Pirates! Arrrrrr!

This week, Third Grade scholars were able to shine a new light on their knowledge about pirates! Readers navigated both “Magic Tree House” historical fiction and nonfiction companion texts to discover even more about the history of pirates! Scholars learned to frame their thinking in different ways according to the genre of the book they read. Third Grade readers know to ask themselves either, “What is happening in this story?” when reading historical fiction texts, or “What is this book trying to teach me?” when reading nonfiction books. These guiding questions help to deepen students’ understanding while navigating these two very different genres.

Multiplying, Dividing and Finding Equal Shares in Math

This week Third Graders made mathematical discoveries to unveil the common uses of multiplication and division. Students examined problems involving multiples of equal groups, equal sharing, and equal grouping. Scholars learned how the relationship of
multiplication and division parallels that of addition and subtraction. Students practiced solving multiplication and division number stories using mental math, acting out situations using counters, drawing sketches and creating arrays. These brave mathematicians solved and compared problems to explore the links between multiplication and division. Stay tuned as we work towards gaining FACT POWER and mastering our multiplication facts!

Persuasive Writing

During Writing Workshop this week students added many tools to their writers tool belt! Third Grade writers tried out several new strategies for generating ideas when creating a persuasive piece of writing. Young writers worked to develop a brave and bold thesis and then supported it with examples, facts and details. They know that evidence is very convincing when trying to persuade others!