Monday, October 31, 2011

10/31 hw

-no spelling contract -instead finish vocab sentences (the kids had a lot of time to work on them in class - the goal was less homework and a way to incorporate studying for vocab.
-math pg 87 f/b (fact families-should be very quick!)
-review SS for test on Wednesday

Math Study Guides

We will be testing on Thursday.  They will begin their study guides tomorrow and work into Wednesday with them.  If you would like to help your child at home, please use the study guide to make up new problems that are similar to the ones listed. 

Green group:

Pink group:


**I am having technical difficulties with posting the study guides.  Please stay tuned or look for them tomorrow if I cannot find the solution!

Spelling/Vocab and Tests

Tests this week:
  • Wednesday
    • Vocab Quiz (words are difficult this week for both groups-please spend time studying!)
    • Social Studies Test
  • Thursday
    • Math Test (on multiplication and division)
  • Friday
    • Story test
    • Spelling test
    • Multiplication Timing (the 36 basic facts in 2 min. pink group, 3 min. green group) - we will be testing every Friday for the rest of the year.  Please continue to have your child study and learn the facts with speed and fluency.
Pink group spelling: 
Time for Kids #1 - Week 11 (Q2 – Week 2)



Spelling Words                 

ground
frown
downtown
bounced
council
about
scout
counter
background
amount
bound
shower
mountain
county
thousand
allowance
counselor
discount
countless
rebound




Vocabulary Words

proposal - a plan offered for consideration

amendment - a change or addition for improvement

activist - a person who believes and takes direct action to bring changes in government, environmental, or social conditions

reconciliation - the act of settling a dispute by agreement

core - the central or most important part

velocity - the rate of motion; speed

mischievous - causing or tending to cause minor harm

rambunctious - not under control; disorderly

Green group:
Visitors From Space

Spelling Words

blooming
settled
stamping
leaving
liked
taking
getting
filled
swimming
rolled
hoping
used
hurrying
buying
worried


Vocabulary Words

fluorescent – bright and glowing

force – power that causes motion or change

loops – moves in a circling way

nucleus – center of a comet

particles – tiny pieces

solar wind – continuous flow of gases from the sun

 

Friday, October 28, 2011

Social Studies Test

We have finished unit 2 of social studies and will be testing on Wednesday.  I didn't want to have the test on Monday after a weekend or Tuesday so yall can Trick or Treat  :)

Below is the study guide.  There are 2 - one has a bit more information (We completed our study guides in class together and it will be counted as a classwork grade) and one is not enough information-it has already been completed.  They have both to study!

Name _____________________ Date________________
Individual Freedoms Study Guide          Test is _____________________.
Slavery
Who did the Constitution exclude from having equal rights?
 __________________, __________________, and __________­­­______
slavery_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
freedom_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
enslaved_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was life like for a slave in the US?


Which area of the US believed in slavery?________________________
Resources
Name the three types of resources.
 _______________, ________________, and __________________.
Capital resources_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Human resources_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
natural resources_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
entrepreneur__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
interdependence_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
trade________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Frederick Douglass
civil rights______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
prejudice_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
liberty_________________________________________________________
justice_________________________________________________________
Frederick Douglass_______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
segregation___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
abolitionist__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Underground Railroad______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abraham Lincoln_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________ Civil War_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Who won the Civil War? _______________________________
Amendment­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________________
What Amendment to the Constitution made slavery illegal? __________________
freedom of conscience and expression_________________________________
_____________________________________________________________


Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Susan B. Anthony was a member of the ________________________ religion.  What did this religion believe about women?_____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What rights did women have at this time?_______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How were women thought of at this time in history?_______________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
suffrage_______________________________________________________
Elizabeth Stanton________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
registration____________________________________________________
What amendment gave women the right to vote?_____________________
What year was the amendment passed?________________
Did  Susan B. Anthony ever see the amendment pass?  Why not?______________
______________________________________________________________
Mary McCleod Bethune
Mary McCleod Bethune_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
volunteerism__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Great Depression_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
authority_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
respect for and acceptance of authority________________________________
______________________________________________________________

What positive character traits did each person demonstrate through his/her life and work?
Paul Revere ____________________________________
Frederick Douglass _______________________________
Susan B. Anthony_________________________________
Mary McCleod Bethune______________________________




  

Thursday, October 27, 2011


Announcements:

