Welcome to our class blog. Our blog will be used as a tool to keep you updated on what we are doing in our classroom through reflections of classroom experiences, celebrations, and classroom news. Students will have opportunities to complete fun activities from the Blog that relate back to classroom learning. Please check the blog weekly as I will be using it to update you on classroom information as well!







Friday, December 14, 2012

Coming to another end!

The semester is flying by! We had a successful week of CBA testing and we are all looking forward to getting back to normal classroom work next week!

IMPORTANT!!!!:
- Ms. Pair has already gone shopping for the holiday party. The money was due on Friday.
- The party will be Thursday at 1:30. Please come early and stay late to help with set up and clean up! If you signed up to volunteer I will contact you next week!
- CHElebrations are Thursday from 9-10am. It is come and go. Please come to see the hard work your child has accomplished this year!
- We will go to the Holiday Store Monday at 1pm to purchase gifts. Please send money with your child if you would like for them to buy any of the products.

BLOG BONUS!!!
- Research about your planet you have researched in class or another object in space that is interesting to you. Post on the blog 2 things you learned and 2 questions you have about the object in space you researched.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Blog Bonus

Study about a planet at home. Write a simile or a metaphor about the planet that you study about. Remember that a simile compares two unlike objects using like or as.  A metaphor compares 2 unlike objects. Post it on the the blog or bring it in on Monday.

Parents, please remember that our party money ($5) is due next Friday.

Next week we will be having testing on Tuesday- Friday. Please make sure your child is here and on time!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Welcome Back!

New Unit: How We Express Ourselves

Reminder: Life timeline is due Dec. 7th. This is a mandatory at home project. If it is not completed your child will not receive a grade.

Our new unit:
We are studying communication. We are learning about expressive language through poetry. We have studied imagery and humorous poems. We have learned how to write similes and metaphors.
We are learning about expository text through studying the water cycle and the sun.

We have also learned that communication evolves over time. We made a timeline of communication in the past to the present and we reflected on what might be invented in the future.

In math we are practicing multiplication. We learned a strategy of making array to help us solve problems in multiplication.

Blog Bonus!
Write and turn in or post to the blog 3 similes about what you do this weekend. Remember a simile compares 2 objects using the words "like" or "as".

Example: The car is as red as the cherry on top of my banana split!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Wrapping up another unit!

Reminder: Next week we will only have school Monday and Tuesday due to Thanks giving break. Be looking in your child's homework folder on Tuesday for a special assignment!!

Also, we are still in need of play doh donations!

This week...
In math we have started learning about multiplication. In multiplication we have a number of groups and a number in each group that is the same. We played a game in the classroom where we had to make groups with each other based off of the groups and number of groups that Ms. Pair called out.

In reading we have been reading expository text (nonfiction) and learning about cause and effect, fact and opinion, sequencing, and main idea.

In science we have been focusing on learning about the different parts of our summative project. We have spent a lot of time learning about levers in the classroom. We are going to be launching Angry Birds next week using a lever to see how force, motion and energy are all connected. Today we even played Angry Birds and discussed how our knowledge of force, motion, and energy helps us play the game!

Blog Bonus:
1. Cut out a picture from a magazine, newspaper, or you can draw your own.
2. Decide if the picture you found is the cause or the effect.
3. Draw the matching picture. For example, if the one you found is the cause, draw the effect. If the one you found is the effect, draw its cause.
4. Write down the cause and effect sentence that matches the pictures.
5. Use the information and examples below to help guide your thinking!







Friday, November 2, 2012

Matter and Energy

Science:
- We have learned about thermal energy, mechanical energy, sound energy, and light energy. We went to different stations to investigate how the forms of energy work and how they help us.

Reading-
- We have been reading non fiction books. We been practicing using non fiction features and learning how to read non fiction books.
- We have been using a book about energy to help us study non fiction.

Math-
- In math we learned to tell time. Our main focus has been telling time to the minute and identifying half past, quarter till, and quarter past.
***Quiz your child on time this weekend!!

**Coming up on Monday there are 2 important events:
1. Math tests on addition, subtraction, estimation are due signed and returned to Ms. Pair
2. Family reading night is on Monday.

**Donations-
1. We still need Styrofoam balls for our Angry Birds investigation



Blog Bonus:
1. Make a time schedule of what you did one day this weekend. Include what you did, the time you did it. The time must be recorded like a clock with the hour hand, minute hand, and the time digitally underneath.

