during our school day. For example, when Mrs. Sullivan reads aloud our chapter book, the Word Wizard listens for new words and writes the words down on a sticky note. At the end of read aloud, we share the words and talk about their meaning. One word we think is cool is “puzzled.” It means “confused or not understanding.”

Thank you again for the dictionaries.

Sincerely,

Room 221

Timed Addition Quizzes

On Monday, the children will bring home their corrected math quizzes. In order to move to the next quiz they need to have no more than 2 problems wrong. In addition, they need to finish the quiz within a certain time. (I don't tell them what the time is, because that tends to stress them out. :o(

The children corrected their own quizzes this afternoon using an answer key. This weekend, I will review the quizzes and add a score to it written as a fraction - the number correct over the total number of problems. Many children completed their quiz accurately, however, most of them did not complete the quiz quickly enough. If I write "You got it!" on the quiz, they passed and will go on to the next quiz (+1,+2,+3). Those children will receive 3+ flashcards to study for that quiz. They should cut the flashcards out and begin studying Monday night.

If I write "Keep studying" or "Study harder so you can go faster" on the quiz, the child needs to keep studying +2 so they can complete the first quiz more quickly. (If anyone needs new +2 flashcards, they are welcome to them.) I have emphasized to the children that I don't want them to worry, I just want them to study hard.

The next quiz will be given next Friday. (Typically quizzes will be given twice each week - Tuesdays and Fridays. We ran out of time today to make that possible.)

As always, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Columbus Day

Most of you are probably aware of the year 1492. The year Columbus sailed the ocean blue on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The voyage when Columbus "discovered" America.

You may not have heard the story from the Native American point of view. This morning I read "Encounter" by, Jane Yolen to the class - a piece of historical fiction that tells the Columbus story from the voice of a young Taino (Native American) boy. From that point of view, Columbus came to the Americas and "discovered" a land that had been inhabited for thousands of years. He claimed that inhabited land for Spain.

Before we started, Mrs. Butchart and I did a role play. She was sitting beside the group searching through MY pocketbook. The conversation went something like this:

Mrs. S: What are you doing with my pocketbook?
Mrs. B: This isn't your pocketbook. I discovered it just a little while ago.
Mrs. S: Discovered it? You couldn't discover that! It belonged to me. I had it first.
Mrs. B: But I found it and I want to keep it...

As Mrs. Butchart and I "argued," you could hear the light bulbs going off in the kids' heads. They said, "You can't discover something that already belonged to someone else!" This in fact is true. Columbus did not truly "discover" America. From another point of view however, Columbus did introduce the New World to Europeans. Certainly a kind of discovery.

Talk to your child about Columbus. Talk about the story that you learned originally and how your thoughts have changed. Talk about how stories change depending upon the point of view.

Happy Talking!

Timed Addition Quizzes

As you may know, it is imperative that your child memorize their addition facts to 20. It will make the study of mathematics so much easier for them if they no longer have to count on their fingers or use cubes to find sums. Memorizing facts opens space in their brain for the more sophisticated math problems they will encounter.
Please take the time at home to help your child study these facts for 10 minutes each night. I encourage the children to study them by repeating them out loud at least 3 times while looking at the numbers in the sentence. Saying them, hearing them and seeing them repeatedly should help them stick in their brain. Some children benefit from singing them or “writing” them on a cookie sheet filled with salt or shaving cream.
Often children think they are studying when a family member is quizzing them. Please remind them, they need to study BEFORE they can be quizzed. Find what works best for your child. Study throughout the day - in the car, waiting at the bus stop - whenever you have a few minutes.
Room 221 will take addition quizzes each Tuesday and Friday. As children pass their quizzes within the allotted time, they can move on to the next quiz. (The numbers gradually get higher.) For those children who do not pass, they will take the same quiz again the next time. For those who do, they will be studying +1,+2,+3 for the next quiz. (I will give them the new flashcards.)

Although I want children to work hard studying their facts, I do not want this to become very stressful. Please stay positive with your children and encourage them to do their very best. The first quiz is on Friday. Your child brought home flashcards today to study with. Please ask your child to cut them out.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to seeing your child memorize their addition facts! Thanks for your support.

Best regards,

Melanie :o)

P.S. For some children, this week’s +2 flashcards will be relatively easy. Please encourage your child to study anyway. I want them to develop the habits and routines for when the quizzes get harder.

Sock Donations

Yesterday, after lunch, the third grade community met on the rug in the pod to talk about sock donations. The teachers were wearing socks all over them! Every month, people will pick them up and deliver them to men and women who don't have enough. We made a graph to show how many socks we collect. Every time a person brings in two pairs of new socks, you can fill in a box on the graph. We hope to collect many socks!

by Room 221 authors

Classroom Rules

Don't be surprised if your child comes home this afternoon saying, "Mrs. Sullivan climbed and rolled on top of the desks today." Don't be surprised if your child comes home this afternoon saying, "Mrs. Sullivan was 'in Keren's face' today."

Naturally, you would be surprised if your child came home and shared either of these stories with you. Unfortunately, if they do share, they will be telling you the truth! For a few minutes this morning, I worked hard to model for the Room 221 community what I mean by "unexpected" behaviors. (I succeeded. The kids were in shock! :o)

Third grade word wizards shared that expected means, "good behavior, something you know is going to happen, or something that usually happens." They also shared that unexpected means, "something you don't expect, something that is surprising, or something you don't know is coming." Expected and unexpected are terms all teachers at the Eliot school are using to help children dig deeper into our school community's expectations.

We used these terms today to dig deeper into our classroom rules.

Our classroom rules are:

Respect everyone and everything
Be safe
Always try your best
Have fun!

