3rd graders have been learning about point of view and perspective and how they can affect a reader's understanding of a text. We started by reading the story The Most Magnicent Thing by Ashley Spires.
We then used a video clip from the movie Toy Story 3 to analyze how the scene would be described differently when told from the perspective of Andy, his mom, Woody, and his little sister Molly.
Next week we will begin reading our novel Frindle by Andrew Clements, where we will continue to study point of view and perspective, as well as delve into the differences between physical traits and character traits.
Throughout the past few weeks we have been focusing on establishing context for our upcoming text, Schooled by Gordon Korman. We have been learning about the challenges the United States was facing during The Sixties, listening to some of the songs from that time period, and learning about the history of the American Search for Utopia. While we read these articles, we focused on the strategy on "chunking" information into bits in order to help our brains retain and understand new information. Next week we will begin reading the novel, placing an emphasis on identifying the character traits unique to each individual, and discussing how the point of view and perspective from which a story is told can affect the reader's understanding.
In QUEST Math, we have been focusing on the Growth Mindset and how it relates to an individual's thoughts about math. I have been following lessons from a unit called Week of Inspirational Math. We have focused on the ideas that 1) anyone can be good at math, 2) it's helpful to think about the visual representations of numbers, and 3) that the depth of understanding a concept is more important than speed. We also discussed the purpose of Math Talks, as well as how to engage successfully in a Math Talk. In the upcoming weeks we will continue to explore the importance of identifying patterns and the importance of making mistakes!
This week in QUEST Math we watched the video Everyone Can Do Well in Math and talked about the research that shows our brains actually grow and change when we struggle with new ideas and tasks. We also read the book What Do You Do With a Problem by Kobi Yamada and discussed how every problem presents itself with an opportunity to learn something new.
We then played a game called 4x4, which involves using 4 numbers (determined by rolling 4 dice) and all 4 basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to come up with solutions from 1-10. For example, one of my groups rolled 2, 2, 3, 5. The first solution we found was:
5 + 3 + 2 - 2 = 8
The students were quite challenged by this game, and I encouraged them to take their notes home and to push themselves to come up with more possibilities. I look forward to seeing their results next week!
Welcome back to school! 2017/18 promises to be another successful year here at Blythe Park & Hollywood Schools!
I will begin meeting with groups next week, the week of August 28th. This year I will be working in new locations in both buildings. At Blythe Park, I will be meeting with my groups in the art room. At Hollywood, I will be in room 101, which is between kindergarten and 4th grade.
My group schedule is as follows:
Blythe Park Reading Gr. 3 ~ Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 12:20 - 1:20 Reading Gr. 4/5 ~ Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 1:20 - 2:20 Math Gr. 3 ~ Wednesdays from 10:00 - 11:00 Math Gr. 4 ~ Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:00
Hollywood Reading Gr. 3 ~ Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 10:20 - 11:20 Reading Gr. 4/5 ~ Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 9:20 - 10:20 Math Gr. 3 ~ Tuesdays from 12:50 - 1:50 Math Gr. 4 ~ Tuesdays from 1:50 - 2:50
Next week we will focus on getting to know each other, and for some of us, getting to know each other better and catching up after the summer. We will establish expectations for our time together and participate in some team building activities. We will also revisit the concept of a Growth Mindset. I invite all of you to follow this blog so you will be notified when new posts are added. I will admit, updating this site regularly is an area of improvement for me, so if you haven't heard from me in a while, please help me stay on track by sending me a quick, friendly email inquiring about what we've been up to. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to working with my students and their families this year!
3rd graders have been busy as we wrap up an informational unit about the Titanic, which involved reading All Stations! Distress!by Don Brown, as well as other texts. Last week we explored the concept of density and how it relates to ships' ability to float. We replicated these two experiments:
3rd graders have just begun a problem-based learning project through DefinedStem.com that asks them to apply their mathematical understandings to real-life situations. Our students will be acting as restaurant owners, trying to secure their bid for a 100-person dinner to be held in their new restaurant, as they try to build the reputation of their new restaurant. Learn all about it here!
4th graders have completed their unit on fractions, and have begun working with decimals. They will begin their own problem-based learning experience soon enough!
