Monday, June 5:  Favorite Character Day

Dress like a character from your favorite book or book series. 

Tuesday, June 6:  Color Day

Dress in your class color and get ready for a day of fun competitions with the other 3rd grade classes.

3C: Neon Yellow / Yellow   3F: Neon Pink / Red   3I: Neon Blue / Blue

Wednesday, June 7:  Dress Like an Animal Day

Dress like your favorite animal. 

Thursday, June 8:   Jersey Thursday

Wear a sports jersey or sports t-shirt. 

Friday, June 9:  Tacky Tourists

Dress in your best travel wear - giant sun hats, sunglasses, fanny packs, safari shirts, tall socks with sandals - and say goodbye to your 3rd grade friends!

Here's what we're doing in May and June!

Math

• Area and Perimeter
  • Finding the area and perimeter of shapes
• Multi step Word Problems
  • Using multiple mathematical operations in the same problem

Assessments: Area quiz week of May 29; Word problem quiz week of June 5

English Language Arts

• Reading: Literary and Informational Texts about government and heroism
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining main idea and key details
  • Describing science concepts in informational texts
  • Determining main idea and key details
  • Determining themes
• Writing: Opinion

Assessments: Opinion essay due week of June 5

Science

• Plants
  • Interdependence in an ecosystem
  • Survival
  • Inherited traits
  • Native Flowers

Assessments: Native Flowers guide due May 31

 Social Studies

• Local History

Upcoming Events:

May 24: Wildflower Hike in the North Hills, 9-12

May 30: No School (Memorial Day)

June 2: Music Performance, 10 am, music room

Running Club: Monday & Wednesday before school and Tuesday afternoon recess

Nuts and Bolts:

• Outdoor lunch: As the weather warms up, we'll be eating lunch outside. Please remind your student to bring a warm layer to school every day.
• Standardized Testing continues: We'll be finishing the SBAC, and then taking the STAR 360 and I-Ready diagnostic.

Standardized testing season is upon us! Below is information about testing dates and times, the purpose behind the tests, and a few suggestions for preparing at home.

When is the SBAC? 

We will be taking the SBAC test from 9:00-10:00 and 1:00-2:00 on:

Tuesday, May 9

Tuesday, May 16

Wednesday, May 17

Please note that each testing session will take about 1 hour. The rest of our school day will be a regular school day. 

What is the SBAC? 

SBAC stands for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The SBAC is a computer-based, standardized test in math and English Language Arts (ELA) given to students every year starting in the 3rd grade. The assessment tests each student on grade level skills and competencies and is aligned to the Common Core standards for Math and ELA.

Why take the SBAC? 

We'll use this test as an opportunity to celebrate and to show just how much we've grown as learners! We'll celebrate our curiosity, effort and resiliency, and we'll celebrate all things we learned at home, online and in school over the last few years.  

How can I help my student prepare?

Please make sure your student is at school on the above testing days. It always helps to get a good night of sleep and plenty of playtime outside on test days. At home, you can practice multiplication flash cards, go through incomplete pages in Volume 1 of our math book (sent home in early March), and read together. We'll review the test features and tools and take a short practice test this week so students can gain familiarity with the test tools. 

Other standardized testing

In addition to the SBAC, your child will also take the STAR 360 tests in reading and math (May 2 & 3) and the I-Ready Math Diagnostic (May 22 & 23). 

Here's what we're doing in April!

Math

• Fractions
  • Comparing Fractions
• Measurement
  • Using measurement tools, like rulers and scales
  • Telling time using analog clocks
  • Telling how much time has passed
  • Measuring volume and mass
• Graphing
  • Using line plots to plot measurement data

Assessments: Lesson 23 & 25 quiz (week of 4/3); Lesson 26 quiz (week of 4/10); Lesson 27 quiz (week of 4/17); Lesson 28 & 29 quiz (week of 4/24) 

English Language Arts

• Reading: Informational Texts about weather and government
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining main idea and key details
  • Describing science concepts in informational texts
• Reading: Literature
  • Determining main idea and key details
  • Determining themes
• Writing: Opinion
• Writing: Poetry

Assessments: None planned until after SBAC

Science

• Weather and Climate
  • Weather instruments
  • Severe Weather
• Naturalist lessons
  • Bird nesting behaviors

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Local History

Upcoming Events:

April 10 and 17: Guest art instructors from the University of Montana

April 12: Field trip to the Montana Natural History Center and Missoula Insectarium

April 20: Class Picture Day

April 21: Irish Hurling with UM Irish Teachers and UM Hurling Club 

April 28: Fun Run (look for more info soon!)

