Summer Learning

Dear 3EV Families,

On this post, you will find many links for continuing the fun and learning going throughout the summer. I will add links as I come across them.

Literacy: ISKL has some ideas here.

Books in many languages here.

I am hoping your child has lots of access to great books this summer! Do not forget that there are books s/he can read via the library website (especially important as the school library is not open this summer). Do look for libraries wherever you go this summer. You may find interesting bookstores in your travels too. Your child will be coming home with a reading plan that lists some ideas of books s/he would like to read. S/he also was gifted a few books. 

Want more ideas for books to look for? We have created a Flipgrid that many other third graders have contributed to as well. Your child can keep adding books.

Keep reading aloud to your child even though s/he can already read! A book shared is often a new favorite. Don't forget to use audio books too. I can always access audio books from my "home library"- maybe you can too. Podcasts are great too! Wow in the World and Goodnight Stories are two of my favorites. Aidan and his family love Story Pirates. 

Having a daily routine will help you to find more time for reading (and a few minutes for any other practice you know your child needs). With my sons, we always spent 30 minutes after breakfast reading and doing a few minutes of review. It gave me time to sit down and read too. 

Summer is a great time for your child to reread old favorites. Have your child always pack a book when you go out- there may be an opportunity to sneak in a few extra minutes of reading while waiting in line or during other "dead time". Encourage your child to talk to you about what s/he is reading, but do not make it a "test", make it a natural conversation. 

Research shows that your child should read at least six books to prevent reading skill regression. That is less than one a week, but there is no reason to limit reading time:)

Your child is also coming home with a summer writing notebook. S/he has some ideas already for this but can use it for whatever s/he wants. Students may also post on blogs during the summer. 

Math: If you want to help your child practice telling time to the minute this blog post has many great ideas.
Bedtime Math has great ideas.

Science/Social Studies: Wonderopolis is a great starting point.

Assorted: A collection of links I put together a few summers ago and updated last summer. There are links for all kinds of learning!

Camp Wonderopolis requires a sign-up, but is free and lots of fun!

Have a great summer!
Best,
Erika

Week of June 4, 2018

Dear 3EV Families,

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of our year together in 3rd grade! It has been such an amazing year. Thank you so much to everyone who made it to our poetry learning celebration. The students enjoyed sharing their poems and writing poems together. Another huge thank you to all of the parents that brought in yummy treats for our end of year celebration. Check the photo tab to see some pictures.

This week begins on a Day 5.

We will be busy finishing projects, updating blogs, and reflecting on our year together. Please take some extra time to talk with your child about the end of the year. Emotions are running high and students are experiencing many feelings.

If your child has any library books at home, please send them to school as soon as possible. If you find any classlibrary books please send them in. If you find any next year Ms. Jamie will pass them on to me:)

Before the end of the week, we will be sending home links for summer practice. This will include math sites, writing prompts, reading recommendations, and other ideas. Students will also be putting together some of their photos from the year. If you have photos of the kids this year and are able to share them, we would appreciate it. Please add them to this folder.

Have a great week!

3EVShare

Week of May 28

Hello 3EV Families, 

Wow! What a wonderful week we had in grade 3. Students have been busy writing and reading poetry, representing data in graphs, and reflecting on their learning in grade 3.

 A huge thank you to all of the parent volunteers who helped out on Wet & Wild day! Students and adults were playing in the mud, collaborating constructively, and having fun!! Please take a look at the class pictures on the blog (many taken by Dominique- many thanks to her!).

 This week begins on a Day 2. There is no school on Tuesday, May 29th due to a public holiday and Friday, June 1 there is no school for students. 

 Our Learning Celebration is this week. We are so excited to share all of our poetry with you! You might want to download a QR code reader on to your phone for this event. This is going to be our last time all together and we will have a short celebration immediately following the learning share in each classroom. Thank you in advance to our GLC and room parents for organizing. Hope to see you all on Wednesday morning.

Reading/Writing: Students will continue their exploration of poetry and share with all of you on Wednesday. Then students will revisit their favorite type of writing (narrative, nonfiction, opinion, fantasy) this year and plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish one last final piece of writing as a third-grade student! We will Skype with Amy Ludwig Vanderwater on Monday- if you have time to look at her blogs with your child this weekend that would be great. If your child has any questions s/he would like to ask they can be added to the document in Classroom. 

