Week of April 27 - May 1, 2009

Friday 5/1/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and then used class time to catch up on missing work. Students who were all caught up got to create an old fashioned silhouette using a flashlight and black paper! Some students have a LOT of blanks in my gradebook because they have not turned in work. Please check your child's planner for assignments and try to get caught up this weekend.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and then used class time to catch up on missing work. Students who were all caught up got to creat an old fashioned silhouette using a flashlight and black paper! Some students have a LOT of blanks in my grade book because they have not turned in work. Please check your child's planner for assignments and try to get caught up this weekend.
• Religion 3/4: We watched a video and discussed the connections that it had with Easter. Several students have memory work to catch up on; lately many of them have been not learning the daily assignments and that is simply not ok. Please make sure you're studying memory work EACH night!
• Art 3/4: We had our last art lesson with Miss Brooke and she brought modeling clay that we used to practice our sculpting skills! Fun!!
• We also used afternoon time to continue working on our crafts for the Mother's Tea!

Thursday 4/30/09

• Math 3: Today we reviewed centimeters and millimeters (10 mm = 1 cm) and learned how to write measurements using common fractions (tenths) and decimals. For example, a line segment that is 38 mm long is also 3 cm 8 mm long, and we will write it as 3 and 8/10 cm or 3.8 cm. Homework: 119B and oral facts 119. Keep studying flashcards; some students are starting to see the results of their hard work!
• Language Arts 3: We read a story is the form of a longer poem today called "Home Place". Homework: Complete "Place and Location Words" skill sheet, using the text book for help on the front side. Also, study for spelling test.
• Language Arts 4: We read a short biography on a slave girl turned poet named Phillis Wheatley, and we also read a few of her poems together in class. Homework: Study for spelling test.
• Religion 3/4: Some students need to finish today's lesson, found on pages 224-225.
• Social Studies 3/4: We began a brief study on a few key Native Americans during our pioneer time period: Little Turtle, Tecumseh, and Tenskwatawa (The Prophet).
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Wednesday 4/29/09

• Math 3: We discussed some algebra rules and learned how to simplify a number sentence with parentheses as well as how to multiply three or more factors. We also identified the associative property of multiplication, which simply states that you can multiply a set of factors in any order and the answer will always be the same. In other words, 2x3x5 will have the same answer as 3x5x2. Homework: 118B and study flashcards!
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read a piece about the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. and then worked on cursive handwriting. Next week I am expected third graders to begin completing spelling assignments in cursive! Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders read "Judith: The Life of a Slave" and continued working on finding supporting details within the text to elaborate on a main idea. Homework: Spelling sentences. Also, finish the "Judith" reading guide for tomorrow.
• Afternoon: We used most of the afternoon on a lengthy and hands-on social studies lesson! We learned how candles were made in the 1800's and then dipped our own candles, which we are keeping in the classroom while we continue to study pioneer Indiana. We made a huge mess but had lots of fun!

Tuesday 4/28/09

• Math 3: Today we took a step toward algebra by learning about function rules. The concept is not new; we've been finding patterns in numbers for quite a while now. Homework: 117B and oral facts 117. Also, remember to study your flashcards each night!
• Language Arts 3: We read three fun poems about memories and oral history and then discussed them together. We also reviewed posessive nouns and pronouns; we're pretty rusty on that so we'll come back to it again soon! Homework: Spelling words written 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We read yesterday's story again and completed a reading guide because Miss Bertschi was NOT happy with the comprehension quizzes students took yesterday. After reviewing the story as well as the main ideas and supporting examples, fourth graders made corrections to their quizzes. Homework: Spelling words written 3x.
• Religion 3/4: Memory work on 219 and any makeup work that has not been completed.
• Social Studies 3/4: We continued our lesson on good and services by finishing up the analysis of the 1800's newspaper and then examining the classified section of the Hoosier Topics to see what are the similarities and differences between what's for sale then and now.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.
• Don't forget to practice your recorder for FIVE minutes a night, AFTER all other homework has been completed.

