Rube Goldberg Takes Over Room 8

Thank you to Mrs. Restrepo for helping to sort through all the goodies sent in by third graders to build our Rube Goldberg!

One of the groups getting started!

What is the difference between an inclined plane and a wedge?  This solidified our understanding!

Anti Bully Spray

Do you know all the strategies to using "Anti-Bully Spray"?  This stuff really works!

Hands on Equations Equals Fun

Hands on Equations introduces students to the world of algebra.  I am so amazed by these materials!  From the text:   "In these lessons, the students will reinforce their basic computational skills, develop their problem-solving skills, and gain confidence in algebraic reasoning."  The basic equations they are able to solve with this understanding are not usually presented until middle school.  Look for this work to come home next week!  I am so excited to share this with them and can't wait to see how they grow!  See the research section of www.borenson.com for the latest research on this great program.  I sure wish I had this when I was in school.  Lucky for me, I get to enjoy it now!  I love my job!!!!

Black History Month

Today we accessed the Smithsonian Museum's African American Cultural Heritage Tour online to learn about history through artifacts! Follow the link below at home to learn more together! 

http://heritagetours.si.edu/bhm.html

Simple Machines kick off and materials request!

We are getting ready to kick off what we hope will be an amazing study of simple machines!  I don't want to give away too much, but we might be building something…..  We are looking for a donation of some supplies and things you may have around the house.  (This might be a good way to get your kids to clean out the junk drawer, game closet, or playroom!)  You may send them in with your child Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Monday.  

Random recyclable items such as:

toilet paper or paper towel tubes, clean plastic containers like frosting containers, nothing glass please!

Random things from your garage such as:

short pieces of pvc pipe, twine, screws, wire, small wood scraps, short pieces of wooden dowel rods, 

Random things from your playroom such as:

old pieces of games (jenga, dominos, dice, pieces that no longer make a set!), pieces of wooden or plastic railroad track, pieces from a marble run track, matchbox cars, ramps from matchbox tracks, small toys, bouncy balls, marbles, wind up toys, hopping toys, etc.

Random household items such as:

film canisters, spools, bells, rubber bands, twine, small pulley system, small dixie cups, duck tape, ping pong balls, tennis balls, tennis ball containers, empty cd cases or even VCR cases, cards from a deck or partial deck of cards, a few balloons (not blown up!),  spoons, magnets

You get the idea!​

Geometry

Our geometry vocabulary has grown immensely this week... Here are the terms your third grader must know:

Point, ray, line, line segment, angle, polygon, quadrilateral, vertex, edges, faces, plane figures, triangle, square, rectangle, solid figures, cone, cylinder, cube, rectangular prism, square based pyramid, congruent and non-congruent

Here are some terms some children may know:

Parallel, divergent, convergent, adjacent, opposite, rhombus, parallelogram, kite, Platonic solids, Euler's formula, circumference, diameter, radius, chord 

This week in room 8

This week we have much to do!

The museum: The first day went well! We are back to business as usual until Friday when we will be the docents for 3 groups of students coming to our museum. Please wear nice pants that day. We will be wearing our ODC shirts. Parents will celebrate with us on Monday, February 10th, and we will also have our Olympics. 

Math: Continue to work on math facts. Ask your child what table he or she is working on. All tables through the 12s should be memorized by the end of this quarter. Children have the opportunity to work on them daily in class orally, in written format, and on the computer. Most students need reinforcement at home!   We will be continuing our study of geometry. I will post a vocab list tomorrow! 

Writing: We are focusing on revision this week, specifically revising verbs and adjectives. Look for writing assignments to come home next week so that you may see your child's development in his or her writing skills! 

Social Studies: We will examine the basic principles that firm the foundation of a republican form of government by discovering contributions of famous Americans including (but not limited to!) Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, & Rosa Parks, and describing how we can serve our community, state and nation!

Science: Our study of simple machines is coming up soon!!! Get ready to be amazed! 

Reading: Our American Studies unit will have us reading biographies. We will finish our novel studies and then read more Junior Great Books.