Arnold

Open Journal Science Test: August 31, 2011

Open Journal (notebook) Test on Rocks August 31, 2011

This was our first Open Journal Test. The students were able to use their notes, and their science journal to answer the questions on the test. All of the answers were taken directly from our notes and from the science mini books that we had read, highlighted, and discussed that were glued into their notebooks. Before the test was given I wrote TYPE and KINDS or EXAMPLES on the white board. I explained 3 times that TYPE would only refer to Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic Rock and that the other questions would be examples or kinds of those types of rocks. I verbally gave out words to show examples or kinds of each of those types of rock: basalt, pumice, limestone, shale, etc.

I also explained that on the test every word would only be used once and that was also written on the test itself. The word TYPE was in bolded print in each place where that was intended. If your child used a word twice then they did not pay attention to verbal and written directions: find out why!

I had a total of 13 out of 21 students who passed this test with ( 2’s and 3’s). The remaining 8 scores were ( 1’s) . I also counted off for spelling since there was a word bank and the words were right there to simply copy. Spelling did not deduct much but there was a penalty for not taking the time to copy correctly. I explained today in class that sometimes as students we can be academically lazy and what that meant. We have to work hard to be diligent in our work.

There will be another test later on this same material, although I will change the wording just a bit. In class we are going to make study cards and your child can practice matching the words and the phrases, descriptors, to learn them more easily. These cards will be able to come home when they are completed, but after will need to come back to class so we have them to revisit the concepts before the CRCT.

If you want their science journals to come home they can upon request but they will need to come back to class the week of September 15th. The science retest will be on September 15^th, Thursday. Your child has between now and then to prepare for the second test on this material. Both grades will be in the grade book. This retest will NOT be an Open Journal Test so all students need to study and know the material!

Some students did not want to go to the work to go back into their journals and find their answers. I told them to look at the word bank and then go back to the text to find those words and concepts and that is where the answers would be located. For most beginning third grade students this is just too much work for them to choose to do. For others they are overwhelmed by the information and have not yet learned how to chunk up the information, look for key words, and by doing so they can work more quickly and effectively. We will be working on developing these skills throughout the year.

Next week we are going to move on to Social Studies, Greek Government, and then come back to rocks, their attributes, and fossils.

I have placed a label in the agenda with your child’s score for you to sign with this test’s score.

Third grade is a demanding and difficult year, and is quite a transition from the expectations of second grade. More is expected from students in this year and they have to learn to be less reliant on someone doing all the work for them. This is not easy. If your child’s score was low let’s work hard to improve their scores, but give them time to adjust and help them learn to use better study skills. If your child did well then ask them how they did the work so well. Let them verbalize to you what they are doing right.

I am looking for improvement over time and this will come with practice, and with determination to do better next time. Ask them why they think they missed what they did, what went wrong, and ask them how they can do better next time.

I am also going to go over this test in class and we are going to discuss how we can “Unravel” the key or clue words in the questions to help us find the answers. Also they need to always answer the ones they know for sure first and then go back to use those they were more uncertain of last. This is a valuable test taking technique. Good students do this naturally, but a struggling student needs to be taught how to do this. Once taught this process of elimination can make a huge difference in their test taking skills, and greatly improve their grades in all subject areas.

Another conversation is to ask them if they are truly paying attention in class during the lessons. Ask them if they are daydreaming, drifting off, playing with items on their desks, distracted by someone around them or perhaps even distracting others around them. At this age I constantly have to refocus the attention of a number of young students often during lessons. I have told them that drifting off is normal but they have to make an effort when redirected to stay focused. So far I am not seeing many who drift off working on staying focused. Over time for most of them this will come. This takes time, maturity, awareness, and plain hard work. Ask them how they are doing in this area. When a student daydreams they of course miss out on important information, they honestly don’t hear and don’t know what was said or taught for the time their mind went elsewhere.

Remember that we are looking for progress over time, the beginning may be a bit hard for some but if we keep them from becoming discouraged, and help them where they are weak, and keep pushing, then over time we will see progress and improvement. We need to keep our eye on the big picture and also keep our students formulating plans for success. They have to be able to verbalize where they went wrong and then think of a way to improve and then implement that plan. Challenge them to do better on the next test and then if/when they do, praise them highly and loudly!

We are building the foundation for future academic success in the upper grades. This is where we begin to prepare for fourth and fifth grades and beyond!

Mrs. Arnold

August 29, 2011 Spelling, T Shirt Order, Parent Letter, Label in Agenda to Sign

I gave a spelling pretest today to all students except Target. Please look at highlighted words so that you know which words to study.

 

In binders there is a chance to order a great T shirt for just $6.00. These orders must be in by Thursday. No late orders. Don't miss out on this terrific offer if you are interested. Order one for yourself too!

