This past week in math, students have been working on understanding the relationship of multiplication and division as inverse operations. Students should be able to draw an array and explain how this array can model both a multiplication problem and a division problem. If students know their multiplication facts, they will have an easier time with their division facts. We also learned about remainders and that when we divide, there may be some leftover amount that doesn’t fit equally into a group. This is a very challenging concept for third graders. Additional practice with this at home will further help them be prepared for division in fourth grade! In reading we are working our way through the chapter book The Birchbark House by Louise Edrich. It is about the everyday life of the Ojibwa/Anishinabe tribe which lived in the area around Michigan. The students have been enjoying this book and have been learning a lot about various cultural aspects of Native American life such as the role of medicine men and women, the presence of spirits, and the importance of oral storytelling traditions. In writing/social studies students continue to work on gathering notes on the life of the Native Americans in the region they chose. On Monday, Mrs. Courcelle, the technology integration teacher for elementary schools is coming to teach us about one of our options for our final project. The tool offered to the students is called Voicethread. It is a digital powerpoint presentation where they can record their voice/video to play along with images. We have also been working through a book about Waangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She planted millions of trees in Kenya and started the Green Belt Movement. We are finding out that every effect has a cause and every choice leads who you become. In Wangari’s case her mother taught her that a “tree is worth more than its wood,” and because of this Wangari had a strong sense of the importance of maintaining the environment. After watching the theater performance at the Flynn on Friday we are going to work on comparing and contrasting the two Nobel Peace Prize winners of Maathai and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Upcoming Dates Students should have brought home report cards on Friday, please sign and return the folder they were delivered in. You may keep the report card itself. February 11th-15th I love to Read and Write Week Students will be celebrating Reading and Writing through various activities. Monday there will be a chance to share about their favorite book. Tuesday students may bring in a stuffie to read with during independent reading. Wednesday students may bring in a flashlight to read during independent reading. Thursday students will be receiving a special pen. Friday Pajama Day (students could bring pajamas to change into once we return from the performance at the Flynn) Orchard first grade teacher Abby Klein will read to the school from her published children’s book series: Ready Freddy. February 12th Field Trip Forms Due for the Flynn February 14th Friendship Day Celebration If students choose to bring in cards, they need to have a card for every student. February 15th Trip to the Flynn Theater in Burlington
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December 2018
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