Monday 4/27/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to multiply a single digit number by a two- or three-digit number using the multiplication algorithm. The students call this method multiplying "up and down." We worked on 116A in class. Homework: 116B and study flashcards. Please take a moment to check out the new math folder your child has brought home - we are trying a new method to cut down on the number of missing assignments by keeping all the papers for the week in one place. Please read the note inside your child's folder and let me know what you think.
• Language Arts 3: We read a fun story called "The Keeping Quilt" about a tangible way one family kept their family traditions and customs alive through a special quilt. We also worked on identifying supporting details (examples) to go along with a main idea. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order. This week is a review week for spelling, which means any spelling words your child has are words that were previously missed on a pre-test or test. Because of this, I will NOT be accepting homework passes for spelling homework this week.
• Language Arts 4: We looked at a very informative piece about two men, Joliet and Marquette, who discovered the Mississippi River area. We also worked on identifying main ideas and supporting details in writing. Homework: Speling words in ABC order. This week is a review week for spelling, which means any spelling words your child has are words that were previously missed on a pre-test or test. Because of this, I will NOT be accepting homework passes for spelling homework this week.
• Religion 3/4: Memory work on page 219, as well as any make-up work that has not been finished.
• Music 3/4: We are taking another chance on the recorders and learning a song for the final assembly. Students are asked to practice the new line of music for FIVE minutes a night, and they are expected to bring the recorders back to school EVERY day so that we can practice together. Recorder practice should only come after all other homework is completed.
• We also used some of the afternoon time to begin working on some special things for the upcoming Mother's Tea...which means I can't tell you what we did! :) We look forward to sharing this special time with the mothers and mother figures in our lives.

Week of April 20-24, 2009

Friday 4/24/09

• Math 3: This morning we learned the properties of geometric solids as well as identified seven diffferent solids: sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, pyramid, rectangular prism, and triangular prism. We also learned about faces, edges, and vertices. No homework.
• Language Arts 3/4: We finished our spelling bee during language arts time. The fourth grade champ was Alina, and during the Grand Championship between Alina and Kevin (the third grade champ), Alina won the title of Class Champion! Congrats Alina!
• Religion 3/4: Homework: memory work on page 219 and any make up work. Please make sure your student is studying memory work each night - only one or two students have not missed any assignments, which means EVERYONE needs to be studying every night to catch up.
• Art 3/4: We learned about surrealism and Salvador Dali with Miss Brooke today, and worked on a cooperative project in which each student only drew a portion of the picture without seeing the rest of the picture - the end results were quite humorous and VERY surreal.

Thursday 4/23/09

• Morning: We used math and language arts time to take the last two portions of the Terra Nova tests: Science and Social Studies. We are officially done with testing now, and will return to our normal schedule tomorrow.
• Religion 3/4: Homework: 204, 205, 213, memory work on 211, and catch up on any missing memory assignments.
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher.
• Social Studies 3/4: We discussed and defined goods and services and then used our knowledge of them to read "want ads" from an 1838 newspaper. We analyzed the ads, looking for details such as what good or service is being offered. This activity will take two class periods and we will need to finish it another day.

Wednesday 4/22/09

• Math 3: Third graders learned how to multiply by 6! The good news is that we have already learned every x6 fact except for 6 x 8 through the commutative property of multiplication, which says that two numbers can be multiplied in any order and the answer will be the same. One student did not finish their sheet - Homework: 115A.
• Language Arts 3/4: We had a spelling bee which went very long today! The third grade champion is Kevin. We had to stop our spelling bee after an hour in order to go to lunch!
• Afternoon: We used about an hour of the afternoon to continue the spelling bee. The fourth grade champion is still yet to be determined - it is between Ashton and Alina! We'll try to conclude the bee and have the showdown between 3rd and 4th grade champs on Friday morning.
• Science 3/4: We had a double science lesson today in honor of Earth day. We discussed rainforests and their importance, thinking back to the fascinating video we watched on Monday. We read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss and thought about the terrible effects the Once-ler had on the land, the Truffula Trees, and all the other animals. We also watched the video version of the story and answered discussion questions afterwards.

