Time flies when you are learning!

I can't believe the middle of December has already passed. If your house is like mine it is buzzing with planning and getting ready for the upcoming holidays. There is nothing like wrapping presents, grading papers, baking, hiding the elf that is currently living in my house (Elf on the Shelf), writing lesson plans, and having that cycle around while still enjoying my two little ones! :) Life is hectic at times, but I love it!

Math- For the last month we have been working on fractions. We have discussed the numerator and denominator, equivalent fractions, mixed fractions, and improper fractions. The class has learned how fractions are made by breaking something into equal parts. We experimented with this with paper brownies and pattern block cookies. You should hear the groans from both math classes when we talk about food, since math is usually before lunch! :) After learning and practicing our fractions, we started turning our fractions into decimals. We discussed how the place value turns around. After the decimal you have a tenth, hundredth, thousandth, but the kids only practiced tenths and hundredths. They had to write decimals from their mixed fractions as well. All the kids seemed to really enjoy this unit. Our assessment was today, but I have a lot of students from the other class whom need to make it up. As soon as everyone has taken the test and I have them graded, they will be sent home. Next week, we are going to review place value, addition (single, two, and three digit), subtraction (single, two, and three digit), and have some fun winter math activities.

Reading-  Last week we read On Granddaddy’s Farm by Thomas B. Allen. This is an autobiographical account of the author’s life as a child on his grandparents’ farm in the 1930s. He describes how life on the farm revolved around his grandfather’s job with the railroad. He also recalls the farm chores and playtime typical of the era. We worked on sequencing events and applying the text to the knowledge we had of farm life. This week we did not have a story. We review material covered in the last unit and took our unit quiz. We were also introduced to some new characters of Reciprocal teaching. A reading strategy your child will practice often in whole group and guided reading. Reciprocal teaching works on predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. We worked a lot on making predictions this week!

Text Talk- This week we read The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane and Herm Auch. This is a story about a princess named Paulina who thinks she wants to get back into princessing since her father has given up the throne. She undergoes a series of princess tests (pea under the mattresses, an essay, etc.) to prove she is fit to marry Prince Drupert. After accidentally inventing the pizza, she decides not to become a princess but to open a pizza palace instead. Words we discussed were: fragrant, gracious, humble, muttered, fret, and practical. 

Social Studies- Student have been working in their Map Champ atlases to discuss government and timeline of the United States history events.

For the last four weeks, we have had a volunteer named Dru Bridges, come into our classroom and teach Junior Achievement.  Junior Achievement is about a community. So they have volunteers from the community teach lessons about what makes a community, and what types of communities do we live in.  Our class has built a town, run a doughnut business (Sweet O' Donuts), worked with financing the company, and talk about government (we even elected Samantha S. as our Mayor!).

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Welcome December!

News of the week:Thank you to everyone who attending their child's conference or still has one pending! :) I know it is not always at the most convenient times for you or there is a wait to be seen. All teacher's greatly appreciate your dedication to your child's education!

Math- This week we started with discussing division with remainders. These were only introductory lessons and did not need to be fully mastered. Most students did an excellent job with the assistance of a picture or using cubes. On Wednesday we started our fractions unit. This seems to be the favorite of the year so far. They just can't seem to get enough fractions! :) We have talked about fractions as parts and as parts of a whole. We discussed the meaning of fractions is how we divide something up, how many pieces were given away, are a certain color, etc. out of how many pieces were there total. Yesterday we had paper brownies we had to cut and show how we would evenly share them with friends and write the fraction. Today we created fraction circles to use when we discuss equivalent fractions next week.

Reading- This week we read Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary. Ramona is showing a range of emotions as she gets ready for a new baby in her family. She is anxious about her mother's condition, then disappointed and humiliated when she is too young to see the infant in the hospital. In the end, an excited Ramona takes center stage, as she shares how intrigued she is by her new sister Roberta. During this story we analyzed Ramona and her wide range of feelings and behavior. We also made inferences about how Ramona was feeling different times in the story when the author did not come straight out and tell us.

Text Talk- This week we read A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon. This is a story about a girl named Camila Cream who is too busy worrying about what everyone else thinks, to be her true self. She comes down with a case of stripes, which then changes into other things as she is easily influenced by others. Only when she is true to herself and honest about her love for lima beans does she go back to normal. The words we studied were: altered, contagious, distraction, remedies, perplexed, and vanished. 

