Wow - what a Sunday! Eagles roll into 1st in the NFC East, the Redskins beat someone, and the Cowboys lost yet again in December! Does it get any better?

Math: I took a bit of time to review their unit assessments this morning. However, the data is still being entered into the computer so the parent reports should come home shortly.

Unit three is officially underway! If the last 4-5 weeks were eye opening, just wait for fractions/decimals/percents...this one is a doozy. Today we worked on determining equivalent fractions using multiplication and simplifying fractions be identifying the greatest common factor (GCF) and dividing until the only common factor between the numerator and the denominator is 1. Whew - that's a long sentence...

Language Arts: We compared the story of Cinderella to Caporushes. Specifically, we looked for symbolism found in each that the authors used to have a similar influence on the plot. Sounds complicated - and it is - but it's the essence of comparing and contrasting tales from different cultures.

Hungry Spider... - We read and located parts of the text that lent themselves to visualizing what the character "looked" like in our minds. Essentially, all good readers take the words on the page and create a movie in their minds...what do you see?

Funny Little Woman - We are exploring how authors sequence events in a story.

Ooka and the Honest Thief - We began taking directed notes by analyzing when Ooka was beign fair and unfair. Understandably, this becomes a springboard into how we interpret the text.

Math: Unit Assessment is tomorrow! Give yourselves the best chance of being successful by studying old quizzes, formatives, worksheets, and your math journals.

Language Arts: We continued reading and discussing the characteristics of folktales today. The bulk of our time is spent in small groups working on summarizing. We should have a well composed summary completed by tomorrow. In addition, we are working on verb tenses for the month to build upon our possessive noun work in November.

Science: We have spent the last two days exploring how sound travels and what makes sound in cooperative groups.

I guess they're called the Saints for a reason...

Math: Homestretch for Unit 2! Quiz should have come home on Friday but if not, and based on the great majority not having them signed I suspect you haven't, please look them over tonight. Today, tomorrow, and Wednesday we will be conducting a review of on-grade content while providing some additional instruction of 5th grade concepts (prime factorization, GCF, and graphing functions). The unit assessment is Thursday and Friday.

Language Arts: We began our folktale instruction in whole group today by discussing the story elements of Coyote Steals the Blanket. We will contrast it with a modern day fantasy tomorrow. In writing, we've been researching a focused topic and should have an informational piece completed by the end of the week. It is my expectation that I'll conference with each student by next Monday and spend some time next week typing our final drafts in the lab.

Science: Our kits have arrived so we'll begin our sound unit tomorrow! Stay "tuned"!

Math: We have our unit two assessment a week from tomorrow so we are officially in crunch time! Today we unexpectedly focused exclusively on hands-on equations after a brief formative on function tables and word problems. As I continue to tell the students, understanding how to balance equations is not the type of thing that instantly makes sense - it takes time to process, practice, and discuss. With that said, over the next week we will be working in small groups on some 5th grade content (prime factorization/composite numbers) and/or reviewing the 4th grade content (refining our understanding of variables/unknowns in equations). There will be a study guide coming home on Monday along with their quiz from this coming Friday.

Language Arts: We are finishing up some informational comprehension in whole group over the next couple of days. We will still dabble in it depending on the instructional needs of their group, in addition to our collaboration with Mrs. Rose in the media center. Along that line, we have been working on how we focus a written piece from a broad idea down to a specific aspect. I have conferenced with each student and helped them determine a specific focus for a brief research piece.

All three groups were introduced to new books today and investigated new vocabulary terms using a variety of strategies.

Word study is due Friday!

Happy Movie Night - NO homework! Don't forget to fill out your reading calendars for Friday!

Math: We took a formative assessment this morning to clarify our understanding of the Unit Two content thus far. We spent considerable time reviewing each item and discussing how to solve the problems as opposed to simply stating solutions. In addition, we began using a program called "Hands-on Equations." This is a learning system that uses manipulatives, a balance, and a sequence to construct a strong foundation of algebraic concepts, specifically how to isolate variables on one side to determine its value. You'll probably hear the term, "legal moves" periodically over the next couple of months.