Tuesday 4/21/09

• Morning: We used math and language arts time this morning to take the Mathematics portion of the Terra Nova achievement test. Third graders, remember to keep studying your fact cards!
• Religion 3/4: Homework: pg 182-183, memory work on 181, and catch up on any other memory work that you are behind on. You will have a chance to say verses again on Thursday.
• Social Studies 3/4: We discussed the differences between slavery and indentured servitude, and talked about them in the context of the Indiana Territory in the early 1800s. We read an actual contract between a master, Eli Hawkins, and his indentured servant, Jacob, and then answered questions based on the contract.
• PE 3/4: Indoor activities with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 4/20/09

• Morning: We used our math and language arts time this morning to take the Reading and Language Arts portion of the Terra Nova achievement test. There will be no spelling words this week, and the only math homework third graders have is to STUDY FACT CARDS!
• Science 3/4: We tallied up the number of "green" and "non-green" things in our lunchboxes today and everyone had at least one green thing! Let's try to have more green than not in our lunchboxes if we can! The less waste we produce, the more we are doing to help the environment. We also watched a National Geographic video on the rainforest of Costa Rica and it was such a wonderful way to learn about so many unique and interesting creatures! God's hand is evident in all of creation and it was good for us to see how every aspect of the rain forest works to support another. It was also a bit thought-provoking as we thought of the possibility of extinction for so many rare species if we don't make a point to protect rainforests and other wildlife habitats.
• Religion 3/4:

Week of April 13-17, 2009

Friday 4/17/09

• Math 3: Today we took a math test and then played math games on the computer. Homework: Study flash cards over the weekend!
• Language Arts 3/4: We used language arts time to take the practice test in preparation for the Terra Nova tests, which will take place next week. No homework.
• Religion 3/4: We talked about Jesus and the calling of his disciples, and we discussed various professional church workers like pastors, teachers, missionaries, and directors of Christian education. Homework: Everyone should be practicing memory work over the weekend.
• Science 3/4: We continued our discussion on sustainability and traced our feet, to represent the "footprint" we are leaving behind. Next week students are challenged to produce less waste in their lunchboxes, such as using tupperware or other reusable containers, not using plastic silverware, etc. Each day we will tally up how many bad and good things we used in our lunchbox and at the end of the week we'll see who left the biggest footprint!
• Art 3/4: We learned about pointillism from Miss Brooke and then created our own pointillism paintings.

Thursday 4/16/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to measure line segments using millimeters, and also how to convert centimeters to millimeters and vice versa. There are 10 millimeters in 1 centimeter, so all you have to do is multiply the number of cm by 10 to find the number of mm! Very easy! Everyone finished 114A in class. Homework: 114B, oral facts 114, and fact card practice.
• Language Arts 3: Today we worked with forming compound sentences from two simple sentences using a comma as well as a joining word like and, but, and or. We also reviewed cursive writing with the capital I and J. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: We read a piece on the early houses of the colonies and searched for descriptive details within the writing. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Religion 3/4: We did some memory work and talked about resolved conflicts. Homework: Page 169.
• Science 3/4: We worked with environmental causes and effects, and then had a lesson on sustainability. We will continue this lesson tomorrow as we discuss ways we can produce less waste each day, especially in our lunch boxes!! :)
• PE 3/4: We were outside with Mr. Bretscher today! Thank you, God for a sunny day!

Wednesday 4/15/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to use the words acute, obtuse, and right to classify angles and triangles. We also ordered triangles according to size. Everyone finished 113A in class. Homework: 113B and 10 minute of practice with fact cards.
• Language Arts 3: Students read a fun story called "Aunt Flossie's Hat," about an older family member who tells stories about each of the many hats in her closet to her neices. It was a good example of the tradition of oral history and keeping memories alive through storytelling. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We worked on identifying main ideas and supporting details through reading a piece on the Massachusetts Colony. Chronologically this piece took place immediately after yesterday's reading on the voyage of the Mayflower. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Science 3/4: We made observations in our bean journals and discussed what is happening to the sprouts. Some students believe their beans are burning from too much sunlight, while others think that their beans have frozen. Some of the beans appear to be growing at least a little bit!
• Social Studies 3/4: We finished our Snapshots of the Census activity and learned quite a bit about the population in Indiana from 1800-1850.
• Scholastic News 3/4: The feature article in today's paper was Earth Day, which we will celebrate next week. In continuing our discussion on saving energy and protecting the earth, today we discussed cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels such as wind power, solar power, and biofuels. We also read an interesting piece about scientists who used Google Earth to locate a hidden forest in Mozambique, Africa and discovered tons of new animal and plant species!

