Week of October 3 - 7th

We kicked off our week with a birthday in 3A. Happy Birthday to Miss S!

Our classroom VIP this week was Elijah. We enjoyed getting to know you better and having your moms come in to share their letter with you!

Language Arts

This week we used "The Most Thankful Thing" by Lisa McCourt as a mentor text for our writing project. While reading the book, we focused on making personal
connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge). We specifically discussed how Text-to-Self (T-S) connections are made between the text and the reader's personal experience. After reading this story, the students discussed what they were most thankful for.  They chose their top 10 "Most Thankful Things" and created "Turkey Taguls" on the Chrome Books.  The students really loved this project.

Home Reading

Congratulations to the following students for making it to the first destination in our Amazing Race Reading Challenge!  They have read 500 minutes in our home reading program and were so excited to fly to India!

We also had one student make his way to Tunisa already. Congratulations and keep up the great reading Deagan!

Math

This week the following curricular outcomes were covered in math:

• Ordinal Numbers - correctly use ordinal numbers (written in words, such as first, second, third, or using numbers, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd) to identify and answer questions about positions of objects or symbols in lists.
• Number Patterns in Tables - identify rows and columns in a table, identify and describe patterns in a table of numbers.

The math fact strategy that we focused on this week was Tens Partners. Ten's partners are combinations of numbers that equal 10. Understanding how numbers relate to 10 (for example 8 is two away from 10) is critical for fluent computation.

Tens Partners include:

0+10=10 3+7=10

1+9=10 4+6=10

2+8=10 5+5=10

To practice this strategy, the students enjoyed playing Resuce a 10.....

Social Studies

This week in social studies we read the story "Mapping Penny's World" by Loreen Leedy.  This is a great mentor text to help the students understand the components and the purpose of a map.  In this story, Lisa makes a map of her room as well as a map of all of Penny's, her dog, treasures that she has buried in the backyard.

After reading "Mapping Penny's World" we discussed the mapping assignment that were due on Friday.  The assignment required your child to create a map of their favourite place to live. The students worked very hard on their projects and turned in very creative, well thought-out maps. I mean, who wouldn't want to live in Candy Town or at the Beach? Great job everyone!

Science

This week we kicked off our Rocks and Minerals Unit is science by going on our first field trip. In the morning we took the students to Leduc #1 to participate in “Rocks, Minerals and Fossil” investigations. The students had the opportunity to watch a video called "A Mile Beneath the Wheat." The video discussed how an oil strike can change the dynamics of a community. The students also learned the differences in the petroleum industry and in people's lifestyles between the 1940s and the 1990s. We went inside the World’s Largest Drill Bit on a virtual tour over a kilometre beneath the Earth's surface to find oozing oil from the Devonian Formation. The students also really enjoyed viewing the different rocks and minerals under microscopes.

At noon, the bus pick us up and took the Grade 3's down to Voyageur Park for the afternoon. We enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading down to shore of the North Saskatchewan River to pick rocks for our classroom investigations. We had a great time searching for different rocks for our collection. The students can't wait to sort them according to their different attributes. What can I say.....kids LOVE rocks!

Art

I read the Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis in preparation of our art project this week. This story is about the Baxter Brothers who find a wonderful pumpkin for Halloween. But first they must catch up with it when it rolls down a hill.

After reading the book we created fun pumpkin "zentangles". A zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. I gave the students a drawing of a simple dimensional pumpkin and asked them fill in the spaces with different repeating patterns.

Dojo Purchases

The students had the opportunity to purchase rewards with their Dojo money this week. Some things purchased were lunch with a buddy, candy or bring a stuffy for the day. Thank you so much to the students who donated some of their money to the "class fund." When the students have enough money in their class fund they will be able to purchase a "popcorn and movie party" for the entire class.

Student of the Week

Congratulations to Miss K for being chosen as Student of the Week. You are a kind-hearted student and a role model for your peers. Great job Kadie!

Wishing all of my students and their families a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a wonderful time spent with family and friends!