Mr. Wasil’s 3rd Grade Class

Reading/Language Arts

This week, we will finish up our second theme “What a team!” by reading Rosie, A Visiting Dog’s Story on pages 258-275 by Stephanie Calmenson.  In this narrative nonfiction piece, Rosie, a Tibetan Terrier, makes visits to people in nursing homes and hospitals. As we read the story, students will be: learning new vocabulary, practicing decoding long words, working with compound words, classifying, categorizing and, studying word relationships. Writing complete sentences and putting those sentences into a good paragraph will continue to be the subject of our grammar lessons this week. This week, students will be working on words with /ou/.Please spend a few nights with them going over their words learning the proper spelling and usage.

Math

This week students will be able to develop a sense of very large numbers; and to compute with large numbers. We will also count base-10 blocks; identify polygons; and compare perimeters and areas. On Wednesday, we will begin to model decimals with base-10 blocks and review decimals with money. The rest of the week we will work on understanding tenths and hundredths and exchanging between tenths and hundredths. On Friday we will take our 6’s timed test.

Science

Our study on soil continues this week. We begin with identifying common resources and recognizing the difference between renewable, reusable, and nonrenewable resources and understand that some resources are mined. The students will also compare different types of soil, identify the different materials in soil, and recognize the different layers that soil forms. Students will also learn about loam and identify why loam is beneficial for growing vegetables, grass, and overall farm land. Friday we will observe how pollution affects plants and identify how land is used and identify different types of pollution. Ask your child, “Who Dirtied the Water?”

Extra

Monday-Third graders to High School to practice for music concert in morning.

Tuesday-Third grade concert at 2:00 in afternoon and 7:00 at night. Please have your child meet me at 6:40 in room 068 which is the band room. This is located at the far left end of the high school by the woods.

Homework: Will be updated daily as assigned.

Monday, November 30th -  Spelling pages39-41due by Thursday. Math-  7.3 Use What You Know 6’s sheet

Tuesday, December 1st - High school musical tonight.  Reading- take book home and read Rosie on pages 258-275.

Wednesday, December 2nd - Math-Simple solutions 48-49. Reading- study for vocabulary test.

Thursday, December 3rd - Spelling- study for test. Math- Simple Solutions pages 50-51

Friday, December 4th-

Only 2 days this week. Wednesday through Sunday is Thanksgiving Break.  Get plenty of rest and be safe if traveling.

Monday we will be writing holiday letters and concentrating on the heading, greeting, body and closing of a letter. We will also be continuing how to read large numbers in math class up to the millions. In science we will start our soil unit by learning about the 3 different layers in the soil.

Music Concert Practice - The students will be practicing this week at school in preparation for the Holiday Musical next Tuesday, December ^1st at 7:00 PM at the Highschool. A letter came home last week with all of the information.

Monday 11/23- Homework-  Math - 5.3 homelink. Lanauge Arts- pages 33-34 Irregular Plural nouns sheet.

Tuesday 11/24- Have a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving. Ginger Bread Project due by Wednesday, December 2nd. This is coming home today.

Thank you to our wonderful PSO for sponsoring this event. The students had an absolute blast.

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Reading/Language Arts

This week our story is titled Little Grunt and the Big Egg by Tomie DePaola on pages 226-245. When caveboy Little Grunt finds an egg, it hatches into a baby dinosaur he names George. The Grunts let Little Grunt keep George, but he grows too large for the cave and must be exiled to the swamp. Then a volcano erupts, trapping the Grunts, and George is there to save the day.

As we read the story, students will be: learning new vocabulary, word relationships, self-questioning, multiple meaning words, making predictions, synonyms, and author’s purpose. In spelling our pattern will be: words with /oi/. The grammar lesson this week will involve irregular plural nouns. We will also do Thanksgiving writing projects.

Math

It is nearly impossible to “do” mathematics without having a basic understanding of our notational system for numbers. It is a remarkable system: With just ten symbols-digits 0 though 9-it is possible to express any value, no matter how large or small. Children who develop a good understanding of our numeration system will not only refine their sense of the size of the numbers represented by numerals, but will also develop their estimation and computation skills. Unit 5 has three main areas of focus:

• To extend previous lessons on the base-ten place-value system to whole numbers through millions and to decimals through thousands
• To apply these concepts to reading, writing, comparing, and ordering whole numbers and decimals.
• To use whole numbers and decimals in real-life contexts.

We finish chapter 4 on Monday with a review guide that will be sent home. Wednesday will be our test on this chapter. On Friday, we will move on to chapter 5 with place value through ten thousands. We will continue practicing this and move on to millions by the end of the next week. Lastly, we will take our 5’s timed test on Friday.

Science

We continue to work on rocks and minerals. Our unit will end this week and the class will have their test on Friday. Look for their notes packet and review guide to come home this week to study with.

Extras

**Great Lakes Theater will be here all week. Ask your child to share with you all of the amazing activities they will do!

**Math test on Wednesday

**Science test on Friday

**Last round of conferences on Thursday evening. List of names are on the assignment notebook strip that the students glue in.

**No School next Wednesday-Friday for Thanksgiving Break

Homework: Will be updated daily as assigned.

Monday, November 16th -  Spelling pages 36-38 due by Thursday. Math- Look over review guide completed in class today for test on Wednesday and Simple Solutions pages 44-45.