**Fall carnival us tomorrow! I will be there early! Come on out :)

**Chick Teacher night is coming!  Thursday, Nov. 10 from 5-6 I will be selling calendars!  I have to leave right at 6, so please come early!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Announcements

  • ITBS testing is this week!  Thank you to the parents that sent in snacks!  Please make sure your child is fed, rested, and on time to school. Wahoo ITBS!
  • Report cards will be coming home today.  Please sign and return the envelope only.  The report card is for you to keep.
  • NO homework this week! No story tests, spelling words, vocab, etc. due to ITBS.  We would love if you did spend time reading each evening though.  :)
  • Please send in any boxtops for the contest-they are due Friday!
  • Fall Carnival is Friday-wahoo!!!  I will be there early!
  • New Study Island assignments were created for quarter 2 language arts skills, unit 2 math skills (multiplication and division), and a creative writing prompt (a spooky story!).

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wed. 10/19 HW

  • Weekly LA homework (spelling contract and study vocab)
  • Math:  all - continue to study facts - we will test facts every Friday for the rest of the year
    • Green:  pg. 83 f/b
    • pink:  88 f/b
ITBS is next week.  Please make sure the kids are going to bed nice and early (somewhere in 8:00 hour would be great!) and eating a healthy breakfast.  It's also really important the kids are here at school before 7:45 and stay until 11:00 each day! 


I will be out this afternoon and tomorrow (we are planning with third grade both days) and I will be out for personal reasons on Friday-hence why I posted the ITBS stuff today.  My sub that I have used for the last 5 years will be with the kids.   I will return all correspondence when I return on Monday.

Thanks!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tuesday, 10/18 HW

  • Weekly LA homework-spelling contract (kids do not have to do Monday because of being out of school) and study vocab (quiz is Thursday this week!)
  • Math:  everyone study facts!
    • Green:  75 f/b
    • Pink:  79 back only
We started Unit 2 of Social studies today.  Here is a website to review the Constitution and Bill of Rights.  http://www.usconstitution.net/constkidsK.html  and http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/billofrightsmovie.htm

Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday announcements/HW

  • No school on Monday - it is a teacher work day!  Enjoy the extra time with your family!
  • Please continue to study the multiplication facts though :)
    • Ideas to help:  use flashcards, online games (see “older posts” section on my blog for online suggestions), keep a set in the car to practice, or whatever else may work with your child.  Other ideas include placemats to review during/before meals, racing mom and dad, going for ice cream if you can answer all of the facts in 2 minutes, etc.  Each child’s motivation varies, so whatever you find successful, I would love to hear as well-other children may benefit from your same strategies!

Here we are today practicing the multiplication properties specifically the associative property- "VIP" numbers are in the parantheses because you solve that problem first.  You can group 3 numbers in any way and still get the same product!  We also had Mrs. Michols read to us today!  It was a great Friday!


  • Also- keep up the great work on the "Get Fit, Get Active" challenge!!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Thursday 10/13 HW

  • Spelling Contract due
  • Green group:  re-read story
  • Math:  everyone study all facts!  Final test tomorrow:  84 facts in 5 minutes is the third grade test standard. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wed 10/12 hw

-Weekly la homework
-math: pink - review all facts for final test
Green: remaining 6, 7 and 8's facts
-science: study for test!
-signed papers

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Tuesday 10/11 HW

  • Weekly LA homework:  spelling contract and study for vocab
    • Pink group: spelling city is listed as Q1 Week 8 Poetry words
  • Math:  *Study facts!!
    • Pink:  the remaining 6, 7, and 8's facts (about 8 facts) and review
    • Green:  4's and review
  • Study for the science test - see previous posts for the study guide and websites to help review
PS - signed papers will be sent home tomorrow - with all the cookie cake excitement, I didn't have time to staple them.  Thanks!

Thank you so much to Mrs. Kolosna who came in to help us with our Georgia habitats cookie cake! I also appreciate all of the generous donations sent in as well as the cookie sheets baked by Mrs. Michaelis and Mrs. McIlhinney! 
    Spitting image of Georgia, right?  The Mountains are at the top (hershey kisses) and black bears (gummy bears), the piedmont with the red Georgia clay (frosting), higher elevation (mini-chocolate bars) and foothills (chocolate chips).  The fall line marks the split between the Piedmont and coastal plain region which is denoted with a line of chocolate chips.  The coastal plain is marked with green coconut to represent the rich farmland.  The swamps and marshes are in the south eastern region of the state (brown frosting).  The ocean region is noted by the confectioner's sugar to represent sandy beaches and blue frosting for the ocean. 
    Viola! Before we cut them apart to eat!

