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Thank you so much to all of the parents who helped us out the past few days! The kids had an amazing time on our field trip, exploring the Hancock-Clarke house and the Old Burial Ground.
Check out http://www.lexingtonhistory.org/
and https://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm for cool programs  happening at historical sites in Lexington all the time!
And Thank You so much to the parents who guided students today in writing with quill and ink, making rag dolls and creating a cross stitch initial! They were so engaged in these great activities and I hope they try them again at home...

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We are reading and writing about Biographies! We are reading many great books about both famous and less well-known people. Later this week students will choose one to focus on and create a file folder presentation of what they have learned about the person.

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Massachusetts in Colonial Times: What was life like for citizens of Lexington in 1775? Each student has taken on the role of a real historical child in a Lexington family and is learning about their family, house, farm, etc.

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Please use our class code of G26Y8 to order books.

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We are studying the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, and particularly to the events of April 19th in Lexington and Concord! A fun little video we have used is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfnrdWYmZus

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"A Brief History of America's Independence: Part 1" (Revolutionary War) - 321Learning

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We are reading and writing FAIRY TALES! We have talked about the elements of a fairy tale and are learning about how there can be many different versions depending on where and when the tale is told.  Next, students are beginning to plan and to write their own version of a traditional tale- changing the characters, setting or problem in the story.

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All students at Estabrook painted Kindness Rocks that will be placed around our playground and school to brighten everyone's day!

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We will be wrapping up our last month of math with a review of our third grade skills- as well as a bunch of new projects! One focus is on trade-first subtraction (link here to a video example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bph_ebzM9yo&feature=youtu.be)
for larger numbers, another on measurement and data.

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Wow! The students worked hard and really pulled off an amazing presentation. Next year they will have the opportunity to use some of these skills on string instruments if they choose to!

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Students are working in small groups to research an animal: life cycle, food, appearance, habitat, etc. They are working together to develop research questions, find the answers to those questions, take notes, and create a book to share!

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Students have completed a unit on Geometry, focusing on quadrilaterals and their attributes! (right angles, parallel sides, equilateral)
We are working on graphing, elapsed time problems and units of measurement. We are also practicing trade-first subtraction for longer subtraction problems.

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Students have been thinking ahead to MCAS-type problems, thinking about reading questions CAREFULLY and going BACK into the text to find EVIDENCE for their answers!

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This week, third graders will begin the ELA portion of the MCAS.  We will be testing on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. As your third grader prepares to take the MCAS for the first time, I know many of you may have questions about how you can help your child do their best work while decreasing any anxiety they may be feeling.

Talk to your child. Ask them how they are feeling about the MCAS.  Reassure them that they are merely showing what they have been learning all year.

Make sure your child is getting enough rest. If students are well rested, they will be better able to focus.

Give your child a healthy breakfast on MCAS days. A full stomach will help fuel your child’s brain.

Send them to school with a healthy snack. Before the test begins, 3rd graders will have time chat with friends, get their wiggles out, and eat their healthy snack provided from home.

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Students are being meteorologists and studying weather patterns!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJBXflNyFs4
A presenter from the Museum of Science came on Friday to show and have kids participate in weather experiments! We saw the effects of wind, temperature and pressure!

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The Symphony Orchestra Concert was an amazing trip through musical history! They demonstrated the growth of the orchestra over the years, from the Renaissance to the music of the movies!

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Four members of the Orchestra came this morning to teach our kids about some of the instruments they will see at the concert! We learned about the different families of instruments, how they make sound and what kinds of music they play.

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MAth Unit 7: Measurement, Data, Area and Perimeter

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MAth Unit 7: Measurement, Data, Area and Perimeter

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I can measure a line to the nearest inch, 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch or centimeter.
I can plot data points on a line plot.
I can find the area and perimeter of a shape.

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Our new read-aloud book Because of Winn-Dixie is introducing us to a new character, Opal, and her dog. We are studying character traits and how characters learn and grow through stories!

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Students are thinking about topics that they are EXPERTS in and can teach to others! They are thinking of WHAT others would need to know about their topic, and how to ORGANIZE their ideas in the best way.
Now they are creating books, including a table of contents, chapters, text features and glossary!

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Report Cards were released on Friday, February 9. They will not come home on paper. Parents will access report cards using the Aspen Parent Portal. If you do not have access, contact the Parent Portal HelpDesk at parentportal@sch.ci.lexington.ma.us.
At this point in the year, students should be generally progressing toward mastery of the third grade skills. A few skills may be mastered already and some skills we may just be beginning to get into!

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Students are creating a kit of fraction strips to help them visualize 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/3, 1/6, 1/12
They use these strips to help them compare, add and subtract fractions!
I can partition a shape into equal parts.
I can name the fractional parts
I can label fractions on a numberline.
I can compare fractions using models.

