Today’s read-a-thon was a spooky experience. The students turned the classroom into a tent-city. They spent an hour reading, eating and flashing their flashlights. Fun was had by all. Several photos may be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/viewridge34hc/ReadAThon?authkey=lheBR-yBv4s
Our Autumn party was a huge success. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the event special. Photos are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/viewridge34hc/AutumnParty?authkey=PTPwfhKcfT0
This week Poppy, who has fallen in love with Rye, saves Rye from captivity and possible death. Poppy and Rye, our second read-aloud this year, has only one more chapter until completion. Will Poppy and Rye drown or be saved as the beaver dam explodes? We will find out on Monday as we read the conclusion to this gripping fantasy by Avi.
We completed our introduction to multiplication and division, the Arrays and Shares unit, Friday. Each third grader is being assessed by finding products using multiplication clusters and arrays. The assessment is also checking for understanding of factors and writing word problems to go with a specific multiplication fact. Division is being checked for the understanding of the process of partitioning. We are continually practicing our multiplication facts as well.
We had the first death of a crayfish on Friday morning. Now there are eleven. Please note that on this blog all twenty-one third graders have written about our crayfish unit. Enjoy their writings.
Our Viking party/Autumn party was a huge success. The students engaged in making pumpkin bread and butter, worked on autumn puzzles and play a roll-the-pumpkin relay. Of course the party was complete with refreshments. This time the refreshments included their own homemade pumpkin bread. It was mighty yummy! Thanks to the cooks and the parent volunteers for a fun-filled afternoon.
We began our October reading project. This month the emphasis has been on sequencing, summarizing, and character development. The project will be completed on Wednesday.
In art, we are putting our finishing touches on our Peruvian retablos. The artwork is amazing. Stop in to see the finished products. Our art excursion moves on to Brazil next week.
Don’t forget that we have our read-a-thon on Wednesday afternoon. Students may bring snacks, flashlights, books, blankets and sheets. They will be making forts to create an exciting reading atmosphere.
Crayfish times twelve arrived in our classroom for science two weeks ago. The students have been observing, running experiments, naming and caring for our crawdaddies. Read on to see what has been happening from the students perspective.
(In science) This time we are working with crayfish. We have already learned crayfish behavior like when it twitches when you touch its’ antennae. We have also done the vocabulary words. Here they are: antennae and crustaceans. And we also learned about the body parts on a crayfish. They are carapace and swimerettes. I love working with crayfish! Evelyn
What we are learning about is crayfish. They are smart, fast and strong. They flip little houses and climb. (You) pick them up like this. Hold them by the tail, pincers point away fro you or others. So when you move around (a crayfish), be careful. You might get caught. Tanner
We are learning about crayfish. Crayfish have many names, crayfish, crawfish, crawdad, crawdaddy and mudbuddy. Crayfish have antennae. Antennae are feelers. Each crayfish has two antennae. Another part of the crayfish is the swimmerets. If they swimmerets are long it is a female. If the swimmerets are short it is a male. If you want to hold a crayfish you should hold it by the carapace. The carapace is the main shell of the crayfish. Crayfish are awesome! Jordan
Crayfish are smart. Crayfish are cool. They’re fast and strong. They can even walk backward! I love crayfish. Nate
Crayfish can be red, brown, and reddish brown in color. Crayfish eat Elodea, raw shrimp, crabs, lobster and potatoes. They can molt their exoskeleton. Crayfish have other names like crawfish, crawdaddies, and mudbugs. Those are just a few. Crawdaddies have quite a few structures. Structures are visible body parts. Here are a few, claw, swimmerettes and carapace. Bristles are short hairs on a crawfish. Their tail can curl up. Crustaceans is a class of aquatic animales like mudbugs. I love crawfish! Olivia
A crayfish is a very interesting marvel of nature. They are crustaceans. There are many cool and pretty parts of the crayfish. There are claws, legs and antennae. The crayfish is a terrific element of nature. Crayfish have many names, mudbug, crawdad, crawdaddy and, of course, crayfish. Crayfish are mildly tenative. They are strong. Crayfish are absolutely marvelous! Charlie
We have been learning the different parts of a crawfish body. We can identify females and males. The crayfish have pinched a few kids in our class. They said it hurt. Also we have been doing experiments like touching their antennae. We watch to see what they do. We put them with other crayfish also. We are doing a lot of other experiments. They crawfish unit is great. Sean