2. Record down 2 examples of each form of energy that you find this weekend. Draw a picture for each example and label it. You will need to find 2 examples for thermal energy, light energy, sound energy, and mechanical energy.

Friday, October 19, 2012

What's the MATTER??

In Reading-
We finished reading "cricket in Times Square." We completed a cricket cage project to show our understanding of the book. Some of our favorite parts of the book were...
- "My favorite part was when Chester sang at a concert because he earned a lot of money from doing that." Jonathan
- "When he moved to go to Connecticut because he had a party with his friends before he left" Sullivan
- " When Harry cat and Tucker mouse and Chester were eating together because its like they are getting to know each other better." Danniel

In Science-
We have started to learn about matter. Each student was assigned a different property of matter to find and example of to bring in to school. We also investigated sink and float. We learned that things float because air gets inside the material. Things sink because they do not have spaces for air to come in. Things that float are less dense and things that sink are more dense.


Blog Bonus!!!!!:
1. Go to the following science website:
 http://roundrockisd.stemscopes.com/login
2. Log In
Username: pair3
Password: pair3

3. Click on the link to open

4. Complete one of the two activities about matter.
- If you listen to Science Rock or do the vocabulary review game- post on the blog the 2 most important things you learned.
- If you do the Web Surfing Science- print out the forms and use the websites to answer the questions. Bring in ALL activities on Monday for your prize!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Ending our first unit!

Math-
This week we have been working on addition and subtraction with regrouping. We have been using a part/part/whole chart to help us determine if we need to add or subtract. When we subtract we use a "baby dot" and "adult dot" to help us see if we need to regroup. If the baby is left on top we need to regroup! We have also been using place value blocks to help us understand regrouping and to show our work. WE LOVE MATH!

Reading-
The reading skill that we have been focusing on this week is inferencing. We have learned that you need to think about your text clues, then your background knowledge and you combing them to make an inference. We have been using the book "Cricket in Times Square" to help us with our reading lesson. We like this book because....
- it connects to economics which we are learning in social studies
- it is interesting because the animals are meeting a lot of people
-  it is helping us with comprehension

Writing-
We are working on our draft 2 of our seed idea story. We have added our new leads and our new endings to our stories. We are working towards publishing this as our first writing piece this year.

End of our first unit!!
We have been working towards finishing our first unit about economic systems. We have discussed entreprenuers and how communities effect business. We have drafted a buisness plan and created an advertisement with it. We have also worked together as a "family" and made a budget and had to work together to meet our needs and decide on our wants. We will be finishing up next week with a summative assessment.

Here are some pictures from working on our advertisements:
Working on our advertisements for our business plans!

Showing off our hard work
Looking good!!

I want to get my car washed here!
 BLOG BONUS!!
In writing we have been working in improving our leads and endings. In the classroom I have started a collection of good leads and endings that we have found in our reading in the classroom. This weekend, find a book that you can bring to school that has either a strong lead or a strong ending, or both. Ms. Pair will take a picture of the lead or ending and add it to the collection!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Phil Bildner week!!!

We had a wonderful visit from author Phil Bildner at school this week on Wednesday. He came to talk to the third graders about the writing process and writing about topics that you love. Phil Bildner surprised ALL third graders by giving everyone a copy of one of his books. The book he autographed is from the "Sluggers" series. His visit tied into what we have been learning about in writing, which is writing about seed ideas (small moments) instead of writing about watermelon topics (large ideas).

In math we have been working on comparing and ordering numbers. We have been calling a place value chart our "BFF" because it will help students show strategies on ordering and comparing numbers. We also have nicknamed the ones place the "bossy" place because it is what tells us even and odd, it is where we start list our values of places first, and it is where we start adding or subtracting first. Ask your child to see the hand motion that goes with the "bossy" place!!!

We have been integrating reading and social studies through the novel "A Cricket in Times Square". We have been focusing on asking questions while we read this week. We have also been connecting what we learn to what we are wondering to have a deeper understanding of the text we read. The novel has been great because our unit is based on how the exchange of goods and services drive an economic system and the book is based on how a family thrives and encounters hardship through owning and running a newsstand in times square.

Next week we are looking forward to creating ad's for business plans we have created. We also plan on a very exciting "family" simulation with spending on needs and wants, saving, and donating the money we earn through out the week.

