Terrific Tuesday

The children began their day in art.

When they returned to class we began our math rotations.  When working with me, we used our knowledge of the tens facts to find the products of the nines facts.  For example, if the problem is 4 x 9=  , think about 4 x 10= 40, and then realize that 4 x 9 is one group of 4 less, so you subtract 4 from 40 and get the answer of 36. 

One group also worked on mental multiplication.  We practiced multiplying by 100 or 1000.  The students learned to multiply the known digits and count the zeroes.  For example, 8 x 1000...you multiply 8 x 1 and tack on the 3 zeroes to the end.

At guided practice, the students continued working on the Problem of the Week from yesterday.  Today the emphasis was on using the clues to systematically eliminate numbers.

Finally, during the technology rotation students watched a Learn Zillion lesson about identifying a missing quotient.  Then they completed the guided practice in their math journal.

For HOMEWORK there is a worksheet reflecting today's small group lesson.

We began the reading and writing block with me modeling how to choose 2 tools from my topic (work) and begin researching what each tool was like long ago, now and how human wants and needs led to changesin the tool.

While I met with small groups, students worked on reading group assignments, completed the narrative poem rough draft, finished the science experiment from last week,chose two tools for their inquiry project and began gathering information.

Sharks:  We learned that a contraction is composed of two small words put together to form a new one that is missing a couple of letters and has an apostrophe in its place.  Then we practiced reading and writing 5 contractions from their book.  After that, I read chapter 6 , out loud to the students.  Then we identified the actions that led to Gregory creating a garden in the burned out building.  For HOMEWORK the children need to read chapter 6 and do 1 activity on the reading log.  Additionally, they need to write their contractions 3 times each in their RRJ.

Following lunch and recess the students continued working independently AFTER we had a short meeting of the minds...

I gathered the children on the carpet and explained that I wasn't comfortable with the graphic organizer, for the inquiry project, that I attempted to model this morning.  So, after consulting other teachers I discovered a better one created by another third grade teacher in the county.  This one focuses on one tool improved by technology.

Therefore, this afternoon, students will spend time exploring the available technology links to begin picking one tool they plan to research.

Dolphins:  We practiced reading and writing their focus words.  Then we reviewed pages 2-4 and reading up to page 11.  We worked on breaking unknown words apart to decode them.  For HOMEWORK the children need to reread pages 2-11 and complete 1 activity on their reading log.  They also need to write their focus words three times each in their RRJ.

Cheetahs:  The students read chapter 7 and wrote about a character's action that led to an event in this chapter, in their RRJ.  IN group I modeled answering this BCR.  The students were wide-eyed...many had merely copied a sentence from the book with no background information or explanation.  We discussed the importance of fully explaining their thinking.  They returned to their seats to revise their responses.  For HOMEWORK the students need to reread chapter 7 and complete 1 activity on their reading log.

Pandas:  The students read chapter 7 and wrote about a character's action that led to an event in this chapter, in their RRJ. IN group I modeled answering this BCR. The students were wide-eyed...many had merely copied a sentence from the book with no background information or explanation. We discussed the importance of fully explaining their thinking. They returned to their seats to revise their responses. For HOMEWORK the students need to reread chapter 7 and complete 1 activity on their reading log.

We ended the day by identifying processes that change the observable physical properties of objects in order to satisfy human wants and needs.  More to the point-- we watched two video clips and discussed how trees are turned into lumber which is then used to build homes.