Math: This week we will continue reviewing some of the major math concepts we have learned during our year. These include adding and subtraction numbers in the hundreds, multiplication, division, elapsed time, geometry, area and perimeter, and lastly fractions.

 Genius Hour/ Passion Projects: Students will have time to work on their chosen projects. Students are busy writing scripts, building movie sets, create stop-animation movies, creating art out recycled materials, making podcasts, etc. They will have time to find a good ending point for these projects or decide next steps they would like to take outside of school. Please ask your child about their project.

 Home learning is not required the last two weeks, but here are some options to choose from as we say goodbye to our third-grade year together.

Sivert will have his last day of school on Monday (but will be back in August). Arjun, Zara, Vincent, and Maria will all leave ISKL as they move on to the US, Vietnam, Spain, and Russia respectively. Goodbyes are hard, but we are glad that we are continuing to make memories together in these last days and in this age of technology it is easier than ever to stay in touch. It is hard to believe that this is the second to last week of school!

Week of May 21, 2018

Hello 3EV Families,

This week was a busy week with our math assessment on fractions, our satellite testing, and writing poems. Look for the math assessment to come home this week. Please check the class blog for photos of our satellite testing. 

This week begins on a Day 3.

Our Learning Celebration is fast approaching. Please mark it on your calendar. We have heard from the administration and to clarify, we will be serving food during the celebration. It will also be running a bit longer and will end at 9:15. The team will be providing coffee and tea. If you can not attend the Learning Celebration, please let me know so that I can arrange for another adult to sit with your child.

A note from the PE department: On Friday, May 25th ISKL will have the traditional Parent Run (PE team assisted) Wet & Wild Day. There will be numerous water activities and games taking place on the lower field which will be revealed on the day. Grade 3 will be at Wet & Wild from 10:50-11:40. Parents are welcome to come along. 

Students will need to 

- Come down to the field ready to go dressed in their water attire, 

- Have school clothing in a bag to change into after the session.

- Bring a towel, drink bottle & hat

- Only go into the change rooms after their session

Reading/Writing: Students will explore what is a simile and a metaphor. Once they understand what the difference is between them, students will begin to write poems that include similes or metaphors. Students will also choose words and mood to add meaning to their writing. We will pay close attention to the last line of a poem, noticing that often the end of a poem offers new insights into the rest of the text. 

Math: This week we will be reviewing some of the major math concepts we have learned during our year. For the last three weeks, we will be working on the math units from the entire year. These include adding and subtraction numbers in the hundreds, multiplication, division, elapsed time, geometry, area and perimeter, and lastly fractions.  

Science: Students will revisit the concept of patterns such as seasons and night and day. We will also review some of the concepts from the beginning of the unit. Check the class blog for posts about our learning!  

Learning Celebration Update

A note from Julie:

Teachers will work with parents to plan the end of year special events.  This includes the Wet and Wild Day as well as a culminating gathering immediately following the grade 3 final Learning Celebration.  We apologize for any confusion or incorrect messages regarding food not being served.  Teachers were not given clear guidelines on how to approach the Ramadan time relative to food at school events.  As an international school, we are respectful of all cultures and religions.  Our current practice and guidelines for end of year celebrations will continue as always.  I am confident that students will enjoy the planned events!

Week of May 14

Hello 3EV Families,

This week is a return to a full week of school. Monday will be a Day 4. 

ASAs are finished for the year, except for Thursday/Friday of this week. With the recent unexpected public holidays declared, we are rescheduling our Thursday and Friday After School Activities (ASAs) to next week (Thursday 17th & Friday 18th May).

It is important that our students have proper closure to their ASAs.  Several performances have been scheduled, belt grading in our martial arts classes and the list goes on. Normal activity buses will operate for these two days only.  Track and field athletes who don't have an ASA on Thursday, will attend Late Sport Supervision in the library as they would normally.

ISAC track and field athletes as you missed training last week, we are extending this Tuesdays session to run from 2:45-4:30pm.  Parents will be required to be at school to pick you up at 4.30pm sharp Tuesday 15th. The pick-up time on Thursday will be the usual 5pm. 

ALL OTHER ASAS HAVE NOW FINISHED AS PER NORMAL SCHOOL CALENDAR.  ALL STUDENTS WILL TAKE THE 2:45pm BUS HOME this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Your child will be coming home on their normal 2:45 bus after school.