Language Arts: We used our background knowledge to develop a list of questions before reading a book about African Savannahs. In addition, we discussed how good readers utilize the table of contents to generate questions that could be answered in the text, too. Both of these strategies are essential to setting a purpose for reading - drawing their attention towards specific content.

Deserts - We read, identified unfamiliar vocabulary (not words we can't pronounce - words we aren't sure what they mean), and discussed what some of these words meant in group.

Forests - We used the table of contents to set our purpose for reading through questioning.

Great Rivers - Our study of the Earth's water continues! Today we independently identified difficult vocabulary terms, and used a variety of strategies (primarily blending our background knowledge, words within the word, and the context) to develop an understanding of the unfamiliar content.

What happened to the Broncos? Wow...

Math: Welcome to algebra! Today we scratched the surface of variables/unknowns in expressions. This is a process so please be patient with it... We will literally spend the next two months constructing a clear understanding of how equations are balanced through the use of inverse operations. Tonight's homework will give you a taste of how slow the process actually is.

Language Arts: We used the table of contents and our background knowledge to set a purpose for our reading today. In addition, we began our first informational writing piece this morning. Obviously, we aren't experts in room 9, but our expectation is that we build to a research component in collaboration with the media specialist later in the quarter.

JGB is now in a Water World book - we set a purpose, recorded notes on sticky notes, and grouped important details together. In each case so far, we have needed to reevaluate what details we're pulling from the text and locate an additional fact or two.

Alex Lee... - We completed a Venn Diagram on Friday to compare our lives to the life of a Chinese American. Surprisingly, we collectively struggled with two elements: how a Venn Diagram is used and the difference between "usually/typically" and "occasionally."

Social Studies: We collected observations about the geographic characteristics of Damascus.

Reading calendars are due Friday!

Tough day in the Vogel house yesterday...never been a fan of any kind of cowboy!

Math: We have been working on multiples and factors, while incorporating a variety of strategies to solve multiplication and division problems. As I tell the kids, consider the strategies "tools" in your box - pick the one that works the best and use it whenever you feel it's necessary. I am simply exposing them to options... I would encourage you to look at their strategy notes in their binder to familiarize yourself with some of our processes. Tonight's homework is to complete the 4 problems in their journals and show the strategy they used.

Language Arts: As you'll see at conferences, we are hitting on all cylinders with determining importance of details and examining how details are related. It's this relationship that is essential to determining the main idea.

We had a guidance lesson to day so I only met with two of my groups, albeit, rather briefly...

Walking tour of Damascus is Friday morning - get in those permission slips!

Math: At this point, everyone should have received their Unit One assessment parent report. Remember, we do not use percentages at DES but I included them to help you get a clearer picture of how your child performed. Overall, I was pleased with the amount and depth of content the class demonstrated complete understanding of after a never ending nine weeks of instruction. There performance was included on the report card for the first quarter.

Tonight for homework they have a few things to work on. They had bookwork to complete (most have already done this) and there are two worksheets due by Friday since we don't have math class tomorrow (weather assembly). As you know, we've begun our multiplication and division unit so the homework is simply working on facts through 10. Nothing particularly new...just opportunities to apply some of our new strategies. I will be sending home a notes page on Friday as a cheat sheet at home! There will not be a quiz on Friday but you can count on one for Thursday the 12th!

Language Arts: We have been working towards constructing a better understanding of the main idea in an informational text by connecting important details together and determining how they are connected. Essentially - what is the common thread?

JGB - We had our second reading and made text-self connections.

Life of Ants - Identified important details and used them to determine the main idea.

Floating and Paddling - Located and recorded important details and refined them to fit on an organizer

No homework tonight for obvious reasons...

Math: Today was day one of the unit assessment. We will complete it tomorrow and I expect to have parent reports out as soon as I get them. Since the grading and reporting for math is new to me, I'm not sure how quick the turnaround is. Next up is computation (4-5 week unit).

Language Arts: I have begun conferencing and providing written feedback on their personal narratives. The expectation is that we have a polished piece by the end of the week - the last day of quarter one! In addition, we had 3 presentations of the book report today - many more tomorrow but we had an assembly on Ben Franklin this afternoon.