Study Island

Please allow your child to use Study Island at home!  The information was on the electric green paper sent home with Progress Skills Checklist 2 Fridays ago. 

We went to the computer lab today, so all of my language arts students are versed in logging in and playing.  Please do not change the password to log in (we already had to call and email parents today because the kids didn't know them-sorry!) - when it prompts you to change it-please type in mustang as the new password. 

http://www.studyisland.com/
Log in:  first initial . last name@mbes
- for example:  Jennifer Serafin = J.Serafin@mbes

There are options to practice and play for both math and reading.  They can do any of the games for any of the topics.  The goal is 70% or higher score on each section! 

There is also a really cool "Teach" portion that will review the skill for your child as well. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Spelling/Vocab

Green group:

Rosie, A Visiting Dog’s Story

Spelling Words                 

least

fast

just

burst

strip

stick

strike

artist

almost

student

strong

start

blast

straw

street





Vocabulary Words

firm- stern or commanding

confident- sure of oneself, certain

comfortable- at ease in body or mind

approach- to come close to

equipment-  the things needed or used for a particular purpose

program- structured course of activities or training

appointment-  arrangement for a meeting at a specific time

Pink group:

POETRY (Week One)

Spelling Words                 

cared
dairy
unfair
rarely
stared
dared
glare
airplanes
barely
farewell
software
staircase
everywhere
declare
square
therefore
despair
prepared
beware
repair





Vocabulary Words
rhythm - a flow of rising and falling sounds in language

repetition - something repeated

figurative language – a form of language in which the writer says something other than the literal meaning

form – the arrangement used to convey the content, such as free verse, couplet, limerick, haiku

rhyme scheme – the pattern of ending sounds at the end of a line

stanza – a “paragraph” in poetry



*pink group will not have to write vocabulary sentences this week.



Monday, 10/10 HW

  • LA weekly homework
    • Study vocab words
    • Spelling contract
  • Math:  *remember timings are 50 problems in 3 minutes - the new numbers plus all the review problems.
    • Pink:  memorize 4's and review
    • Green:  memorize 3's and review
  • Science:    *Test is Thursday
    • Study for test - review mini books and complete page 1 of study guide (basically review vocabulary words on there and label the Georgia habitats)
Today we had our Fun Run celebration! In reference to the cupcakes - in the wise words of Jack Whelan, "Tastes like VICTORY!"  They did a phenomenal job fundraising, and I won a $50 Target giftcard (my favorite store!!!!) so we were all pretty happy today! 

Tomorrow we are making the Georgia Habitat cookie- please send in any of the supplies you signed up for. (I have already received some of them-thanks!!) I really appreciate yall sending in supplies!  The kids LOVE this activity! 

I promise after tomorrow, we will ease up on the treats! ;)

Friday, October 7, 2011

Updated Science Study Guide

Name _______________________________  Date ________________

Science Unit 1 Study Guide:  Georgia Habitats

A.  Vocabulary:
1.      adaptation- a characteristic that helps a living thing survive; ex. hibernation, camouflage, sharp spines, thorns, waxy leaves
2.     habitat- the home of a living thing (plant or animal); ex. nest, house, cliffs, trees, cave
3.     environment- everything that surrounds a living thing
4.     balanced environment- an environment where there are not too many and not too few of any kind of living thing
5.     region- a part or section of land; Georgia has 5 land regions—Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont Plateau, Coastal Plains, Swamps/Marshes, and Ocean.

B.  Be able to label a map of Georgia with the 5 land regions.  The names of the regions should be spelled correctly with capital letters. 

Mountain           Piedmont      Swamp & Marsh         Coastal Plain      Atlantic Ocean





C.  Be able to describe the region and name 3 plants and animals in each region.  Make sure to study the highlighted parts of each book of the regions of Georgia.  

*There will also be 10 “name that habitat” questions with characteristics and animals listed.   

          Habitat                           plant                               animal


Mountains


1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

Piedmont


1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

Coastal plain


1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

Swamp and marsh


1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

Ocean


1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.












D.      Be able to explain how drought, fire, and floods can change an environment.  Be able to draw an environment before and after one of the above changes.
ex.  Draw a forest before/after a fire.    