Tuesday 4/14/09

• Math 3: Today in math we learned how to multiply a single digit number by a two-digit number. This strategy will eventually be done using mental math. Everyone finished 112A in class. Homework: 112B and oral facts 112. Also, students are now expected to study multiplication and division fact families for 10 minutes each night.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled about our Easter weekend, took spelling pre-test #29, and read an informative piece on how to research your family ancenstry using oral history. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled about our Easter weekend, took spelling pre-test #29, and read an interesting piece about the voyage of the Mayflower and what life was like for these pioneers. We also looked for clues related to setting in this and other selections. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We did some memory work and then discussed the parable of the prodigal son. Homework: 164-167, memory work on 167. Due Thursday.
• Social Studies 3/4: We took a look at the 1850 US Census and practiced reading tables and charts to answer questions about the census.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Week of April 6-10, 2009

Thursday 4/9/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today. Based on the scores of this and recent assessments, I don't believe students are practicing their multiplication and division facts at home. Starting next week, all third graders will be given a set of flashcards to study each night so that we can solidify these facts! Without practice your child will not learn multiplication or division, and these two concepts are crucial to future success in math!
• Language Arts 3: We read a fascinating story about carving a totem pole and used it to talk about writing out the steps of a process. We also took spelling test #28.
• Language Arts 4: We read a piece on the Puritans and Separatists today and worked on identifying characters' opinions. We also took spelling test #28.
• Science 3/4: We made another observation in our lima bean journals and then worked in partners to learn about pollination.
• Religion 3/4: We watched a video of the book of Matthew about the Holy Week and the Passion of Christ. Homework: STUDY MEMORY WORK!!
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher and the 5th and 6th graders.
• Have a great weekend! Blessings as you celebrate the Risen Savior.

Wednesday 4/8/09

• Math 3: Today we worked with division again and used pennies to find fractional parts of a set. We also learned a strategy to find the age of a penny or a person. Some students finished their packet in class, others didn't. Homework: 111 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We read a very interesting story about the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. It was cool to find out how the brothers got interested in storytelling and brought pride to Germany. We also worked on using commas with direct addresses and introductory words/phrases. Not everyone finished the commas packet in class. Homework: Spelling sentences (study for test!) and Commas packet.
• Language Arts 4: We read a story about Pocahontas and looked for ways in which the author used characterization to tell us what kind of person Pocahontas was. Homework: Spelling sentences and study for test!
• Art 3/4: We had a visit from Miss Brooke, a DePauw student, who will be teaching art in our class each week for the next few months. She taught us about Grandma Moses and we talked about recyclable art! Student learned how to make flower bouquets using old newspapers, straws, and a stapler.
• Social Studies 3/4: We continued yesterday's cartography activity and talked about the changes to the Northwest Territory as Indiana came into statehood.
• Scholastic News: Our newspaper today had a feature article on tornadoes and other stories about a giant stingray found in Thailand. Homework: Several students need to finish their scholastic news skill sheet.

Tuesday 4/7/09

• PLEASE remember to have students to school NO LATER than 6:10 p.m. tonight for the Easter program. If your child needs to change into a costume here at school you may want to come closer to 6:00 to ensure they have plenty of time to get ready. The program starts at 6:30...see you then!
• Math 3: Today we learned about translations, rotations, and reflections (slides, turns, and flips) as three ways to change a design. It was declared "fun math" and almost everyone finished 110 B in class. Homework: 110 B.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We did our final dress rehearsal today during language arts time. There was a little bit of time left over at the end which we used as a study hall so that we wouldn't have to do homework tonight because of the Easter program. Homework: Spelling 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We took a break from rehearsing and spent today's religion time working on memory work. Sadly, many of us have been slacking on memory work! Please keep practicing and working on memory verses at home each night.
• Social Studies 3/4: We looked at a map of the Northwest Territory and then looked at several acts of Congress that changed the boundaries, until it ended up being what we now know as Indiana. This activity requires attention to detail and reading instructions carefully, something which all of the students seem to be struggling with lately. We will finish the activity on Thursday.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Monday 4/6/09

• Math 3: We learned the multiples of 9 in class today. There is a very simple strategy for finding them, but eventually you will need to memorize them! Everyone finished their work in class today - no homework!
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We used the second half of the morning to rehearse for the Easter program, which is tomorrow night! Plan to arrive between 6:00 and 6:15 to get into costume and line up for the processional. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We used religion time today to work on the songs for the program.
• Science 3/4: We learned about plant parts, discussed two types of root systems, the function of the stem and leaves, and found out about photosynthesis. We also observed our lima bean plants and recorded information in our journals. Some are starting to sprout!
• We used the remaining afternoon time to finalize memorization of verses, and to practice reading our Scripture readings expressively.
• Remember to invite family and friends to the program tomorrow night!