BLOG BONUS!!
You have a choice to complete one or both of the following assignments:
1. Write a letter to Phil Bildner about what you enjoyed about his presentation, thanking him for the book, and giving him a suggestion about what topic he should write about next. Don't forget to sign your name and decorate the letter with illustrations and pictures

2. Research how Times Square got its name. Record down 3 interesting things you learned about New York and how Times Square got its name. 

Bring in your assignment Monday for a Super Secret Reward!!

**Parents please look in your child's homework folder for final conference dates and times. It will be printed on bright paper.

Friday, September 7, 2012

A Fun Week At School!

This week in math we review place value. We reviewed the different forms- expanded form, standard form, picture form, and place value chart. We learned how to organize our information in a number web. We also learned about the thousands place!

In reading we learned the expectations for partner reading and read to self. Today we went to the library for the first time to check out books!

In writing we have been writing about a special object, person, and place. We brainstormed 4 special moments about each and then turned the special moment into a writing piece.

In social studies we learned about economic systems. We sorted goods and services from advertisements.

Blog Bonus!!!!
Look in a magazine, newspaper, advertisement, etc for 2 4 digit numbers. A 4 digit number goes up to the thousands place. For each number you will need to make a number web for a total of 2 number webs.

Example of a number web. DON'T forget to label the VALUES!!!

Friday, August 31, 2012

The first week of school!

We have had a great first week of school. Here are some fun things that we would like to tell you about:

1. In math we talked about problem solving. We learned about UPSL, our strategy for solving problems.
2. In science we have set up our Science Inquiry journal. We talked about how scientists show the different learner profile traits.
3. We watched a video called "Caine's Arcade". It was about a boy who made an arcade out of cardboard boxes. He made a business because he had customers and he made money. Out first IB unit will be about the economy.
4. In math we talked about what we knew about money to get our minds thinking.

Blog Bonus!!!
Talk to your family about how they earn, spend and save money. Write a list of 3 things you can do at home to earn money and 3 items you would like to save your money for so you can buy.

Monday, July 16, 2012

CHE summer enrichment!

I had a lot of fun today talking about sports and learning about Jackie Mitchell. She was definitely determined to reach her goal in baseball!

He is your bonus!! Play a game or sport with family, friends, in the park, at the Y, etc and answer the following questions:
1. What did you play? Describe the game or sport.

2. What did you enjoy most about playing?

3. What did you learn from playing the game or sport?

Bring it in to me Wednesday for a prize!!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Summer so far...



I hope everyone has been having a really good summer so far. So far it has not really hit me yet that it is actually summer! I have been very busy with my new dog, Yohan. I adopted him the Saturday after school got out. He is part Great Pyrenees and part unknown. He is 3 months old. He has been very naughty this week by digging holes in the yard! He has learned how to sit and lay down also. We are now working on "come" and "roll over". Yohan really likes his toys. He likes them so much that he will pull all of them out of the basket and put them in a pile and lay on them so I cannot get to them!!


Yohan piled up his toys so I cannot get to them.

He loves to play with his raccoon toy.

Puppies sure do like to sleep a lot!



I hope all of you are keeping busy and having a lot of fun so far! What places have you been to? What has been your favorite thing you have read so far? Have you gotten faster at your multiplication facts?!? 


I hope to hear from you all!!


Ms. Pair

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Reflections on the year

Today we talked as a class about what we would want to change about our third grade year or what would we have done differently. Here are some of the reflections from our class:

1. Do more activities in multiplication and division because it is fun and you get to learn.
2. Learn more in cursive so that I will be better in fourth and fifth grade.
3. Do more book clubs because I like the activities I get to do in book clubs.
4. I would change problem solving because it got easier as the year went on because I want to be better at it.
5. I would change my attitude, sometimes I am grouchy and tired. A positive attitude would be better because I know I would have a good day.  A bad attitude will be a bad day.
6. I would make more challenges/goals for myself like reading more (finishing more books) because I want to be a better learner.
7. I would change my behavior so my parents would be proud of me.
8. I would have one folder for every unit so we can really experience it.
9. I would like to use more computers to study and research so I can be more knowledgeable.
10. I would want to use more technology because  it will teach you more because you get to do different things.
11. Start cursive earlier in the year so we can learn the whole alphabet.
12. Do more experiments on science because we focused more on math and reading and I wished we did more science experiments.
13. Study more influential/important people in history in Social Studies.
14. Do more math computer games because if we do the games we would have more knowledge about math.
15. I would change my behavior so I could do better in school.