Science- Student have been discussing various inventors and inventions. They wrapped up their unit on Ideas and Inventions with reflections and using mirrors. Please look for a study guide from Mrs. Clark for this assessment to come home soon.

Notes for people bring items for the winter party will go home next Thursday in brown envelopes. For our winter party we will be watching a movie and spending time with 3C students (they will enjoy their own treats), so no other volunteers will be needed at this time. :) THANKS!

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Wow!

It took having computer lab today, for me to realize it has been a while since my last post. I will update you on last week as well as this week all in one.

News of the week: Last week in brown envelopes you should have found your conference slip with the day and time to meet with me. If you didn't get one, please let me know. I also marked the planners that were turned in today. 

--Book orders are due for Nov/Dec on Wednesday 11/16, if you would like to order some as presents, please just let me know, and we will arrange for you to get them. 

--Conferences are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Thursday 11/17, and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday 11/22

--Early dismissal next Tuesday 11/22

--No School November 23, 24, or 25

--School resumes on Monday, November 28

Math- The last two weeks we have been discussing and practicing division. We discussed how division is related to multiplication and is really just repeated subtraction. We skip counted by 2s and 5s to solve problems with those two numbers as the divisor. Today when we divided by 3 and 4, we used a number line to show how many groups of that number it took to reach the dividend.

Reading- Last week we read The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy. This is a story about a girl named Tanya. Her grandmother is making a patchwork quilt from scraps of clothing. Each scrap holds a special memory of their family. When the grandmother becomes ill, Tanya is the one who decides to finish the quilt. She inspires the rest of the family to help reach this task. This story was also our Text Talk book last week. The vocabulary words discussed were: anxious, compassion, dreaded, masterpiece, nurturing, and ruin. 

This week our story will be How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman. This story is about a girl, who's parents met while he was serving the country as an American sailor in Japan. Through trial and error, her mother a Japanese schoolgirl and her father, the American sailor learned to eat in each other's style, overcoming the feelings of insecurity in the process. 

Text Talk- This week we will read Everybody Cooks Rice by Peter J. Thorton. This is a story about a child who is sent to find a younger brother at dinnertime.  While walking into other people's houses the child is introduced to a variety of cultures and encounters the many different ways rice is prepared at the different households visited. The words we will study are: appetizing, boarder, community, diversity, grumbling, and gulped.

Science- Mrs. Clark has been working on various science projects with the kids last week, running through to this week. Please ask your child to describe their project as they are all very different! :) 

I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you soon! :)

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Welcome to November!

News of the week: This morning we met to start scheduling conferences. Notes about your conference date and time will go home in brown envelopes next week. On the topic of conferences, here is a run down for what are the 1st Trimester expectations for 3rd grade. 

Reading-  Understands 3^rd Grade Vocabulary & Comprehension

90% and above 4

80%-89% 3

70%-79% 2

69% or below 1  

Independently Reads a 3^rd Grade Passage  - uses DIBELS score

Writing- 

* Able to develop number notes, simple statements, and a question statement

* Uses correct grammar

* Capitalizes beginning of sentences 

* Capitalizes proper nouns  

  * Uses correct punctuation at end of statements, exclamations, and questions

* Use conventional spelling for high-frequency words  

 

Math-

• Compare and order numbers through the hundred’s place
• Ordinal numbers and estimation 
• Rounding to the ten’s place and the hundred’s place 
• Addition and subtraction story problems with 1-2 steps 
• Fluency on an addition time test
  o   95 + facts in five minutes = 4
  o   85-94 facts = 3
  o   75-84 facts = 2
         o    83 or less facts = 1   
• Fluency on a subtraction time test
  o   95 + facts in five minutes = 4
  o   85-94 facts = 3
  o   75-84 facts = 2
        o 83 or less facts = 1

Math- This week we completed a multiplication review as many students were feeling uneasy with the concept of moving on to addition. Even when we do move on we will come back and review/ work on basic skills often! :)

Reading- This week we did not have a story from our Basal. Instead we worked on discussing the differences of facts and opinions.

