Structures of Life: Investigation 1

Today our 3rd graders completed their first science investigation called "Sprouting Seeds." The students broke into groups to create their own seed sprouters with 4 different types of seeds. Inside each seed sprouter is 24 seeds of the different varieties. The students will observe, water, and clean the seeds for 6 days. The students are using their science notebooks to collect data and draw conclusions about their findings. We also created one large class seed sprouter that will allow us all to measure and weight the seeds! We are seeking answers to our investigatable question, "What effect does water have on seeds?"

Home Study Expectations

3rd Grade Weekly Home Study

The following will be sent home on Fridays and is due the following Thursday:

1. Math Practice Activities (Examples may include: interactive games with parents, fluency practice, iPad applications, etc.)

2. Reading Passage or Responding to Reading Activity (Examples may include: Reading passage with comprehension questions using evidence from the text, KidBlog Reading Response, written response to a novel, etc.)

***All students will read 30 minutes a night of joy reading and log their reading lives in Biblionasium for monthly analysis. Parent signature in assignment notebook verifies nightly reading and logging.

This Home Study systems allows students and families to practice time management based on individual weekly schedules. We suggest sitting down each Friday after school to plan out the following week’s assignments. :)

3 Reasons to Use Mental Math

I am a huge advocate of mental math. However, there was a time when I questioned what the big deal about mental math was. I was one of those teachers who firmly believed that students should learn how to add and subtract using carrying and borrowing, and that was that! Well, was I ever wrong. When I began teaching mental math, I was astonished at the growth that students experienced. Students who were not “mathematical thinkers” suddenly “got it!” The students who were already mathematical thinkers became even quicker with their facts! Math in Focus agrees and teaches students the importance of mental math. For those of you who are wondering why teaching mental math is huge priority for me, here are three good reasons:

1. Mental Math encourages actual understanding, not just memorization.When you teach students how to add an equation such as 19+23 using carrying, you are teaching a series of steps. For some students, this will work great, and they will catch right on. But for some, it is downright confusing. Where do I put the number? Do I carry the first one or the last one? BUT, when you teach students to break down the numbers and add 10+20 to make 30, 9+3 to make 12, and then 30+12 to make 42, students learn a deep understanding of the numbers. Suddenly that “1” in 19 is not just a 1. It’s a 10. And the “2” in 23 is not just a 2. It’s a 20. Students GET it!

2. Mental Math is logical. It just makes sense. I do think that there is a place for carrying and borrowing, but I am a huge believer of the research that supports that students should learn to do math mentally first. I have had grade 3 students solve an equation like 243+362 in their heads in mere seconds. For real. And that’s without pencil and paper. There is less room for error, and because students are more aware of the numbers, they are more likely to question an answer that doesn’t “look” or “sound” right. {Ever had a student answer a question like 240-150 with some crazy answer like 360 when they’re borrowing and you say to them, “Does that look like it would be the right answer? Let’s think about it…” Well with mental math, students ARE thinking about it right from the beginning, so they won’t make the kinds of mistakes that they do when simply following a series of confusing steps.}

3. Mental Math is fun! It is! I’m serious! When I began teaching this way, I really was re-energized about math. It is easier to understand, easier to do, and just all around exciting! I was actually getting better at math along with my students, which is probably why I’m a bit obsessed with it. 

Still not convinced? Read this blog for more wonderful ideas.

Math Workshop

During Math Workshop in 3rd grade, every student gets what they need when they need it and where they need it! Some students receive supported interventions and some students receive extended services. During this time, all students students work through our Math in Focus curriculum via the concrete, pictorial, and abstract modes of mathematical representation. Here are some of the core components of our math workshop time: 

  Each student receives small group, need specific instruction, followed by independent worktime
  Allows for students to be rotated/moved to different groups by lesson or unit
  Students are engaged at all times in mathematics practice, and concepts are reinforced daily in stations
  Students are motivated by the rotation, and manage themselves with little need for teacher interruption
  Allows extended students to return to class and extend their thinking.

Math in Focus Chapter 2: Mental Math and Estimation

In chapter 2 of Math in Focus, your child will learn about mental addition and subtraction, as well as estimation. Some of the skills your child will practice are:

• adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers mentally, with or without regrouping
• rounding numbers to estimate sums and differences using front-end estimation to estimate sums and differences

Vocabulary to Practice

Rounded is a term used in estimating numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, and so on.
2,436 is 2,400 when rounded to the nearest hundred.
An estimate is a number close to the exact number.
396 is 400 when rounded to the nearest hundred. 400 is an estimate. 
1,245 + 2,534 = 3,779
1,245 rounded to the nearest thousand is 1,000.
2,534 rounded to the nearest thousand is 3,000.
The estimated sum is 4,000. 3,779 is close to 4,000 so the answer is reasonable.
The leading digit in a number is the digit with the greatest place value. The leading digit for 2,475 is 2.
Front-end estimation uses leading digits to estimate sums and differences. 

At-Home Practice

This week, an important fact fluency packet was emailed home that connects to our previous blog post! Here is another activity to try:

The ability to estimate sums has numerous applications in everyday life! For example, have your child estimate the cost of your next shopping trip. Help him or her draw up a short family grocery shopping list. Then have your child write the prices of each item (wherever possible) by looking at advertised prices in the newspapers. Ensure the prices are in whole dollars as your child has not learned to estimate cost in compound units. Finally, have him or her estimate the total cost of the groceries. 

Fact Fluency Practice

Fact Fluency Practice

Research & Articles

Automaticity vs. Memorization

Why Children Have Difficulties Mastering the Basic Number Combinations and How to Help Them

Fluency Without Fear

The Road to Fluency and the License to Think

Activities connected to CCSS fluency standards for each grade

Tech Activity	Topics	Info
Kakooma	Addition, multiplication, fact families	Students identify fact families by choosing which of three numbers does not fit in a family with the other three numbers.  This game is highly engaging and can be played against others.
Numtanga	Various representations of numbers	Students view four different representations of numbers (digits, ten frames, fingers, etc.) and need to find the two cards that match in the set.
Math Limbo	Balancing addition equations	Students are shown a game board of numbers from 1-10.  They are then shown addition problems, represented by ten frames, fingers, or digits.  They need to choose digits from the game board to represent the correct sum.  Sometimes, they can just choose the right answer but if that number has already been used during the round, they have to find a sum that equals that number.

3rd Grade: Week 2!

What an amazing week in 3rd grade! This week we continued to get to know each other as friends and learners. We began our study of place value in math, shared our summer photos and began to write about our lives. We grew our stamina in reading, learned about the brain and developing a growth mindset, and planted seeds in preparation for our upcoming field study! We heard Mr. George's new book and learned Hough expectations from Mr. Aalfs. Take a look at our learners in action:

Smart Farm

We are excited to visit Smart Farm this week! By utilizing our community’s natural resources and partnering with community groups, students will apply what they learn in science to the outdoor world. Students will observe and interact with real situations in our natural world, connecting to what they are learning in the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to collect evidence (data and/or observations) to support their ideas and claims about science. This promotes a deeper conceptual understanding of science and an appreciation for the environment.

Guiding Questions for Field Study:

• How do organisms respond to changes in their environment?
• How do organisms benefit from group behavior?
• How do changes in habitats impact populations? (Biodiversity & Human Impact)
• Why is reproduction essential to life?
• How are life cycles of organisms alike and different?

Please check out this home connection for more information!