               Before:  In balance                            After:  Not in balance













Explain how this event changed the environment.  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Weekend Homework - review

Please review multiplication facts this weekend.  Green group is up to squares, 2's, and 5's - adding 3's on Monday.  Pink group is up to 2's, 3's, 5's, and squares - adding 4's on Monday.

The kids have 2 or 3 of their mini books for science - please read over them as well as look at the pictures and animal/plant lists in their Habitat Resource books.  Test is next Thursday.  The kids do not have the printed study guide yet-they are just reviewing the materials they have currently.  On the test they will have to list plants and animals in each habitat. *One the test, they have to list one of each from each habitat. But there is an opportunity for 10 bonus points - if they list two of each (plants and animals) vs. just one!  :)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Science Review

http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/webpages/aplemmons/pathfinders.cfm?subpage=37437  This one is awesome-its a compilation of lots of other sites!

http://www.slideshare.net/sendkathy/georgia-animals-plants-and-habitats-review

http://www.slideshare.net/cisturner/georgia-habitat-abc-book

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213900/ 

http://www.uga.edu/gardenclub/m2s/index.html

http://dromus.nhm.uga.edu/~GMNH/gawildlife/index.php

These sites list the 5 habitats differently, but there is useful information there! 

Thursday, 10/6 HW/announcements

  • No LA (again!) so the kids can study for multiplication :)
  • Math:
    • Pink-group: New:  3's and review 2's, 5's, and squares
    • Green group:  New:  5's and review 2's and squares
We have some awesome afternoon's coming up:

-this Friday we have our parent reader at 1:30, then Awards Pep Rally at 1:50.  Next Monday, we have our cupcake party for winning Fun Run for third grade.  Tuesday we are making the Georgia Habitats cake....

We will be testing science next Thursday!  The kids have not gotten their study guides yet, but if you would like to get started, here it is:

Science Unit 1 Study Guide    Georgia Habitats

A.  Vocabulary:
1.     adaptation- a characteristic that helps a living thing survive; ex. hibernation, camouflage, sharp spines, thorns, waxy leaves
2.    habitat- the home of a living thing (plant or animal); ex. nest, house, cliffs, trees, cave
3.    environment- everything that surrounds a living thing
4.    balanced environment- an environment where there are not too many and not too few of any kind of living thing
5.    region- a part or section of land; Georgia has 5 land regions—Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont Plateau, Coastal Plains, Swamps/Marshes, and Ocean.

B.  Be able to label a map of Georgia with the 5 land regions.  The names of the regions should be spelled correctly with capital letters.  (See the attached map.)

C.  Be able to describe the region and name 3 plants and animals in each region.  Make sure to study the highlighted parts of each book of the regions of Georgia.

D.     Be able to explain how drought, fire, and floods can change an environment.  Be able to draw an environment before and after one of the above changes.
ex.  Draw a forest before/after a fire.    


They will need to study using their mini-books at home each night.  They will receive all of the books back tomorrow to do so!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wed. 10/5 Homework

  • NO LA so the kids can study for multiplication! :)
  • Math:
    • Study for the multiplication vocab test (see yesterday's post)
    • Pink:  study 5's as well as review the 2's and squares
    • Green:  study 2's and squares
Have a fabulous evening!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Tuesday, 10/4 Homework

  • Reading:
    • Green:  entry words page
    • Pink:  fact/opinion page
  • Math:  all:  study vocabulary for quiz on Thursday (see below!)
    • Pink:  study the 2's in addition to reviewing the square numbers
    • Green:  study the square numbers and do the 5 word problems

          • Multiplication Notes
Repeated addition-adding the same number multiple times (5+5+5= 15 means 3 groups of5)
multiplication-putting together equal groups (3X5 = putting together or repeatedly adding by 5 three times to get 15)
array-rows of dots used to represent a number
-remember-rows are horizontal-rows represent the NUMBER of groups. Number of columns (or how many are in that row) represent how many in each group for a # x #set-up
Below is an array for 5 X 4 - 5 rows with 4 in each row



factors-the numbers you multiply together to get a product3x5= 15-->the factors are 3 and 5
product-the answer to a multiplication problem 3x5= 15 -->the product is15
double-multiply a number by two
the commutative property-a rule that says you can multiply numbers in any order and still get the same answer (3x5 yields the same answer as 5X3)
square number-you get this type of number when you multiply a number by itself; the arrays for this type of number are always in the shape of a square (4x4 = 16.16 is a square number. 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 etc. are known as the squares.

Ms. Serafin in Kenya

Ms. Serafin in Kenya