Looking Ahead:

• Outdoor lunch: As the weather warms up, we'll be eating lunch outside. Our lunch spot can be shady and cool. Please remind your student to bring a warm layer to school every day, even on warm days.
• SBAC Testing: State standardized testing begins in 3rd grade. Beginning the second week of May, 3rd grade will be taking the SBAC. The SBAC is in addition to the regular progress monitoring required by the district. It is a lot of test time. I will send more information soon, but in the meantime, please have a plan for minimizing screen time at home, getting lots of fresh air, and getting lots of rest. Thanks for your help preparing your student! 

Here's what we're doing in March!

Math

• Fractions
  • Understanding fractions
  • Naming fraction
  • Name fractions on a number line
  • Find equivalent fractions

Assessments: Lesson 20 quiz (week of 3/6); Lesson 21 quiz (week of 3/13); Lesson 22 quiz (week of 3/27)

English Language Arts

• Reading: Informational Texts about weather
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining the main idea and key details
  • Describing science concepts in informational texts
• Writing: Informational
  • Severe Weather project

Assessments: Severe weather research project (due week of 3/27)

Science

• Weather and Climate
  • Weather instruments
  • Severe Weather

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Local History

Upcoming Events:

3/8: Special guest teacher Eilís O'Herlihy (Fulbright Distinguished Teacher honoree visiting from Ireland)  

Week of 3/13: Parent-Teacher Conferences

3/16: Early Dismissal at 11 am

3/17-3/26: Spring Break

3/29: Montana Shakes production of Hamlet Sandwich + MCT seminar

3/31: Special guest teacher Beth Mendelsohn (Research biologist at Owl Research Institute)

Here's what we're doing in February!

Math

• Area
  • Understanding area
  • Multiplying to find area
  • Adding areas

Assessments: Lesson 14 quiz (week of 2/6); Lesson 15 quiz (week of 2/13); Lesson 17 quiz (week of 2/28); Area project (week of 2/28)

English Language Arts

• Reading: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining main idea
  • Describing character actions
• Reading: Weather
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining main idea and supporting details
• Writing: Narratives

Assessments: Final narrative (week of 2/27) 

Science

• Montana Bird ID Project
• Weather and Climate

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Local history

Upcoming Events:

2/10: Team Spirit Day: Students are encouraged to wear their favorite team's colors or a sports jersey

2/13: Staff Development Day - No school for students

2/14: Valentine's Day (please see note below)

2/20: President's Day - No school

Valentine's Day- We'll celebrate Valentine's Day on Tuesday, February 14. Students may bring Valentine's cards to exchange. Please bring a card for everyone in our class. In keeping with school policy, please no sweet treats or candy, though students may bring other small trinkets to give away, like bookmarks or pencils. We'll celebrate with a math and art activity, and we'll make bags for collecting cards. 

Here's what we're doing in January!

Math

• Division
  • Understanding the meaning of division
  • Connecting division to multiplication
  • Using strategies to divide
  • Building fluency with multiplication and division facts 
• Using Patterns

Assessments: Lesson 11 quiz (week of 1/9); Lesson 12 quiz (week of 1/17); Lesson 13 quiz (week of 1/23); Unit 2 Assessment (week of 1/23)

*We'll also be re-taking our math benchmark tests on STAR 360 and I-Ready. 

 English Language Arts

• Reading: The Year of Miss Agnes
  • Using text evidence to answer questions
  • Determining main idea
  • Describing character actions
  • Connecting story to history and culture
• Writing: Narratives
• Developing character and plot
• Writing: Parts of Speech
  • Using and identifying nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in sentences
  • Using and identifying irregular plural nouns

Assessments: Parts of speech project (week of 1/17)

*We'll also be retaking benchmark assessments in STAR 360 and IRLA

Science

• Animals
  
  • How have animals and habitats changed over time?