READING MINUTES COMPETITION:

WE ARE CURRENTLY AT THE STARTING LINE WITH MR. CONLEY'S CLASS...I WOULD LIKE TO BLAME IT ON A "FLAT" BUT IF THEY'VE BEEN READING FOR 15-20 MINUTES A NIGHT ANYWAY, IT STRIKES ME AS A MANAGEMENT PIECE. PLEASE HELP THEM REMEMBER TO FILL OUT THEIR CALENDARS.

Math: We are in the home stretch for Unit One! Tomorrow we'll be working on some 5th grade content - polygons and their attributes. Sounds simple but it is actually complex when you try to classify... Unit assessment will be Monday and Tuesday. Study packets are due on Friday - a day of review, go figure!

Language Arts: We have spent the last couple of mornings discussing the "narrowing" of our thinking. For example, as we listen/read a story we have been identifying details that we "think" are important to the main idea of the story. Then, after analyzing these details for commonalities, we develop a few possible main ideas. Once again, we look at these possibilities and decide what is the main idea by incorporating common elements. Of course, these is then supported with specific text-support. Asleep yet?

After meeting in small groups today, I pulled everyone together and spoke of the importance of feedback. As I'm sure you've seen in their RRJs, I spend considerable time giving specific ideas for how to improve their thinking. One thing I have noticed throughout our class is how too many times they aren't committing to one interpretation; rather, they are listing a bunch of "maybe's" or "probably's" and providing limited support. I instructed them to "pick one and support it!" They need to be decisive because if not, it indicates a lack of confidence in their understanding...

Now I know how Redskin fans feel...my only hope is this doesn't become the norm like my friends wearing burgundy and gold. Maybe next week we'll get a Tuesday post?

Math: We jumped into quadrilaterals today. In addition, we spent a little bit of time reviewing last week's quiz. I was somewhat pleased that I'm not getting nearly as many conceptual mistakes but remain frustrated when they simply mess up the calculations! Please review their work with them and ask them to explain how they would solve trouble problems again.

Tonight's homework is simply to complete numbers 3-23 odd on page 350. However, we have a long-term study guide that is due this Friday, as well. Please help them budget their time accordingly.

Language Arts: All three groups are in chapter books. I expect to finish up the quarter in these...

Beans on the Roof - We read and discussed how George was feeling when he was the only Bean not with a roof poem.

Flat Stanley - We defined the word "hasty" by using the context to help us. It is really important that unfamiliar words are not just words that are tough to pronounce; rather, it's the meaning that truly makes them unfamiliar.

Amber Brown - They read and discussed the characters from chapter one. They also continued working on their personal narratives.

Social Studies: They selected a community worker they hope to be one day and described the goods/services associated with the particular job. In addition, they needed to include the resources necessary to complete the work.

Math: Good to see so many parents this morning - it really means a lot when you're able to make these type of events. I hope you got a pretty good taste of our math class. I felt it was pretty typical with respect to flow and questioning. It is not unusual for us to spend considerable time discussing what we know about a concept, contrasting the concept with another, and coming to some consensus as to how we actually define new concepts. This is process-based learning which is dramatically different than"product-based" from our elementary experiences.

Language Arts: We worked a bit with identifying important information using an article from National Geographic.

Fisherman... - We discussed a time they personally felt dreadful and began asking questions regarding particular passages.

Kangaroo... - Using text-support, they were to explain Freddy's mood/feelings as the play performance approached.

Beans... - New chapter book today! We read chapter one and began discussing important characters so far...

Social Studies: We applied our knowledge of natural, human, and capital resources to the creation of production equations. For example - diamond/gold + jeweler + special tools = ring

Book Report forms are due tomorrow! Project is due 10/26...for those who don't have a book selected, I will have Mrs. Rose help them tomorrow morning.

Math: Hopefully nobody got too sore from the Geoaerobics last night! Today we introduced labeling and symbols for lines, rays, points, and angles. We'll continue this tomorrow while I'm pulling small groups for everything from calculating mean to making observations about double line graphs.

Language Arts: Each group completed a graphic organizer about how text features activated their background knowledge. This is very different than identifying text features. It is much more complicated and requires lot's of practice to fully grasp it...