 

I wrote a letter to you parents this weekend about math timed fluency tests and expectations and attached the graded papers from last week to it. I also put a label in the agendas for you to sign to let me know you receive the letter and the graded papers. For each child who gets the label signed (I will check on Friday only this week) they will receive $10.00 market money. If you sign the agenda at the end of the week they can earn another $10.00. For completing homework and turning it in on time they can receive $20.00.

August 24 General News

Monday a spelling pretest went home and the words your child missed were highlighted so that they knew which ones they needed to study. Target students were not here for the pretest but can do one with you at home.

 

Students have begun to check out library books and take AR tests. Remember to ask them how they are doing. Go to the blog to read more about our classroom and AR, on the tabs or headings on the left side of the page.

 

First homework packet will come home this Friday and be due next Friday along with our next Spelling Sort. This week and last week we have worked on a homework packet together to help students better understand how to do the work and how to understand the concepts.

 

We have been working on note taking in math, language and science journals. We have been working on Mountain Math and Language which will become their morning work. I really want all of my students in my room as early as 7:15 and not later then 7:30 to benefit from this work. If a child is attending EIP reading at this time then they will still benefit from our review of the work which begins after announcements at 8 am.

These programs spiral, much like the homework, all concepts all the time over and over gradually increasing in some difficulty. This gives students time to work on mastery and become more proficient over time.

 

Remember that on Fridays signed agendas  for the week will earn your child $10.00 of our play market money. Also completed homework will earn another $20.00. At the end of the behavior calendar I will also pay students a sum for those calendars. They need only be signed if they were marked off for any reason. I will email you in that case.

 

Third grade is a very intensive year academically and your child will be stretched and grown in many areas. We will work on good organizational strategies, note taking skills, how to use high lighters and ink to make things stand out to our brains, how to locate the important information in a text, how to use unravel in a variety of way to increase our comprehension, our attention to details and improve our grades and test taking skills.

 

I hope your child is enjoying third grade but also finding that we work hard each day. The students say that the days pass quickly as we are so busy each day. If they come home tired, then they have worked hard! I have heard it said that the way you know a classroom is run correctly is when the students go home even more tired than the teacher, as they have worked very  hard all day! I want it to be challenging, fun, exciting, and I know at times it will be frustrating, but we will learn endurance and how to manage and grow over time.

 

Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

In class we have been working on the three major types of rocks through songs, journaling (note taking) and mini books. We are not only learning about the rocks but students are working on study skills that will help them in every grade of school. We are reading the mini books in chunks out loud, and then using highlighters and red and blue ink pens to pull out key words and make notations. These are the types of skills that can be invaluable in every grade of school including college.

The three major types of rocks are Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic that we are studying.

Igneous: formed when magma (lava) cools and hardens: types of igneous: granite (kitchen countertops), basalt (heavy and black in color) and pumice (full of air bubble and will float).

Sedimentary: formed in layers from broken pieces of matter (sediment like sand, mud, seashells): sandstone (made from layers of sand), Shale (made from layers of mud) and limestone (made from broken sea shells)

Metamorphic Rocks are rocks that change from one thing to another (like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly is our word meaning connection) the sedimentary limestone becomes marble (like Mrs. Arnold has on one of her bathroom countertops: melted marble top) and shale turns into slate (like they wrote on in the old west, mini chalk boards)

It takes millions of years for teh process to create rocks: It takes three things:

1. Time

2. Heat

3. Pressure

Granite is hard and can be used for countertops and even roads, Clay is very soft and can be used to make pottery and bricks. Talc is very soft and is used to make chalk or powder.

Talk to your child about these concepts. Ask them leading questions like:

How are igneous rocks formed? sedimentary? metamorphic?

What are some examples or rock types of each one?

Give them one of the the types for example: granite and ask them to tell you what they know about it. If they can tell you what type it is then ask if they know how it was formed.

Build connections from rocks to the real world around them. When you talk to your child about what they are studying it builds that academic interest and allows them to share with you what they are learning. By doing this they cement the intormation into their brains much better and you will find by the time a study guide comes home they are already greatly prepared with the information.

 

First Week of School Now Behind Us

This first week of school was busy, full, fun and interesting. We actually have accomplished a lot already. We began to build our background knowledge of the three types of rocks, how they are formed, and examples of each type. We learned all of this from two simple songs. This next week we will begin to dive into this more in depth. In math we created our journals and began to work on problem solving and general math concepts. At this stage we are also taking the time to learn how to work neatly in our journals. We created our Language Arts Journals and students were able to read the resources we glued in and use a highlighter to find things that they might be able to use later on. We began to work through guided lessons on how to do our morning work of Mountain Math and Language and also began modeling how to do and understand our homework packets. We are establishing routines, procedures, and understanding our classroom rules and guidelines. Next week we will continue with guided lessons, modeling, and we will by the end of next week have established a solid foundation for our future learning. It was a wonderful week and I am excited about this new year.

Peanut Allergies 2011 2012

We do have some peanut allergies this year in our room so when it comes to classroom snack donations please be sure the product is not from the peanut family of ingredients. Thank you so very much.