Crayfish are really cool! Like us, crayfish have tones of body parts. For example (they have), carapace, walking legs, and swimmerettes. They have a lot on their food chain. They eat raw shrimp, potatoes, a special plant called Elodea, and even plants and baby crayfish! They have a lot of movement also. They crawl, run and hide under rocks, and those are only a few things! They have lots of names. For example, crayfish, crawfish, crawdaddy and mudbug. I love studying crayfish! Kirsten
Crayfish are strong. They flip over their houses! They also are really fast!! The crayfish are so smart. They can crawl out of their tubs! There are many different kinds of crayfish. Crayfish are strong, fast and smart. So watch out!! Tri
We are studying crayfish. We’ve learned a lot! Females have egg pores. Males don’t. They all have pincers and, sometimes, when they are fighting, they can lose one! They also have a swimmerette that helps them swim. And they have walking legs which helps them walk. I like studying crayfish! Maija
We are studying crayfish. Crayfish are also called crawdad, crawdaddy and mudbug. We have done a lot of experiments like seeing what they do when we reach toward it. My favorite part was when I picked up a crawfish. I’m having a blast! Ralph
I learned how to pick up crayfish. What you do is pick them up with the pincers facing away from you. You pick them up by the carapace. That is the middle of the body. You must hold them firm but not too firm and do not drop them. It could kill them. That is what I learned about crayfish. Lydia
We have been learning about crayfish. Crayfish can be called crab, crawdaddy, crawfish and so on. They have lots of body parts like antennae, eyes, swimmerettes and carapace. Crayfish eat shrimp and Elodea. Crayfish have lots of predators and prey. Crayfish will pinch hard. If you get pinched it feels like you touch fire. So I think crayfish are cool! Aaron
I learned that crayfish have hundreds of names! Here are some: crawdaddies, crawfish, crayfish and mudbugs. And those are just a few! Mudbug is my personal favorite. I also learned their eating habits. They love shrimp. I was a little surprised when I saw them eating potatoes. Well anyway, the crayfish unit is very fun. Austin
I ‘m learning about crayfish. Crayfish are crustaceans. A crustacean is crabs, crayfish, lobsters and shrimp. Crayfish have pincers. It can really really hurt if you get pinched. Crayfish can be very, now I mean very aggressive. They can even kill each other. Crayfish are fun. Ethan
We (the whole class) are experimenting with crayfish. There are lost of body parts including mouth, pincer, antennae, swimmerettes, legs, and carapace. We have done lots of tests with the crawfish such as seeing what it does if you touch its’ back, leave it in peace, put it on a desk, etc. I think crawfish are good. Klaiten
Like us, crayfish have body parts. Also like crabs and lobsters, they have an exoskeleton. They eat Elodea, raw shrimp and potatoes. They move around a lot. They move forwards, backwards, and sideways. They do lots of other things like kill each other, lose body parts, molt and give birth. Our science unit is cool! Rowan
Like us, crayfish have body parts. They have two eyes, two pincers, two antennae, eight legs, and a carapace. Crayfish can move. They walk, run and hide. Crayfish can also molt. If a crayfish loses a body part it will grow another one the next time it molts. Crayfish can eat. They eat shrimp, potatoes, Elodea and sometimes each other. If you are careful and hold it by the carapace you can hold a crayfish. I love crayfish! Zeiva
We are studying crayfish. There is a part of a crayfish that you hold on to, it is the carapace (care-a-puss). They eat raw shrimp, potatoes and Elodea. They are all different colors and sizes. They are called crayfish, crawfish, crawdaddies, and mudbugs. Mudbugs is my favorite name. Well, I love mudbugs! Alexi
Crayfish have very strong claws that help them hunt food. Crayfish lose their shells which is very dangerous to the crayfish. Crayfish are pretty fast under water. If they are in danger, they dart under a rock. I like studying crayfish. Edmund
In science we are working on crayfish. I know all about crayfish. I had lots of questions, but now I don’t. Crayfish live at the bottom of lakes and rivers. Crayfish have lots of names like crawdaddy, mudbug and crawfish. My favorite is crawdaddy. Crayfish are awesome. Wyatt
We have several upcoming events in the next two weeks. On Wednesday, October 24 we will have our first Viking card/Autumn Party. On October 26 the school is honoring story characters from children’s literature. Students are encouraged to dress as their favorite character. On October 31 we will have a read-a-thon in the afternoon. Students may bring sleeping bags, pillows, sheets, stuffed animals, flashlights and their books, of course. They will be making “forts” and reading throughout the afternoon. Snacks may be brought as well.