Based on these rules, children suggested the following "expected" behaviors:

Listen to everyone
Whole body listening
Raise your hand
Don't interrupt
Wait your turn
Wave silently (if you see a friend in line)
Be quiet in line
Walk in the hallway
Don't talk when others are talking
Enter a room quietly
Be friendly
Say nice things
Include other people
Smile!
Ask, "How are you?"
Say, "I'm glad you're back!"
Be quiet in the pod
Ask, "Are you okay?"
Help someone up
Make eye contact

Ask your child if they can think of any more!

Intersections

As you may have read in the parent letter for Chapter 2 in Think Math, Room 221 is learning about multiplication. Think Math teaches multiplication in a way that is new to me, so I thought it might also be new to you.

The third graders are taught to look at the number of vertical lines, the number of horizontal lines and the intersections that happen when the lines meet. The vertical lines represent one factor, the horizontal lines represent the second factor and the intersections represent the product.

For example, if you take 3 vertical lines and line them up with 2 horizontal lines, you will make 6 intersections.

| | | (3 vertical lines) __ __ (2 vertical lines)

For the intersections, please see the image above.

The matching multiplication sentence will be:

3 x 2 = 6 - factor x factor = product

Ask your mathematician how many intersections there would be if you had 5 vertical lines and 4 horizontal lines!

Math Assessment

Last week, Room 221 mathematicians completed Chapter 1 in Think Math! The following day we took a Chapter Test. I called it a "snapshot," explaining to the students that I wanted a look at where they are as mathematicians right now. (I want to send the message that what they are doing now might change. If one "snapshot" is hard for them, I will take another "snapshot" later which could go better.)

You can find your child's completed chapter test in their folder this afternoon. Please review it with them. First, notice what they did well. Then, discuss any areas for improvement.

Thanks for all your support!

:o)Melanie

Alphabetical Order in Media

As a class, Room 221 will write a reflection entry each week. This will give us lots of practice to make our writing the best it can be. Check out this week's entry.



In Media, we learned how to put last names in alphabetical order. Everybody got to be the librarian and everyone got to be books. While some children were librarians, the other kids pretended to be books. The “books” had the first three letters of the child’s last name on it. The librarian would move the books around to put them in the right order. If two people’s names began with the same letter, we’d look at the second letter.

by Room 221 Authors

Reflection Letters

Hopefully your child will come running through the door today excited to share their newly written reflection letter with you. If not, it can be found in a spiral notebook in the backpack slung over their shoulder... :o) Each Friday students will brainstorm a list of the activities and lessons we learned throughout the week. Students will use these ideas to write a letter home about one or two of their favorite lessons. In third grade, this takes a LOT of practice! We work on our letter writing skills for the entire school year.

Each week there will be FCAs (Focus Correction Area) based on what has been taught and what the kids are practicing. These FCAs make it clear to the students what my expectations are. This week's FCAs for the letter were:

Topic sentence - This sentence should be towards the beginning of their letter. It should tell the reader what the paragraph is about.

3+ specific details - Third grade writers should include 3 specific details telling about their topic. The details and the topic sentence should be about the same thing.

Capitalization and punctuation - Third grade writers should begin every sentence with a capital and end every sentence with punctuation.

As we learn and grow you will see lots of progress and improvement in our letters. Eventually you will see the FCAs change as we work on more sophisticated skills and techniques.

Please read and respond to these letters if possible. Students look forward to hearing from you and it is a great way to model writing a friendly letter, which is a component of the 3rd grade curriculum.

Happy writing! :o)Melanie

Self Portraits

We successfully recreated our skin color today using tempera paint. Thanks so much to Ruby Chan Talcoff for helping to keep things running smoothly!

On Friday, we will use our painted paper to create self portraits in collage. If you have any yarn that would be a suitable color to use as hair, please send it in. We would appreciate it. Fabric scraps are welcome as well.

Thanks for your support!

:o)Melanie

Reading Logs

As you may know, third graders are responsible for reading at least 20 minutes each night. This homework is essential because readers learn to read by reading.

In addition to this reading time, third graders in Room 221 are asked to record what they are reading on a reading log. Unlike other logs you may be familiar with, children do not need to record specifically what they read each night. They only need to record when they begin or complete a new book.

For example, if I began reading a new book Friday evening, I would write:

Good Work, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Perhaps I don't finish reading the book until Saturday. On Saturday, I would NOT begin a new entry. I would add to the first entry, including the genre, the date the book was completed and whether the book was easy, just right or challenging. The final entry should look like this:

Good Work, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

F (for fiction) 9/24/11 JR (just right)

A title should only be listed on the reading log once, unless a child has read it more than once.

As you may know, I will collect all reading logs each Friday (even if they're not filled up). I will return them the following Monday. Room 221 readers should continue recording their reading on the same log until it is filled up. At which time they can get a new one in class.

Thanks for your cooperation. As always, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

The Colors of Us

This morning, Room 221 listened to "The Colors of Us" by, Karen Katz. It's a story of a young girl's walk through her neighborhood as she notices the beautiful and unique shades of each person's skin. She returns home to mix white, black, red and yellow paint to recreate each skin tone and paint portraits of her friends.

The young girl connects the shades of skin to many familiar foods. "My mom's the color of french toast... Sonia is a light yellow brown, just like creamy peanut butter..." I challenged children to find foods in the kitchen that remind them of their own skin. Alejandro even suggested you could look in nature too! Let us know what you find!

Tomorrow, 221 artists will mix paint to find their own, unique skin color. They will paint the shade onto a plain piece of paper which they will use to cut out their face and create their self portrait in collage. We will notice and celebrate the difference of each one.

Homework

Yesterday, your child received a packet of math papers. Your child will receive a similar packet each week. It will be distributed on Friday and due the following Friday. (They are welcome to return it whenever they complete it however.)

The pages are double-sided. You may have noticed that one side of each sheet says "practice," the other says "enrichment." Third grade mathematicians are responsible for completing 3 pages (sides) each week. They can choose which 3 sides they would like to complete. Children who would like a challenge can choose the "enrichment" side. Children who need to practice the original lesson can choose the "practice" side. Some children asked if they could finish more than 3 sheets. They are welcome to complete as many as they would like, but they are only required to complete 3.

