Weeks of 9/9/13 and 9/16/3

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Welcome to the third grade!  I apologize for the delay in my post.  I will try to write one every two weeks to keep you updated as to what's happening in our classroom. 

For the week of September 9th:
In math, we will be focusing on place value to the thousands, comparing and ordering numbers, using different problem solving strategies such as drawing pictures or logical thinking, and extending place value to the hundred thousands.  These concepts are mostly review from second grade.

In language arts, students are learning about fixing run-on sentences in English, writing fairy tales in writer's workshop, and learning about author's purpose and cause and effect in reading.

In science, students will be participating in centers this week to practice different skills that scientists use.  These skills include observing, communicating, measuring, classifying, using numbers, making models, predicting, analyzing data, and inferring. 

In social studies, students will be learning about different types of communities; rural, urban, and suburban.  They will learn what these communities consist of and what makes them different from each other.  Students will also be studying our country's geography and the different landmarks that are found throughout.

For the week of September 16th:

In Social Studies, students will be learning about how to use a map scale.  They will also learn about the natural resources available in our country, why they are important, and how to conserve them.

In Math, students will be counting money values and solving story problems that involve money.  These are the last two lessons from chapter 1.  On Wednesday students will complete the review from the chapter.  We will go over the review on Thursday and play a review game.  Students will have a math test on Friday, September 20th.

In Science, students will finish the centers on the different skills they will use this year.  Students will also begin chapter 1.  They will learn about living things and what they need to survive.

In language arts, students will learn how to combine sentences to make their writing smoother in English.  Students will begin to review for the chapter 1 test this week.  Their test will be next week. In reading, students will be learning about main idea and supporting details.  In writer's workshop, students will continue to work on their fairy tales.

*Progress reports will be sent home Friday, September 20th.