Monday
Buddy Reading: Students read a Time for Kids magazine with their reading partner looking for strong vocabulary words. This was a way to practice working on reading comprehension, collaborating with a peer, and practiced our reading strategy of finding good words in reading to increase our vocabulary.
Tuesday
Real World Math: Students continued working with their math partner to discuss the Real World Math problem from Friday. They used the app, Explain Everything, to set up slides to show their thinking in all areas: Notices, Wonders, Main Question, Low-High Estimate, and Math Work. This app allows students to show their thinking in many ways: drawing, typing, pictures, and audio recording. Students had time to work with their partner and then voice recorded their thinking at home on how they solved the main question. This is an activity in math we will do each Friday using the voice recording as a way for students to explain their thinking and develop their metacognition; thinking about their thinking. This is a skill that challenges all students in 3rd grade and takes time and effort to develop.
Science: Students continued to prepare for our
prairie trip by learning first-hand the importance of observing and scientific drawings. The nickel experiment began with the students having a minute to observe a nickel. Then, without looking at the nickel, students were to draw, from memory, all the details on the nickel. Next students were able to observe the nickel while they drew a new picture. The last step was to use a magnifying lens to draw a 3rd picture of the same nickel. Students really noticed a difference in their drawings based on this experiment. They also learned the importance of titles, labels, and captions.
Wednesday
Prairie Field Experience: Students took a trip to the prairie to use their senses to experience life on the prairie. They took a 40-minute hike, collected seeds, and observed, measured & drew a scientific drawing of a prairie plant of their choice. It was a HOT day but everyone made the best of it and appreciated the air-conditioned school when we returned. Thank you to all the chaperones who came with us!
Thursday
Writing: Students 45 minutes writing about a book they recently read and explained why they liked it. Mr. Aalfs asked every student in the school to do this to help inform and guide our school's instructional approach to writing about reading. Each student wrote in a booklet that they will use all year to write about reading, received feedback and practice new strategies.
Friday
Student Council Elections: Grades 2-5 attended an assembly where 23 fourth and fifth-grade students gave campaign speeches telling why they should be elected to the Hough Street Student Council Executive Board. The speeches were amazingly well prepared and exciting. Students then went back to the classroom to vote. This was a great opportunity to talk about their right to vote and their responsibility as a voter. Our 2017-18 Executive Board was announced at the end of the day: President-Sydney Ball, Vice-president- Colin Starnes, Treasurer - Drew Schauenberg, and Secretary - Marin Smith
Book Talks: Four 4th graders from Mrs. Magdalener's class came to talk about 2 books that they wanted to recommend to our 3rd-grade class. It is a great way for students to hear about new books and get excited to read them.
Top Chef: We ended our week with Lidia and Charlie telling us about their lives and what is important to them.
Buddy Reading: Students read a Time for Kids magazine with their reading partner looking for strong vocabulary words. This was a way to practice working on reading comprehension, collaborating with a peer, and practiced our reading strategy of finding good words in reading to increase our vocabulary.
Tuesday
Real World Math: Students continued working with their math partner to discuss the Real World Math problem from Friday. They used the app, Explain Everything, to set up slides to show their thinking in all areas: Notices, Wonders, Main Question, Low-High Estimate, and Math Work. This app allows students to show their thinking in many ways: drawing, typing, pictures, and audio recording. Students had time to work with their partner and then voice recorded their thinking at home on how they solved the main question. This is an activity in math we will do each Friday using the voice recording as a way for students to explain their thinking and develop their metacognition; thinking about their thinking. This is a skill that challenges all students in 3rd grade and takes time and effort to develop.
Science: Students continued to prepare for our
prairie trip by learning first-hand the importance of observing and scientific drawings. The nickel experiment began with the students having a minute to observe a nickel. Then, without looking at the nickel, students were to draw, from memory, all the details on the nickel. Next students were able to observe the nickel while they drew a new picture. The last step was to use a magnifying lens to draw a 3rd picture of the same nickel. Students really noticed a difference in their drawings based on this experiment. They also learned the importance of titles, labels, and captions.
Wednesday
Prairie Field Experience: Students took a trip to the prairie to use their senses to experience life on the prairie. They took a 40-minute hike, collected seeds, and observed, measured & drew a scientific drawing of a prairie plant of their choice. It was a HOT day but everyone made the best of it and appreciated the air-conditioned school when we returned. Thank you to all the chaperones who came with us!
Thursday
Writing: Students 45 minutes writing about a book they recently read and explained why they liked it. Mr. Aalfs asked every student in the school to do this to help inform and guide our school's instructional approach to writing about reading. Each student wrote in a booklet that they will use all year to write about reading, received feedback and practice new strategies.
Friday
Student Council Elections: Grades 2-5 attended an assembly where 23 fourth and fifth-grade students gave campaign speeches telling why they should be elected to the Hough Street Student Council Executive Board. The speeches were amazingly well prepared and exciting. Students then went back to the classroom to vote. This was a great opportunity to talk about their right to vote and their responsibility as a voter. Our 2017-18 Executive Board was announced at the end of the day: President-Sydney Ball, Vice-president- Colin Starnes, Treasurer - Drew Schauenberg, and Secretary - Marin Smith
Book Talks: Four 4th graders from Mrs. Magdalener's class came to talk about 2 books that they wanted to recommend to our 3rd-grade class. It is a great way for students to hear about new books and get excited to read them.
Top Chef: We ended our week with Lidia and Charlie telling us about their lives and what is important to them.
"We are all different so we must share our lives and connect with each other in order to work and learn together." ~ Mrs. Katchen, why we do weekly Top Chef
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