*Please note: Rosh Hashanah begins Wednesday evening. I suggested that children who celebrate this holiday finish their math homework earlier in the week. However, I do not want the packet to get in the way of people honoring the holiday. So, if this is an issue, please let me know.

I am From... Poems

Proud poets in 221 have begun "I am from..." poems. These poems will give children the chance to share who they are. We all have different experiences, memories, and traditions that make us who we are. Each person's is different. It can depend on our culture, our religion, the color of our skin, where we grew up, or just the personalities of our family members. Ask your child about their poem. Ask them to share about their experience trying to think of what to share. You can even share your own special memories from your own childhood. Maybe even challenge yourself to write a poem.

Tuesday we got ready to brainstorm what might go in our own poems. (You may have seen planning sheets come home.) I shared with the children the kinds of things that might go in my poem. We thought about: items found around our homes, items found in our yards, items found in the neighborhoods, names of special relatives, sayings, or names of special foods and dishes. Today, added details to many of their original ideas. Finally, we will turn our brainstorms into poems. We will add significant and precise details, and pay attention to sound and feeling. Soon they will be hung on the wall. We'll also post them to the internet for all to enjoy!

Word Clouds

Mrs. Martell helped us create word clouds to put in our Writer's Notebooks. Click here to check out the digital versions. Thanks to Allan Budd for helping out in the computer lab!

Assignment Notebook

Today was an exciting day in third grade! The children received their assignment notebooks. This is a big jump in terms of their responsibility. Each day, children should fill out their assignment notebook with that day's assignment. (It will be posted on the smartboard for them to copy.) When they return home in the afternoon, they should open to the correct page (it will be marked with a sticky note so it's easy to keep track). They should read their assignment notebook before completing any homework. They can stay organized by checking off each assignment as it is completed.

We also talked about being responsible about returning the assignment notebook each day. I suggested to the kids that they should put their assignment notebook in their backpack immediately after completing their homework. At the same time, they should put their homework back in their folder and their folder in their backpack. That way, the next morning they will be ready to go!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the assignment notebook.

Drums

Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music."
-Gerald Ford, former U.S. President

The Eliot School is incredibly lucky to have a class set of African drums! Each Tuesday morning Room 221 will participate in a drumming circle. This is another wonderful opportunity for us to build community, develop our musical intelligence and have fun!

This morning the children experimented with different sounds and rhythms. Each child shared a rhythm with their name. Finally, we chose a few rhythms to try out as a whole class.

Ask your child:

*To recreate their rhythm
*Where the sound of the drums comes from
*Why we need to hold the drums off the ground

Classroom Rules

Yesterday we created out classroom rules. We discussed ways our community should act so that everyone can reach their hopes and dreams. First, we brainstormed many different rules - we had 20 or 30. We realized however, that we wouldn't be able to remember them all! So we found connections and similarities in our list, and narrowed it down to 4 rules that we can all remember. The rules are:

Respect everyone and everything.

Be safe.

Always try your best.

Have fun!

This afternoon children worked in pairs to show what it looks like to follow each of the rules. We will role play and practice following these rules together so that everyone can achieve their third grade hopes and dreams.

Website

Please take a peek at our classroom website. I hope the resources there will be helpful during your child's third grade experience.



Many of you have asked if the classroom needs anything. Our website has a page for a wish list, but I've copied it here in case you are interested. (Please do not feel obligated.)


*Antibacterial Cleanser - Purell (to help keep our hands clean and our bodies healthy)


*Plants & Flowers (to help keep our classroom beautiful)


*Rocking Chair


*Subscriptions to kids magazines - SI for Kids, National Geographic

Curriculum Night

Thank you so much to all who were able to join us last night. It was truly a pleasure meeting and working with all of you. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have (781-455-0452 x221, melanie_sullivan@needham.k12.ma.us). I look forward to a wonderful year together.

The First Six Weeks of School

We will be spending a lot of time during the first six weeks of school spelling out expectations, articulating rules and establishing predictable structures.

1. The children are participating in guided discoveries. In a guided discovery children discuss, explore and practice the use of classroom materials so that they can take care of the materials and each other. They role play what we can do when something goes wrong, or when another child wants to share.

2. Yesterday, the children chose a hope and dream for third grade. Each child will share their dream with the rest of the community. We will use these hopes and dreams as the basis for classroom rules. The discussion will begin with the question - “What rules do we need to have in our classroom so that everyone is able to fulfill their hopes and dreams this year?”

3. We are practicing, practicing, practicing all of the expectations. We practice lining up quietly, using quiet voices while working and even hanging up our backpacks in the cubbies. (**So far so good! The children have been fantastic and respectful. I am constantly amazed by them.)

4. I will be teaching recess. This may sound strange to you, but it's very important. The purpose of recess is for all children to have fun. We have been playing games together as a community. We model and practice what it looks like to be sure everyone has fun and is safe.

5. Most importantly, we are getting to know one another. We are all special and unique and we have begun sharing small pieces of ourselves with one another.

***We put a strong focus on all of these activities so that we can continue to have an
orderly, cooperative and stimulating learning environment where children feel ownership and safety.

Third Grade!

We have successfully completed our first days of third grade! I have to tell you that your children are amazing! They worked very hard today as they began to learn routines and expectations. They have been incredibly respectful.

This morning we had a "person" scavenger hunt. The children walked around the room looking for people that fit a certain description. For example, they were challenged to find someone who ate toast for breakfast this morning. They also tried to find someone who was born in another state. Through this activity they were able to learn that we are very similar in some ways, but very different in others. Ask your child what they learned about a new friend.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!

Last Day of School!

Happy last day of school!

Please be sure to check out your child's report card. I asked the kids not to open it until they were with an adult member of their family. In the report card envelope you will also find their summer assignment from the fourth grade teachers. Please note that they have a math and reading assignment.

