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!

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.

Non Fiction Features

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!

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!!

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.

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!!!