Multiplication Mastery

Over the last few weeks we've moved on to other concepts in math (geometry and fractions), so there hasn't been as much time at school to practice multiplication facts.  Right now, these facts are mainly in the students' short-term memories.  In order to make the transfer to long-term memory, multiplication facts need to be continually reviewed (5-10 minutes per day is plenty of time).  Many students, even those who have passed most of their fact families, are forgetting facts they once knew.  This is a normal part of multiplication memorization, which is why constant review is so vital.  The Common Core curriculum assumes that multiplication facts x0-10 are mastered when students begin 4th grade.  The better they know their facts, the easier upper grade math will be for them.

This week, students should be passing off x7's, but they are welcome to pass off more, if they are behind. The children know where to get flashcards in my room whenever they need them.  If you are looking for flashcard games to play with your child, click on the link below.  They can also take home the actual drill page to practice on, if they need to. As always, students are encouraged to continue to use the games on this blog for practice. Good luck!

Happy Valentine's Day

Thank you, room parents, for providing such a wonderful party! What a fun class!

More Winners!

Last Thursday was a big celebration day in our classroom. We had a wonderful January Homework Party, a book drawing for January independent reading minutes, and Lunch with Teacher for students who improved on the Multiplication Meanings math test! Below are 7 of the 8 book drawing winners and 3 of the 24 students who got to attend Lunch with Teacher and make Oreo cookie phases of the moon.  Way to go!

Online Scheduler for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Mar. 6-7. The Online Scheduler is available on Altara's home page Feb.11-24, so that you can plan for Parent Teacher Conferences at your convenience.  Instructions are below.

1. Click the following icon:

2. Scroll down to "Altara Elementary" and click "go."

3. Type in the school password (altara) and click "login."

4. Type in your student's ID number.
(hint: The student ID is the username for Envision Math found on the sticker inside of your child's homework folder.)
5. Select an available time slot that works best for you.

If you have any problems or would like support setting up your schedule, feel free to visit the office or call Susan Taylor, our school secretary, for assistance.

February Current Events

Current event presentations begin on Tuesday, February 12th.  Click here to see the calendar of due dates.  Students should be prepared with the following:

• Tell the current event in your own words.
• Complete a current event sheet according to the instructions in your homework folder.
• Attach the article you chose.

The two most common ways students miss points are by not writing complete questions on their current event sheets or by not understanding the current event they're presenting.  Please carefully read the instructions and the grading rubric found in your homework folder, in order to receive full credit.  Several student-friendly websites are available on the class blog under "Current Events."  We're excited to learn more about important events in the world around us today!

Sample Current Event Sheet

What's New?

Here are a smattering of pictures to keep you updated on what the students have been doing at school, including Art Through the Ages, Geometry, and, best of all, . . . biographies!

The Sky's the Limit,

especially when you're studying about the Earth and moon!  Students have compared and contrasted the appearance of the Earth and moon from space and have created a scale model of the Earth, Sun, and moon at Altara (actually, only the Sun fit - the Earth would really be located at Storm Mt. Park if it was 4 inches across and the Sun was 11 yards across).  They watched a video clip of the Apollo 8 mission showing man's first glimpse of the far side of the moon in December 1968. They conducted a scientific experiment hypothesizing that craters on the moon are unique because the asteroids that created them were different sizes, shapes, and masses. (Check out the pictures below showing their experiment.)  Currently, students are mastering the difference between rotation, revolution, and orbit and are modeling and discussing why the sun, stars, and even other planets appear to move across the sky. Check out the new links in the Science section at the top of the blog!

 

What kinds of asteroids might have caused these craters?

What Does it Mean to be Unique?

We are reading stories over the next several weeks about what makes people, nature, and animals unique. The students love using this new vocabulary word, which means different and special!  Last week we read a wonderful biography about James Naismith, the man who invented basketball.  (He was also a lumberjack, preacher, medical doctor, teacher, and sports enthusiast.) Did you know that basketball began with a soccer ball and peach baskets in a YMCA gym full of bored, rowdy boys?  The boys were reluctant to try the new game, but became excited about it as soon as they started playing!  The students found a lot of cause and effect relationships in Dr. Naismith's life and we had some very lively class discussions about what might have been different if he hadn't had certain experiences in his life early on. Would he have invented a game if he hadn't had to work hard or make his own ice skates? Would he have wanted to study philosophy and become a preacher who worked with boys at the YMCA, if he hadn't lost his family members to disease as a child? Would he have become involved with sports at all if his friends hadn't dragged him along to play football?  Click on the picture above to learn a few more facts about James Naismith from a company that sold his original rules at an auction for over 2 million dollars!

And the Winners are . . .

This week we had our math celebration lunch with teacher for students who improved on their second Subtraction with Regrouping test.  Not only did 23 students get to attend, but 16 of them earned 100% on their tests! Way to go class!

We also had our book drawing for December independent reading minutes. Congratulations to these eight students who won brand new books of their choice!

Finally, we held our class spelling bee and have three incredible spellers representing us at the school spelling bee this month! Congratulations!

Biography Book Reports

 

The next several weeks will be full of biographies as we study in class about African Americans, famous American women, and many other people who made a difference for good in the world.  Students should choose book report books on their reading levels about people they are not already familiar with.  Above is a picture of biography book reports completed by past third grade students.  Below is a list of things that should be included on each child's poster.  Biography book reports are due Thursday, January 31st.  Happy Reading!

Requirements: 

• On a poster board, draw a large picture/caricature of the individual whose biography you read. 
• The illustrations must be done by hand, by the students, and neatly colored. 
• Outline everything with a darker color or a black fine tip marker.
• Along the sides of the character, write or type sentences and draw a line to each of the following body parts:

Forehead (Mind):    Write something the person thought.  
Eyes:                       Write something the person saw.  
Ears:                        Write something the person heard.  
Heart:                      Write something the person felt or believed.  
Hands and/or Feet:  Write something the person did.