In addition, you will find a large, manila envelope labeled "Portfolio of Progress," and all of their notebooks and folders. It should be fun to look through all of this work and notice the changes from September through June.

Finally, you will find a large, manila envelope labeled "Summer Stimulation" this includes summer reading lists, and math practice/challenges for each child. Although children are required to read this summer, the math included in the Stimulation folder does not need to be returned. I explained to the children today that I do not expect them to be doing academics all day, every day. I hope they rest and have a lot of fun! However, they might choose to keep their academic brain in gear by spending some time with math once or twice a week.

Happy summer!

Publishing Party

Room 221 is filled with amazing writers! Thank you to all who were able to attend our Publishing Party today. The authors were very proud to show off all their hard work.

We are sorry if you were unable to be here, but we totally understand. Be sure to check your third grader's backpack for their anthologies. Look for the folder titled: "The Complete Published Works of Third Grader ____________." Make sure you ask the author to read it to you. You'll LOVE what you hear!

Click here to see photographs of this exciting event.

Take Down the Walls

Thanks so much to the moms who have so generously offered to join us on Thursday morning. We could use some more hands if anyone else is available.

Thanks for considering! :o)

Publishing Party!

We hope to see you tomorrow at 1:30! Room 221 authors are very excited to share their writing with you!

Character Day!

The Room 221 community loves great books! Third graders dressed up as a character from one of their favorite third grade read alouds. In addition, the "characters" chose a few lines of dialogue their character says in the book. Other community members got to guess who they were. What a fun way to remember so many wonderful stories!

Click here to see the costumes.

Field Day

Thank you to Mr. Brenheiser and all parent volunteers for making Field Day so much fun for all of us!

Click here to see some pictures of the festivities.

Museum of Science

Thanks so much to Carl's mom, Brennan's mom, Matt W.'s mom, Stephanie M.'s mom and Steven's mom for accompanying us on our field trip yesterday! We couldn't have done it without them. The kids had a blast and learned so much!

Ask your children about the Lightning Show, the Nano Brothers show, the dinosaur exhibit, or the "scientific" playground.

Word of the Week

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar.

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.


This week's word is:
amperage: The number of electrons that are being pushed through a circuit

(I'm sure the "scientific" definition is much more complex. However, this is the definition Mr. Walle from Techsploration gave us when he came a couple of weeks ago. He compared voltage to amperage. He said the voltage is how hard and fast the electrons are being pushed, as opposed to amperage which is the number of electrons being pushed through at the same time.)

Publishing Party - IMPORTANT!

The publishing party will be on Wednesday, June 15 at 1:30.

Please note that this is a change in time! We hope to see you there!

Fifth Grade Wax Museum

Today, we went to the Fifth Grade Wax Museum in the hallways, here at Eliot School. Each fifth grader chose a famous person to research. They made 2 dimensional life-size models of each person out of cardboard, paper and clothes. In each model’s pocket was an object or picture that represents why they are famous. The fifth graders wrote some facts about the person to share with us. We asked questions like, “Why did you choose to represent this famous person?” We learned a lot from the fifth graders!

by, Room 221 Authors


P.S. I was very impressed with our third grader's effort to make this entry as clear as possible for you, their readers. They were very conscientious of sharing the event as clearly as possible. They considered what the reader would be wondering, word choice and punctuation all very carefully. They have grown a lot as writers this year!
:o)Melanie

Free Books at Borders!

Borders is offering a reading challenge to kids 12 and under. If you read 10 books, fill out the attached form, and bring it to a Borders store, they will give you a free book from the selected titles. Even more motivation to read!

Click here for more information.

Electricity Investigations

Throughout our electricity unit third grade scientists have asked thoughtful questions. Yesterday we sorted our questions into two groups. Some of the questions were "researchable." That means we could find the answers by asking someone, searching on the internet or searching in a book. The questions we were focusing on were "testable." That means third grade scientists could safely find the answers by using scientific equipment.

Tomorrow third grade scientists will work in groups to prepare to answer some of those questions. They will figure out which materials they will need to use. They will describe the set up and write the directions so that any other scientist would be able to repeat the investigation.

Finally, they will give it a try. Third grade scientists can use many different size batteries, different kinds of wire, light bulbs, motors, and switches to answer their questions. I look forward to seeing how they will collaborate.

Ask your third grader about their questions for an electrical investigation. :o)

Poppy

Did you hear? We finished our all time favorite read aloud on Thursday. "Poppy" by Avi was a huge hit in Room 221. The kids were enthralled by the humor of Ereth (the porcupine) and the suspense of Mr. Ocax.

You should know that this book is just one in a series. The books are leveled S, so some third graders can read them independently, but all children will enjoy them as a read aloud. I promise that you will enjoy the books too if you choose to snuggle up to share them with your child. Perhaps you can read them all this summer! The titles are:

"Ragweed"
"Poppy & Rye"
"Ereth's Birthday"
"Poppy's Return"
"Poppy & Ereth"

Avi has written many other fabulous books (apart from the Poppy series). Some are perfect for 9 year olds, some are more suited to older readers. Check them out at your local bookstore or library. You can also check out Avi's website!

Dates to Remember!

You will be receiving notices with more detailed information soon, but I wanted to give you a heads up about all the excitement in store for third graders!


June 2 - Field Day! Please be sure your child is wearing sunscreen and comes to school with a water bottle. If possible, please ask them to wear yellow. That's third grade's color!

June 9 - Last timed math quiz.

June 10 - Museum of Science field trip - Please send child to school with brown bag lunch.

June 13 - Character Day! (Please see the notice sent home yesterday.)

June 14 - Third Grade Book Swap - Children can bring in books from home and swap for new ones! (More information coming soon.)

June 15 - Publishing Party 9:00am - Families will be invited to join us for a celebration of our third grade publications. (More information coming soon.)

