As we head into the final stretch of the 1st term of school, the students have been encouraged to finish strong. Over the next two weeks of school, before the winter break, the students will have time to work independently each day. They have mapped out timetables for themselves on how they want to complete their 3 final projects for this calendar year: shape town, narrative story writing, & UOI research on an explorer. The students will move at their own pace within their self-organized timetable. They have clearly articulated checklists, rubrics, and resources to guide them on their journey towards completion.
Assembly: Last weeks assembly was a buddy reading between elementary classes. This is the second buddy reading we have had. The first time around, grade 3 students read to grade 1 students. However, this time, the grade 1 students came to read to grade 3. It was lovely to see the grade 3 students coaching the new readers and challenging them to think about the text by asking questions.
UOI: This week, the students have had a chance to preview a variety of explorers in order to choose one that most interests them to research further. They each conducted a brief bio of an explorer that was shared with the class and placed on the explorer timeline. Additionally, they watched a video on European Explorers to get a more complete picture of why and where they explored. Now that they have chosen an explorer, and located resources to research, they will begin their collection of information next week.
Maths: The students are continuing in developing their multiplication facts. The students have made notable development on their basic maths facts check sheets. They have been graphing each one to show their growth over time. Many students made an observable leap in their score on the last check. They have been dedicated to practicing their math facts during our rotation time choosing activities and operations that are suited to their personal goals.
Shape Town madness has taken over grade 3!!!! The students are so motivated and excited to build this town. They have decided to each create an individual section of town that will be placed together to create one big town. It took many lively discussions, but the town planning is complete and the architectural drawings have commenced. It has been a challenge for many students to draw from a "birds eye perspective". However, after many failed attempts, the students are beginning to soar. Once the town is complete they will place a grid with coordinates over top and create a master legend/key to finalize the project.
Shape Town madness has taken over grade 3!!!! The students are so motivated and excited to build this town. They have decided to each create an individual section of town that will be placed together to create one big town. It took many lively discussions, but the town planning is complete and the architectural drawings have commenced. It has been a challenge for many students to draw from a "birds eye perspective". However, after many failed attempts, the students are beginning to soar. Once the town is complete they will place a grid with coordinates over top and create a master legend/key to finalize the project.
Literacy: Narrative writing is a complex task with many overlapping elements that require a great deal of skill and intention. Over the last several weeks, the students have been learning about all these elements and have begun crafting their own stories. They will continue crafting over the next two weeks and see their stories to completion through the writing process. Many students have chosen their seed ideas, planned the plot, and started on a first draft. They will meet with a writing partner to receive feedback, revise and edit, and finally, create a published piece.
UOI & Literacy: In the upcoming week, students will learn the research skill of how to skim and scan a text to find essential information to specific questions. They will take their background knowledge of informational text features as a launching point for both their research and e-book creation. Additionally, they will now start basic citing of sources for their written information and web images.
UOI & Literacy: In the upcoming week, students will learn the research skill of how to skim and scan a text to find essential information to specific questions. They will take their background knowledge of informational text features as a launching point for both their research and e-book creation. Additionally, they will now start basic citing of sources for their written information and web images.