This week we have been reviewing strategies students can use to add larger numbers. The goal is not to remember the strategy itself, but for students to become more flexible with numbers. Students who are flexible with numbers can build numbers and break numbers apart in many ways. They understand that there are different ways to make the whole. For example, at the foundational level, students understand that you can decompose (break apart) the number 10 into 5 and 5, 7 and 3, 6 and 4, and so on. By the beginning of third grade students should be able to compose and decompose numbers from 1-20 with automaticity. This is the foundation that helps them develop more efficient strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers, and sets them up for success with multiplication and division.
Example: 23-6 When solving 23-6, some students start and 23 and count backwards by one until they reach the answer. Other students may use the standard algorithm and stack the numbers and use regrouping to solve the problem. Students who are flexible with numbers will understand that they can decompose 6 into 3 and 3 and then solve 23-3=20. Noticing that 20 is a friendly number (a multiple of 10), they will apply their knowledge of making 10 using 3 and 7 to quickly figure out that 20-3=17 just as 10-3=7. This understanding of mathematical practice is probably much different than how most of us were taught. You might wonder why we just don't teach kids to stack the numbers and add or subtract. The answer is that teaching a standard algorithm does not help students make sense of numbers nor does it build the mathematical reasoning skills they need in order to understand more difficult mathematical concepts they will encounter later in their schooling. It is important to help students build flexibility with numbers and develop efficient use of strategies. Students will create teaching videos that they can refer to as they continue to practice the strategies that will help them become more efficient at solving math problems. I will embed the videos on our class webpage. Click on the For Students tab > Math > Addition and Subtraction to watch the strategy videos. You can also click the link button below.
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This year the students will frequently use technology to learn and to share their learning. They will learn how to use different devices, apps, and websites. They will practice proper digital citizenship as they use the internet to research, to blog, and to interact with peers from Westchester and other schools. One of our social studies standards is to learn the major topographical features of the United States, including the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi River, the Colorado River, the Hudson River, the Rio Grande River, and the Ohio River. The students have been playing the Mystery State Game with partners to get familiar with the U.S. map. We had a chance to play the game with Lily's mom via Google Hangouts. The students guessed her mystery state, Oklahoma! Thanks for connecting with us, Ms. Collins! Thanks to Ms. SanAngelo, all of the third grade classes connected with Stephanie Robinson and Jessica Haight, who co-authored a book called The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, a fantasy novel for 3rd through 8th graders. They gave the students lots of great advice about the writing process. The students also had a chance to ask them questions. They asked questions about chapter transitions, how long it took them to write the book, and how they illustrated the cover. Stephanie and Jessica will be presenting at the Decatur Book Festival on the Children's Stage on Sunday, September 3 at 4:30. I hope many of our third grade families will go hear them speak! This week I will send home information about various websites we are using in the classroom. The students are very excited about the opportunity to connect with each other, their families, and other schools through technology. It is a great tool for learning!
This week we have been practicing classroom routines and procedures. It is very important to have those in place so that our classroom community can run smoothly and so students can work independently while I meet with small groups. During Math Workshop the students practiced rotating quickly, quietly, and safely through three independent work stations--Technology, Math Journals, and Math Games. This week we had our first lesson with Mr. Blase, our school counselor. He talked to the students about his role at Westchester. He will visit our classroom throughout the school year for more lessons. He is a great resource for both parents and students so don't hesitate to reach out to him.
We've had a great first week of school. The students are getting to know each other and warmly welcoming friends who are new to Westchester. We are building our classroom community and figuring out how we will work together to help each other be our best. The students participated in two fun team building activities this week.. In the first activity, the teams had to build the tallest freestanding structure out of twenty spaghetti noodles, a yard of tape, and a yard of string. Their structure had to hold a marshmallow at the top. In the second activity, the teams had to use only four paperclips (no hands) to rescue a gummy worm named Fred by helping him put on his life preserver. After both activities we had important discussions about strategies for effective collaboration and teamwork. We will refer back to these activities and discussions throughout the year as students work together in groups. Students worked with a partner to go on a scavenger hunt to get to know our classroom space. An important step for students in developing independence is knowing how to navigate the classroom so they can find materials on their own, take ownership of our physical environment, and become self-sufficient in taking care of their needs throughout the day. Students will use an agenda this year to keep track of homework assignments. This is a great way to teach organization and responsibility. Students are responsible for copying their homework as a part of their daily morning check-in. They were ecstatic to get their agendas. Some even requested homework! A new school year holds a lot of promise. I am looking forward to watching this crew learn and grow, and I am so thankful that I can be a part of their third grade year.
