Update for 3/20

     Dear Parents,

     I can't believe we are in the final nine weeks of school!  Please remember that this Tuesday, 3/21 is our spring Picture Day.  Did you ask your student about our fantastic field trip to the Alliance Theater on Friday?  We loved their interactive version of Cinderella called "Cinder and Her Fella" - we laughed, clapped in time, and danced in our seats.  The kids stayed together and looked after their partners and Ms. Borrelli, Mr. Reynolds, and I were very proud of how well they conducted themselves!

       This week we will be finishing up our formal unit on Pollution and Conservation with our test on Friday, 3/24.  Our discussions and research will not end there however.  We will continue to weave this unit into our Heat unit with our exploration of insulators and conductors.  These two units fit nicely together so we will continue our research in our Science classes over the next month as we head toward building our environmentally friendly houses.

       In Writing, we have the Milestones and its constructed responses in our sights as we continue to improve our craft and follow the RACES model (Restate the question, Answer the question, Cite your evidence, Give examples, Summarize).  In Reading, we are circling back to some of the areas we need to continue to strengthen, such as Finding Main Idea, Author's Purpose, and Vocabulary Acquisition and Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words to Determine Meaning.

     In Math, our 3.2 students will be learning about Time and all of our students will continue having these math concepts reinforced in our Tiger Time classes.  Our 4.1 students will be delving deeper into Equivalent Fractions.

3.2 Math
MGSE3.MD.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure elapsed time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram, drawing a pictorial representation on a clock face, etc. MGSE3.MD.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem. Represent and interpret data. MGSE3.MD.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets. MGSE3.MD.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, whe

4.1 Math
 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
 ● What is a fraction and how can it be represented? ● How can equivalent fractions be identified? ● In what ways can we model equivalent fractions? ● How can identifying factors and multiples of denominators help to identify equivalent fractions? ● What are benchmark fractions? ● How are benchmark fractions helpful when comparing fractions? ● How can we use fair sharing to determine equivalent fractions? ● How do we know fractional parts are equivalent? ● What happens to the value of a fraction when the numerator and denominator are multiplied or divided by the same number? ● How are equivalent fractions related? ● How can you compare and order fractions? ● How do I compare fractions with unlike denominators? ● How do you know fractions are equivalent? ● What can you do to decide whether your answer is reasonable? • How do we locate fractions on a number line?

         Thanks for your support!!

         Jenny M-G

Update for 3/6

       Dear Parents,

      We have gotten into our Pollution and Conservation unit!  The culmination of this unit in April will consist of us constructing environmentally friendly homes in class.  If you can, please begin to set aside recyclables we may be able to use - GS boxes and trays that can be part of the house and windows, grape tomato containers that we can make into greenhouses, washed straws and egg cartons to be water pipes and water catchers.  We appreciate your help!!  The students LOVE this unit each year and learn a ton so we are excited to get started.  :)  More instructions and our rubric are below...

      In Writing, the students have finished their 4th opinion piece and have begun typing them.  In Social Studies, we are currently studying F.D.R. and Eleanor Roosevelt and working on constructed responses after researching their lives in our little readers, on www.brainpop.com, and www.pebblego.com in class and for homework.  We are also reviewing our Economics unit on Pebble Go and Safari Montage, then completing choice board activities to reinforce the students' knowledge.  In Math, our 3.2's are continuing Unit 5 on fractions and our 4.1's are continuing their study of factors and multiples as well as prime and composite numbers and patterns.

        Thanks for all of your support and please let me know if you have any questions!

        :)  Jenny M-G

Building A Structure : Environmentally Friendly Home Teacher Name: Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Construction -Materials	Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to make them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected.	Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly.
Construction - Care Taken	Great care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive and follows plans accurately.	Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive product.
Information Gathering	Accurate information taken from at least four sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least three sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least two sources.	Information taken from only one source and/or information not accurate.
Journal/Log - Content	Journal provides three paragraphs/ five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides almost three paragraphs/five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides at least /two paragraphs three sentences  on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides less than two paragraphs/three sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).

                                                  

Name __________________________             

       My Environmentally-Friendly Home

   

       Your first job is to check out the model house at www.ecofriendlyhouses.net/ and research its features and decide which one you want to include in your home.  Next, explore the other real world houses on the site and make a sketch of the house you want to create.

       When you are thinking about what materials to design your home out of, remember what you saw at www.ecofriendlyhouses.net/  You can design your home out of any materials that are solid enough to make walls (sand/soil with glue, rocks, cardboard, recyclable plastic or glass.  REMEMBER to put plenty of insulation in the walls and attic to keep the heat from escaping in the winter and the cool air from escaping in the summer.  You can use pine straw, cut up pieces of old cloth, dirt, cotton balls as insulation.  

      We will collect your recyclables to create your houses out of in the classroom over the next month, then start construction in May!