Tuesday, November 17th - Reading- take book home and read Little Grunt on pages 226-245. Math- look over review guide from yesterday for test tomorrow. Science- look over study guide and start studying for Friday’s test.

Wednesday, November 18th - Math- study for 5’s multiplication test on Friday and math boxes 4.10. Reading- study for vocabulary test.

Thursday, November 19th - Math- Homelink 5.2 Science -study for test tomorrow over rocks and minerals.

Friday, November 20th-

Our first Read-A-Thon day was a huge success. Thank you so much to Sam G. for bringing his camera in and taking all of these awesome pictures. Way to go Sam.

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Reading/Language Arts

This week, we will be reading Wild Shots on pages 208-217 by Tui De Roy. In this magazine article, a wildlife photographer describes how she took some of her favorite photos. As we read the story, students will be: learning new vocabulary, word relationships, self-questioning, multiple-meaning words, making predictions, synonyms, and author’s purpose.

Writing complete sentences and putting those sentences into a good paragraph will continue to be the subject of our grammar lessons this week. This week, students will be working on words with /s/ and /j/. Please spend a few nights with them going over their words learning the proper spelling and usage.

Math

We will continue to practice our multiplication facts and are on our 4’s this week. Working with arrays and estimating amounts of dots will be on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the class will be introduced to the use of a map scale and estimate distances. Thursday, we will develop intuition about equally likely events.

Science/Social Studies

In science we will continue to work in our rocks and minerals book. We will also describe the effect of weathering on rock and how erosion changes the Earth’s surface.

For Social Studies on Wednesday, we will celebrate Veteran’s Day by writing letters to Veterans and creating a United States Flag and labeling its parts.

Gumball Reward Day Friday!

Our class has reached their goal of 100 gumballs! We will have our big day Friday, November 13th. Students may, but are NOT required to, bring in sleeping bags, pillows, pajamas, slippers, stuffed animals, and LOTS of books! Games are also allowed on this day and the students are responsible for their own items. If you would like, you may also donate snacks for the class to eat in the afternoon with the movie. This should be a fun day!! Click here for information

Extras

Monday-Report cards come home- please sign envelope and return. Students keep the report card.

Thursday-First set of Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-9:00 PM

Friday is our first Read-A-Thon Day.

Homework: Will be updated daily as assigned.

Monday, November 9th -  Spelling pages 33-35 due by Tuesday. Math- Homelink 4.7

Tuesday, November 10th - Reading- take book home and read Wild Shots on pages 208-217. Math- Simple Solutions pages 42-43. Science- RS9-RS10 due by Friday

Wednesday, November 11th Math- study for 4’s multiplication test tomorrow. Spelling and vocabulary test tomorrow (due to Friday’s read-a-thon day) along with end of selection comprehension test.

Thursday, November 12th - Science RS-9 RS 10 due by tomorrow

Friday, November 13th- Read-A-Thon Day today. Snacks and sleeping bags are permitted.

Each student in my class voted today on their own ballot. Then the votes were tallied and the Democratic process was discussed. Click on the link below to view a short 2 minute video.

Mr. Wasil- Class Voting Election Day 2009

Thank you to all of the volunteers for an awesome party. The kids looked great in their costumes.

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Reading/Language Arts

This week, we will continue our second theme “What a team!” This theme explores ways that people and animals can work together to accomplish goals. Students discover that cooperation can make a difference in relationships and are encouraged to apply that concept to their own lives.

This week, we will be reading Balto: The Dog Who Saved Nome by Margaret Davidson on pages 184-189. In this narrative nonfiction story, diphtheria has broken out in Nome, Alaska. Teams of sled dogs carry medicine 800 miles over snow and ice to prevent an epidemic.

As we read the story, students will be: learning new vocabulary, word relationships, root words, analogies, making predictions, synonyms, and author’s purpose. Our grammar lessons will be on common and proper nouns. This week, students will be working on words with sh, ch, and tch. Please spend a few nights with them going over their words learning the proper spelling and usage.

Math

Students will be able to provide opportunities to model division number stories with arrays and other models. We will also discuss multiplication facts and the importance of fact power; and to review fact shortcuts. Later on in the week we will review the multiplication/division facts table and fact families and practice multiplication and division facts. Students should be studying their 3’s and 4’s for an upcoming times test.

Science

We will test our minerals with a magnet and describe the results in class. Our mineral testing is almost complete and we will finish it this week! Students will also have an opportunity to apply these tests to new minerals that they have never worked with before. We finish up the week with describing the effects of weathering on rocks and how erosion changes the Earth’s surface.

On Tuesday we will have a class voting lesson where the kids will demonstrate their knowledge of the polls and become registered voters for our class. Each child will receive ballots and submit them.

Extras

Monday-No school- Teacher in-service.

Friday- Classroom Store 2:45-3:30. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Monday, November 9th report cards come home.

Homework: Will be updated daily as assigned.

Monday, November 2nd -  No School Today due to in-service for teachers

Tuesday, November 3rd- Math- Simple Solutions pages 38-39. Spelling- pages 30-32 due by Thursday.

Wednesday, November 4th- Math- Homelink 4.5 sheet and study for 3 timed test this Friday. Reading- take book home and read Balto on pages 184-199

Thursday, November 5th- Math-Simple Solutions pages 40-41 and study for 3’s multiplication test tomorrow. Spelling and vocabulary test tomorrow along with end of selection comprehension test.

Friday, November 6th-