Assessments: Animal Diorama

 Social Studies

• Local history with guest Spark Artist-in-Residence Tabitha Beard

Upcoming Events:

1/4, 1/6, 1/9-1/11: Spark Artist Residency with Tabitha Beard 

1/16: No School

Week of 1/31: MCT Residency (look for more information soon)

Here's what we're doing in December!

Math

• Building fluency with multiplication facts 
• Using order and grouping to multiply multiple numbers
• Using place value to multiply two-digit numbers

Assessments: Lesson 8 quiz (week of 12/5); Lesson 9 quiz (week of 12/12); Mid-Unit Assessment (week of 12/19)

 English Language Arts

• Reading: Non-Fiction Text Features
  • Identifying different types of text features
  • Using text features for information
  • Central message of non-fiction and fiction texts
• Writing: Research
  • Developing research questions
  • Using key terms to conduct an internet search.
  • Using informational websites to answer research questions
• Writing: Informational Writing
  • Identifying a topic and subtopics
  • Writing a lead, topic sentences and conclusion
  • Revising and editing

Assessments: Animal report (Final draft due week of 12/19)

Science

• Animals
  
  • Adaptations

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Salish Seasonal Round (due week of 12/12)
• Missoula settlement

Upcoming Events:

12/15-12/21: Countdown to Break Dress Up Days (more information coming soon)

12/22-1/2: No school (Winter Break)

1/4-1/11: Spark! Art Experience with Tabitha Beard 

Here's what we're doing in November!

Math

• Multiplying with 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10
  • Using skip counting strategies to build memorization
• Multiplying with 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9
  • Using arrays, equal group drawing and friendly facts to build fluency

Assessments: Lesson 5 quiz (week of 11/1); Multiplication Facts Quiz (weekly)

*A note about multiplication facts: We'll start working with flash cards the week of 11/1. We'll start with memorizing our 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 facts only. Near the end of November, after we've built a conceptual understanding of multiplication, we'll start memorizing the other facts. 

 English Language Arts

• Reading: Folklore
  • Identifying the characters and theme of indigenous folktales
  • Summarizing indigenous folktales
• Reading: Non-Fiction Text Features
  • Identifying different types of text features
  • Using text features for information
  • Central message of non-fiction and fiction texts
• Writing: Informational Reports
  • Choosing a topic
  • Paraphrasing and note taking
  • Writing a lead, topic sentence and adding details
• Writing: Research
  • Developing research questions
  • Using key terms to conduct an internet search.
  • Using informational websites to answer research questions

Assessments: Informational report - Choice Topic (rough draft due week of 11/22); Informational report - Animal (rough draft due week of 12/5)

Science

• Animals
  • Traits of animal groups
  • Diet, predator, prey
  • Habitat and survival
  • Adaptations

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Missoula History

Upcoming Events:

11/6: Daylight Savings Time ends

11/8-11/10: Book Fair in Rattlesnake Library 

11/10: Half day of school (students dismissed at 11:05)

11/11: No school 

11/15: Lady Griz Game (11-1) at UM

11/23-11/25: No school

Here's what we're doing in October!

Math

• Place Value with 3-digit Numbers
  • Using Base 10 models, expanded notation, chunking and benchmark numbers to subtract
  • Using place value to round to the nearest ten and nearest hundred
  • Multiplication strategies 

Assessments: Lesson 3 quiz (week of 10/3); Lesson 1 quiz (week of 10/10); Unit 1 test (week of 10/17)

 English Language Arts

• Reading: Non-Fiction Text Features
• Identifying different types of text features
• Using text features for information
• Central message of non-fiction and fiction texts
• Determining theme in a fiction text.
• Writing: Parts of Speech
• Identifying and using nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. 

Assessments: Mystery narrative (due week of 10/17)

Science

• Forces and Motions
  • Identifying and describing various types of forces, motions, and gravity. 
  • Engineering solutions based on growing knowledge of forces and motions
• Naturalist
  • Natural history survey of North Hills and Rattlesnake Creek
  • Bat adaptations and habitats

Assessments: None planned

 Social Studies

• Local geography
  • Recognize cardinal directions and local landforms
• Montana tribal history
  • Identify the indigenous tribal nations of Montana

Assessments: None planned

Upcoming Events:

10/6 - Hike to North Hills

10/19 - Picture Day (more info coming soon)

10/20 & 10/21 - MEA / No School

10/31 - Halloween (more info coming soon)