Week of March 30 - April 3, 2009

Friday 4/3/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We took spelling test #27, read some library books related to our new literature unit, and had a "show and tell" time to share about our spring breaks.
• Religion 3/4: Again, we used religion time to rehearse for the Easter program, which takes place TUESDAY APRIL 7 at 6:30 p.m. Please make plans to attend and invite family and friends, maybe even someone who has never heard the story of Jesus' death and resurrection before! Homework: All students should have brought their songbooks so that they can finish memorizing the songs for the program. Also, readers should be rehearsing their scripture and be comfortable enough to read expressively.
• Science 3/4: We put together our science journals, observed our beans, and decorated the covers of our journals, which we'll be using to observe the bean plants we're trying to grow. It's only been two days and some are already starting to show signs of sprouting!
• Art 3/4: To go along with our science unit we decorated water bottles that we plan to use at school to replace disposable water bottles! Please hand wash the bottles this weekend and bring them back to school on Monday so that we can put them to good use. The bottles are NOT diswasher safe, neither are the decorations.

Thursday 4/2/09

• Math 3: Today we reviewed our division facts and learned how to multiply single digit numbers by any multiple of 10, 100, or 1,000. Everyone finished 109 A in class. Homework: 109B.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read a story about Johnny Appleseed and discussed other stories they've heard about the legendary man. They also took a comprehension quiz. Homework: Study for spelling test tomorrow.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on identifying important events and their effects while reading an informative piece on the settlement of Jamestown. They also took a comprehension quiz. Homework: Study for spelling test tomorrow.
• Religion 3/4: We used our religion time to rehearse for the Easter program.
• Social Studies 3/4: We finished watching the video from yesterday and discussed how Indiana's growth might have been different (more or less) if the Indians hadn't been pushed out of the area by the pioneer settlers.
• PE 3/4: Flag tag, outside, with Mr. Bretscher! :)

Wednesday 4/1/09

• Miss Bertschi is incredibly sorry for any hurt feelings that resulted from her April Fool's joke...she is NOT engaged, nor is she dating anyone. :(
• Math 3: Today we wrote number sentences for division story problems. The goal is to be able to solve these problems without drawing pictures, and if you study your dividing facts then that won't be difficult to do. Please make it a priority to study multiplication and division facts every night. Homework: 108 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We worked with our Ananse story from yesterday to identify the steps in a process. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: We used our story from yesterday to get more practice with identifying the main idea and supporting details. We organized our thoughts using a graphic organizer. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Science 3/4: We examined lima beans today and began a slightly long-term experiment. We are comparing the growth of whole lima beans as opposed to halved lima beans. Every few days we'll check for changes and record observations in our Growth Journal.
• Social Studies 3/4: We watched a video on Pioneer Indiana to kick off our next study: The time period of 1800-1851 in which Indiana became a state and began to develop into a thriving place. We also read a Scholastic News about the future of robot technology, the new Yankee Stadium in New York, and a sunken ship that was recently discovered.

Tuesday 3/31/09

• Math 3: This morning we used stones to act out, then draw pictures of division story problems. We then used those pictures to write division number sentences. Finally, we reviewed the three ways (three different symbols) to write a division problem. Homework: 107 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We began our new literature unit, on Storytelling! The first story was a legend from Africa about how the Anansi stories came to be. Anansi was called the spider man and represents any small, weak person who defeats a seemingly impossible opponent - kind of like David and Goliath! We will take a look at other Anansi stories this week too. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We began our new literature unit, which is on Colonial America. Our first piece was a historical one called "Early America" and it told how the various people came to America. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We used religion and most of social studies time rehearsing our easter program.
• Social Studies 3/4: We used our remaining social studies time to learn our music for he easter program. Homework: Songbooks have bookmarks on the songs that students need to memorize this week!
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 3/30/09

