What a whirlwind of a week! The days in third grade are absolutely flying by. This week in our study of the United States regions, third graders were asked to determine the location and name of cities depicted via photograph. Clues like the annual rainfall received, population per square mile, and latitude and longitude were given to help narrow down possible choices. It was great to see third graders putting their map skills to use! We also learned more about the Mississippi River. Students competed against each other in a questioning round to determine who could find or remember facts about the river. Students learned about the Mississippi River's levee system, the impact of hurricane Katrina, and even the influence of the river on Mark Twain! In Reader's Workshop this week, third graders reviewed the importance of questioning and making predictions before, during and after reading. Naturally, our discussion segued into a focus on inferring (when you connect your background knowledge with clues from the text to ultimately draw conclusions). These concepts are not new to third graders, but they are a vital aspect of the reading process. Active readers ask questions, make predictions and infer to better understand the text. We will continue to stress this throughout the school year! Writer's Workshop this week centered on students wrapping up the revision process for their informational pieces and moving on to final drafts; however, before students could start their final drafts, they were tasked with creating an introduction and conclusion for their pieces. Why would students write an introduction after they had already written their chapters? Having chapters already written helped students craft introductions that drew their readers in and explained what their piece was all about. Next week, third graders will finish their final drafts and be given the opportunity to share their writing with the class! In the coming weeks, third graders will be introduced to multiplication via Bridges Unit 2. Rather than focus on the rote memorization of multiplication facts, the goal of this unit is to provide students with strategies to help understand the properties of multiplication. In other words, we're building the foundation and walls before picking out the flooring and drapes! By the end of the unit, third graders will be able to: Solve story problems involving multiplication, develop efficient strategies for multiplication facts up to 10 x 10, and represent problems using arrays, number lines, and ratio tables. Find more information on Bridges Unit 2 under the curriculum tab! Business:
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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
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