3D Structures and Shape Experts

We are currently working on 3D shapes in our class. Students worked together to show their expertise on a 3D shape of their choice. They used Pic Collage to show what they learned about their shape. After showing what they know, they shared their Pic Collage on a shared Padlet. If you'd like to learn more about and of the 3D shapes on our list, check below at our Padlet thinking. Today we presented our learning and added to our 3D Shape Chart. If you know anymore facts about 3D shapes, please add it to our Padlet below!

We will continue working on 3D shapes and describing their properties. In Science we are working on stable structures. We had a STEM challenge last week using gumdrops and toothpicks. Students had to design a 3D shape that would be stable enough to hold a heavy textbook. It was a fun challenge and we got to experiment with various 2D and 3D shapes.   Ask your child what their learned about the shapes after completing this challenge. Ask your child what is the strongest shape is!!

Created with Padlet

2D Geometry

In math we are currently working on 2D Geometry. We are comparing shapes based on their properties (sides, vertices, angles, etc). We are focusing on right angles and looking at the inside of shapes to describe angles as bigger, smaller or the same size as right angles. Currently, we are congruent 2D shapes using tangrams and other objects. A shape is congruent when it is the same size and shape. We are flipping, turning, stacking or turning the direction to see if the shapes are congruent or not.

This week we completed our Shape Hunt Challenge. Students went around the school find shapes inside of objects. Students were challenged to write about the sides, vertices and angles inside of the objects they found. It was a fun task and students shared all of their learning on a 2D Shared Padlet. The link is below.

Created with Padlet

Math Centers

In Math we continue to focus on addition and subtraction of 2 and 3 digit numbers. In class, students are getting better adding and subtracting numbers without using their fingers. Our mental math strategies really help us to solve our math problems. Our math minutes help us to review our strategies and improve our scores each day. To review how to add and subtract using strategies we learn in class, please review our previous Blog post with great charts and information.

http://mrsciampaclass.blogspot.ca/2015/04/addition-and-subtraction.html

This week we introduced a few new math games to help us practice our mental math strategies with partners. We used many manipulatives, tools and devices to help us to add and subtract. Working together with their friends students got the opportunity to practice the skills we work on in class and teach and learn from their peers.

We played an adding and subtracting game using a deck of cards, a dice and dominoes. If you have any of these materials at your home, it is easy to play math games with your child! Simply make 2 or 3 digit numbers and play some fun adding or subtracting games using dry erase markers, or pencils! Ask your child how they play these games and try them at home. If you try a game, please share it with us on your KidBlog account!

Students also created their own subtraction posters at the Math Writing Center to teach their friends how to subtract numbers. The posters will be added to our Math Vocabulary Wall. You can comment on their Subtraction Blogs on our KidBlog accounts!




Students are reminded that they can access our DreamBox Math Account from home. Please continue to play fun DreamBox math games for homework to practice some key number sense concepts that are important for your child's success in grade three.

Shape Hunt Challenge

In Math we continue to describe the different features of 2D Shapes. We are identifying what makes shapes different and the same. We are also talking about which shapes have right angles and which do not. Students are also describing other angles shapes may have like acute angles (smaller than a right angle) or obtuse angles (bigger than a right angle).

Over the past few days we went on a shape hunt challenge. We had to find shapes in objects around our classroom or school. We described the objects by their shapes and the angles inside of them. We used Pic Collage to gather our data. We posted all of our completed shape hunt challenges on a Padlet. Enjoy!

 

Created with Padlet

Expert Posters

This week students completed their expert posters! All students decided to complete their good copy on the Pic Collage app. We followed the procedural writing model to write about what we think we are experts on. Below students came up with what they know very well, and used our procedural checklist to write about what they want to teach people about. We have posted these posters around our school and hope that we can teach others about our expertise!

Students also recorded their reading on the app AudioBoom. We are assessing our own reading and working on our voice. Students can listen to one another's reading and see if they used good expression and a clear voice when reading. Enjoy!

