This past week was jam-packed with learning, laughing, and excitement over our upcoming field trip to Ellis Island! Here are the details of it all!
In Grade 2
Math Workshop: The children are really getting into the groove of math stations. This week we will focus on place value. We will start with 10’s and 1’s, and then children who are ready will work with hundreds as well. We will use base ten blocks to build understanding of place value. Children will work with partners to challenge each other, and we will use several games and computer programs to further our understanding.
Readers and Writers Workshop: We got a good start with our fairy tales last week. Most children are writing with a partner. Children will continue to write stories this week. We will take these stories through the editing and publishing process.
In reading, we will continue to practice using reading strategies. We will work on “ow” words this week as well. We will continue to read every day, and we will share what we read with others.
In Grade 3
Math Workshop: consisted primarily of continued array work through games and explorations of grouping a set number of blocks in a variety of ways. Learners were first asked to predict how many possible ways there are to group 24 blocks(ie: 1x24, 2x12, 3x8, and 4x6. There was some disagreement amongst the group! Some people thought only 2 ways, others thought 3 ways, a few people said 4 ways, and a few others said 8 possible ways! We made array models for each way, and arranged them into groups as well. When asked whether or not there were any other possible ways to group the blocks-- we agreed there were none, but explaining our proof with words proved to be difficult without using a model. Thank goodness for mathematical modeling! It’s SO important! We also began a classroom multiplication chart that covers all the way up to the 12s facts. We identified that everyone understands that 1 times any number will always equal that number-- then we slapped a name onto that multiplication property. Ask your learner how they would explain the identity property of multiplication! We continued with our 2s, 5s and 10s since everyone feels comfortable skip counting those ways. THEN! We discovered that if we know our 2s facts, then we can use them to learn our 4s facts because we noticed a pattern in the chart….the 2s are half of the 4s (or the 4s are the 2s doubled) Either way you look at it-- it’s such a relief to be able to use a pattern as a strategy to figure something out without having to feel the pressure of memorizing facts! (Blech!) Additionally, we spent some time extending our practice and comfort level with solving story problems (also known as word problems) as well as extending our understanding of addition and subtraction within the context of money. Parent tip: When out shopping with your learner, find opportunities to estimate costs. Discuss what they think might be the total amount of the bill when out to dinner. Let them pay for items in cash and have them figure out how much change they should receive(estimating to the nearest dollar is fine) This builds in opportunities to access their base knowledge of addition and subtraction within the context of money, thus building their number sense! The more experiences they have in the real world with money, the less scary it will be transferring their understanding between contexts-- and setting the course for sound financial literacy is crucial, and takes time to develop.
In Readers’ Workshop, we took time to discuss commas-- and how they can totally transform how we read text depending on where they are placed! We read Eats, Shoots, and Leaves...ask your learner about it! :) Our read aloud, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane has everyone enthralled what with Edward’s character developing, and serious matters arising. Ask your learner to give you a re-telling across 5 fingers!
In Writers’ Workshop, learners have “precise language” on their minds. Ms. G brought in a variety of gourds to practice writing with precise language...their pieces were breathtaking. We also continue developing our partner writing. Surprisingly, writing with a partner wasn’t nearly as difficult as it often is in 3rd grade. This group of learners is handling it with genuine maturity showing flexibility with and inclusion of ideas to make some humorous stories! We will be finishing these up very soon in order to build on our knowledge of writing Small Moments as an integration with our IB unit where learners will write a Small Moment about their migration experience together as a small group collaborative writing piece.
In our 2/3 learning community
IB Unit Inquiry: Wow! What can we say? Our field trip to Ellis Island on Monday went off without a hitch! It was a true success in no small part due to the stellar poise and attention of our class. What a remarkable bunch to bring on a field trip (now we HAVE to go on more!)-- they were enthralled, asking amazing questions and processing facts, feelings, and wonders in such splendor-- even museum employees noticed the light of their learning! Upon returning, learners chose a migrant group that was of interest to them and they were placed in migration families. Ask your learner which family he or she is in. Also, ask your learner what Push and Pull factors are.
Important Dates and Reminders:
- October 31, Monday - Halloween Parade (children should wear a costume) - 8:30am
- October 31, Monday - Halloween Party (no need to send a lunch that day)
- November 3, Thursday - Parents' Day, Pizza Thursday
- November 4, Friday Focus - 12:00 Dismissal
- November 7, Monday - ASG - PJS Spirit Day!
- November 15, 2016 7:30 – 9:00 pm Princeton Common Ground Talk on Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age. Dr. Richard Freed will speak on how to build your child’s bond with family and foster school success amid the allure of digital screens. Our kids’ overuse of video games, social media, and texting is denying them a connection with family and school—the two most important contributors to their well-being. The result is a generation of kids who suffer from extraordinary rates of emotional and academic problems, and are falling prey to an epidemic of video game and internet addictions.This talk will give you the confidence and skills you need to safely navigate your children through a rapidly shifting media landscape. Dr. Freed offers concrete parenting strategies that will help you create the strong family kids need and encourage their school success. You’ll also learn how to protect kids from destructive tech addictions, and instead guide them to use technology productively as a positive force for their future.
Hope to see you there!