June 16 - Take Down the Walls 9:00-11:00 Volunteers needed to help get our classroom ready for summer. (More information coming soon.)

Word of the Week!

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar.

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.


This week's word is:
flabbergasted: shocked, incredibly surprised

Memorial Day Assembly

Tomorrow is our annual Memorial Day assembly. Our school community will share some patriotic songs and thoughts, followed by a performance from The Needham Retired Men's Glee Club. Please encourage your child to wear red, white and blue!

Cool Problem Solving Game

Trying to recover from the Bruins' loss... Found this website in the process. Check it out! It requires number sense and logical thinking. It's lots of fun. :o)

Techsploration

Thanks to the PTC for bringing back Techsploration! Third grade scientists to explorer deeper into the world of electricity. Ask your child the following:

What is electricity? (Hint: The flow of ______________.)

What do you need for electricity to flow? (Hint: It's shaped like a circle, and it must
be "closed" or "complete.")

How do we measure electricity?

What do we create when we pass a magnet through a coil of wire? (Hint: Remember George:o)

Please remind your children that they are encouraged to experiment with electricity using small batteries, however they may only do so with adult permission. In addition, they should NEVER use plugs or wall sockets to experiment. This is very dangerous!!!!!

Click here to see pictures from this wonderful presentation.

Fiction Writing

Thank you so much to Mrs. Anne Nydam for visiting third grade this afternoon! If you don't know, Mrs. Nydam is a published author and illustrator. You can check out her work at her website http://www.nydamprints.com/.

221 writers are getting ready to begin a unit focused on writing fiction. Mrs. Nydam shared many of the strategies and techniques she uses as a writer of fiction. Here's some of what our third grade writers learned:

*Every story needs a problem and solution
*Write stories like the ones you like to read
*Show don't tell - Don't say 'big,' describe how it's big
*Notice and pay attention to everything. Record or save the ideas you find most interesting
*Name your characters
*Put yourself in the character's place
*Never forget the small characters
*Notice problems in your own life. You might use one for a story

Third grade writers will be coming home with a small writer's notebook today. Each night (Monday-Thursday) they should write at least 2 entries. I am not expecting paragraphs, but at least 2 sentences for each entry. There are no right or wrong entries, as long as they are appropriate to third grade.

Entries might include:
*Interesting facts
*Descriptions of interesting people, animals or things
*Problems that happen to you, or somebody else
*Sights, sounds, smells, etc...
*Anything children notice that they find interesting

I expect the writer's notebook to come back to school each day.

Happy writing!

Extra Help - Sorry for the short notice

I will continue to hold extra help sessions on Tuesday mornings (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoons (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will review problems with area and perimeter. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Extra Help

Keep forgetting to post. I will not be offering extra math help this afternoon. Our regular schedule will resume next week. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Math MCAS

As many of you know, the Math MCAS is tomorrow and Friday. We had a brief practice test this afternoon. It was fairly short and simply gives the children an exposure to the experience.

The actual test will be administered tomorrow, May 19 and Friday, May 20 at
9:00am. The test is created to take about 60 minutes. Some children will be done sooner, and others will take longer. The test is untimed, so the children can take as long as they need.

I am asking all students to be in bed by 8:00 tonight and tomorrow night. Please help your children follow this guideline. In addition, all children should eat a healthy breakfast before coming to school each test day.

The children will be invited to eat a light snack when they get to school. After all children have completed the test, they will also be able to eat an "extra" snack and relax for a short time. The children will also get extra recess each test morning in order to run off any extra steam.


Most importantly, I do not want your children to feel stressed about MCAS. It is important that they know we believe they will do well. Please encourage them to work hard and do their best. However, also remind them that no matter how they do on MCAS, we know they are smart children!

Thanks for your cooperation. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Word Wall

We (finally) added to our Word Wall again this week! Our Word Wall consists of homophones that are commonly misspelled. A homophone is a word that sounds like another word, but has a different meaning and is spelled differently.

I updated a paper copy that was sent home. Keep it where your child does homework for easy reference. Once a homophone is on the Word Wall, I expect it to be spelled correctly in each child's work.

*You can also find a copy on our classroom website.

We learned two new sets:

hi - Hello

high - A top level or a great distance to the top

***********************************

where - A question to describe a location

wear - When you put on clothing

Electricity

Third grade scientists are having such fun as they explore electricity. They have made a motor run using just two wires and a battery. Ask your scientist how they got the motor to spin in the opposite direction...

Lighting a small bulb using only a battery and two copper wires was tricky. All students were able to make the bulb light, and the process helped us realize that the light bulb and the battery have "critical contact points." These are points that must be connected in order to create a complete circuit.

The very bottom of the light bulb, (we call that the base terminal) must be touching (directly or through metal wire) the metal part of the top or base of the battery. This must be connected (directly or through metal wire) to the opposite end of the battery. The wire must be connecting with the metal side terminal.

Why is everything attached using so much metal? Your third grade scientists will let you know after our "Conductors and Insulators" lesson next week!

LInear Measurement

Last week we practiced measuring things to the nearest inch, to the nearest 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch. It is tricky to identify those small lines that indicate fractions of an inch. But we reviewed our knowledge of fractions which helped us to understand. It's also important for third grade mathematicians to remember to line their measuring tool up carefully with the edge of what they're measuring. As our unit continues we will investigate and practice with other units of measure.

The more experience with measurement that children get at school and at home, the better. Encourage your child to estimate and measure distances. Typical questions that might come up at home include these:

How far is it across our kitchen table - and can we really reach that far?
How many children can sit comfortably on our couch? How many adults?
Will that extra bookcase really fit in the kids' bedroom?

These are good questions, and they're also very practical ones! Measurement questions come up a lot in our home lives, and it's exciting for children to be involved with real-world issues.

Here's how you can help during this unit:

Listen to your child's strategies for measuring.