Text Talk- This week we read Porkenstein by Kathryn Lasky. In the book, Dr. Smart Pig is tired of being lonely after the Big Bad Wolf has eaten his two brothers so he decides to invent a friend. After a few mistakes, he ends up with a large friend who helps him out. At the end they dress up and go trick-or-treating. Words we discussed are: creation, incredible, colossal, disbelief, creaky, and isolated.

Science- Students started their new science unit of Ideas and Inventions this week. This unit is all about using different ways to see things that you may not notice by just looking at it. Students will discuss rubbings, carbon printing (fingerprints), chromatography (color writing), and refelctions. 

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Happy Early Halloween

News of the week: We have had a very busy week. Monday- No School, Tuesday- Playtime Poppy, Wednesday- Pizza Lunch, Thursday- just a normal day :), Friday- earned our brownie point reward and celebrated my birthday. 

On Monday, we will be having our Halloween parade and party. Please do not send your child to school in their costume. They will have time to change into their outfit before their the parade starts. Mrs. Clark and I often split up the boys and girls to make it faster to change since the bathroom gets very busy. 

During the parade, they are asking all parents to stay outside (unless it is raining). The hallways will be filled with kids trying to walk from classroom to classroom. We will walk out the back of Emerson (north doors) and go right to 17th Ave. We will then turn on 10th Ave and come back into the building through the front (south doors). If it is raining the parade will be held in the gym. 

Our class party will begin after the parade. We will be enjoying some Halloween stories while eating a few treats. Then the class will be playing bingo with cards they created on Friday.

Math- We have finished our initial facts of multiplication. The class had a little stress when we discussed moving to division. This week though all the assessments for report cards, I assessed on their multiplication skills. Students that know and have started to memorize their facts will start multiplying by 2 and 3 digits. Students not as comfortable with their facts will begin a review session. I want to make sure these are well known by most students before continuing to division.

Reading- This week we read OPT:An Ilusionary Tale by Arline and Joseph Baum. This selection is a royal fantasy of optical illusions, a jester leads readers through the kingdom of OPT. Often in rhyme, the jester's comments, directions, and questions guide the reader to discover the illusions hidden in the illustrations.

Text Talk- This week we read Picnic at Mudsock Meadow by Patricia Polacco. In the book, no mater what William does, there is a girl named Hester who makes fun of him. When he is able to prove that Quicksand Bottoms is not haunted, but just has glowing swamp gas, Hester realizes that William is not so bad after all. Vocabulary words we discussed this week are bleak, eerie, legend, mortified, mischievous, and reveal.

Social Studies- This week the students took an open book quiz with what they have learned so far in Social Studies.

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

How is it almost the end of October?

I just posted a comprehension strategy for you to work on at home called visualization. This is being able to create mental pictures inside your head while you are reading a text.

News of the week: With the weather getting a lot cooler, please make sure you are sending jackets or coats with your kids, as well as possibly hats and gloves. Recesses get cold, especially with the wind. Also, I have seen a lot of children this week, not just in our classroom, wearing shorts and flip flops. Unfortunately, I think this season is over. We want everyone to be in school everyday and not gone due to illness. Please check what your child(ren) are wearing before they leave the house if possible. THANKS!

This week Emerson has started to pass out "cards" for students who are caught showing the Marion Way. All year we have been teaching lessons about the Marion Way- showing respect, responsibility, and kindness. Some students spotted doing these things will receive a card from an adult in the building who witnessed their action. Not all students will receive cards as we are trying to motivate students to ALWAYS do the right thing. Cards given to students will be place in a jar in our classroom then totaled on Wednesdays. Those cards will be sent home on Thursday in your child's brown envelope. Hopefully they can still remember why they earned it! :)

On a different note, we were informed yesterday morning that the 3rd graders from Starry and Emerson will be going to Jefferson High School on Tuesday afternoon to watch the Playtime Poppy performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have also begun to read this book as our class read aloud to help the students get more acquainted with the story.

Just a reminder, notes went home last week if you were planning on sending something for our "Emerson Idol" lunch next Wednesday. Please let me know if you are unable to send something.