• Math 3: We reviewed dividing by 1, 3, and 4. We also spent most of the lesson learning how to add money amounts in the thousands, ten thousands, and hundred thousands. Then we worked on writing those large numbers in words and practiced writing checks again. Homework: 106 A/B.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We took spelling pre-test #27 and then spent the rest of our lesson reviewing adjectives and adverbs. This is something that we've already been working on and still get a little confused when trying to remember that adjectives desribe NOUNS and adverbs describe VERBS. Most students finished the packet in class today but those who didn't need to complete is for homework tonight. Also, everyone has ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We used our religion time this afternoon to begin the blocking for our easter program, which takes place one week and one day from today - that's next Tuesday! Please plan now to attend and invite aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins...anyone who you want to share the story of Jesus Christ with!
• Science 3/4: We are beginning a new unit on botany and will also begin working on a project to help us celebrate Earth Day, which is April 22. We spent our classtime today brainstorming and discussing options for our project that we'd like to involve the whole school in, and we also made a list of ways we can help protect the earth and "go green" at home.
• Music 3/4: This afternoon we worked on the songs that we will be singing during the Easter program next Tuesday. See you there!!

Week of March 16-20, 2009

Friday 3/20/09

• Math 3: We took a test today, then worked on brain teasers or read silently until everyone finished. Homework: STUDY multiplication facts over break - I will not be reteaching multiples of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 - we have learned them and practiced them in class and now it is your responsibility as the student to study and remember them.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and also worked with sensory description in the story that we read yesterday. Students tried their hand at writing sentences using sensory description to appeal to a specific sense.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and wrote the final copies of our creative writing pieces on our new inventions.
• Religion 3/4: We did a lot of memory work today and our lesson was on Nicodemus. Homework: Everyone has memory work to study over spring break, please find a few minutes each day to work on this!
• Science 3/4: This afternoon we spent class time presenting our projects on the nervous system. We saw many models, posters, and videos about the brain, dream cycles, nerve cells, and Alzheimer's disease. It was a very informative afternoon and fun to see everyone's different projects.
• Art 3/4: For art we made "Happy Spring" cards to send with our pen pal letters since today was the first day of spring.
• Classroom Supplies request: I'm asking each student to bring in 2 packages (10-pack)of YELLOW #2 pencils and 2 pink erasers after spring break. We have completely depleted our classroom supply and I'd like to start the last quarter off right with everyone fully stocked and supplied. Thanks for your cooperation, and have a great spring break!!

Thursday 3/19/09

• Math 3: We reviewed our multiplication facts and worked primarily with perpendicular line segments. We've already been introduced to them before but we are a bit rusty and still trying to remember the difference between parallel and perpendicular. Keep practicing those multiplication facts at home, and if you're not, you need to start! Homework: 105B.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled about spring break and then finished reading the story "Sunflowers for Tina." It was a fun piece about how sunflowers can bring life and light into dark, dead places. Homework: Study for spelling test! Also, pen pal letters MUST be finished tomorrow since we're going to spring break.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled about spring break and then worked more on our creative writing assignments. We are writing pieces describing a new invention and telling all about its abilities. Homework: Study for spelling test! Also, pen pal letters MUST be finished tomorrow since we're going to spring break.
• Religion 3/4:
• Social Studies 3/4: We worked on map skills today with reading charts and graphs. I saw that many students were struggling with reading the directions and following them (i.e. not reading them at ALL and then asking me what to do), so I gave them a quick demonstration of the importance of following directions. All of them failed the "test" and they became angry with me because they thought I had tricked them, but had they followed the directions they could have saved themselves a huge headache. If you get a change to work on directions (listening skills, following instructions, etc) at home, give it a try - we all need work in this area.
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 3/18/09

• Math 3: We worked with fact families today and practiced writing both multiplication and division problems - keep reinforcing this skill at home! Homework: 105 A.
• Language Arts 3: We had a shorter class today because of our field trip to the fairgrounds. Third graders began reading the story "Sunflowers for Tina," the last story in our literature unit on City Wildlife. We will finish the story tomorrow. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on a creative writing piece today. To wrap up our Technology unit we are writing about a new invention. Students should be demonstrating their ability to write strong paragraphs and use descriptive words in their writing. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• During the afternoon we went to the fairgrounds for the Ag Day event. We learned a lot about sheep, goats, cows, rabbits, and horses from 4-H students and snacked on popcorn and milk. It was a beautiful day to be out and about and the students enjoyed the fresh air. We returned to school around 2:15 and enjoyed a short recess time since we didn't get one at lunch. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon journaling about the fair and working on homework. Those who were all caught up got to start on their Scholastic News skill sheet from yesterday, which involves reading a bar graph as well as comparing and contrasting. Homework: Finish the skill sheet if you didn't do it in class today.