Involve your child in your own measurement activities - hobbies like sewing or carpentry are a natural for this.

Work together on the measurement activities your child brings home.

Happy measuring!

Word of the Week!

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar.

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.


This week's word is:
athletic: Someone who is good at sports

Challenge #10: Art

*This genre flourished amongh 17th century Dutch painters; the term originated in the Dutch language as " "and.""
*This art often adorned ancient Egyptian tombs, and Paul Cezanne made it famous with his Apples and Peaches.
*These paintings give the artist freedom in the arrangement of the design elements within a composition.
*It is a work of art depicting inanimate objects such as pottery, flowers or fruit arranged in a pleasing way.

Extra Help

I will continue to hold extra help sessions on Tuesday mornings (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoons (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will review problems with elapsed time. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Poppy

This week we've been reading a book called "Poppy" by Avi. Our class thinks the book is good and suspenseful. We read it almost every day at the end of the day.

The main characters are Poppy, a female deer mouse, Mr. Ocax, an owl and Ereth, a porcupine. Half of Poppy's humongous family wants to move to New House to get more food. Mr. Ocax doesn't like the mice. He tries to control them. He won't let them go to New House. We think that Mr. Ocax is hiding something. Mr. Ocax told the mice that he protects them from porcupines, but Mr. Ocax is really the one who is afraid of porcupines. Poppy is going to New House to find out why Mr. Ocax won't let them live there. On her way, she meets Ereth. Ereth lets her into his log.

Written by,

Room 221

Static Electricity Stations

Third grade scientists continued on their quest to understand electricity! We began with a simpler form of electricity - static electricity! Children rotated from station to station - investigating, exploring and wondering.

In Station 1: Popping Paper, scientists put a plastic container over small paper circles. They rubbed the plastic container with their hand and with wool cloth. Ask your third grader what happened! Be sure to ask them why.

In Station 2: Jumping Peanuts, scientists rubbed a plastic card with wool cloth. Once they built up enough friction, they held the card next to styrofoam peanuts. Ask your third grader what happened! Be sure to ask them why.

In Station 3: Attractive Comb, scientists rubbed a plastic comb with two different types of cloth. Once they built up enough friction, they held the comb near small paper circles. Ask your third grader what happened! Be sure to ask them why.

In Station 4: Static Tube Pick-Up, scientists rubbed a "static tube" with wool cloth or their bare hand. (The static tube is a clear plastic tube with small pieces of styrofoam inside.) Once they built up enough friction, they held the static tube up to styrofoam pieces, small pieces of yarn and aluminum strips. Ask your third grader what happened! Be sure to ask them why.

In Station 5: Dancing Styrofoam, scientists rubbed a "static tube" with cloth or their bare hand. Ask your third grader what happened to the styrofoam inside the tube! Be sure to ask them why.

Third grade scientists were encouraged to ask questions and create theories as they explored. Members of each group were encouraged to share information with one another. Third grade scientists in Room 221 are going to learn so much about electricity this year! :o)

Atoms

Did you learn about atoms in third grade? Probably not. (I know I didn't!) Your children are! Last week, third grade scientists learned that the world around us is made up of matter. Today we dug deeper and learned that matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are incredibly small. In fact, the period at the end of this sentence is made up of billions of atoms.

Above you can see the model of an atom. Challenge your third grade scientist with these questions about it:

What is the center of an atom is called? (The nucleus)
What is inside the nucleus? (Protons and neutrons)
What is moving around the outside of the nucleus. (Electrons)
Describe the charge of electrons and protons. (Electrons have a negative charge. Protons have a positive charge.)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post describing our investigations into static electricity!

Current Events

This morning the Room 221 community had a brief conversation about the death of Osama Bin Laden. I chose to discuss it as a class because I heard several conversations happening amongst the children. I didn't want conversations to swing out of control with misinformation, or with information that might frighten some children. I think that such conversations are difficult to have with young children because there is so much content that is not yet appropriate for them to hear. I am also aware that families have different feelings about what should and should not be shared with their children. Therefore, I kept the conversation simple and brief. Most children knew that Bin Laden had been killed. Most children knew that he was connected to September 11. I asked the children not to have further conversations at school unless it was with an adult. I encouraged them to share any questions they had with a trusted adult at home or with a teacher.

As always, please let me know if you have any comments or concerned.

:o)Melanie

Extra Help

I will continue to hold extra help sessions on Tuesday mornings (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoons (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will review problems with algebra. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Challenge #9: Nature - Answer

*It first took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska.
*It was the brainchild of Julius S. Morgan who was Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture.
*All 50 states celebrate the day, and it is also celebrated in Australia, Japan, Israel, Korea and India.
*It is a special day dedicated to tree planting and the awareness of the importance of trees.
*More than 1,000,000 trees were planted during the first celebration.

Answer: Arbor Day

Summer Reading Challenge!

Your child will be bringing home their User Name and Password today. Third grade readers can start logging their minutes immediately! :o)

Summer Reading Challenge!

Studies show that kids who read over the summer maintain the skills they’ve built during the school year, and score higher on reading tests when they return to school in the fall. To keep reading all summer long, our class is signed-up to participate in the 2011 Scholastic Summer Challenge, a free reading program dedicated to stopping the “Summer Slide” and encouraging kids to read more books this summer.

Now in its fifth year, the Summer Challenge invites kids to log the minutes they spend reading as they Read for the World Record. The 20 schools with the most minutes logged will receive recognition in the 2012 Scholastic Book of World Records. Kids can participate in weekly challenges, earn digital rewards, enter sweepstakes to win fabulous prizes, and more. Our class is reading on behalf of our school, so cheer them on and check our school's reading progress on the Summer Challenge interactive map. Your child has been given a screen name and a password to participate at www.scholastic.com/summer. Kids can sign in and start logging minutes on April 27, 2011.