Hello, 3rd grade families! My guess is that many of you rushed over to school today to check out the class lists that were posted on the door promptly at 4:00 PM. Congratulations, you are Team Yoo this year! I am looking forward to a fantastic year together. I visited Westchester on Thursday and was happy to see that the tower that is our classroom stayed mostly in tact over the summer. CSD's fabulous custodial staff worked long and hard to make sure the floors got waxed and the rooms got cleaned. (Thank you, Mr. Starr and Ms. Chambers!) The staff will officially be back at work next week. Until then, I am going to enjoy the last few days of summer and I hope you do, too! See you soon!
Spring is in the air! We've been squeezing in every last minute of our recess time (and extending it on really nice days) so we can enjoy the warmer weather outdoors. A new season brings changes to the natural world, and these changes are evident on the school playground. Many students are befriending the tiny, green inch worms that have come out to feast on the tree leaves while others are enjoying the fresh patches of grass that have grown where there used to be only dirt. The change from winter to spring also brings changes in the students themselves. They have grown. Their faces have matured, they are taller, and collectively they take up much more space on the carpet. They want independence, but still need guidance. Their awareness of self, others, and the world is growing more complex, which leads to deeper questions and opportunities for meaningful discussions. Friendships may get complicated as they learn how to navigate disagreements, make decisions on their own, and find their place among their peers. These are all signs that fourth grade is approaching! In the midst of all these changes, it is heartwarming to see how much each child has grown and how our classroom community has come together. Click the buttons below to see videos from our Sugar Shake science experiment. The students are learning how to play the recorder in music with Ms. Gwaltney. They have been practicing for a few weeks now and have gone from squeaky sounds to making music. Click the button to watch them play!
We've had a busy month since we came back from winter break. We wrapped up our case study and started new units in all of the content areas. Take a look at the slideshow below to see what we've been doing in the classroom. This week we continued to explore the relationship between multiplication and area. The students worked in groups to find strategies for tiling rectangles on the floor marked off with painter's tape using copy paper and index cards. Then they used a single one-inch square colored tile to find the area of the same rectangle. The groups came up with some great strategies. Several groups figured out that they could easily determine the number of colored tiles that fit inside an index card (15 tiles). Then they multiplied that number by the number of index cards it took to fill the entire rectangle. Great mathematical problem solving! We also used Cheez-It crackers to tile squares and rectangles. The students shared strategies for finding the area without having to count every single square cracker. Some students used skip-counting while others used their knowledge of multiplication facts. Pictures from these activities are below. This afternoon at Closing Circle we shared what we are thankful for. You can see our responses in the word cloud below. Thank you families for all you do to support your child, our classroom, and our school. I hope you have a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving break! Below is a slideshow of our week. During our next unit in Reading Workshop the students will learn strategies for reading nonfiction. We will begin by studying how text features such as headings, diagrams, and captions help readers navigate nonfiction texts. Students will practice strategies for finding the main idea and details of chunks of text in order to monitor their comprehension. They will also learn how to recognize the text structures (cause and effect, compare and contrast, time order, problem and solution, and description) that nonfiction writers use. Knowing how nonfiction books are organized increases a readers comprehension because they become aware of how the information will unfold. This prepares their minds for reading. As students read nonfiction books during independent reading I will confer with individuals and small groups to see how they are applying the strategies that will help them find the main idea and supporting details of a text. Reading partners will teach each other what they are learning from the books they are reading. This will help readers think critically to determine what information from a text is most important instead of just mining for facts. On Wednesday the students enjoyed our trip to the Dekalb History Center. There we learned more about the lives of Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and Paul Revere. Check out the slideshow of photos below! |
AuthorMrs. Yoo teaches 3rd grade at Westchester Elementary School, home of the Wolves. Archives
February 2017
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