Isaac Fox Elementary s
THE MATRAS
March 11, 2016s
Ph: (847)540-2815 s
kerri.matras@lz95.org s
MINUTE
A Summary of Third Grade Happenings
Reading/Language Arts
Reading
As we continue to study characters in fiction
texts, we are recognizing that some
characters are more complex. They face
conflicts and experiences that may cause
them to change over the course of the story.
The third graders are learning how to
recognize when and why characters may
change over time.
We are also learning how fiction writers bring
their stories to life by using rich descriptive
language, as well as figurative language, to
create vivid images for their readers.
Writing
Over the past few weeks, the third graders
have been collecting ideas for their nonfiction
writing. Last week, the third graders learned
what nonfiction writers think about as they
consider possible topics they want to stick
with and publish. They used these strategies
to select their topic for their writing piece.
This week, we began the collecting stage of
the writing process. In this stage, we will
focus on ways writers research their idea,
explore different aspects of a topic, and
gather relevant information from different
sources. The third graders will use this
information collected to develop and draft their
writing pieces.
Quick Tidbits
-March 11th: Progress Reports sent home
-March 25th – April 2nd: Spring Break!
in
Mathematics
Most classes wrapped up Module 7 with a test today.
We will be skipping ahead to module 10 for our next
activities. This module covers some math concepts
which will be seen on PARCC and we want to ensure
they have exposure to these concepts prior to taking
the test. We will make our way back to modules 8 and
9 after we complete module 10.
PARCC Info
The first of two PARCC (The Partnership for
Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers’)
tests will take place in April when we return from
Spring Break. The primary purpose is to provide
high quality assessments of students’ progression
toward post-secondary readiness and success.
March testing is a performance based assessment
that will consist of a total of 5 tests; 3
reading/language arts based tests and 2 math tests.
Because the tests are taken on the computer, we are
spending time in class preparing students for the
format of the test. They are learning how to navigate
through the on-line testing environment. Below is a
link for you to view samples of the assessment.
There is nothing that your child needs to do to
prepare for the test at home except simply coming to
school well-rested and with a positive attitude. More
information will be coming home as we get closer to
testing.
parcc.pearson.com/
Science
Tuesday, the third graders had the opportunity to
explore states of matter and light even further during
Enrichment Day. The P.T.O. provided a day of
activities experimenting with several concepts related
to each of our current units of study.