Third Grade News

Dear Third Grade Families,

We have had a great month in third grade.  The spring concert was terrific, and I'm happy to see that the children are starting to get rid of their colds and feel healthy again! One day, there were seven students absent due to illness!  We missed our friends!

Third grade scientists are having fun studying weather and climate.  We are working on learning related to the following science standards:

-Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. -Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. -Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.*

We have learned about air and the layers of Earth's atmosphere.  Students have enjoyed taking part in experiments to learn that air has weight and that hot air is lighter than cold air.  Third graders learned that we can measure air temperature with thermometers, and we made a  thermometer.  We are currently learning about wind and its relationship to weather.  Students will work to finish making their anemometers to study wind this week.

Third graders have done an amazing job of learning the multiplication facts.  We are in the home stretch now.  Hooray!  We have learned the x 0, x 1, x 2, x 3, x 4, x 5, x 6, x 7, x 8, and x 10 facts.  WOW! All that is left to learn is a single x 9 fact (9 x 9 = 81)!!!  The x 9 facts are called Tens Minus One Set Facts because you can use a known x 10 fact to help you solve an unknown x 9 fact. Here's how the strategy works.

Tens Minus One Set Facts

What is the product of 9 x 9?

Step 1:  I  know that 10 x 9 equals 90.  However,  I don't need 10 groups of 9.
Step 2:  I only need 9 groups of 9, so I'll subtract one set of  9 from 90.   90 - 9 = 81.  
             9 x 9 = 81.


Another example:                            What is the product of 9 x 8?

Step 1:  I know that 10 groups of 8 = 80.  However, I don't need 10 groups of 8.
Step 2:  I only need 9 groups of 8, so I'll subtract one set of 8 from 80.  80 - 8 = 72.
             9 x 8 = 72

Please continue to encourage your child to practice for five to ten minutes each day.  Review the multiplication facts they know and focus on the x 9 facts this week. You are doing a great job of supporting your students at home.  Keep up the great work!

Third graders have started taking practice tests in mathematics and reading in preparation for the SBAC assessments that they will take in April.  The SBAC assessments are taken on a computer. Students will be given paper and pencil to work out problems and jot notes, but answers to items will be entered into our Chromebooks.  Children took a practice test on Chromebooks last week. They were able to try out the computer tools that will be available to them during the testing (highlighting, flagging a problem to go back to later, striking lines through the items you know are not the answer to make the answer choices you're considering stand out, and selecting a word to be read or defined). Students were allowed to talk to each other and to their teachers to have support with understanding and solving tasks during the practice sessions.  They did a great job!

Dates to Remember

Friday, April 1, is Popcorn Friday.  Students should bring in 50 cents, if they'd like to purchase popcorn for snack.

Family Math Night is on April 4th. Watch for more information to be sent home on this event.

Parent teacher conferences are on April 7th and 8th.  Please sign up at www.PickATime.com.  If you need assistance signing up, please contact Rose at 652-7400, and she will be happy to help you.  If you don't see an available time that will work for your schedule, please contact me to schedule a conference at a different time.

Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Keelin M. Simpson