Ramadan is starting on May 15th. If your child is fasting, please contact me so that I know. If your child is fasting, they can read in the library during recess time if they choose, but will be expected to participate in some modified PE activities.

Our Learning Celebration is fast approaching. Please mark it on your calendar. As the celebration is during Ramadan we will not be serving coffee or food. 

Reading/Writing: Students will find poems with strong feelings and concrete details of life. Next, students will include sensory details to elaborate and revise their work.

Math: This is our final week for the fractions unit. We will review the main math concepts for this unit.

           They include 

• Partition shapes.
• Represent equal parts of a whole as a fraction.
• Construct visual representation of equivalent fractions.

• Identify equivalent fractions.
• Use a number line to order and compare fractions.

Science: This week students will build a satellite. The goal is for it to drop from a height while holding an egg and to land so that the egg does not break. We are looking for parent volunteers to have their child bring in hard-boiled eggs for this investigation. Please contact me if you are able to do so. 

Please check at home for any class library books. I need to start organizing for my move, so ask that all books be returned no later than Thursday, May 31. 

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Week of May 9, 2018

Hello 3EV Families,

Although it was a short three day week we were able to launch our poetry unit and explored the concept of gravity. 

A friendly reminder that we will be having a learning celebration on Wednesday, May 30th from 8:15-9:00. All parents are encouraged to attend. 

Monday will be a Day 5.

We do not have school on Wednesday due to the election. Despite this change in our schedule, we will not be changing our Melawati day schedule, so Thursday is Day 2, not a Day 1. 

Reading/Writing

Students will explore how poets see the world through special lenses. Poets see with both their hearts and minds, writing about the world in fresh, unusual ways. They will also try a few different ways of using line breaks, choosing where they put words and how they use white space. Students will continue to read poems and notice the way the authors craft their poems and try out those moves in their own poems. Please share favorite poems at home and encourage your child to bring them in to share as well.

Math 

Students will continue to work on fractions. This week they will work on ways to recognize and show that equivalent fractions have the same size, though not necessarily the same shape.

Science

Students will take the knowledge from their rocket ships and apply them to a new project, a satellite. The objective of this task is to have it land safely.  If anyone is willing to send in 10 hardboiled eggs for us to use on Friday, please email me.

Home learning is due this Friday. Please refer to the home learning tab for the home learning options.

Week of May 2, 2018

Hello 3EV Families, 

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend. This past week we were busy building and testing our rockets. We learned about the engineering process as we tested and revised our rockets. Check the photo section of the blog for pictures of our designs. 

Ms. Julie came around and spoke to the grade level about "the home stretch". We are entering the last six weeks of school. It is important that we stay focused on the learning and the tasks we need to finish before the break. Please help by ensuring bedtime stays consistent. At this time of year, students may need extra sleep. 

Next week we will begin our last unit in reading and writing. It will be a unit on poetry. We will be having a learning celebration on Wednesday, May 30th from 8:15-9:00. We hope you will be able to join us. 

A friendly reminder that we do not have school on Monday or Tuesday (Labor Day and bridging day). 

 Wednesday will be a Day 2.

Reading/ Writing

This week we will begin our poetry unit. We will begin our work on ways that readers identify characteristics of poetry (line breaks, white space, shorter, repetition, figurative language, punctuation, meant to be read aloud, emotional and so much more). Please have your child bring in a few poems (home language encouraged) to share.

Math

Students continue their work with fractions. This week we will compare fractions on the number line by reasoning about their distance from 0.

Science

Students will blog about their rocket launch. We will focus our short week on the concept of gravity.

If your family is (or may be) leaving ISKL at the end of the school year please inform the school so that we can do all we can to help make the transition smooth. Ms. Stone will start meeting with leaving students soon. 

Thanks for your ongoing support! 

Week of April 23

Dear Parents, 

This past week, students practiced creating podcasts. They used their understanding of planets as the topic and Garage Band as the format. Hopefully, we can get these published on their blogs later this week. Click HERE to find a list of podcasts that are great for kids to listen to. I especially recommend the one titled Wow in the World.

Students enjoyed sharing their fiction writing with other grade three students. Click here to see a few pictures of that event, as well as other recent photos.

