The Final Trimester
Bean will be returning from Maternity Leave on Monday, April 14. This opens our calendar availability back up to all five days a week. Please let us know if you would like assistance with any technology integration in your classroom. As always, we are available to come out to help (either with students or during a planning time) or you are welcome to visit our classroom at any time.
Please let us know if there is anything we can help research for you or if there is something you would like to try in your classroom.
Hopefully this nice weather will continue and make our spring more enjoyable!
Marie
Math Resources
Here is a fabulous Common Core aligned math site:
TenMarksThis website gives students math problems directly correlated to the Common Core. The quiz items are closer to next year’s PARCC assessment’s style and will give better practice than other traditional online resources. The site also has an app!*
This Issue
 Page 1
The Final Trimester
Math Resources
 Page 2
Natural Resources
 Page 3
Poetry Month
Mysteries
 Page 4
Famous Illinoisan
 Page 5
Tech Tips
*Recommended by Jennie Winters!

Science—Natural Resources
The SMART Exchange has quite a few
SMART Board resources for renewable and non-renewable resources.
Here a two of my favorites.
You don’t need a SMART Board to utilize these activities. They can be projected with your LCD and be manipulated by your laptop or with your iPad (through Doceri!)
www.nrdc.org/reference/kids.asp
—Natural Resources Defense Council Kids’ Site http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/energy/site/EIZGame4.asp
—A cute (quick) game that has students getting rid of non-renewable resources. http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/science/energy/renewable/ - A tutorial about renewable and non-renewable resources with a quiz at the end.
Pag http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/games_activities/energy/index.cfm
—This site offers information about energy resources. It also has a quiz and energy tips game for students.
The site is offered in Spanish and English! http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=2455 —This site has educational video clips from numerous sources. The site allows users to search topics (in all subject areas!) and sort videos.
Techn

National Poetry Month
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/acrostic/
Online Acrostic Poem Site http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryfun/poetryfun.html
Online Fill-in-the-blanks Poems http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/diamante/
Online Diamante Poems http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/theme_poems/
Online Shape Poems http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm
Many types of online poems http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html
Examples of many different types of poetry http://www.poetry4kids.com/
Ken Nesbitt’s website...he offers games and activities and will Skype visit with your class!
Reading-Mysteries
Detective Agency
Students read a mystery (or multiple mysteries and choose 1-2).
Have students give a Book Talk from the point of view of the detective solving the case.
These can be videoed using the classroom iPad. Students can also create an iMovie with photos or clipart that gives the setting, detectives, suspects, mystery to be solved, clues, red herrings, and solution. They record their voices as the photos are shown, giving a “Video Detective Case File!”
Page 3
Volume 1, Issue 4

** repeat from a previous newsletter, but a few schools are currently studying Illinois**
Last year, a group of 3rd Grade teachers worked together to create a project that would demonstrate numerous standards in one. This video project allowed students to research a famous person pertaining to Illinois, write a research report, find images appropriate for their report, and create a technological project that could be enjoyed at school or at home.
We used iMovie for the technology needs in our project. After students had written their report, they took turns reading their work into the iMovie app on an iPad. They then went back to add pictures that were appropriate for each section of the report. The final picture was of the group members.
Video Report on Ray Kroc Video Report on Walter Payton
Page 4
Famous Illinoisan List (we narrowed the list from one much larger)
Research Worksheet
These are in .pdf format. If you would like a Word copy adaptable for your classroom needs, please email Marie.
**If you are interested in more details on this project, please let me know. We built a picture library in a 3rd Grade Shared Folder on Dropbox and are willing to share with you!*
Technology Integration

iPad Apps
Here are a few other iPad apps that may be interesting for use in your classroom. The first is
. This app allows teachers to create quick quizzes or exit slips which students answers on iDevices. The second app allows teachers to randomly select groups. The final app is Spelling
City.
Create quizzes or exit slips based on your classroom objectives and outcomes. The teacher app allows teachers to create custom work for their classrooms.
Students log in on the student app to access quizzes created specifically for them!
Spelling City allows you to upload spelling or vocabulary lists for your class. Students are able to complete multiple activities with their own list of words.
Randomly select classroom groups or choose groups based on individual needs.
Page 5
Volume 1, Issue 4