JGB - We examined the term "dreadful" from our story and completed an RRJ entry that explained why she felt dreadful.

Kangaroo... - We discussed the relationship between the three children in the story and composed an entry to explain how Freddy felt in chapter one with respect to his place in the home.

Miss Nelson... - We actually didn't work with our book today; rather, we spent our group time working with text features and the organizer.

Hey Redskin fans - congrats on not helping the Bucs get in the win column!

Math: As you know, we're going bonkers over "mean" lately so last week's quiz has the answer key attached so the expectations are crystal clear. Despite a need to continue our work with statistics, we are moving ahead tomorrow with geometric concepts. This is the final section for unit one - assessment is in 3 weeks! However, this morning we worked with data using an example I encountered yesterday at a local pumpkin patch. It involved effective advertising and how companies make adjustments based on survey results. In addition, we took a virtual field trip to the pumpkin patch where we determined the mean number of pumpkins per group and then looked at the class mean.

Language Arts: We are officially in informational text - today we compared our background knowledge to information learned through a book. We usually find two things: we have misconceptions and/or we learn more specifics about a particular subject.

JGB - We embarked on our first Junior Great Book this afternoon. Typically, we spend roughly 5-7 school days with each story by interacting with it and each other in a variety of ways to enhance how we think about what we read...the idea is to build upon what you learned the previous session. We'll decide week to week how appropriate this instruction is...

The Leopard - They have just about completed a written response using evidence cards so we'll look to move onward tomorrow.

Sachiko - RRJs have been turned in and graded. Please take some time to look at them tonight. What you'll find are three blue note cards with text support on one page and their response on the next. The idea is to use the notes as a means to get started yet elaborate on each one to explain why it does in fact prove why in this case, the character trait is appropriate.

Writing: I brought in a few Burger King crowns to get them motivated to write today. My hope is that each person will derive a different memory or experience merely by seeing, touching, or wearing the crown and thus, be inspired to write about what ever comes to their mind. We shall see...

Math: We did our best to incorporate PE with math today - how many sit-ups can you do in 30 seconds? We then doubled their number (didn't want to tire them out!) and created a line plot. Many of the students completed this in class today, in addition to some analysis using our class data. However, those who didn't finish it should do so tonight. Additionally, we've reached a stand-still, curriculum speaking, with mean, median, mode, and range...Small groups have been dominated by these statistical concepts for the better part of 7 school days! So, for homework tonight, they should analyze three different data sets and demonstrate the "circle method" we have used in class - one circle for each piece of data - and equally distribute the "sum" until you run out and can't make equivalent sets. This will be on the quiz on Friday! Lastly, last night's line graph homework is coming home tonight for you to look over... although some of you "allegedly" looked it over last night but I was puzzled how incomplete some of them were...

Language Arts: We have just about wrapped up our literary sequence in whole group but will continue to work with these concepts in small groups.

Sachiko.... - We discussed various traits exhibited by the younger Sachiko throughout the story and began a follow-up activity where they chose the trait they felt was most representative of Sachiko and had to locate 3, specific details from the text and document them (with the page numbers) for tomorrow's response.

Why the Leopard... - Similar to the Sachiko group but we actually generated most of the evidence together. Tomorrow we will use this evidence to compose a group BCR.

Second Chance - We spent quite a bit of time examining the very first page in an effort to learn more about the main character's "character" prior to sharing yesterday's RRJ responses. The lesson they all should walk away with is that often times, the person who connects what appear to be unrelated parts of the story with a rather specific part of the text are the ones who are clearly understanding the development of the plot and character on a much deeper level. This is what we're after in 3rd grade.

In writing we had a mini-lesson on how to apply feedback we receive in our writer's notebook. It is my expectation that they apply this feedback appropriately, consistently, and immediately as we move forward. This is a learning skill on the report cards...speaking of which

Tonight is progress report night! Please review it, sign it, and have it returned tomorrow.

I'll try to be less wordy today...no promises!

