Character Reports & Enrichment

Enrichment Homework

Here we see Bob showing his seed collection.  You know they come in all different sizes and colors.

What would I do if I was the teacher?

One thing Matthew would do is have a class pet. He also thinks one hour of recess would be perfect!

Project Based Learning

The first thing we had to do was choose a book and character to focus on.  So, we went on a little field trip to our school library.  Mrs. DeFrank helped us to find realistic fiction stories at our reading levels and interests.  Then each child got to pick a just right book. 
Each day, after a mini lesson around one of the following: character traits, story elements, note taking strategies or comprehension strategies, students worked on their individual projects.  During this time we focused on the standards below.

Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details

3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Corresponding College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standard

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Note on range and content of student reading


To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students must read widely and deeply from among a broad range of high-quality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts. Through extensive reading of stories, dramas, poems, and myths from diverse cultures and different time periods, students gain literary and cultural knowledge as well as familiarity with various text structures and elements. By reading texts in history/social studies, science, and other disciplines, Students build a foundation of knowledge in these fields that will also give them the background to be better readers in all content areas. Students can only gain this foundation when the curriculum is intentionally and coherently structured to develop rich content knowledge within and across grades. Students also acquire the habits of reading independently and closely, which are essential to their future success.

Check out these amazing pictures to see Team Jordan at work.

While publishing our reports we practiced necessary word processing skills.  Don't forget to save!

While each student shared in a variety of creative ways, the other kids took notes in their learning logs.

Some of us were nervous, but we showed guts and presented.  We showed our fears that we are bigger then they are!

Some of us took on the personality of our characters.

We asked our audience if they had questions and, then we answered them.

We were expressive and our own personalities came out!

In the end, we all had a published report, visual and the experience of sharing our work in front of an audience.  These are all 21st century skills that we are working on in third grade. 

When I asked the students if they enjoyed doing all this thinking, writing, creating, and planning they said, "YES!" 

Mindfulness

As I was creating this post my 12 year old exclaimed, "Mom you  have nap time in third grade!" 

"No!" I replied,  "This is mindfulness."

         

        

        

During our last teacher professional development day we read and discussed an article about mindfulness.  One suggestion to improve mindfulness in the classroom was to have kids notice when they are distracted and then refocus. During this activity students focused on their breathing. Each time they thought about something other then their breathing they raised one hand.  As they raised a hand they then reminded themselves to focus on their breathing again.  It was amazing to watch all the kids raise and lower their hands.  In one minute almost everyone raised their hand at least once.  

As an educator I am always looking for new ways to help my students gain strategies for learning.  We all get distracted, yet we can  refocus when necessary. Once students notice that they are distracted it is much easier for them to refocus.  As we all know, when we are mindful we are more likely to learn new things, be more creative, and make fewer mistakes both socially and academically.  

"If I Were the Teacher" by Alex

I'm here and I'm the teacher (in a way) sharing my "If I Were the Teacher" enrichment work. I chose to do "If I Were the Teacher" because I thought it would be fun to do extra credit. One of the things I said was to have gym once a day.  I know what your thinking what if another class was already there? Well, I would just let my class join in.

Sincerely your junior blogger,

Alex

Thank you Alex for being the first member of our team to complete an enrichment homework activity.  By sharing your thinking you demonstrated your ability to speak, listen and respond.  

I look forward to many more presentations by our team members!

Speaking & Listening

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

6. Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Corresponding College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standard

6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Math Workshop

The Math Workshop at Work!

Here are some photos of us engaged during our Math Workshop. As you can see the children are learning through a variety of activities in small groups, with partners, and independently.

Working with base ten pieces to make and add numbers into the thousands.

You be the teacher- here children are identifying mistakes in order to discuss and think more deeply about regrouping and place value.

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Here we are working as a team to add many three and four digit numbers.

What should third graders be able to do?  Below is the Common Core Math Standard that we are focusing on.

Number & Operations in Base Ten

Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. 1


2. Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.


1 A range of algorithms may be used.

Team Jordan did a great job on their addition tests.  They will be sent home today for you to look over and sign.  We have begun our chapter on subtraction.

In an effort to go "more paperless" here is the letter from our math program.

Subtraction in Third Grade

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes a Global Read Aloud

Let's see how many people we can get to make predictions and connections about the first chapter of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes.

Please add to our Padlet.  Double click, write your first name and where you are from.  Then, add a connection or a prediction. Remember we only read the first chapter so please don't be a spoiler!

We look forward to sharing our thinking! We hope to connect with people from all over the country and beyond.

Created with Padlet

Framing Our Writing

How do writer's organize their ideas?

Mrs. Zargaj enjoyed teaching us how to use a sequencing brain frame.  A brain frame is a strategy for learners to use to organize their thinking.  We are going to be using brain frames this year.  The sequencing frame helps us to put our thoughts in order and then add details.  We like brain frames as an alternative to a teacher made graphic organizer because students make them to fit their need's and they will be able to use frames long after third grade.
Here Mrs. Zargaj is using the sequencing frame to review the writing process.


W3.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Here we are using the sequencing brain frame to organize our personal narratives.