Winter Party

Thanks to Mrs. Hartley and Mrs. Dowling and all the third grade parents that helped plan and organize the winter party! Thanks to Mrs. Silver, Mrs. Tverskoy and Mrs. Zolotar for coming in to help out. The kids had a fabulous time.

Click here to see photographs of the event.

CAP

Special guests came to Room 221 this morning to present "CAP: Child Assault Prevention." They shared many strategies for children to use to keep themselves safe, strong and free. The topics included bullying, strangers and "inappropriate" touching. Please check your child's folder for more information. Remember to ask your child to share what they learned today.

Winter Concert

The class enjoyed 2 wonderful concerts performed by our school orchestra, band and chorus. Click here to see a collection of photographs of the event taken by our media specialist, Mrs. Martell.

Continents

Have you heard that Room 221 is traveling the globe? We have been learning interesting facts about each continent.

Thanks to an NEF Grant, third grade teachers created a bag for each continent filled with different objects. Each object represents a fact about a continent. First, the third grade learners were given the opportunity to explore the objects and use their background knowledge to "guess" what fact might be true about the continent. For example, in the Asia bag there is a small wheel. Many children guessed that wheels are made in Asia.

After children have had a chance to explore, we learn the true information about the continents. The children see photographs and facts for each object. For example, third graders learned that the wheel was actually invented long ago in Asia.

Ask your child what interesting information they have learned as we've traveled the world!

Word Problems

Third grade mathematicians are working hard to improve their problem solving skills in math. We have learned several strategies to help us.

1. Read the problem carefully. It is often helpful to read one sentence, and stop to think about what that sentence means before reading on. Third graders are encouraged to do this for each sentence to help them better understand the problem.

For example, if the problem says:

There are 5 students in Mr. Parker’s art class. He would like to give each of his students  6 stickers to use in a project they are doing.

I am going to stop and think about what the sentence means. After thinking, I realize that this sentence gives me enough information so I can figure out how many stickers Mr. Parker needs.
(5 x 6= 30)

2. Be sure to answer the question being asked. Some questions ask for numbers, but other questions ask for months, or times. Still other questions might ask for  yes or no.

For example, if the question asks:

Does Mr. Parker have enough stickers for everyone?

I know I need to answer yes or no. 

3. Finally, third graders should label their answers.

For example, if the question asks:

If not, how many more stickers does Mr. Parker need?

My answer needs to include the word stickers - 18 stickers.

Please remind your third grade mathematicians of these strategies when they are working on word problems at home.

Made in the Shade

Thanks to the Needham Creative Arts Council, and a NEF grant, the Eliot School was treated to a performance from Jazz band, "Made in the Shade." Here's some of the things Room 221 learned from the performance:

*Jazz started in New Orleans, Louisiana.

*The banjo comes from Africa.

*Some marching band music changed into Jazz music.

*There are many different types of jazz like: Dixie Land, Swing, Bee Bop, Jazz Fusion and Latin Jazz.

*The band had a trumpet, trombone, drums, double bass, banjo and a guitar.


It was fun! Thanks to the musicians for teaching us about Jazz.


                     by Room 221 authors