Wednesday January 11 2012

Today we started our day off in the gym with Mr. McCain practiciing volleyball skills.
When we returned to class, we graphed our temperature, wrote fact families using the digits from the hi/low temp. and we also had three math word problems to solve.

After recess, we reviewed 3D shapes.  We talked that 3D shapes are sometimes called 3D solids and that it is good to know both words.    Grade 3's are focussing on pyramids and prisms.    We learned that the name of the solid can be determined by the  base of the shape and the shape of faces on the solid.   Prisms have two congruent faces and connects by rectangles, while pyramids have a base with triangles connected.    We learned the parts of a 3D shape:   FACES, EDGES, and VERTICES.    We then  used modelling clay and toothpicks to create skeletons of various prisms and pyramids.

After lunch we looked at our final assessments for our forms of writing in newspapers.   We looked at our first assessment and after 7 weeks of study, looked at the same question after learning all the forms.   We saw how much we had learned and how our evaluations had changed. We talked about the importance of  improving  over the grade on the paper.     We then looked at our next form of writing.. Procedure Writing.  This is writing that tells someone how to make or do something.  We looked at a recipe, and also instructions on how to make paper from recycled paper.   We then tried to write our own instructions on something we know how to make or do.

Once completed students worked on completing their word work, or read to themselves.

After recess, we did some work on forces.  We talked about direct and indirect forces.    We talked about how forces are all around us.   We played with magnets for a minute as an example of indirect forces.  We talked about friction, gravity, and also talked about why some  things move and some stay still.    We read an intro book on motion to introduce the concepts in a different way.

HOMEWORK:  Complete all word work.  Alpha order, sentences, syllables, and 5 definitions.
                          ( if you don't have access to a dictionary at home, students can finish it in class)
                         Practice 5x tables.
                         Read.