3rd Grade MP3 Campus

School Data is open on the 1st for parent reviews. These are due by the 5th. We hope the cut and paste grade level newsletter will be helpful to supplement your remote learning plan reviews. Thank you for submitting in a timely manner and if you need help please reach out to your SLPC.

Topics: perimeter, application problems, measuring non-rectangular shapes, foundations of multiplication and division

Activities: This month we focused on using our knowledge of perimeter to design dog parks and playgrounds with given constraints and compare possible plans. We also used geoboards to design shapes with the longest perimeter possible and used string to help measure the perimeter for our creative shapes. We also began laying the foundations of multiplication and division by thinking about how we could create fair shares for different sized groups with a given total such as 20 or 36.

Teacher Tip: Ask your student what the word perimeter means. How can we find the perimeter of a shape that isn't easily measured with graph paper or a ruler?

Teacher Info: Mrs. Kurashige, skurashige@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: web plan, organization, text features, writing process (plan, draft, revise, edit, publish, share), editing marks, indenting paragraphs, bibliography format and purpose

Activities: We have made a lot of headway on our information books. Students completed web plans and now are drafting each of their 3+ sections. We are working toward each section having a topic sentence, lots of detail sentences, a wrap-up sentence, and a factual tone. We discussed the purpose of many text features and how they help an author to teach about their topic. It is a pleasure to see all the creative ways students are working to share their information (i.e., diagrams, mini flashcards, maps, models).

We have also been carving out time to work on writing complete answers. Students are working to meet these four goals when they answer a comprehension question: answer restates the question, answer is correct, all sentences begin with a capital, all sentences end with a proper end mark.

One of our highlights this month was our Gallery Walk. Students enjoyed reading each other's books and giving each other compliments.

Teacher Tip: When your student is answering a comprehension question at home, ask them to self-check that they have met all four goals of a strong answer (answer restates the question, answer is correct, all sentences begin with a capital, all sentences end with a proper end mark).

Teacher Info: Mrs. Giesen, jgiesen@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Maps/regions, West Region, Southwest Region

Activities: We continue to receive pictures, letters, postcards, stickers, etc. from our Flat Stanleys traveling throughout the United States. He has traveled to 16 different states including 9 of the 11 states in the West Region. (only missing Hawaii and Colorado) In connection to the Southwest region, students also participated in a reader's theatre presentation called "Guess the State: The Southwest States". Students completed the "Welcome to the West Region" and "Welcome to the Southwest Region" sections of their five regions booklet. These studies included taking a closer look at the climate, animals, plants, foods, natural resources, landforms and places to visit in each region. Using Chromebooks and a link shared, students participated in virtual field trips to states in the West and Southwest Regions. A highlight was using the Google Earth links giving them the opportunity to see key locations like the Grand Canyon (AZ), Shoshone Falls (ID), Glacier National Park (MT), Las Vegas (NV), Mesa Verde National Park (CO) and Waikiki (HI).

Teacher Tips: Be watching for a simple to follow state research/pennant project with a focus on states in the Northeast and Southeast Regions. These will be sent home in early December with the hope of them being completed and ready to be shared in January. This will be a fun way to integrate a little social studies and language arts instruction at home. Students may continue to test their skills about states by using this website: https://www.geoguessr.com/seterra/en/vgp/3139 It has been fun to hear back on how students are mastering names and locations of states!

Teacher Info: Mrs. Elgersma, gelgersma@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Keyboarding, Formatting Text in Google Docs, Text Features on Websites

Activities: As the students were learning text forms and features in social studies and language arts, this month presented the perfect opportunity to explore the same topic in technology. We began this month reviewing teacher selected websites to discover text features in digital format. The students were able to discuss the similarities and differences of text features in print and digital writing.

Next, each student was given a copy of a social studies essay created in language arts class and apply formatting tools in Google Docs to create a final draft. Once each student understood how to apply formatting tools, he/she began to type a personal essay in Google Docs. The final essay with correct formatting and pictures will be turned in to Mrs. Giesen in language arts.

Reflection Questions: How do text features change when websites are created for kids or adults?

Teacher Info: Mrs. Montgomery, rmontgomery@meridian.wednet.edu

This month, art could be added to your Social Studies class.

Topics: Elements of Art: Form, Texture, Shape, and Line; Principles of Design: Emphasis and Balance; Techniques: sensory painting, modeling paste

Activities: This month began with a look at dessert paintings by artist Wayne Thiebaud. Thiebaud used thick paint that looked like frosting when it dried and his pies and cake paintings look delicious enough to eat! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we talked about our favorite kinds of pie and let this discussion inspire our next project. Students used lines and shapes to draw slices of pie that look three-dimensional. They added modeling paste (which was actually joint compound from the hardware store!) to make their pies look realistic and painted them with tempera mixed with pumpkin pie spice, and a variety of extracts like vanilla, maple, or banana. The art room smelled amazing! This is a painting you can see, feel, and smell! (But don’t try to taste it!) Next, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, we learned about the Navajo tradition of weaving and listened to the tale, “Spider Woman Teaches the Navajo.” Inspired by the rugs and tapestries woven by the Navajo people, we tried some weaving of our own. Students learned new vocabulary including loom, warp, and weft as well as how to weave on their looms. Students fully enjoyed the process of weaving!

Reflection Questions: Weaving is an easy project to recreate at home! If your student would like to continue making these mini tapestries at home, please email me and I’ll share the materials list and how-to!

Teacher Info: Mrs. Warnock, swarnock@meridian.wednet.edu