Guided Math - Part 2

If you come into our classroom during Guided Math, it might look and sound a little busy....because it is! Students are working independently all around the room at different stations.

Here is a peek into our classrom during Guided Math.


Students hard at work using math strategies to solve problems in small group time with the teacher

Students creating subtraction story problems on a google presentation in the Technology station

Students showing and explaining strategies in their math journals

Students working on independent work

Students playing a game in the Games Station to reinforce skills previously learned

What's the Matter?

The students have been learning about solids, liquids, and gases. They have participated in hands-on investigations about each one to learn about the characteristics of each.

How do we know that gases take up space?

Subtraction

We have been learning to subtract 3-digit numbers using several different strategies. The students have practiced subtracting in parts, adding up, and subtracting back.

Students:
1. Which subtraction strategy do you think is the easiest to use?
2. If my problem was 321 - 248, how would you solve it?
3. How do you use addition to check your answer?

If you need help remembering which strategy is which, watch me explain the srategies by clicking HERE.

Guided Math

I organized my Guided Math stations a little differently this year (thanks to the inspiration from a fellow teacher at my school), and it has worked very well. We try to get to our groups 2-3 times per week. This is how it is organized on my board.

I have 5 stations.
-Small Group
-Independent Practice
-Games
-Technology (usually something on the SMART board, laptops, or ipods)
-Math Journals

The students rotate through each station, usually staying at each for about 15 minutes.

If they need anything for any of the stations, it is organized in the corresponding file folder. They know where to find the materials for each station, so management is pretty easy.

Students: What is your favorite guided math station?

Engineering Unit

The students have been working through the steps of the engineering design process for the past couple of weeks.  (Imagine, Plan, Design, Improve, Share)  We have been studying industrial engineering.  Their task was to design a subysystem for a potato chip factory to move a load a certain distance across the floor and then up to the table.  They had to think about the amount of fore it would take as well as the ergonomics.  They did a GREAT job being creative and using the data they collected when testing the simple machines to help them create their plans. 

Watch our animoto below to see the students in action!

Simple Machines

We have had a great time learning about simple machines!  The students participated in stations today to test out the amount of force needed to move a load.  They used levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, and inclined planes.  They are getting good practice using the spring scales and measuring in Newtons. 

The students will be taking the data they collected to help them plan and engineer their designs for a subsytem.  Their task is to move a "sack of potatoes" a certain distance and then lift it onto a table.  Stay tuned to see what they create!

Using QR Codes

It seems that everywhere we look these days, there are QR codes!  These small codes can link you to a website, text, video, and more.  We had fun using them, and our itouches, in science last week! 

The students read clues about science tools and made a prediction as to what the names were.  After they predicted, they used the QR code reader app, NeoReader, to scan the codes on the actual science tools.  They could then self-assess and write the actual names of the science tools in their journals.  This was a fun, interactive way to learn the names of several of the tools we will use this year. 

Parents:  NeoReader is a great FREE QR Code Reader to download if you do not already have one.

Students:  Leave a comment! 

Did you like using the itouches to scan the codes?  Where else have you seen QR codes at home? 

Waft to Whiff!

We had fun putting our science safety skill of wafting into practice today!  The kids smelled 10 different scents from film canisters.  They made predictions about what the scents were, and then I revealed the answers.  They did a great job, and some of them got a lot of the answers correct!  The easiest ones for them to guess was cinnamon and peppermint.  The one that got the most frowns and squinty eyes was definitely the garlic! :)

Place Value

The students have done a great job learning to read and write "really big numbers" this week! :)  We will continue to work on this throughout the coming weeks, as well. 

We made some great foldables for our math journals.  They provided good interactive visuals for the students.  Here is a peek at some of our work.

We are working on remembering the difference in "place" and "value". 



Students:  I'm proud of you for learning to read
these "really big numbers". 
Remember to teach your parents the place value song -
"Ones, tens, hundreds, put in a comma...."
Leave a comment and tell me something you have learned about place value this week!

Love,
Miss Minton

The Invisible Fire Extinguisher

We had a lot of fun with the Invisible Fire Extinguisher demonstration today!  The students did a great job observing the science safety rules Mrs. Hansen and I followed while we did the demonstration. 

Students:  What science safety rules were important for us to follow today? 

Leave a comment, but remember not to use your last name!

 (You can write 3A student # _____ or 3B student # _____.) 

First Week of School!

It has been a WONDERFUL first week of school!  I have loved getting to see all of my students from last year, and it has been so much fun getting to know the students who are new to our class/school.  The kids have done a great job getting used to our routines and expectations.  I know we are going to have a fantastic year full of learning and fun! 




3rd grade team
They are wonderful!!   

 

Come On In!

Here are a few pictures of our classroom!




Computer Area, Teacher Desk




Math Manipulatives




Back Counter




Our Classroom Promise (was not yet written at the time), helpers, schedule, and birthdays





Math Shelf/Bookshelf




Love these signs I found on Pinterest!  (Find them here!)



Progress

I've been working in my classroom for the past couple of weeks.  I tried not to change too much, but I ended up adding a few things and re-doing a couple of bulletin boards  It is still a work in progress, but I am getting closer!  :)

I Wish For...