The third graders spent two days working on multiplication and division fact families. 3, 8 and 24 can make four equations for instance. We also worked on arrays, breaking down difficult arrays to create simplier arrays to help solve the facts. 8 x 8 can become 8 x5 and 8 x3. Then we simply add the two answers. We also spent several days with multiplication and division word problems. We carefully examined what the question was asking and how to come up with the solution. Division word problems provide a special case especially when a remainder is involved. An example: There are 46 people attending a concert. The chairs are set up in rows of 7. How many rows will be filled? Understanding that the answer is 6 and why created a class good class discussion. Repeated addition and drawing an array picture made the solution much more obvious.
Our field trip to the Northwest Puppet Theater was a great success. The African stories were enjoyed by all. The students seemed to especially enjoy the “behind the scenes” portion of the show when the puppeteers showed how all it all works.
In our Writers’ Workshop this week we spent time capturing small moments in our lives to write about. One strategy for writing personal narratives is to think of a person who matters to you, then list clear, small moments you remember with him or her. We then brainstormed all the facts surrounding this experience. Finally we wrote the story using those facts. Many students learned that they need to elaborate on their facts. Several students volunteered to read their stories and to have them critiqued by their peers.
Crayfish continue to excite our science lessons in third grade. This week we conducted experiments to find out what crayfish will do in a variety of circumstances. Observation is such an important step in science. The students discovered what happens when crayfish are placed on a table out of water; when the antennae are touched; when the back of the crayfish is touched; when you hold the crayfish in the air; when you touch the tail; and when you bring your had toward the crayfish from the front. Our kindergarten buddies came to our classroom Friday to see the crayfish. Our students shared their knowledge with their buddies.
In art, we began creating our retablos, shrine boxes from Peru. Retablos share everyday life scenes. The students constructed their boxes out of cardboard. They have painted them with bright colors and now are creating their 3-D scenes inside the boxes. You can see samples of retablos at http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.southamericanaccents.com/RBDB19.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.southamericanaccents.com/page_retablo02.htm&h=899&w=1551&sz=187&hl=en&start=657&um=1&tbnid=ooVyXNoGag1j0M:&tbnh=87&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dretablo%26start%3D648%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
Subject: Climate Change Program FOR KIDS @ The Everett Public Library
To: Media Outlets Contact: Kate Mossman
From: Everett Public Library 425-257-8021
Re: Public Service Announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To help children understand the science of climate change, Beverly Boos of Opening of the Heart and The Climate Project, presents a 45-minute slide show especially designed for children of elementary school age and their families. This presentation served as the basis for Al Gore’s award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth. The slide show will be followed by a hands-on, interactive activity. Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 2 p.m. at the Everett Public Library’s Main Library auditorium.