Blog Bonus!!
I am going to miss you so much over the summer! What will you miss about your third grade year? Post it to the blog or bring in a note!!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Our last week together!


Last week Lucas Miller came to sing with us about animals, their ecosystems, food chains and adaptations. He sang some informative, funny songs and we really enjoyed his visit to our school! Here are some pictures from the assembly. You can visit his website at http://www.lucasmiller.net/.

Getting ready to sing about wet lands!


Learning about a sharks food chain and then singing along!


Enjoying our last couple of days!



Really focusing and listening!

Today I posed this question to the class:
When you were coming into 3rd grade what is something you wish you knew then that you didn't know? What would have made third grade easier for you?
We brainstormed what we thought and here were our responses:
1. Adrian- Don't pick up rocks on the playground
2. Darrion- Do not fight
3. Wesley- Do your homework everyday because otherwise you will be in study hall.
4. Halle- How to show strategies for dividing.
5. Maddie C- Know your multiplication facts
6. Adam- Focus on your work so it is done on time.
7. Emily F-Do not do sloppy work or you will do it again!
8. Miguel- Check your work in writing so that other people can read it.
9. Maddie M- Always have a positive attitude.
10. Quynh- How to write in cursive
11. Paloma- Follow expectations or you will move your card.
12. Karan- How to find perimeter and area
13. Stephan- Play when it is appropriate so you do not get in trouble.
14. Brandon- Do not be late for school
15. Jayden- The nines trick with your hands for multiplication
16. Emily HT- In assemblies make sure you sit on your bottom so other people can see.
17. Leena- Do not move your card- be good.

My question to my soon to be fourth graders is...
What do you want to know about fourth grade? What are you curious about for next year? (Expectations, homework, tips, etc)




Monday, May 14, 2012

The last few weeks...

We have been pretty busy since STAAR ended. We started a new unit which is Who We Are. Our new unit's central idea is "Like all organisms, humans go through changes in their lives for a variety of reasons". We looked at some pictures of Ms. Pair to start our unit off and we talked about our own inherited traits. Last week we focused on plant and animal inherited traits. We learned that they come from a parent and are passed to an offspring.

We are also doing an animal research project based off of animals that we are interested in and their traits and adaptations.

In math we have been reviewing our facts. We started doing a five minute frenzy this week to work on computational fluency for next year. We are excited to set goals and see how many facts we can answer in 5 minutes!

In reading we are working in book clubs to read different books from The Time Warp Trio series. We are really interested in periods of history and the books are definitely keeping us engaged!

A few reminders for the next TWO WEEKS!!
1. Please return the party note as soon as possible. Please sign up to bring desserts for the party if you would like and send any donations of decoration supplies for end of year memory books.
2. Field day is Friday. There is a note that went home today with specifics of what to wear, bring, etc.
3. Last awards assembly will be May 24 at 8am in the cafeteria!

BLOG BONUS!:
There are 2 different choices for a bonus this week. It will be due on Wednesday to allow for more time to compelte the assignment:

1. Bring in a picture of yourself when you were younger. List on another piece of paper or on the back of the picture what traits you inherited from your parents. Make sure to list at least 5 inherited tratis.

2. Make a set of multiplication flash cards for your facts 0-5. Make flash cards up until the tenth multiple. Record the number setence on one side of the card and the product on the opposite side of the card

Thursday, April 26, 2012


Here are some pictures from our popsicle party on Monday. We had a lot of fun enjoying our sweet treats and time together to relax before STAAR testing!
Enjoying our popsicle party!


Having a good time!


Our next unit deals with animals and their adaptations and traits. Your BLOG BONUS is to research your favorite wild animal. You can bring in the information or post the information. You need to find:
1. The ecosystem the animal lives in
2. How big the animal gets.
3. How does it attack prey or hide from predators.
4. One interesting fact.
**Remember you can use the research information on the Caldwell Heights Library page on the CHE homepage to help you find the information!

Good luck on International Night! I will be thinking about you guys!!

Friday, April 20, 2012

The STAARS are.....

Ms. Pair's Class!! We earned a Popsicle party Monday for everyone passing their last independent reading relay!! I am so proud of everyones VERY hard work!!

