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.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
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.
*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.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
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!"
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!"
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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)
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)
Sunday, November 13, 2011
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.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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
*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
Monday, November 7, 2011
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)
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.
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)
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)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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.
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)
Click here to see for yourselves.
Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! :o)
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