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Students are reading informational books on MANY topics! They are practicing finding the main idea of a section, summarizing a section in their own words, and teaching what they have learned to others.

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Opinions! The students have each written several opinion speeches. We have been practicing to be SPEAKERS and AUDIENCE members and what each role looks like. This week students are taking turns standing at the class podium and giving their speeches!

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Our first Science unit is called CHEMISTRY: Mystery Powders!
Students will be working in groups to identify 5 everyday household products through experimentation, observation, data collection and analysis. Students have seen results of these powders mixing with water, evaporation, filtering, mixing with vinegar, etc. They have tracked their data and are now ready to make an informed prediction of what each powder is!

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In unit 5 we are working on strategies for multiplication!
*10= add a zero!
*9= *10 then subtract one group
* 5= *10, then take half
*2= double
*4= double double
*8= double, double, double!
Third graders are expected to have fact fluency in their addition, subtraction and multiplication facts by the end of third grade. There are many ideas in the Home Learning Link of ways to help them master this!

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THANK YOU ROOM PARENTS! We had a great fall celebration with crafts, games and fun!

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Thank you SO much to the parents who were able to join us for the field trip today. I was interested to learn more about the plants the Wampanoag used, how they cooked, made clothing, etc. I think the kids enjoyed it- even if some were a little over-excited due to other events they might be doing tonight!

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Mysteries! Students are working in small book clubs to read a mystery. After each chapter, they meet to discuss the new clues, suspects and their predictions!

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We have been studying the common myths about the First Thanksgiving, then researching the real facts. We talked about what we can really learn from the few primary sources we have.

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Students are using different strategies of splitting and grouping numbers to answer problems such as:
How much will a 24 lb turkey cost if it is on sale for $1.25 per pound?

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We took a look at the Mayflower II replica in a video, and learned about why and how the Pilgrims and other settlers left England. We focused on WHY they left, WHAT the trip was like, and WHAT they did when they arrived. Students created lists of rules they thought the settlers would need, then read the actual Mayflower Compact.

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Thanks from the class to the mom who came in today to share about Diwali! Please free to contact me anytime if you have a topic you would really like to come in and share about. - Especially if it relates to curriculum! (Authorship, reviewing books, Colonial Times, Revolutionary War, Chemistry, Water Cycle, Food chains, many topics throughout the year!)

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I can make sense of the context and persevere in solving math problems using a variety of strategies.

I can represent my thinking with pictures, models, and/or equations.

I can look for patterns in the ratio table (T-chart) and use the Distributive Property (breaking apart numbers) to help me multiply.

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What choices did the Wampoanoag have in terms of dealing with the settlers? What were some possible outcomes of each of those choices? What might we have done?

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I can represent the context of a word problem with pictures, models, equations and/or variables.

I can check the reasonableness of my answer using a variety of strategies.

I can use place value understandings and/or a number line to round whole numbers.

I can think flexibly about the relationship between addition and subtraction to solve story problems (within 1000).

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Thank you to the parents and greenhouse coordinator who helped us to bring in the fall harvest this week! We harvested vegetables and flowers from the beds behind the school that my class planted last spring. We observed what grew well and talked about what we might plant next time. We also talked about which of the plants might have been grown by the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims.

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THANK YOU to the parents who led our excited students on a walk around our big backyard this afternoon. We found many different kinds of plants and trees and thought about how the Wampanoag people used them in many ways!

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We have been talking about how to be a good friend. We have said a good friend:
Is KIND
Tries to make others feel good
Tries not to make others feel bad
Tries to notice and comfort them if they do!
We read the book George and Martha and talked about how they show their friendship.
We also read the book Chrysanthemum. Each time her feelings were hurt we crumpled up our feelings hearts. Each time someone made her feel better we smoothed them out. We noticed that once feelings were crumpled it was very hard to get them smooth again!
We know it is important to be thoughtful and try not to cause hurt feelings in the first place.

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Skills:

counting coins

adding coins to $1.00

telling time on analog clock

skip counting (2, 4, 6….) (5, 10, 15….)(134, 136, 138…)

backward skip counting (200, 195, 190, 185….) (248, 246, 244, 242…)

Have your child explain an open number line

Literature:

Read and discuss Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday (audio available on YouTube)

Read and discuss Shel Silverstein’s  poem “Smart”

Games:

Roll and Write

Addition top-it

Name that Number

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I cans for this first (mostly review) unit:

I can be a responsible mathematician

I can find patterns in problems

I can measure to the nearest inch and centimeter.

I can tell time on an analog clock

I can read a bar graph

I can find differences on a number line