Reminder: Students will be taking the reading portion of the MAPs test in the morning on Monday, April 23. Please make sure they get a good nights sleep Sunday night and arrive at school on time. 

Save the date: On May 30th from 8:15-9:00a.m., Grade Three will host a Poetry Parent Share. We look forward to seeing you then!

Monday will be a Day 3.

Reading

This week students will finish up comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences between the two planets that they researched. This will be followed by a summative culminating activity. The activity will provide students with different choices for how they want to synthesize and present their research to the grade.

Writing

Students will be using this writing time to create reports about our planets. Also, time will be spent during writing to plan and design a model of their satellite.

Math

Students will practice placing fractions between 0 and 1 on a number line. The will also practice putting fractions greater than one on a number line. They will also begin to explore equivalent fractions.

Science

Students will become engineers and use the design thinking model to think about satellites and how to build one and land it successfully. They will work in collaborative teams, using recycled material, to build a satellite.

Week of April 16, 2018

Dear Parents, 

This past week, students were fascinated to track the sunrises and sunsets of different cities around the world, noticing the differences from one day to the next as well as from one location to the next. They also studied their shadows at different times of the day to make connections between the Earth and Sun and how it impacts day and night. We have begun learning how to make podcasts via Garage Band. You may want to have a listen to Wow in the World with your child- it is a great podcast for families. Common Sense Media also wrote about podcasts recently. Your child will share their own podcast on their blog soon. 

Friday your child took home pre and post assessments for our fairy tale/fantasy writing unit. Please spend a few minutes looking over the rubric and work with your child. Math assessments went home the week before. 

This week is Earth Week at Melawati. Please read the newsletter from the GLC or the Panther News for more information on that. We need your help to send in photos and video.

On Thursday morning, April 19th, students will be taking the first part of the MAPs test. Please make sure that your child has a good night's sleep and arrives on time.

Monday will be a Day 4.

Reading

Students will begin research on a second planet this week. By the end of this week, they will have learned a significant amount about one inner planet and one outer planet. They will continue to engage in discussions with others to help further synthesize information. Finally, they will use the two planets to compare and contrast their similarities and differences.

Writing
We will be finishing up our fantasy writing unit this week. Students will have an opportunity to share their final drafts at the end of the week with other third graders. 

Math
Students will be comparing fractions this week. They will compare unit fractions by reasoning about their size using fraction strips and compare unit fractions with different sized models representing the whole. Has your child shown fluency with math facts? If not, please have her/him practice for a few minutes each day.

Science

Students will continue to look for predictable patterns about the Sun, the Moon and the Earth and how they interact.

Please continue to look for class library books at home. 

This week we welcome Eshani Gale to 3EV. She is moving here from the US. 

March Book Madness

Week of April 9, 2018

Dear Parents,

Students had lots of questions and were very eager to begin our new Earth and Space unit. The tuning in activities helped to generate wonderings and build excitement. 

Similar enthusiasm and wonderings came up as we started our final math unit of the school year on Fractions. Here again are the vocabulary words for the unit. The assessment for the previous unit was sent home on Wednesday, please ask your child to share this with you if you have not already seen it. 

We begin the week on Day 5.

Reading

Students will conduct research on a planet that they are interested in learning about. They will use a variety of texts and digital materials, synthesise the important information about their subtopics, and record it in their own words. You can find out more about this unit, including vocabulary and resources by clicking HERE.

Writing

Students are continuing with fiction writing. They will continue to write adapted fairytales but also may branch out into other fantasy and creative writing choices. Additionally, students will begin to look at writing longer and more detailed/complex sentences. 

Math

Students will continue to practice partitioning shapes into equal parts. They will explain a unit fraction as part of a whole. They will represent/show different fractions and explain their representation. Please encourage your child to continue to practice basic facts if they are not confident with them yet. Reflex is a subscription website that your child can use at home (please let me know if you need password information again).

Science

Students will take a look at some of the important technological developments throughout history that have enabled us to learn more about the solar system. They will explore how technology helps us learn about the solar system and beyond.

Please remind your child to look at home for books from the classroom library, as many are missing. As a general rule, your child should have one book a night out from the class library.

Students are encouraged to work on their Genius Hour project at home if they like.

Have a great week!

