Take a look at some highlights from our week ~ It was busy and exciting!

Monday:

Math: We started our mental math unit this week! It is one of my favorite unit in math. Here are some reasons why:

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!” And the students who were already mathematical thinkers became even quicker with their facts! For those of you who are wondering why you should start teaching it, 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 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.

Writing:

Mr. George (the kindergarten teacher) came into our class to tell a couple stories. As we continue to grow our ideas for our Narrative Unit, we explore how stroytelling can help us write stories.

Tuesday:

It was Treyton's birthday! He brought some fun light up spinners to share with his class. We had fun singing to him!

Reading: We are working hard to be a wide-awake reader by practicing the important parts of reading:

1. Going Inside the story: Jumping in and experiencing the story with all your senses.

2. Thinking about what you read by stopping throughout and noticing what others may breeze right over.

3. Thinking about characters: What kind of people are they? Why are the characters behaving the way they are? Are there lessons that the characters are learning or need to? How are the characters changing throughout the story?

4. Pushing your thinking further by saying:

This makes me realize...

This is important because...

This connects with...

This is giving me the idea that...

I used to think....but now....

Wednesday:

Science: The Nature Lady

A representative from the Barrington Citizens for Conservation came to do a presentation for our upcoming trip to the prairie next week. Students learned about the different types of living organisms and prairie grasses that we will see. We also learned about the dwindling prairie and why habitat restoration is critical for the future of the prairie. Together, we created a "Bill of Rights" for living organisms.

3rd graders also 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 observed, watered, and clean the seeds for 6 days. The students are using their digital science notebooks to collect data and draw conclusions about their findings. We also created one large class seed sprouter. We are seeking answers to our investigatable question, "What effect does water have on seeds?"

How can a seed grow without soil and sunight?

How amazing! Germination without soil. The kids were shocked!

Thursday:

Word Study: We are working hard to stop and notice words in our reading. This will help us grow our vocabulary and use these words in our writing too! Each student picked one word they found in their writing over the last week and designed a card for our wall with the word, the definition, and a picture that will help them remember the meaning of the word.

Friday:

Book Talks: We have been working on giving Book Talks by using the Flipgrid app to practice. Students worked this week on talking about one of their favorite books. We will share our Flipgrids next week and learn how to give feedback to each other. We had 4th graders come back to 3rd to demonstrate Book Talks. It was so great to hear what books they're reading and what they like about them.