These past few weeks the kiddos have been working so hard! I can't believe we are getting ready to start our 11th week of third grade!

This past week we started our third math unit, which is actually Unit 2 because we switched the order around a bit. Unit 2 is an introduction to multiplication. In this unit, students will:

• solve multiplication story problems
• Represent problems involving multiplication using skip counting, number lines, arrays, and ratio tables
• Develop efficient strategies for multiplication facts through 10 × 10

Students will be working hard on building their multiplication fact fluency in class, but they will also need to be practicing their facts at home as well, in order to meet the expectation of being fluent by the end of third grade. Students can make/use flash cards at home to practice their multiplication facts, or there are tons of free iPad apps out there that students can use as well. Please help your child develop a plan for practicing their multiplication facts a few nights a week.

In reading, students have been reviewing the different non-fiction text features that authors use and exploring how these features help us understand the text better as we read. Last week students read an engaging non-fiction article about Bigfoot, and discussed the different text features the author used, as well as how they helped us understand better. Next week, we will continue working with non-fiction texts in both reading and writing. Now that students have some practice reading non-fiction texts, they will put their skills to use by researching an unexplained mystery of their choice (i.e. Bigfoot, Lochness Monster, UFOs, Bermdua Triangle, etc.) Through their research, they will determine whether or not they believe in the mystery, and then write an organized paragraph stating their opinion and supporting it with reasons.


Cottonwood Community Service Project
Join us November 1st thru the 19th to support the local charity BeyondHome.
 
BeyondHome offers a comprehensive approach for families to become self-sufficient for life.  At BeyondHome, families work hard to achieve personalized goals for their education, housing, finances, and family. 
 
We are collecting can goods, household cleaning items and other hygiene or activity items to create gallon bag kits to support BeyondHome’s families.  

Please have your child bring one or more items to support our community service project. We will have donation boxes set up in their grade level areas.  We are also looking for boxes of gallon sized plastic zip lock bags. 
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See the flyer below for specific items for our grade level.

To end our science unit on weather and climate, we are learning about Natural Disasters. Students are working in collaborative groups to research a specific natural disaster. They will then create a poster showcasing the important information they learned about their specific natural disaster, and they will present their findings (poster) to the class.

The students and I have had such a great 2 weeks together! We have spent a lot of time getting to know one another, learning our classroom routines, and adjusting to the new school year, and of course we have begun to dive into the third grade curriculum!

In reading, students have been working hard on building their independent reading stamina. We have also learned how to find a "just right book" for ourselves. Students have learned about the difference between fiction and nonfiction books, and more specifically, the different genres within each. Be sure to ask your child what their favorite genre is so far!