Beverly is the founder and vice-chair of Opening of the Heart, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping people to build and sustain connections for positive change. The program is free and open to the public. Recommended for elementary age children and their parents. For more information call 425-257-8000.
Our first reading project was completed this week. For some, the project stretched work habits and for others intrinsic work habits glowed. All students completed the project successfully, however. I mention the “stretched” students as a few of them discovered that when an assignment is given it must be completed. There is no getting out of it even if procrastination is attempted. A handful of students lost recesses and free time when the deadline passed. This is all a learning experience. The greater number of students successfully completed the project on time.
The first major project is a learning experience for everyone, even the teacher. Expectations are reached by the students and, for me, expectations either remain constant or may be adjusted for future projects. I have found that high expectations are usually met. On this project the third grade students could choose to either “meet expectations” or “exceed expectations.” I learned who is willing to go beyond and who finds it acceptable to make do. The “make-doers” will be encouraged to go beyond in further projects.
For the second graders, all met expectations and a handful exceeded expectations. Many of the second graders are attempting to keep up with the third graders. A little competition isn’t hurting them. They raised the bar themselves. This is quite normal in a combination class. All in all I am very pleased with the results. Some projects have already been sent home and the rest will be coming home soon.
In math, third graders began the multiplication facts. They created a “ring of facts” and began testing each other. Once a correct fact answer was given within three seconds, the fact was torn from the ring. Soon we will begin time tests in multiplication. Division was begun as well. The relationship of multiplication and division will be studied this week. We will work with the concept of remainders. Students should practice the facts at home. A good resource for facts is: http://www.multiplication.com/flashcards.htm. There are many games available on the Everett School District website for your child to explore as well.
On Thursday the crayfish arrived. The excitement was totally amazing. Watching the students attempt to place the crayfish into their new environment tubs was slightly amusing. We have many brave students who were a little timid at first, but succeeded in carefully picking up the crayfish without getting pinched.
We started our new novels for October this week. The second graders are reading Abel’s Island and the third graders are reading James and the Giant Peach. In social studies we continue with our current events. Time for Kids gives an excellent synopsis of articles which interest kids. The class completed a scavenger hunt using the magazine to look for informational text characteristics. They found index, caption, headings, subheadings and the like.
On Thursday we will return from our field trip by 12:30 in time to eat in the school cafeteria. Those parents attending the field trip, please meet us under the Big Top at 9:10.
The third graders continue with their Charlotte’s Web Readers’ Theater production.
Click on the link to listen to the Podcast.
The third graders began their second math unit, Arrays and Shares last week. The unit helps the students understand the meaning of multiplication. By the end of the unit the students will be attacking two-digit by one-digit multiplication. Although this type of problem will look daunting at first, the students will learn to break down the problem to make it easier.
One of our activities this week was to look for examples of real world arrays. Items from the grocery store helped. We may take for granted that coke, water, thumb tacks or gum is just found in nice packaging, but now we can look at the packaging to explain the mathematical concept, arrays.
This week we will be looking into multiplication clusters and the use of multiples to help us solve multiplication problems. Division will also be introduced in this unit.
Rote memorization of the multiplication facts is a necessity of life. Over the next weeks we will continue to practice those facts. Each third grader will have a “ring of facts” to help with the memorization practice. The facts remaining on the ring are the ones giving them challenges. If a student can not come up with the answer quickly more time needs to be spent on that fact. There is a three second rule to know the answer.
We began our first reading project on Monday. The project’s major focus is on story elements. The students are showing their understanding of the elements as they relate to Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Charlotte’s Web. Watch for the project to come home later this coming week.
Both the second and third graders took a basic math assessment this week to check for concept understanding. This assessment will be used to develop lessons for gaps any student might have.
In art, we traveled to Panama to learn about Molas. Molas are fabric art made by the Kuna women of the San Blas Archiplelago.
The second graders created the readers’ theater podcast today. The readers’ theater story of Mr. Popper’s Penguins gives a summary of the story. Click on the link below to hear the podcast.
