|
Class Calendar
Date(s) to Remember!
|
Teachers' Notes
|
Social Studies/Science |
This week in PLTW, your scientist will continue to work in teams to build and explore simple machines. Together, they will construct a lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw! We will also explore new ways to lift the 600lb tiger out of the moat and back to its habitat safely!
Our Social Studies unit of Geography is integrated with our writing unit. We are working on a research project that addresses the question, "How can we show children that Michigan is a great place to live, work, and play?" Students will work in teams to research a specific region of Michigan.
Our Social Studies unit of Geography is integrated with our writing unit. We are working on a research project that addresses the question, "How can we show children that Michigan is a great place to live, work, and play?" Students will work in teams to research a specific region of Michigan.
Math
Before the holiday break students developed and practiced strategies for finding the missing numbers and rule for solving "What's My Rule?" tables and practiced estimation strategies. This week students will learn strategies on how to use partial-sums addition and column addition to add 2- and 3-digit numbers. Students will also learn strategies on how to subtract 2- and 3-digit numbers using the counting-up subtraction strategy along with using the expand and trade strategy to solve subtraction problems.
Students should continue to complete and submit their nightly math homework that aligns with our daily lessons. Please remind them to put their completed homework in their green folder to bring back to school the next day. We will go over homework in class to check for students' understanding. They should continue to practice all of their multiplication facts at home as part of their nightly math homework. Students have been given multiplication packets at school to help them study their facts. Although we identify and practice different strategies to solve multiplication problems throughout the school year, students are expected to be fluent in their basic multiplication facts for 0 through 10 by the end of third grade.
Students should continue to complete and submit their nightly math homework that aligns with our daily lessons. Please remind them to put their completed homework in their green folder to bring back to school the next day. We will go over homework in class to check for students' understanding. They should continue to practice all of their multiplication facts at home as part of their nightly math homework. Students have been given multiplication packets at school to help them study their facts. Although we identify and practice different strategies to solve multiplication problems throughout the school year, students are expected to be fluent in their basic multiplication facts for 0 through 10 by the end of third grade.
Writing
We slowed down this unit to spend several days learning about text features and how they are used in informational texts to help readers understand what they are reading. This is an integral component of both our writing and reading units. Students need a foundational understanding in order to progress through both of these ELA units, so we will continue to practice identifying and using text features to deepen our understanding of texts.
This coming week in writing, we will continue to explore our mentor “text,” a kid-friendly slide deck set up as a website for this integrated social studies unit. We will investigate how Michigan can be divided into different regions, depending upon a variety of perspectives or topics (e.g., farm production, seasonal activities, topography, demographics), and students will choose the region that will be the focus of their research. The main research topic will be the physical and human characteristics of each region.
This coming week in writing, we will continue to explore our mentor “text,” a kid-friendly slide deck set up as a website for this integrated social studies unit. We will investigate how Michigan can be divided into different regions, depending upon a variety of perspectives or topics (e.g., farm production, seasonal activities, topography, demographics), and students will choose the region that will be the focus of their research. The main research topic will be the physical and human characteristics of each region.
Reading
Students will continue to practice being “experts” on a topic as they learn how to use expository texts to learn about and then teach others about various topics. They will also focus on tackling the complexity of nonfiction texts, creating clear goals and reading for significance. They will then work with reading partners to understand how readers read differently, based on the purpose of their reading, and continue their conversations about informational texts.