Math: Please review their formative assessment tonight. We spent considerable time going over it in class to clarify not just how to complete a graph, but why we need to approach data in a careful way. In addition, the past two homeworks are coming home, too. They should correct things where I've made notes on their paper.

Language Arts: I met with each group today and reviewed the feedback on their first RRJ entry in our new reading class. In addition, we did a "think aloud" to clarify how we could have approached the same prompt if given another opportunity...something tell me they'll have a chance to try!

How many of you have added the St. Louis Rams to your holiday card list?

Math: We began double bar graphs today. I posed an interesting question to them: Why are graphs important if you can get the same information from a table? Ask them tonight to see if they understood that graphs "visually present information/data in a way that you can see the numbers." Tonight's homework has them creating a double bar graph and interpreting the information.

As for the quiz last week...it should have come home Friday but in the event that you haven't seen it, please review it with your child, sign it, and have them file in their math sections. All week long I will be pulling groups to help construct a deeper understanding of how data is analyzed (mean, mode, median, and range).

Language Arts: As a whole group we discussed how many stories have a multitude of problems, yet the best readers are the ones who recognize the main problem and identify the solution that "matches" the problem. There will be many opportunities in the coming weeks where they'll be asked to explore a given story to determine the main problem/solution.

Bread and Jam for Frances - In preparation for their written response, they recorded notes on three different sticky notes that answer when and why Frances changed and what the change was...the prompt will ultimately be "Describe how Frances changed in the story." So many times a prompt like this is treated "lightly" but it is actually complex when you think about. That's my job - get them to think about the demands of the question.

Miss Rumphius - Similar to the Bread and Jam post above - however, the text is a bit more difficult to follow from the character trait perspective. It appears rather obvious but the root of the change is what her grandfather told her in the beginning - enjoy the beauty of the world but find a way to add some beauty on your behalf.

Trip to Freedom - A difficult read considering many of our students at Damascus have relatively little experience with leaving one country to come to another on a permanent basis. What I do see as a common understanding is how one would feel about leaving for another country and what would cause someone to want to leave. It's this mood that we will investigate over the next couple of days.

Word Study is due Friday!

Bonus Thursday!

Since we have recently switched reading/writing classes around, I thought it might be helpful to touch base an additional time this week.

Math: Today marked the "official" start of 4th grade math - up until now, the concepts have been relatively easy to pick up on. However, today we took our understanding of "mean" a step further and worked backward with it...imagine the "mean" family members per student in a group of 5 was 4. Considering that typically every person in the group doesn't have an equal number of family members, how could you "redistribute" the number of family members yet maintain the same mean? Well, using chips to represent family members, we each took a different amount from the pile of 20 until all of the chips were gone. Sometimes a person or two didn't have any chips, and other times the chips were somewhat equal but not quite. In the end, it doesn't matter because the TOTAL number of chips doesn't change - nor did the number of people in our group. Thus, the mean is still 4. Confused? Ask your child to show you what we learned with Cheerios or coins...

Homework tonight is a simple line plot worksheet. We do have a quiz tomorrow so you should expect to see it tomorrow night.

Language Arts: We established WORD STUDY journals today and selected words from a class list. The sound is /ee/ but the letter patterns vary greatly. They have 12 words on their personal list and these should be spelled perfectly in their journals (I initialed them). Inside their journal you'll find a schedule and list of activities that should be completed before Friday, September 25th. On this date, they will enter their words correctly in their personal dictionaries and will be expected to spell them correctly in their written work.

Bread and Jam for Frances - Tonight they should finish reading the story and mark places in the story where they can make a MEANINGFUL connection.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears - Tonight they should identify traits exhibited by the iguana and mark places in text that support/prove why this trait is accurate.

Miss Rumphius - Tonight they should identify traits exhibited by Miss Rumphius and mark places in text that support/prove why this trait is accurate.

Writing: We added some additional topics to our topic lists, chose one, and began webbing details, feelings, and possible sensory details to include when they begin their draft tomorrow.

Does it feel like the first day of school? Yup - but the good news is tomorrow we're a step in the right direction.

