Room 15 News

Dear Third Grade Families,

          Third grade mathematicians are learning to measure area this month.  Students have learned that area is the total number of square units needed to cover a two-dimensional surface.  Earlier this year, we measured surfaces with square centimeters.  This week we are measuring surfaces with square inch tiles. Check out the photos of students finding the area of various rectangles below. 

Which shape has a greater area?  Ask your child what he/she discovered?

Multiplication Facts Update
           February has been a busy month in third grade.  I am so proud of our class for all of the hard work and effort that they are putting into memorizing the multiplication facts. Third graders rock! We updated the multiplication table below by shading in the Half Ten Plus One More Set Facts (x 6 facts).  When we looked at the updated multiplication table below, we could see that there are only nine facts left to learn!  You can see the white square of nine facts in the table below,

          So what's our next step?  It's time to learn  the x 7 facts! It's interesting that the x 7 facts are the only set of facts that are not given a special name based on a certain strategy.   Perhaps this is because there are several ways to solve the different x 7 facts.  Here are two strategies that your child might use to solve the x 7 facts. Both strategies are based on using a known fact to solve an unknown fact.  

Strategy 1:  Use a x 5 fact and a x 2 fact.

What is the product of 7 groups of 8  or 7 x 8?

Step one - I know that 5 groups of 8 (5 x 8) equals 40.                            5 x 8 = 40

Step two - I know that 2 more groups of 8 (2 x 8) equals 16.                   2 x 8 = 16

Step three - Add the products to find the product of 7 groups of 8.         40 + 16 = 56

                                                                                                           So... 7 x 8 = 56

Strategy 2:  Start with a x 6 fact and add one more set.

What is the product of 7 groups of 8  or 7 x 8?

Step one - I know that 6 groups of 8 (6 x 8) equals 48.                                   6 x 8 = 48

Step two - I need one more group of 8 to have seven groups of 8.                 48 + 8 = 56 

                                                                                                                So...  7 x 8 = 56

         Keep up the great work of practicing the multiplication facts and skip counting at home!  We are in the home stretch with only nine new facts to learn!  Way to go, third graders!  Thanks to all family members for helping your students to practice at home.  Please let me know if you need your child's username and password for www.IXL.com. It's a great site to go to for multiplication fact practice.  

         Remember to remind your child to read each day practice skip counting and memorizing the multiplication tables; especially during the February vacation.

        Girls on the Run and Invention Convention registration forms have been sent home. Please let me know if you child needs another copy. 

         We are in need of cleaning wipes for our desks.  Please send in a package if you have one to spare.  Thanks!

Sincerely,

Keelin Simpson

Dear Third Grade Families,

Room 15 is full of hard working mathematicians! We have been working towards memorizing the multiplication facts, and students are making terrific progress!  So far, students have been assigned to memorize the x 0, x 1, x 2, x 3, x 4, x 5, and x 10 facts.  We took a look at all of our hard work on the multiplication table below, and we cheered about what the chart reveals!

The facts we have learned are colored in.  The facts that we have left to learn are white.  There are only 16 facts left to be memorized!!!

This week our goal is to learn the x 6 facts. We call the x 6 facts "Half Tens Plus One Set Facts."  The x 6 facts are named that way because of a strategy that can be used to solve them.  This strategy involves using a known fact, a x 5 fact, to solve a x 6 fact.  Here's how it works: 

What is the product of 6 x 8?

Step 1  -  I'll start with a fact I know.   10 groups of 8  = 80.                     10 x 8 = 80.

Step 2 -   From there, I can figure out that 5 x 8 is half of 80.                  5 x 8 = 40

Step 3 -   6 groups of 8 is just one more set of 8 than 5 x 8.                    6 x 8 = 40 + 8 = 48

(If you know your x 5 facts, then you can start on the second step.  5 x 8 = 40, so 6 x 8 = 40 + 8).

Look at the photos below.  The boys made arrays on the left side of an abacus to model the three related problems that can be used to solve 6 x 8 (that are mentioned above).

Step 1 

10 x 8 = 80

Step 2 

5 x 8 = 40

Step 3

6 x 8 = 48

Help your child to practice skip counting and multiplying at home. Make a set of flashcards or buy a box at the grocery store.  Pull out the x 6 facts to practice.  Play the multiplication games that were sent home or remind your child to log in  at www.ixl.com and practice the multiplication facts.  Write the most challenging facts on Post-it notes and stick them on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, or a living room end table where they'll be seen more frequently. Practicing for 5 to ten minutes each night will make a big difference.  Keep up the great work, third graders!!!

I will send home copies of some games that you can play with your child at home to help him/her learn the x 6 facts.  Look for the games in your child's backpack on Friday!  The photos below show students playing Multiply It! 

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Upcoming Events

vOlympic Week will be February 12-16.  Students may wear Olympic ring colors!  See the colors to wear listed below by day.

v  Monday - Black 

v  Tuesday- Yellow

v  Wednesday- Red 

v  Thursday - Green 

v  Friday - Blue - South Burlington Colors (blue and grey)

TThursday, February 15^th, is Chamberlin School's Family Night and Pasta Dinner, from  6:00-7:30 PM.

FFriday, February 16, is an early release day for students.  Students should bring a bag lunch to eat in the classroom or place an order to purchase a bag lunch from the cafeteria.  Students will be dismissed at 12:30 PM.  

  

   We are running low on cleaning wipes.  Please send in a package if you have one to spare.  Have a great weekend!

   Sincerely,

    Keelin Simpson