Math- If you have not seen them yet, Multiplication Monsters, are starting to arrive home. These provided a great opportunity for all 3^rd grade students to use their listening to direction skills. Students can use these independently to quiz themselves over their multiplication facts. You could use the monsters to create a family game where the student and another person at home quiz each other. This year in math we have covered basic addition and subtraction skills. These were necessary to review as some students still struggle with the basic facts. In 3^rd grade we teach a wide variety in our math curriculum and these facts are very important for your child to have or be working on mastering.On top of that, we have reviewed and practiced place value, comparing, ordering, rounding, as well as adding and subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers. Packets from your child’s workbook should be coming home soon. 

All of these skills build. We are currently learning multiplication. As the students found out multiplication is actually the same as repeated addition. 3x4= 3+3+3+3=12. We also have introduced using a multiplication table. Other tricks we have discussed are: Anything x 0=0; when you multiply x1 it is like a copy machine, the same number that goes in, comes back out; multiplying by 2 is the same as doubling the number or adding it twice, 7x2=7+7=14, we have also practiced skip counting by 2; when students multiply by 3, the answer will add to be a multiple of 3 as well, 3x4=12 1+2=3, 3x5=15 1+5=6, 3x6=18 1+8=9, to make it easier to multiply x4, we multiply by 2 and double or add that number twice, 5x4=5x2+5x2; when multiplying by 5, we skip count by 5's or take a look at the clock. If you can read the minutes on a clock, you can multiply by 5! :) 

Today we multiplied by 6 and 7. There are not really tricks for these, but to make them easier we discussed drawing a model, or starting with a fact you know and using repeated addition or subtraction to get to the fact you need. 6x6=6x5+6=36.  

We will continue to practice basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and soon division all year in third grade.

However, if you see your child struggling or know your child is struggling in math, building their basic facts can be a quick and fun way to help them achieve. Flashcards are great! I am in the process of creating some different sheets of flashcard games, which the whole family can play. These monsters are a tool for you to use at home; because I know you are all busy, but all teachers do appreciate any additional support you can give your child at home.

Reading- This week we are reading Science Magic by Alison Alexander and Susie Bower. This selection presents five step-by-step scientific experiments that have a sense of wonder. Each experiment is accompanied by photographs, illustrations, and diagrams. All of these are followed by an explanation of what makes them "magic." Strategies we have used with this text are how to follow steps in a process as well as how diagrams and illustrations can help us understand the text better. 

Last year, I did a lot better job at keeping my parents informed when and what we were reading for 
 Text Talk stories, and frankly it has slipped my mind. I am so sorry. For those of you who are interested here is what we have read and are currently reading, if you don't really care feel free to skip down to writing. :)  


So far this year we have read Wolf!, 3 Questions, and Rats on the Roof, vocabulary words associated with these texts are achieve, concentrate, confidence, emergencies, industrious, passion, advance, drenching, injure, insecure, priority, uncertain, collaboration, ferocious, lumbered, queasy, relocate, and seadfast. This week we are reading Montezuma's Revenge by Cari Best. It is about a family of three who leave their dog Montezuma home while they all go on vacation to the beach. Montezuma decides to see revenge by inviting another dog called WILD BILL to their house for a day. After that Montezuma was never left home during vacations again. Words we are discussing are coaxed, frustrated, mesmerized, misery, regret, and revenge. 

Writing- In writing we have been working on turning an OK sentence into a better sentence by adding more details to the sentence. For example and OK sentence might be, My dad works at night. A better sentence might be, My dad works for General Mills on the night shift. (My dad doesn't really work at General Mills). This week we have been using writing time to get ready for the school wide assembly next Tuesday. We will be showing off our "Respect Rap," which a poem about respect with a little attitude. We have also been writing in detail about what respect means and how we can see it and feel when we or someone else shows respect.

 
Social Studies- Mrs. Clark has begun to teach the students in their Map Champ Atlas. In this atlas they will be completing a series of lessons involving maps, globes, history timelines, and the branches of government. The majority of the lessons will involve informing and comparing the 7 continents and major oceans. You will even be informed about an ocean you may not have already heard of, the Southern Ocean. It was something new to me when I started teaching these lessons 7 years ago! :)

For an after note, those of you that had volunteered to help in our classroom, we have been rearranging our literacy block in the afternoons, and I have an associate who is completing most of my volunteer work one on one with students.  If I find we need additional help I will contact you in the next few weeks. 