Math: This morning we continued analyzing data through mean, mode, median, and range. It is important to recognize that despite knowing how to compute the mean of a given set, the students don't necessarily understand what it all means, though. So, we have been working with manipulatives to help construct our understanding of division and fair shares before incorporating the calculations...be patient because the process is much more important than the product! No homework tonight because we've been taking a bit more time than usual since the entire concept is completely new.

Language Arts: We officially switched our classes today! We reviewed not just how characters change but what caused the particular change in the story. In addition, we began the first of a few "hybrid" lessons that combine reading and writing through the exploration of sensory details. Since we had guidance lessons this afternoon, our guided reading groups will begin tomorrow.

In addition, our first word study list will come home on Thursday, too.

Science: We visited the lab and completed a WebQuest that required students to navigate between websites and a document while locating the appropriate answers to a variety of fingerprinting questions.

Happy Monday! Sorry about that offensive line, Skin's fans...

Math: Hopefully you had a chance to look at the quiz from last week. Typically, you should expect a quiz to come home (graded) on each Friday. Please take some time to look it over and sign it prior to Monday. What many of you likely noticed is that the first 4 problems were simpler and consequently, met the rubric score of a two at the top of the page. The second half of the quiz was more complex - building upon the simpler content. Two observations that were addressed in small groups this morning: word choice ("place" vs. "value") and importance of systematically applying each clue to determine the correct number. My informal assessment showed that most gained some clarity with the mystery number problem. It will be on this week's quiz...

Tonight's homework deals with median and mode. They are only to complete RW24. The other side of the sheet is for classwork tomorrow! Speaking of tomorrow, we will delve into mean which as you know, requires a skill that wasn't necessarily taught last year - division. This is one of the few times where we need to go backwards a bit to construct an understanding of a foundation concept. This will take us a couple of weeks to practice, discuss, and develop a thorough understanding of what "mean" means...remember, it's not the formula we're after - it's the conceptional understanding of what the answer means.

Oh - there's a notes page for data analysis in their binders! Check it out...

Language Arts: It's been a few days but we are restarting reading groups tomorrow. We've made some adjustments to our instruction that have required a short break in the action...we haven't forgotten! However, our whole group lessons have continued...we've dug a little deeper with character traits by examining how dialogue and actions communicate traits to the audience. Next, we'll explore how the character is affected by the other elements in a story.

Writing: I conferenced with 9 students today to not only set an expectation but determine individual needs. Generally speaking - elaboration, word choice, and the inclusion of feelings/emotions.

Social Studies: We're in the early stages of economic resources and geographic characteristics. Today, we worked cooperatively to classify a collection of independent "resources" and developed names for each category. Next time we will determine which are examples of human, capital, and natural resources.

A rare Thursday post!

Math Expectations:

1. If homework becomes too much of a struggle on a particular night (20 minutes tops!), jot me a note about what you tried to help and send it in with your child. I'll make sure to address the concerns that day and get back with you personally if necessary.

2. Every year, students like to claim that "Mr. Vogel doesn't need us to do that part..." Assume that if it came home - it's assigned. It is usually the more abstract questions that seem to be the root of the problem...but this doesn't make it optional.

3. Most of the time I assign problems from the text book. This should be completed in their Math journals with the page number and problems assigned listed to the left of the margin. Also, they do not need to copy the problems unless it is necessary to complete the work...

4. Speaking of work, it is important for me to see all of their work to arrive at the answer because IF it happens to be incorrect, I can determine why and how to help them.

As for some of the comments on the previous post, below are my responses...

1. We do have a quiz tomorrow, September 11th. It contains the place value concepts we've worked on the last 2 weeks.

2. You do not need to sign the formatives but it is important that they are reviewed with an adult.

Anything else..shoot me an email!.

Just a reminder that it's "Back to School Night - 2009/10" at 7:00!

Math: This morning we took a formative assessment to determine how effective my instruction has been and if the instruction is translating to each student. I typically evaluate these on the day they're given and attempt to pull groups to address common areas of concern. In addition, on many Wednesdays throughout the year we will take a similarly lengthed formative and assign it for review as homework. This is expected to be reviewed with a parent.

Language Arts: We're beginning reading groups this weekend so you can be looking for RRJs (reading response journals) to be coming home shortly with an activity to complete. However, there will typically be one RRJ entry a week since we are seeking depth in our comprehension in 3rd grade.