          

    

 

 

Below are our AudioBoom readings. We are working on our clarity and expression - we hope you learned something from us today!

listen to ‘NN Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘JP Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘FMF Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘ZK Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘FF Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘DL Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘CW Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘RC Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘HH Procedural Writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘EB procedural writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘TO procedural writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘BT procedural writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘KI procedural writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘SM procedural writing’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘AO procedural writing’ on audioBoom

Party Planners

The party planning committee has been working hard over the past few weeks to plan a Christmas party for our class!

It started with a persuasive letter to convince me to have the party. During our Literacy Centers time, a committee was formed. The girls worked together to plan the party. They came up with a list, they created invitations and decided what we could do at our party!

We said thank you to Mme. Paradis for letting us have a PJ Day!

The girls made sure to invite everyone in our class and handed out their invitations today. They worked so hard the past few weeks! Thank you girls for organizing this party for us. The class will really love it!

Last year some students tried to persuade our principal to have a Pyjama Day. They received great news today when they learned that we are allowed to wear PJ's to our party this Friday!

Some students used apps like Pic Collage and Tellagami to thank Mme. Paradis for letting us wear PJ's!

Friday will be a great day. Our party will be in the afternoon. Students can wear their PJ's to school. Students are also invited to bring snacks to our party. We can't wait. Thanks again to the girls who worked hard to plan this party for us! 

GRA Week 5 - Shared Padlet

Together with Mrs. King's Grade 3 class, we posted what we thought the Author's Message was from the story Going Places. We read our predictions and our connections on iPad apps such as AudioBoom and Tellagami. We also used Pic Collage to post our thinking on Padlet. This was a shared learning opportunity between our two classes. Students had the chance to read and view the thinking of students in our class and in Mrs. King's class. Click below to listen and read about our ideas!

Created with Padlet

Literacy Center Writing

This week students have added many new ideas and learning goals to our Literacy Centers. We are having fun and exploring new ways to incorporate writing into our centers.

The boys are enjoying creating HOW TO books at the writing center. We created a new I CAN list with a goal of writing stories to explain something. Some other friends have started creating their own story books using a Narrative writing checklist. Some great writers are emerging in our room. A wonderful idea came from DL to add our completed books to our class library. Excellent idea! Some students are creating rough copies before creating a good copy into a book. We look forward to reading all books really soon.

Also at the Writing Center this week, students continue to write persuasive letters to people in our school. Some students are even getting replies from other teachers. It is really neat to see the fun persuasive ideas our students are coming up with! They are learning how to write good reasons, and how to be even more convincing as the replies come in. I have a few students working very hard to try to convince me to have a class party. I am hoping they can convince with really good reasons or facts!

Have a read at some of the persuasive letters I received this week so far. Students used AudioBoo to record their letter before delivering it to me in an envelope. I wonder if they can be persuasive enough!

listen to ‘HH & ab & md persuasiveing Mrs.ciampa’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘RC. EC. Persuasive Writing’ on Audioboo

More persuasive writing success. WN convinced the grade 1's to have a dance party today!!! pic.twitter.com/ur4Ad9IyMH
— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) May 23, 2014

Hand-Washing Posters

Students have completed their hand-washing posters. We followed a success criteria and used the explanation writing format to write about how and why we wash our hands. Students learned about important features like photos with captions and sequencing words to put the hand washing steps in orders. Students read stories and discussed the health benefits of keeping our hands clean. 

We followed a checklist to help keep us on track. We also wrote a rough draft before creating our good copy using the iPads. Students are learning through the editing process. We worked on how to check our own work for errors like punctuation, capitalization and misspelled words. 

Since researching, we learned about how to keep ourselves healthy and how to stop the spread of germs. We've also made a class routine of making sure we always wash our hands before we eat our lunch. Great work to all students! 


Below are our completed hand washing posters that we created using the iPad app Pic Collage  during our Literacy Centers. We hope to put these posters around our school to spread the word about keeping healthy. Enjoy!