We have brainstormed a list of activities that we could do to take our minds off of STAAR testing next Tuesday and Wednesday. Some of the ideas that we have to have a nice, relaxing weekend are:
- Go swimming
- Go to a friends house
- Play a video game
- Go ride your bike
- Have a water gun fight
- Spend time with family
- Sleep in!!
- Relax by watching TV
- Go to a place like Main Event to have fun
- Go to the movies or watch a movie
- Go to the park
- Go on a hike or go to the lake
- camp out
- Play spies or pirates outside
- Ride on a boat

Just a reminder that STAAR testing is Tuesday and Wednesday. Please make sure your child gets to school on time!! NO backpacks and NO snacks or water. Snack and water will be provided.

We have earned a Reading Campout Thursday after STAAR testing. Please wear your PJs to school. You can bring sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, flashlights, books, and games. We will be doing science, reading and playing games together to celebrate all of our hard work this year!

BLOG BONUS!!! Do an activity off of the list or another one that you would enjoy. Post a note on the blog explaining what you did and why you enjoyed it!! Rest up!!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Celebrations!


We are so thrilled to celebrate our big win! Our whole class is wearing crowns this week to celebrate everyone passing an independent reading relay passage!!

Reading-
     In reading we have been reviewing all of the reading skills that we have learned this year. We have been focusing on main idea, fact and opinion, summary, sequencing, and others. We have learned that when summarizing expository text that it is best to use a main idea web.
     We will continue to review our reading skills and having our Reading Relay to prepare for the STAAR.

Writing-
     We have been writing persuasive letters. We have learned that in order to persuade someone you must be knowledgeable about the topic. We all picked a topic to research to persuade someone about. Be looking for those letters to come home :).

Math-
     In math we have been learning about and reviewing different types of problem solving questions. We have learned about working backwards, logic, and range. We learned that when solving a range problem it is a good strategy to use a three part t chart.
     We have also been reviewing all of the math concepts that we have learned this year. This week we reviewed fractions, geometry, volume, capacity, linear measurement, weight, and place value. We will finish reviewing skills for the STAAR test next week. We are genius level mathematicians.


Celebrations-
     We were able to eat lunch in the courtyard this week for passing our independent relay. This week if we have the same results we will be having a popsicle party in the courtyard. The courtyard has been revamped recently and decorated. It is a fabulous experience to sit out there and enjoy our time together.
     We are working to earn a reward for the Thursday after STAAR testing. We are uncovering the letters as we earn compliments. We still are unsure of what it exactly is!!!!!!

Blog Bonus!!
In the upcoming weeks we are going to be learning about animals and plants and their traits and adaptations. These activities will help you build your background knowledge for what we are about to learn.

BLOG BONUS:
1. GO to the science website that you have visited for other Blog Bonuses:http://roundrockisd.stemscopes.com/login

2. Log in
User name: pair3
Password: pair3


3. Click on the link to open

4. Complete the Web Surfing Science or the Interactive Simulation Investigation. You can listen to the Science Rock song for fun!


- If you choose to do the Web Surfing Science- turn that in for your bonus.
- If you choose the Interactive Simulation Investigation you will need to turn in or post
3 things you learned, 2 questions you have, 1 connection you had to the information


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Launch Week!!!

This week has been a very exciting week in our classroom. We have started on our summative assessment for our unit. We are putting all of our learning about force, motion, work, and energy to use by developing levers to launch 3 different angry birds.

It has not been with out challenges! Many groups are having to rework their levers because they did not expect for their birds to be 3 different weights! They are in the process of developing more accurate levers to launch their birds.

Here are some pictures of what we have accomplished so far!
Planning before the launch!

Developing a plan for a launch lever

What type of lever will be the best?




Launch count down!! 3...2...1

The red bid causes ALL the problems!!


The blue bird in action!

This week we have also been studying graphing. We have made bar and pictographs. We learned that in ALL graphs it is very important to read the key!

BLOG BONUS!

Use the data collected to make a graph (bar or pictograph) and a chart. Make sure your graph and chart have the information included from the problem and have the 4 parts that we have talked about in class (Title, key, horizontal label, vertical label). Make sure you use graph paper or a ruler!