You can get involved, too! Visit www.scholastic.com/summer to download summer book lists by age, find expert tips on motivating your child to read, encourage your child to log minutes online and track our school’s reading minutes together. If your child provides your email address during log-in, Scholastic can notify you on your child's reading achievements throughout the summer.

You should review the Scholastic Summer Challenge Privacy Policy which describes the information that has been or may be collected from your child or student in connection with Summer Challenge, how Scholastic may use it, and how you can access, change or delete your child's information. To revoke Summer Challenge permission or to request to review or have deleted a child’s personally identifiable information from Scholastic’s records, and refuse to permit further collection or use of a child’s personally identifiable information, parents or teachers may call Scholastic at (800) 246-2986 or write to e-Scholastic, 557 Broadway, New York, New York 10012, Re: 2011 Summer Challenge (to revoke permission for Summer Challenge) or Re: Parent/Teacher Request for Information (general requests). You can also print, complete and return this letter to the specified address. Scholastic may ask for verification of identity to ensure that no personally identifiable information is provided to anyone other than the child’s parent or teacher.

For more information about the Summer Challenge, please visit www.scholastic.com/summer, or review the Frequently Asked Questions. To read the Scholastic.com Terms of Use, go to http://www.scholastic.com/terms.htm. You can also email Scholastic with general questions about the Summer Challenge at summerchallenge@scholastic.com

Matter

Today we read "What's the Matter in Mr. Whisker's Room?" We learned all about matter!

Everything around us is made up of matter. As an introduction to our unit on electricity, the children learned that matter:

*takes up space
*has weight
*can sink or float
*can be in different forms - solid, liquid, gas
*can change from one form to another - from solid to liquid, or from liquid to gas
*can be "sensed" - hear, smell, feel, taste, see

Ask your child to name some matter around you!

P.S. Next week we will learn what matter has to do with electricity. Hint: Matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of electrons. The flow of electrons IS electricity!

P.P.S. You and your third grade scientist can make oobleck at home! Oobleck is a fun material that changes from a solid to a liquid then back again.

Mix 7 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water a little at a time until you get a mixture that is solid when still, but melts into a liquid when held. Stir in a little green paint or food coloring. Store it in a plastic container with a lid.

Word Girl Contest!

This afternoon third grade word wizards are competing in the 2011 WordGirl Definition Competition! The event is a great way to engage students with vocabulary words in an entertaining and interactive context and have fun in the process! During the 30-minute live webcast, our class will play along, in real-time, by submitting answers online during the webcast—and may even be called out during the event!

The activities in the competition will help us:

• Understand the meaning of words
• Use textual context clues for correct word usage
• Leverage visual context clues to define words
• Draw on existing vocabulary knowledge
• Present vocabulary words in multiple and interesting contexts

By participating in the Definition Competition, our class and school will be automatically entered for a chance to win fabulous books and WordGirl prizes!

Ask your child to tell you a new word they learned this afternoon!

Check These Out!

All children who love books and reading should check out these websites. They are filled with book reviews written by children as well as book suggestions and links to other cool sites. Check them out!

www.kidsreads.com

www.spaghettibookclub.org

Challenge #9: Nature

*It first took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska.
*It was the brainchild of Julius S. Morgan who was Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture.
*All 50 states celebrate the day, and it is also celebrated in Australia, Japan, Israel, Korea and India.
*It is a special day dedicated to tree planting and the awareness of the importance of trees.
*More than 1,000,000 trees were planted during the first celebration.

Extra Help

I will continue to hold extra help sessions on Tuesday mornings (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoons (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will review problems from our latest assessment. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Reschedule - Conferences

Thank you so much for your patience with the rescheduling of conferences. For those that emailed me confirming they would like to keep their originally scheduled times, I have resubmitted that information into Doodle. You can see that schedule by clicking here.

If you haven't contacted me, or if your name is inadvertently not on the schedule, please follow the directions below. If you have any trouble, or there is any confusion, please don't hesitate to contact me.
*****************
1. Click here to schedule your spring conference. Please note that I am attempting to schedule most of my conferences on Friday, April 29. However, if you are unable to schedule something that day, I would be happy to accomodate you in any way I can. Just email me separately.

2. You do not need to enter an email and password so skip the login. A
calendar will appear with times on April 29. Each time slot will have a select
button underneath. Find a time that works for you and select the
button underneath. You can only sign up for one time slot. In the row next to
your select button is a location for you to type your name. Then click SAVE.

3. You will receive a confirmation message. Click the return
to poll link to view your entry on the calendar.

4. You should see your name and OK in green. No one can select your slot
now that it has been entered.

DELETING OR EDITING A SELECTION
1. If you’d like to change your originally selected date, click the Delete an entry
link under Functions at the bottom of the webpage.

2. Click on the red X and choose the option: Yes, delete. Then Return to poll
to schedule a new date or time using the directions above.

I look forward to meeting with you!

Mixed Numbers & Improper Fractions

We dug deeper into fractions today. When I was a kid, I would never have believed that fractions could be fun, but it was a blast today! The children worked diligently and enthusiastically figuring out how mixed numbers and improper fractions work.

Yesterday we learned that if we share 7 brownies with 4 people that each person would get 1 3/4 brownies. 1 3/4 is called a mixed fraction. It's a whole with a fraction left over.

Today, I asked third grade mathematicians to compare fractions to a whole. I asked if a fraction was more than a whole, same as a whole or less than 1 (a whole). We noticed that fractions like 2/3, 3/4, 1/2 are all less than 1. We noticed that fractions like 5/5, 8/8, 6/6 are equal to 1. (Any time the numerator and denominator are the same, the fraction is equal to 1. Finally we learned about fractions that are more than a whole - 9/4, 8/6 etc... We made the generalization that if the numerator is larger than the denominator, the fraction is automatically larger than
1. Ask your third grade mathematician to draw you a picture proving these ideas.

