What a week in third grade! Students were hard at work in all subject areas (as they always are) and managed to get a lot accomplished! In math this week, third graders were focused on determining what multiplication strategies are best used for particular problems. We challenged ourselves during group work to use more than one strategy to solve a given problem. Some possibilities included: draw a picture, repeated addition, skip count, use what you know, and make a table. Most third graders realized that using what they already know about math facts to solve larger, more complex problems was most efficient. Check out the picture to see the strategies we developed for solving 6 x 7! We also began our science unit on Matter & Energy this week. So far, third graders have learned about the various forms of energy we get from the sun, as well as the types of energy we humans need to survive. We will continue with this learning next week, learning more about sustainable energy. This week in reader’s workshop, students were focused on reading fluency and determining main idea. To start the week, we talked about what reading fluency is and why it’s crucial to be a fluent reader. We addressed topics like rate, expression and accuracy. We also talked about why it’s important to notice and adhere to the rules of punctuation when reading aloud. Third graders then had a chance to practice their fluency with a partner. Students were given a rubric and read to each other for five minutes each. At the end of the five minutes, their partner went over the rubric with them, noting what they did well and goals for the future. We will continue practicing fluency during reader’s workshop stations, as it is a central aspect of being a successful reader! Reader’s workshop also focused on establishing a main idea when it comes to reading stories and passages. When asked why finding the main idea is important, many third graders shared that it’s how you can determine if you’re understanding what you’re reading. They’re right! In small groups, students categorized main ideas based on short articles about snow leopards. They also sorted main idea task cards. Next week, we will explore the difference between main idea and theme in fictional stories. Comments are closed.
|
Author
Mrs. Minatta is a third grade teacher at Cottonwood Creek Elementary. See and read all about what third graders are up to throughout the school year! Archives
March 2021
|