Writing: They began webbing specific ideas/memories and feelings about a specific time in their school career thus far...

Science: We are officially rolling with fingerprinting so be careful what you touch at home!

Day three is in the books (not that anyone is counting)!

Math: Today, we explored place value in the hundred thousands by focusing not just on the place (column), but learning about place value periods. Rather than explain what a period is, I would encourage you to ask your child tonight to reinforce that what we discuss in class is important at home, too. Tonight's homework is page 7, 4-20 even.

Language Arts: By the end of the week I should have my reading assessments complete which allows me to create instructional groups. You should expect to see reading coming home on a regular basis next week. In addition, we have completed our baseline writing pieces, too.

Odds and Ends: Like last year, each student will have his/her space on the bulletin board in the hallway. To continue the similarity, they will be creating "all about me" posters to introduce who they are to the school. I will provide the paper and time to complete these in class tomorrow. Tonight, I need them to gather some materials that are symbolic of who they are.

Welcome Back!

Please look through the papers your child will be bringing home tonight. Some are time sensitive and all should help shed some light on the year head. Below is the "nuts and bolts" letter that I have coming home tonight:

Dear Parents,

As we being a new school year, I would like to take this opportunity to pass along some information regarding the nuts and bolts of our 3rd grade schedule.

Wednesday, September 9, is Back to School Night. I look forward to seeing you all there. Until that time, I am hoping this letter will help keep you informed!

Last year I did not coordinate Scholastic Book Orders due to the economic strain many families faced (and may continue to face). With that in mind, I will periodically send home book orders for your perusal this school year. My hope is to select certain times during the year that don’t conflict with the school’s book fair. It is your choice whether or not you order from the book club. If you choose to order, please make sure you return the completed order form and a CHECK, payable to Scholastic Books. I can’t accept cash.

Our “specials” schedule is as follows:
Monday: Music
Tuesday: Media
Wednesday: Art
Friday: PE

Lunch this year is at 12:30.

I have maintained a class blog in previous years with mixed results. The creation of the class blog was to add an additional method of communication between home and school. When it’s regularly read, past parents and I have found it to be very effective. However, there are times when it seems it hasn’t been read which naturally leads me to question the need to put forth the extra effort. So, with that in mind, I will begin the school year blogging at the end of each Monday and Wednesday. I will try to elicit some feedback at conferences in November to determine whether or not anything needs to be modified. Please check it out at http://vogelsclass.blogspot.com/. By working together, we will ensure that each and every student achieves success this year!

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at eric_m_vogel@mcpsmd.org or by phone at (301)253-7080.

I am looking forward to a spectacular year and seeing all of you on September 9 at 7:00 pm for Back to School Night.

Instrument project updates based on questions:

1. You can use the Internet for research.

2. The presentation should include the following elements: demonstration of how your instrument works, explanation of the "process" you went through to reach your final product, and an explanation of the sounds using specific vocabulary from our unit.

3. Publishing with diagram should include the following: complete sentences, appropriate capitalization and punctuation, and accurate spelling.

4. EVERYTHING should be your neatest work (handwritten or typed)

5. Your written piece should include at least 3 paragraphs (introduction, explain your process, and explain the sounds using specific vocabulary)

Math: Not much for tonight but there should be a few problems coming home that need to be solved using lattice multiplication, estimation (check for "Reasonableness"), and either partial products or break-apart strategies. In class, we simply reviewed previous methods and compared break-apart to partial products (which, in essence, are the same). Additionally, we worked in small groups on measurement concepts since there will be some on the MSA and at this point in the year, we haven't covered it yet. Don't worry - this is typical and is more a function of the county sequence than a hole in our teaching. They'll be fine... We're just refreshing their memories from last spring.

Language Arts: We are in the midst of evaluating flyers for content and presentation methods.

W&M - Our first shared inquiry discussion using Journey is tomorrow. They have been aware since last Thursday. Today we worked with vocabulary webs...

Sarah... - In group we discussed the recent vocabulary activities and the importance of using a dictionary to help determine unknown words. Tonight, they are to look up the definitions of a few of their words from last week using either a dictionary or an online dictionary as a resource.