At the beach over spring break I was polling different families about their favorite Popsicle flavors. I asked a total of 50 people their favorite flavor. Out of the 50 people, 11 chose lime as their favorite flavor, 9 chose grape, 13 chose banana, and the rest picked cherry. Make a chart of the results and a graph to match!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Fractions, Force, and Fun!

Math: In math we have learned about EQUIVALENT fractions. We discovered that equivalent means EQUAL. For example if half of a pizza is eaten it can be the same as eating 2/4, 4/8, 6/12, 5/10, or 3/6.


Science: We learned that gravity pulls us down to Earth. We watched a video of a dropping race from the Apollo 15 mission. It helped us learn that objects will fall and hit the ground at the same time. The heavier things are the harder they fall.

Blog Bonus!!!!!:
1. Go to the same science website that we have used before:
 http://roundrockisd.stemscopes.com/login
2. Log In
Username: pair3
Password: pair3

3. Click on the link to open

4. Complete one of the four activities about magnets

5. Post on the blog:
1. 3 things that you have learned about magnetism!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Force, Motion, Work, and Energy!

 Math- In math we have been learning about naming fractions, comparing fractions, and fractions on a number line. We learned that a ruler is a real life example of fractions on a number line. On top of a fraction goes the numerator, the numerator is the part. The bottom number is the denominator. We learned that the denominator is the whole. A way to remember denominator is d for down or d for decrease.

Reading and Writing- We are learning about how to's. We have learned the features of a how to. We are each writing our own how to. Ask me to teach you!

Science- We are focusing on force, motion, and energy. We are going to be making our own LIVE angry birds course where we have to apply what we have learned about force, motion and energy to reach some goals. Here are pictures from our Roller Coaster investigation where we focused on force, motion, gravity, and energy.
Challenge: Can you make the ball go over one hill?

Can you make the ball go through one loop?

Figuring out how to make the ball go through one loop!


WE DID IT!!







BLOG BONUS!!
This weekend record down the four forms of energy (mechanical, light, sound, and thermal). Record down 2 examples of each form that you used or observed this weekend. Also, record down 3 ways you used force this weekend.

Example:
1. Thermal: __________________________   ______________________________
2. Light: ____________________________    ________________________________
3. Sound _________________________      _________________________________
4. Mechanical _________________________    _____________________________

Force:
1. I played soccer. I used the force of pushing by kicking the ball.
2.
3.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

How To....?

For your Blog Bonus this week you have 3 options:
1. Write a how to for something that you do this weekend.
2. Find an example of a how to to bring in on Monday
3. Follow my how to and bring in the final product!

Ms. Pair's How To

Want to become a fabulous artist?? Follow these steps to learn how to draw!
Materials:
- plain pencil
- lined or white paper

Procedure:
1. On your paper draw a compass rose at the northeast corner.
2. On your map draw a community. The community must include the following and can follow any theme:
- a place for people to go when they are sick
- a form of transportation
- a place for people to learn
- places for people to live
- a place for people to have fun
- roads
- your house
3. On the back explain how to get from your house to 3 different places. Make sure you use directional words to describe how to get there.

See you on Monday!! :)

Friday, February 3, 2012

Maping

This week we have been learning about maps. We studied map features and different types of maps. This weekend make a quick map of somewhere you go. Add a title, compass rose, and a map key!

Have a good weekend!!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Ending our third unit!!

We have finished our third IB unit. Here are some of the things we have learned based off of our three lines of inquiry.

Scientists communicate information through expository text.
We learned...
- scientists use scientific language.
- expository text is non-fiction
- scientists write down their new information in science notebooks/ journals
- Scientists use real information and real facts
- They can put their information in brochures, banners, tv commercials/ shows, magazines

Authors communicate ideas through the use of expressive language.
We learned...
- They sometimes write books, plays, or poems
- To express themselves they use similes, adjectives, alliteration, rhyming, and repetition
- Authors can use snail mail to communicate their ideas
- Authors can use skype to communicate
- Authors can use imagery (adjectives, similes)
- You can express yourself through free verse poetry- poetry that has no rules
- You can express yourself through humorous poetry- poetry that is funny
- You can express yourself through narrative poetry- poetry that tells a story
- You can express yourself through lyrical poetry- poetry that expresses the feelings of the author and is usually in a song- Taylor Swift

Information sharing evolves over time.
We learned that...
- We went from oral communication, snail mail, rotary phones, to email, to cell phones, and facebook
- Skype and facebook are called social networks or social media

