Math Machines

Today in class we brought the idea of a "function box" to life by making math machines!  Using half gallon containers, a "flip chute" and art supplies, we found a fun way to demonstrate input/output.  Ask your child how it works! The children will bring these delightful machines home tomorrow.  Please keep them in a safe spot for the year, as we will be using them to practice our multiplication and division facts. 

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3B and 3A are having small parties on Friday.  The third grade is having 3 or 4 parent helpers commit to  helping out at the party.  Those helpers must sign in at the office when arriving on Friday and their names must be on the master list of volunteers for the day.  Mrs. Gildea, 3B's room parent, is organizing our party and if you are interested in being one of the 3-4 helpers on the list, please contact her.  Thank you all for understanding our commitment to safety.

  

Secret Snowflakes of 3B!

Monday will be the first day of 3B’s Secret Snowflakes.  We have all picked a name from the Secret Snowflakes treasure chest.  You will be the Secret Snowflake for the person whose name you draw.  Your mission is to keep your identity hidden from that person until the time of revealing:  our winter party on Friday, December 21^st.  Every morning (starting Monday morning) you should secretly place a riddle or a clue where your person can easily find it.  These riddles should give your person a hint about your identity.  For example, “Roses are red, violets are blue.  You have brown hair and I do, too!” Some good spots to place these riddles would be a person’s desk or cubby.  If you need help secretly placing a riddle, you may ask Mrs. Ohrn to help you.

         On Friday, you should bring in a homemade card for the person you have chosen.  This card will contain their final Secret Snowflake clue.  Each person will have two guesses, and then we’ll reveal our Secret Snowflake true identities.  Good luck!!!!

     

     

                               

Multiplication Matters

3B is off and running with multiplication!  The children are getting a solid foundation of what multiplication truly means and are now memorizing their facts.  Each week the children will be tested on their memorization of multiplication facts.  You should have seen the study chart that came home yesterday; please sign this each night to confirm that your child has studied their facts for 15 minutes each night.  Please have your child return the chart to school each Friday.  They should be studying the facts that we are currently working on. The schedule for our facts will be as follows:  the 2s, 4s, 5s, 10s, 3s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 11s and 12s. We follow this order because it is easier to memorize the fours if they know their twos and the same can be said for the fives and tens, threes and sixes, etc.. In order to pass to the next level, each student must be able to have their facts memorized in less than one minute.  It is important that the children commit the facts to memory and are not counting on their fingers when recalling the facts.  Gaining speed in this area will help them as they tackle more challenging word problems that require multi-steps.  We will work on these facts at school daily, but it is critical that they practice at home if they are to master them.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  I have added some multiplication sites to the links on the blog.  Enjoy the schoolhouse rock video below!

Schoolhouse Rock: Multiplying by 4