Next, I challenged the students to turn 17/4 into a mixed number. I reminded them that a mixed number had some wholes and some fraction of the whole. Most students solved the problem by drawing out squares split into fourths, but several children made the connection to division and were able to solve it mentally!

Finally, I assigned the mixed number 3 2/5 and asked third graders to find the equivalent improper fraction. Most problem solved the problem by drawing 3 rectangles divided into fifths, but even more of them used multiplication and addition to solve this problem.

I was very proud of our mathematical minds today. Challenge your child to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and improper fractions to mixed numbers. At the third grade level it is very appropriate for them to draw pictures to help them solve the problem.

Have fun! :o)

Homework

I have been reflecting about homework. In my mind, there are two purposes for third grade homework.

The first is to help children develop responsibility. I feel that it's good for them to practice completing assignments and returning them independently.

The second is for children to practice some of the skills/concepts we have learned in class. There are not enough hours in the school day to practice all that children need to learn.

Keeping these two ideas in mind, I am slightly revising the way I assign homework. Children will continue to have homework Monday - Thursday nights. They will continue to have weekly math due on Fridays. They will be expected to read and study each night. However, the written homework will be shorter.

I have fallen into the habit of assigning two-sided worksheets nearly every night. I don't believe this is necessary, or a good use of your child's time. I would prefer they use the time spent completing the second half of the worksheet reading, writing, playing, spending time with family, investigating a topic they find interesting or letting their imagination roam free. (I pointed out to the kids that I purposely did not include watching television or playing video games to this list... :o)

The weekly homework will be:
Monday night: Weekend adventure/paragraph - due Wednesday (This will give them extra time to do their very best work and EDIT carefully!)

Wednesday night: Math worksheet (I will usually send home a worksheet with two sides. However, children can choose which side to complete. They do not need to complete both sides.)

Thursday night: Miscellaneous - spelling/social studies/science (Again, I will often send home a worksheet with 2 sides. Children can choose which side to complete. They do not need to complete both sides.)

Weekly Math: Due Friday

Timed Quizzes: Mondays and Thursdays

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Extra Help

I will continue to hold extra help sessions on Tuesday mornings (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoons (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will continue our focus on fractions. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Conferences - Please Read!

I am so sorry to do this, but I need to cancel all conferences for tomorrow. I fought off this cold for weeks now. I have won many battles, but have finally lost the war. I'd be happy to meet with you despite not feeling well, but my voice is almost completely gone. I might be able to squeak out 1 or 2 conferences in the morning, but I'm certain I couldn't last all day. (Clearly an indication that I talk too much... :o)

Please email melanie_sullivan@needham.k12.ma.us by 1:00 to let me know that you got this message. If I don't hear back from you, the Eliot office staff will contact you by phone this afternoon.

I will be rescheduling conferences for Friday, April 29. If you would like the same time on that day, please let me know by email. Otherwise, I will be posting a new doodle in the next couple of days. Of course, if that day doesn't work for you, I'll be happy to meet with you before or after school on a different day. Just let me know.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. I look forward to speaking to you soon.

Virtual Field Trips for the Continents!

Room 221 third graders wish they could travel on the Magic School Bus to all the continents! That would be a great example of experiential learning. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be in our budget, so we are settling for virtual field trips...

This afternoon we traveled all the way to the computer lab! While there, we were able to visit Europe, Australia, North America, South America and more! Room 221 scholars looked for specific information about each continent to which they traveled:

*2 countries
*2 bodies of water
*landmarks
*landforms
*products
*other interesting facts

Ask your third grader to share 2 facts they learned today! Click here to see some of the field trips. Scroll down to third grade and you can choose your continent!

Maps of Needham

Do you remember way back when third grade cartographers created maps of Needham? Several maps were chosen from each school to be displayed around town to help celebrate the tercentennial. Look carefully for them as you travel around Needham. Or click here to see photographs of those maps. Be sure to find our very own Irene's!

Answer: Challenge #8 Culture

*Introduced in 1963, it was a huge fad of the 1960s and 1970s when millions were sold; it became popular again in the late 1990s.

*It is a capped glass container holding two compounds that are similar in density and don't mix, with a source of light and heat at the bottom.

*When the unit is turned off and becomes cold, the denser compound sinks to the bottom in a hard, waxy, flat lump.

*With heat, the denser compound liquefies and expands, becoming less dense than the water, and it slowly rises to the surface.

*The risen blobs of compound cool when away from the source of heat, and they fall back to the bottom, to continue the process of rising and falling until the device is turned off.

Answer: Lava Lamp

Extra Help

I will continue to hold extra help sessions. This week I will meet with children on Wednesday morning (7:50-8:20)and Thursday afternoon (2:35-3:05). In order to best meet the needs of each child I will be choosing a focus for each session. This week we will again focus on fractions. If your child needs or would like some extra practice in this area they are welcome to attend either or both days.

I am happy to see as many children who are interested. I only ask that you notify me to let me know that your child is coming.

Spring Conferences

Thanks to all who signed up for their spring conference. I hope you found using "Doodle" convenient.

There are still 4 time slots available on Friday, April 8: 10:00, 2:30, 3:30 and
5:30. Please click on this link if you would like to sign up for one of them.

Alternatively, email me at melanie_sullivan@needham.k12.ma.us to sign up for another day and time that is more convenient for you.

I look forward to meeting with you! :o)Melanie

Word of the Week!

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar.

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.


This week's word is:

tsunami: A humungous wave

Learning About Asia!

April 1, 2011

Dear families,

This week we took a virtual field trip to Asia. We saw pictures of the Dead Sea. It is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. We learned that you can easily float because it is so salty. We also traveled down the Silk Road. In ancient times, people traded silk, spices and slaves along that route. We learned a lot about Asia!

Fondly,

Room 221 Writers

P.S. Please notice the letter format in this entry. Children should write their letters using proper letter format. Check out your child's letter this afternoon. Please write back if you can!