Tuesday 3/17/09

• Math 3: Our new knowledge of numbers larger than 1,000 helped us with today's lesson: writing numbers larger than 1,000 in expanded form. Since we already knew how to write numbers in expanded form, all we had to learn was how to add in the thousands place. Many finished 104A in class and everyone did a timed oral fact sheet. Homework: 104A/B and Oral Facts 104.
• Language Arts 3: We worked with facts and opinions again today and are still having trouble telling the difference between the two. If you get a chance to point out a fact or opinion at home in a conversation with your child, please do so to help reinforce this idea! We also did a review activity to keep us sharp on our contractions. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: Today we read the last story in our Technology unit, "Harvey and Higgins, Incorporated." It was interesting to see how the characters came up with creative ways to solve their problems. We also continued working with topic sentences and the concept of a main idea within a paragraph. This is a key skill in writing and we will be reinforcing it the rest of this week as fourth graders will complete a creative writing project. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We talked more about the life of Christ and learned today about the time when his family accidentally left him behind at the temple. We also shared the "Temple" acrostics that we wrote for homework. Homework: See assignment book or cover of religion book for specific memory work pages.
• Social Studies 3/4: We read our Scholastic News today since we will be gone tomorrow afternoon on our "Ag Day" field trip to the fairgrounds. The cover story was on a female shark keeper and we learned some of the requirements of her job. We also had a debate about cursive handwriting and whether students should still be required to learn it. Of course all the students would love to never have to write cursive again, and they don't yet grasp the fact that neat, legible handwriting (cursive OR print) speaks volumes about the writer and shows how much he or she care about the audience.
• Science 3/4: We did not have a science lesson today but this is a reminder that the nervous system projects are due FRIDAY, March 20, 2009. No late projects will be accepted.
• PE 3/4: Flag tag, OUTSIDE!! ...with Mr. Bretscher, as always. :)

Monday 3/16/09

• Math 3: We learned how to write numbers larger than 1,000 using words - keep practicing the spelling for number words if you are still struggling. We also learned how to multiply numbers by 100 and 1,000. The rule is simple: add two zeros to the number if you multiply by 100 and add three zeros to the number is you multiply by 1,000. Homework: 103 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We took our spelling pre-test for list #26 and then read "City Critters," another informative piece about city wildlife. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: We took our spelling pre-test for list #26 and then read "George Stephenson," another piece about technology. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Science 3/4: We talked about optical illusions today and explored a fun website that had lots of optical illusions for us to try out. We also talked about our end of the chapter project to wrap up the nervous system unit, and information came home today about the project. In the packet you will find the student's project proposal, a rubric showing how I will be grading the projects, suggestions on how to carry out the project, a form for recording internet sources, and a page that addresses your topic specifically. Students working on the Dreams topic will find a sample dream diary, and students working on the Nerve Cell project will find introductory information on the structure of the nerve cell. Please don't worry, this is meant to be a simple project (but should still be taken seriously). A mini-poster board is available for each student to use if desired. This project is due on FRIDAY, which is the last day before Spring Break and also the last day of the 3rd Quarter. Because of the timing, I have no choice but to assign a zero to anyone who does not turn in a project on Friday.
• Music 3/4: We practiced recorders and worked on learning new notes to help us play "The Lamb."
• Religion 3/4: Homework: page 157 and memory work.

Week of March 9-13, 2009

Friday 3/13/09

• Math 3: Today we took a test.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and then worked on pen pal letters.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and then worked on our Horse timelines.
• Science 3/4: We played a game of Jeopardy to review our unit on the nervous system and then took the chapter test.
• Religion 3/4: We watched the first few chapters of the book of Matthew to go along with what we've been studying lately, regarding the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. Homework: Try to use this weekend to catch up on memory work!
• Art 3/4: WELL....we were going to have art but instead Miss Bertschi's family surprised us with a visit from Ohio and brought Spider-Man cupcakes for everyone, for her birthday. If your child has a blue tongue, thank Mr. and Mrs. Bertschi. :) Have a great weekend!

