Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Time for Cycle 4

Hello 3rd Grade Parents,

Welcome to our new 3rd Grade Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies blog.  Here you'll find homework, spelling lists, and a general layout of what we're doing over the course of the year, cycle by cycle.  This year our curriculum follows a basic 7 day cycle that we'll follow as part of our studies.  The cycle is broken into two basic parts:  a reading section which is the first four days, then it is wrapped up by three days of writing.  Today is our first day of Cycle 4, so we are off with a new spelling list and a new set of reading objectives to cover.  In addition, this cycle will also cover the ground we are discussing in Social Studies.  So feel free to drop in every seven days or so to catch-up on what we're doing, or daily to keep track of homework and what material we are covering.

Spelling

Base words with -ed, -er, -ing, -est endings.
Our list this cycle uses base words and changes them with the endings above.  We've discussed this in class, but here's what the endings are for so you can review them with your child.

-er and -est compare things.  -er compares two thing while -est compares three or more things.
Example:  I think the math book is heavier than the social studies book.  The social studies is the greatest of the textbooks to just read.

-ed and -ing usually show time with -ed being something from the past while -ing is generally present tense.

His mother was pleased with his spelling grade.  She is over at the pool swimming.

Spelling List.
1.  using
2.  getting
3.  swimming
4.  easiest
5.  heavier
6.  greatest
7.  pleased.
8.  emptied
9.  leaving
10.  worried
11.  strangest
12.  freezing
13.  funnest
14.  angriest
15.  shopped

Homework.  (Updated-  I've changed the due dates for spelling because of my absence on Monday, 10/20.  Mr. Case)

10/15- Write the list in ABC order.  Also, write out the base word for each spelling word.  Example
A.  angriest- angry
E.  easiest- easy

10/16- Write each word you missed on the spelling pretest three times each.

10/21-  Worksheet

10/22-  Study for the test.

Reading

In this cycle we will continue our study on money by reading two texts in class and watching a movie relating to money and how it has been used in the past and how it is used now.  To help us study this concept we will look at paragraphs and essays and we will be looking for the Main Idea of the text and the Support Details to back up the main idea.  We are using the Main Idea/Supporting Detail organizer to help us find these ideas and to understand how the text is organized.  It looks like this...


file://localhost/Users/randall.case/Desktop/ipad-graphic-organizer-main-idea-and-details.gif

The top box holds the main idea (what the text is mostly about) while the lower legs hold the details that support the main idea (again, these details are what each supporting paragraph is mostly about).  The children are building several of these organizers so they can take notes that they will use later this cycle, in writing, to create an essay about how money has changed over the years.

Homework:  Have your child read for 20 minutes each day and create a short sentence or two telling me about what they've read.  Summary work would be the must helpful!  Note- for 10/15 I've asked the children to focus their reading time on completing the story on page 156 and finishing the table organizer we started during the day.  It's okay if they don't finish the spelling homework.  It will be due at a later time.  Also, this work can replace one 20 reading time with its entry. 

To support this at home have you child read informational text for their reading SIR homework and have them jot down the main idea of the passages that they have read.  This will reinforce what they are doing in class and prepare them for the essay.

Writing

As mentioned above, the children are preparing to write a short essay on how money has been used over the years.  To do this your child must be able to create their own main ideas and find details that will back up those main ideas.  We are also preparing to write another personal narrative: a story that your child creates based on his or her own experiences.  To prepare for this have you child write in their Writer's Notebook about things they have done in the past that would make for a fun or interesting story.  By having them brain storm now they will be better prepared for the narrative when we write it later this month.