Week of April 2, 2018

Dear Parents,

Hopefully, you and your family had a relaxing and fun holiday. We are now set up for our final stretch of the school year. A time that promises lots of learning and growth, and it will go by quickly. We have several new units scheduled to begin this week! 

If you took a photo of your child reading this break please email it to me and Ms. Suji. 

The Terry Fox Run on March 23rd was quite successful for third graders. They learned more about cancer awareness, participated in an important community event at school, and were inspired to do their personal best for the fun run. 

We begin the week on Day 6. 

Reading

This week begins with a new nonfiction reading unit called Research Reading. Students will start off by looking over their resources and organizing them. They will then identify subtopics within the topic they are studying and begin to synthesise the information to become experts.  

Writing

Students are continuing the fiction writing unit from before the holiday. They will not only continue to write adapted fairytales but also branch out into other fantasy and creative writing choices. 

Math

Students will begin a new unit in math this week titled Representing and Comparing Fractions. They will begin by partitioning shapes into parts with equal areas. They will express the areas of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partitioning a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describing the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. This is a very important unit with lots of new skills and concepts introduced.

Science

We start the week with a very exciting new science unit called Earth and Space. They will begin the unit by tuning in to prior knowledge and generating a list of wonderings. They will also take a look at technology and try to find out how technology can help us to learn about the solar system. If you have any connections to people who would be good resources for this unit, please let us know.

Fraction Unit

Dear Parents,

We will start our new Unit 6 in Math: Representing and comparing fractions, after Spring Break.

Memorization is NOT a goal in the case of vocabulary words and multiplication facts. We encourage you to discuss the ideas and concepts through hands-on activities and conversations (in the home language) about how we use math in our daily lives. 

We encourage to make connections and have conversations in your home language to help understand the concept.

In this unit students will: 

• Develop an understanding of fractions, beginning with unit fractions. 
• View fractions in general as being built out of unit fractions, and they use fractions along with visual fraction models to represent parts of a whole. 
• Understand that the size of a fractional part is relative to the size of the whole. For example, 1/2 of the paint in a small bucket could be less paint than 1/3 of the paint in a larger bucket, but 1/3 of a ribbon is longer than 1/5 of the same ribbon because when the ribbon is divided into 3 equal parts, the parts are longer than when the ribbon is divided into 5 equal parts. Students are able to use fractions to represent numbers equal to, less than, and greater than one. 
• Solve problems that involve comparing fractions by using visual fraction models and strategies based on noticing equal numerators or denominators. 
• Recognize that the numerator is the top number (term) of a fraction and that it represents the number of equal-sized parts of a set or whole; recognize that the denominator is the bottom number (term) of a fraction and that it represents the total number of equal-sized parts or the total number of objects of the set.
• Explain the concept that the larger the denominator, the smaller the size of the piece.
• Compare common fractions with like denominators and tell why one fraction is greater than, less than, or equal to the other.
• Represent halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, eighths, tenths , and twelfths using various fraction models.

VOCABULARY:

Visual Mathematics Online Dictionary: This resource includes definitions, pictures, examples, and related words for mathematical vocabulary. 

Unit Key Vocabulary: click for more

• Denominator: the bottom number in a fraction. It tells how many equal parts the set or whole has been divided into
• Equivalent Fractions: two or more fractions that name the same amount
• Fraction: a number that names part of a whole or part of a group
• Greatest: the largest in a group
• Least: the smallest in a group
• Number Line: a line with equally spaced tick marks named by numbers
• Numerator: the top number in a fraction. It tells how many of the equal parts of the whole or group are being considered
• Order: arrangement according to size, amount, or value

ACTIVITIES AT HOME:

• Go on a fraction hunt! Look for household items that are divided into equal parts (fractions of a whole and fractions of a set). Record the fractions.
• Roll number cubes to make fractions. Draw pictures of the fractions you make. Place the fractions you've made in order on a number line.
• Identify fractions at meal times. For example, you ate 1/2 of an apple, 3/4 stalk of celery, 1 whole tuna sandwich, and 2/3 of a glass of milk.
• Practice making equivalent fractions.
• Plot fractions on a number line.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

Matching Fractions: basic fractions

Equivalent Fractions: finding equivalent fractions

Equivalent Fractions: finding equivalent fractions using area models (you need to enable Adobe flash to work)

Khan Academy: 3rd Grade Math topics

Happy learning!

The Grade 3 Team