We’ve had another productive week in third grade, with students working hard to wrap up old projects and begin studying new material! In writer’s workshop, third graders wrapped up their endangered animal reports this week. To conclude the project, students created webpages to showcase their research and written work. See below for some examples and look forward to a more in-depth look at student webpages during conference week! During reader’s workshop this week, students began new book clubs. The theme this time around is “series”, with every club reading a book that is a part of a series. The hope is that third graders will get hooked and continue reading a specific author’s works. In both reader’s and writer’s workshops, third graders also practiced written responses to reading. They’re starting to really get the hang of it and will soon transition over to the computer to type out their responses! In math, third graders concluded their study of Unit 5: Multiplication, Division and Area and have transitioned into Unit 6: Geometry. We started things off with practice in finding both the perimeter and area of irregular shapes. Next week, we’ll dive into geometric vocabulary and shape identification. It’s been a fun-filled couple of weeks in third grade! Students celebrated Valentine’s Day, participated in a SEM program, and continued working hard! In math this week, third graders worked at breaking down multi-step division problems and solving them using a variety of strategies. Students also took a short checkpoint that centered on multiplication and division facts. Quick note that third graders should be practicing their multiplication facts at home. I highly encourage students to memorize their multiplication facts (0-12), as getting a handle on them now will be immensely helpful in the future! Third graders can practice their facts via our class blog, with websites accessible through the ‘Student Resources’ tab. Old fashioned flashcards work great as well! Science this week was all about weathering, both the physical and chemical kind. Third graders had the opportunity to simulate different types of weathering through experiments in class. To learn more about chemical weathering, third graders used vinegar to imitate acid rain. Our focus was on how acid rain can alter rock formations. Students made initial observations of 4 different types of rock: basalt, marble, limestone and sandstone. We then left the rocks in vinegar overnight and some interesting chemical reactions transpired! Last week, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science came to Cottonwood. Third graders had a chance to participate in the "Mission to Mars" challenge. It was a great way to practice collaboration and problem solving strategies! In writer’s workshop, third graders continue to work on crafting their endangered animal reports. Many students have completed their rough drafts and have transitioned to typing up their paragraphs on the computer. Things are moving quick, next week students will start creating webpages about their animals!
Of course, we also had an awesome Valentine’s Day celebration in class. Check out the pictures below to see some of the fun! |
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
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