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Visualizing/Making Mental Images

Visualizing/Making Mental Images.... help explain the what, why and how of your child’s new reading vocabulary. This is a concept many of our guided reading groups have been working on and is very difficult for many students to do.

The comprehension strategy of Visualizing is also known as Making Mental Images or Creating Mind Movies.

Visualizing is the creation of images in the mind as the student reads, processes and recalls what has been read.    Visualizing a picture or scene with the words and phrases allows the reader to organize the ideas, to see the relationship among the ideas, and to make meaningful connections with them. Using visualization and discussing the pictures to check for understanding and discrepancies help a reader increase comprehension.

Please give opportunities for students to discuss and share their visualizations of text when you are reading nightly at home.

Visualizing helps students to:
• bring personal prior knowledge to the forefront
• check their mental images against text for discrepancies and detail to gain a more complete understanding
• match language to the images and therefore improve their processing of ideas
• connect in meaningful ways to what is read
• assist other students who have little experience making mental images, to improve.

In class we use a lot of graphic organizers to assist students to visualize the relationships between ideas.    Graphic organizers such as the following will be used to teach Visualizing:
• concept maps • outlines • charts • list • cluster maps • comic strips

Graphic organizers are the best way for us to teach children how to organize information and make their thinking visible to others. They support students to connect new learning to a student’s prior knowledge. It is important that students continue making connections to activate prior knowledge well into this strategy of making mental images.

Oh my!

I am so sorry, I am not quite sure where my head has been the last two weeks. I created posts but must have pushed to save them as a draft instead of actually posting them. It always throws me off when I am away from my classroom to sit in meetings all day.

Here is a quick recap. :)

Math- We took a test over place value. They should be arriving home on Monday or Tuesday. Since then I have started to introduce multiplication. We had a few days of discussing things that come in groups and how when we multiply it is a matter of determining how many groups x how many in each group. Another way to solve until we get some facts memorized is repeated addition. This past week we took a look at equal groups, using the repeated addition strategy, and started multiplying by 0 and 1. When students finish their work in class, they have a chance to create a multiplication monster, to help them review and self check their facts. Once all 12 monsters are made, they will be able to take them home to use for additional practice. This is taking the place of printing and possibly loosing so many flashcards.

Reading-  Two weeks ago, we did not have a story. We discussed using the comprehension strategy of predicting and took a unit test, these also should be arriving home on Monday if they didn't already on Friday. :) This past week we read The Terrible Eek by Patricia Compton. In this story, there is a heavy rainstorm. During the rainstorm, a wolf and a thief misunderstand a father’s comments about is greatest fear: “a terrible leak.” The thought it was a “terrible eek.”  Talk of this “terrible EEK” frightens the eavesdropping pair: The resulting comedy of errors will amuse readers in this retelling of a Japanese tale. With this story we studied  cause and effect by examining the animals causes for misunderstanding, and what effects there where. There was even a chance for us to create our own terrible eek. 

A while ago, we were getting used to having guided reading groups. During this time we learned about Johnny Appleseed and enjoyed various apple activities one of which was homemade applesauce. Here is the recipe in case it did not make it home. Think apple pie without the crust! :)  

CROCK POT APPLESAUCE

110 lg. cooking apples, peeled, cored & sliced or cut in chunks

1/2 c. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 to 1 c. sugar

Put all ingredients into Crockpot. Should be about 3/4 full. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (high 3 to 4 hours).

 

Writing- Lately we have discussed building better sentences. Our sentences need to include a noun (who or what), a verb (action), and a where or when. We have also talked about how using adjectives can help paint a picture in our minds. We will start having additional daily practice of building better sentences.

Science- Last week students took their assessment over the Plant Growth and Development unit. A study guide was sent home a week in advance, filled with all the material on the test. Soon students will start their Map Champ Atlas curriculum before the next science kit of Ideas and Inventions arrive. 

Again, I am sorry for the delay. If you are ever curious what we are doing or learning in our classroom, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a fantastic rest of your weekend. Hopefully you will have a chance to relax and enjoy the gorgeous October weather! 

Mrs. Jodie Yuska