Thursday 3/12/09

• Math 3: We used yesterday's strategies for finding a missing addend for a sum of 100 to learn how to make and count back change for $1.00 using the least amount of coins possible. It was kind of a tricky concept so if you get a chance, try to work on counting back change with your child at home. We learned that we count back the smallest coins first. For example if we spent $0.76, we would count back 4 pennies and then 2 dimes. Homework: Finish 102 A/B and do oral facts 102.
• Language Arts 3: This morning we reviewed capitalization of proper nouns as well as the difference between proper and common nouns. We read a fun poem called "Raccoon" and used it in our cursive practice as we re-wrote the poem.
• Language Arts 4: We used notes we had taken from previous stories in our Technology literature unit to create a timeline showing the use of the horse as technology advanced.
• Religion 3/4:
• Social Studies 3/4: Primary and secondary sources were the topic of today's discussion and we examined a census from the year 1800. We will look more at it next week because we ran out of time in class today.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Wednesday 3/11/09

• Math 3: Third graders learned how to find a missing addend for a sum of 100. There are several strategies for solving this type of problem, ranging from rounding the number to the nearest ten, to drawing a picture of base ten blocks, to simply subtracting the number from one hundred. Some finished the sheets in class, others didn't. Homework: 101 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: Today's story was called "City Superheroes," which told us about raccoons, rats, and other city dwelling animals. Homework: Spelling sentences!
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked with identifying and writing topic sentences and supporting details. They also read "The Messenger," about the development of communication. Homework: Spelling sentences, and finish the Topic Sentence worksheet.
• Science 3/4: We spent most of the afternoon working on the conclusion of our science unit on the nervous system. It was interesting to discover that the human brain is very different from animal brains, but also has some similarities. However, animals cannot think on the same level as humans. We did several brain teasers and activities that required us reason and use logic, which showed us how smart we really are! There is no way our dogs could have solved the puzzles we did today. Finally, we completed the chapter review in class together. On Friday we will play Nervous System Jeopardy, take the chapter test, and discuss the projects we will be working on next week...details to come.

Tuesday 3/10/09

• Math 3: Today we learned multiples of 4! It sounded scary at first but we were surprised to find that we only learned three new facts: 6x4, 8x4, and 9x4. All the rest we've already learned when we studied multiples of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 11! Cool! We also worked with parallel lines/line segments and the properties of quadrilaterals. Some finished their worksheets in class, others did not. Homework: 100 A and B.
• Language Arts 3: We read "Make Way for Ducklings," a fun story about a family of Mallard ducks who take up residence in the city of Boston! After taking a quiz about the story we worked more on our pen pal letters. We are trying to use our knowledge of topic sentences to write more cohesive paragraphs in our letters. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on using colons and semi-colons in writing, and continued to work on pen pal letters. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: Our lesson was on Jesus' birth and we sang Christmas carols! We also worked on memory work and some students still need to catch up. Today's lessson was pages 152-153, see planner for individual assignments.
• Social Studies 3/4: We worked with a primary source today and used a map of the Indiana Territory to help George Rogers Clark decide where to go to gather troops!
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 3/9/09

• Math 3: Today we used our new knowledge of mixed numbers to measure line segments to the nearest quarter inch. Because this is such a complex concept (measuring, fractions, etc.) it took up most of the morning but some did manage to finish their A paper in class. Homework: Finish 99A/B and complete oral facts 99. A homework pass may be used on one PAGE if desired.
• Language Arts 3: After taking our spelling pre-test we discussed topic sentences and the qualities of a good paragraph. We wrote topic sentences given a list of examples or details, and then we came up with our own topic sentence relating to school. We wrote sentences like, "I play at recess." or "I learned a lot in science." After coming up with the topic sentence, they then needed to write a short paragraph going into detail about their topic sentence. So if the topic sentence was "I play at recess," the paragraph needs to give examples of how you play at recess. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order, and finish the "topic sentence" paragraph. **a paragraph should have 3-5 sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders took their spelling pretest and then read an excerpt from the novel "Black Beauty." It was interesting to read a story from the perspective of the horse, not a human. We took a comprehension quiz on the story and then worked on pen pal letters, which we will be finishing up this week. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4:
• Science 3/4: We learned about the autonomic nervous system today through several experiments. It was cool to watch our partner's pupils change size depending on whether the lights were on or off, and we also recorded our resting heart rates and breathing rates. The autonomic nervous system controls these types of involuntary movements, which are different than movements that we must learn, such as walking or talking.
• Music 3/4: We continue to work on recorders and are trying to learn the notes necessary to play the song "The Lamb" from our songbooks. Students have been given a fingering sheet with the notes highlighted, and the song can be found on page 229 of our chapel songbooks if you wish to practice at home.