We studied alliteration. Here are some examples we made as a class:
Darrion- Dinosaurs are dizzy from dancing.
Adam- Chuck chucked a Chucky Cheese medal out the window.
Jayden- Exciting Elizabeth eats eggrolls.
Wesley- Mr. Apple eats applesauce nightly.
Halle- Marley ate a macadamia nut and some marbles.
Adrian- Awkward antelopes ate my ancestors.
Abby- Chuck the chunk chimp ate chocolate, chicken, and cheez its.
Brandon- Sharp shaped shark teeth shock me.
Maddie- Sloppy Sally slobbers on her salad.
Karan- Batman battles the big Bain.
Paloma- Harry hopped he was happy on his birthday.
Emily F- Victor was very vicious to Velma and her friend Victoria.
Emily HT- Elephants eat lots of eggs.
Miguel- Lilly the lion loved lollipops.

BLOG BONUS!! Post or write an alliteration sentence about something you do this weekend! Make sure it makes sense!!

Friday, January 20, 2012

This week was like....

We have started our new unit and are coming close to the end. One of our lines of inquiry is that "Authors communicate ideas through expressive language". We have been focusing on poetry as we learn about expressive language. One of the things we have really enjoyed is learning about similes.

A similes compares two different objects and how they are alike by using like or as.
Example: Adrian's shoe laces were as slippery as an eel.

At the end of the day the student had a "ticket out the door". They had to write a simile about this week at school. Here is what they came up with:

Devin- Area is as easy as soccer.
Leena- It is hot like a light bulb, it is red like paint, it bursts like a bubble where there ought to be gasses. (The sun)
Paloma- Ms. Pair is as nice as a puppy.
Abby- Learning about area is as cool as a roller coaster.
Wesley- Space is as cool as a motorcycle
Brandon- Learning shapes is as easy as reading a baby's book.
Halle- Multiplication is as easy as running a race.
Emily HT- School- it's as cool as swimming in the water. It's as smart as a scientist. It's as fun as a whole bunch of kids playing.
Karan- Geometry is as fun as the circus.
Jayden- Space is as cool as video games.
Emily F- Ms. Pair's class is as loud as 1,000 canaries squawking.
Adam- School is as fun as swimming in a pool.
Darrion- Playing tag is as fun as racing.
Stephan- Geometry is as cool as skateboarding.
Maddie- School is as fun as playing in the water at the beach and as cool as a white tiger crawling in slow motion with sunglasses on.

We have also been learning about objects in space like the sun, earth, moon, and planets. A way to remember the order of the planets is to use the following sentence:

My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Nachos

M in my stands for Mercury.
V in very stands for Venus.
E in excited stands for Earth.
M in mother stands for Mars.
J in just stands for Jupiter.
S in served stands for Saturn.
N in nachos stands for Neptune.

BONUS!!!
What new sentence can you think of to help you remember the order of the planets. Remember the planets must be in order and the word has to start with the letter that plant starts with. For example N (Neptune) could stand for noodles, Nerds. Post your sentence on the blog or bring it in to class on Monday!!

:) Have a good weekend!

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Busy New Year!

Tuesday morning we hit the ground running! We started our third IB unit. Our new central idea for our unit is "The need to share information leads to many forms of communication". We did a communication time line after we brainstormed forms of communication. We have been learning how communication evolves over time. After we discussed out timeline students brainstormed what might come next in communication technology. Some ideas were teleporting, iphone 5, robots that you can send messages to...

Another focus this unit has been "scientists communicate information through expository text". We learned that our science notebook was a form of expository text. We also came up with using graphs, charts, and diagrams. We have been using expository text to discuss and share what we have learned about the sun. We discovered that our biggest misconception was that we thought the sun was made of fire, we learned later that it is made of gas!

In math we started learning about linear measurement. Today we went to different stations to measure our feet, how far we can jump, the length of the classroom and how far we could blow a pattern block. We had a TON of fun!!!!

BLOG BONUS!!!
Be a measurement detective! This weekend measure three different things (at home, HEB, the park...etc). Tell me the object you measured, what tool you used to measure it, and what the result was.
Example:
1. I measured my shoe. I used a ruler to measure my shoe. My shoe was 10 inches long.

Post your result on the blog or bring it in on Monday for a super secret surprise!!!

WHAT A WONDERFUL FIRST WEEK BACK!!