This is for parents

Dear Parents,
Many of you have asked if there will be a Holiday work packet sent home. Due to copies and budget restraints we are not able to send home a work packet. There are plenty of activites for students to do on Destination sucess. Students have their log in and password in their agendas and they should know how to acess it on the dcps webpage. We have worked with this site several times this year. The programs run slow at school, so they should have an easier time getting on at home. If you have any questions just email me at biegunb@duvalschools.org
Thank you and have a great break.
Mrs. Biegun

Interviewing for our Report Writing

Don't forget over the holiday break to interview the person you selected. You need to ask them the 10 questions that you chose. We have been practicing writing down repsonses and we really realized that it is a bit harder than we thought. Remember to be polite and if you need them to repeat something say it nicely. I can't wait to hear how your interviews went. The questions are due January 7th. Remember you are writing their reponses in your project notebook, these dont have to be perfect, but you should remember what they said.

Trickster Tales Fun

We have been studying Trickster Tales for a couple of weeks now. I found this quiz online see if you can get tricked or not!
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr3/activities/gr3_th2_quiz.html

Remember there is always a lesson to be learned in a Trickster Tale.

Awesome Geronimo Stilton Stuff

I happened to find this awesome site for all of the Geronimo Stilton fans!! I hope you like it. I know I had a good time playing with some of the things on here. This site is set up just like the Gazette in the book and its really cool because you can listen to some of the Geronimo books. This is really neat. Let me know what you think!

http://www.scholastic.com/titles/geronimostilton/index.htm

Report Writing

We are just beginning our report writing genre. Our class is going to do something a little different. We are going to be conducting interviews! Instead of doing research in books we are going to talk to members of our family to do our research. Interview questions and more information will be coming home in next few days so be on the lookout.

Here are some links to check out samples of interviews:

Dav Pilkey-author of Captain Underpants Biography

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3499&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3Fquery%3Ddav%2Bpilkey%26Ntt%3Ddav%2Bpilkey%26Ntk%3DSCHL30_SI%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26N%3D0%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E

Dancing Rainbows

Our last story for our Celebrating Traditions theme is Dancing Rainbows. This is a really intersting story about a Native American boy who learns dancing from his grandfather. Check out the fun games that go along with this story. Remember that this one link has a biography from the author, vocabulary games and more.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr3/gr3_th2_sel4.html

Report Writing

Our Narrative stories have finally been turned in and we are getting ready to prepare for Report Writing. Mrs. Biegun is going to mix up report writing... I will give you a hint.
You wont be able to find any information in a book and you will be allowed to do a lot of talking. If you can guess what our reports will be on then let me know when you see me.

The Talking Cloth

Here are the fun and games that go along with our story The Talking Cloth. I was super impressed that you guys understood all of the symbols in the story. Later in the week we should have time to maybe make our own andinkra cloths.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr3/gr3_th2_sel3.html

Grandma's Records

The story that we are reading this week is called Grandma's Records. Remember we are still in our celebrating traditions theme. Check out the vocabulary games and other activities.
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr3/gr3_th2_sel2.html

We have become Chocolatiers

On Friday, October 31st our class became official chocolatiers. We finished reading our fiction read aloud Chocolate Fever and we just finished a nonfiction book that taught us all about the history of chocolate. We have had some tasty reading going on!! Then one of our students Ivan brought in Nutella sandwiches. Ivan is a proud Italian and told us that Nutella sandwiches are a popular snack in Italy. The entire class tried the sandwiches and loved them. I have attatched the Nutella website so you can learn more about this tasty treat.

http://www.nutellausa.com/index.html

Tongue Twister Challenge

We have an intersting challege going on in our classroom. We have started a tongue twister challege. We are going to start trying to memorize weekly tongue twisters to practice fluency and put more feeling into our reading. This weeks tongue twister is...

"What ails Alex?" asks Alice.

Our Class Quilt

Don't forget later in the week we are planning on making a class quilt. Start thinking of how you are going to decorate your quilt square. Remeber to think of things that you like to do. We want to make it as create as possible. I already know that on my square I am going to try to draw a picuture of a squirrel because I like squirrels (don't laugh at my drawing skills).

The Keeping Quilt

We have just started our Celebrating Traditions them and to kick it off we are reading The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Pollaco. Check out this link to find out more information about Pollaco. I have also attatched some cool games to play so you can practice your vocabulary!
Patricia Pollaco Biography
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/gr3/gr3_th2_sel1.html

The Keeping Quilt Games
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/ewordgame/index.html?grade=3&theme=2&selection=1

Silly Poem website

You guys are doing an awesome job at studying poetry so far in class. I thought you would enjoy this website. It has a lot of silly poems. Remember poetry is like books... you have to read a lot to find one kind that you like!
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/

Lost and Found Fun

Here are some fun activities to do with the story The Lost and Found.
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr3/gr3_th1_sel3.html

Mrs. Pack's Blog

Don't forget to check out Mrs. Pack's blogspot here is the link in case you forgot.www.mrspackmathscience&socialstudies.blogspot.com

BALLAD OF MULAN GAMES

This website tells you all about the author of Ballad of Mulan and has a vocabulary game to practice the words from the story.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/gr3/gr3_th1_sel2.html

Making Inferences Slide Show

Here is a quick slide show to remind you how to use the inferencing strategy.

http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/e/infer_files/frame.htm

Radical Reading Strategies Website

Check out this awesome website. This site has all of our reading strategies on it and reminds us what to do in each of them. This would be an excellent site to use when you are reading books at home.

http://el014.k12.sd.us/Reading%20Strategies.htm

Check Out What We Are Working On In Reading!

Right now we are reading the legend Ballad of Mulan. We are really excited to read this story becuase most of us have seen the movie and we are infering that they are not the same. The reading strategy of the week is Monitor and Clarify. Check out the video below for extra help with this and other strategies. We are still working on short vowel sounds, in fact all of our spelling words have a short o or short u.

Coconut Vowel Game- http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/coconuts/coconuts.html

Keeping Track of Reading Logs

Students are responsible for keeping track of their own reading logs. Books are to be logged into the back of their agendas each time they finish a book. Each entry must be filled out completely to count. On the last day of each month I will collect agendas to count how many books students have read. I will initial the log and indicate how many books have gone toward their goals. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

What Counts As A Book?

Third graders are required to read at least 30 chapter book by the end of the school year. Every 100 pages counts as a book, unless its a book on their level. For example a level M book may only have 80 pages, if that is your level then that counts as a book for you. Students should also try to read a variety of different books.

Welcome to Room 203

Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year at Sheffield Elementary School. Just a reminder that room 203 has the best students and not to mention the best teachers in the school. Mrs. Pack and I are coteaching again this year, which means you get two great teachers for the price of one! Since I teach the Reading and Writing this blog will be dedicated to reading, writing and all the great things that go along with that. Check this blog often for homework reminders, class updates, fun websites and much much more. If there is anything you wish would end up on the blog, just let me know and I will see what I can do. We have a great class and I have a feeling that the year is just going to get better.