Sword... - They should complete their RRJ entry about the chapter 4 title AND read chapter 5.

Anna... - They should reread chapter 4.

Nuts and Bolts:
Spelling is due Friday! Keep up with the reading incentive minutes. Send in your monies to purchase raffle tickets if anything is of interest. PLEASE SEND A CANNED FOOD ITEM IN WITH YOUR CHILD TO BRING TO WEDNESDAY's PERFORMANCE OF ANNIE.

Math: Today we introduced 2-digit multiplication using multiples of 10. In addition, we explored a few strategies/methods to solving any multiplication problem: mental math, partial products, and lattice multiplication. It is extremely important they begin to work with all three methods because it is expected they check their product using an alternative. I have created a notes page to support their work at home...let me know if something is unclear!

Language Arts: We officially ended our sequence on historical fiction. Tomorrow, we will begin evaluating flyers as an intro to our informational lessons. It has been a haphazard schedule recently but we are back in the swing of things with novel studies. As of now, each group is in a novel (including W&M).

Spelling is due 3/13! We've been working on prefixes and root/base words the last week or so...in the past, students have struggled to understand that just because a word begins with a what looks like a prefix, unless it actually contains (and changes the meaning of) a root/base word - it isn't actually a prefix! Like the word "read"..."re" is not a prefix because "ad" isn't a root word.

Science: Our sound content has been covered so it's time for the annual instrument project - look for details in the next day or so!

Reading Incentive Program: Please make sure your student is reading AND recording their minutes whenever possible. This is a "no-brainer" task that develops strong reading habits and rewards participants with and end-of-the-year dance! In addition, there seems to have been a bit of confusion regarding the bracelets - they can certainly wear them in class as long as they don't become a distraction. Once they are lost (for whatever reason) they will not be replaced.

Math: I sent the unit assessment parent report home last Friday. Hopefully you've seen it but if you haven't, it's probably in the math section of their binder. Today we had a slight schedule change - we had a shortened math so we just took the pre-assessment for unit four. We have a date with elapsed time tomorrow!

Language Arts: Today we completed our historical fiction novel and read a book, Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, to help illustrate the difference between fiction and history. Tomorrow, we'll spend a bit of time constructing a T-chart that identifies examples of history and examples that are likely fictional using the same book.

W&M - Tough assignment tonight! They should choose a generalization, list some examples that fit, and try to explain why this particular generalization is usually true. Extremely abstract but this merely starts our discussion tomorrow...

Sarah... - We read chapter one today and discussed the point of view in the story. Tonight they should complete vocabulary activity #1 using their RRJs.

Sword... - We read chapter one today and discussed a few vocabulary words and shared some questions we have to drive our purpose in chapter 2. Tonight they should reread chapter one and "tag" unfamiliar words throughout the chapter.

Anna... They should reread chapter one tonight.

Social Studies: On Friday we had great discussions about our rights and responsibilities. What I found as I listened in on each group is that, understandably, their background knowledge was rather limited. Hopefully, as I left their discussion, they came away some more examples in their own lives that demonstrate a particular right.

Math: Assessment day is here - please help your child put in the extra effort studying tonight so that 9 weeks of work pays off! I would encourage them to ask questions or seek clarification tonight because tomorrow, chances are the same question will remain and I can't answer it...

Language Arts: I continued reading a historical novel today to provide them some background as to how this genre is crafted by blending elements of history with a fictional storyline. Each group will begin a historical novel later this week or on Monday.

William and Mary: We are beginning to develop our concept of change. As you may know, change is the common thread throughout the two quarters of curriculum. Tomorrow we will use our lists and categories to generate "generalizations" as a means to identify whether an example does in fact fit the mold.

JGB: We had a vocabulary lesson today by examining a passage for evidence as to why the swans were seen as "noble". Tonight they need to complete their answer to the focus question for tomorrow's discussion.

Hailstones...: We have had some great investigations as to how poets "paint" pictures in our minds. Often times poetry is riddled with similes and metaphors and this book is no different. However, the lens we've been looking through causes us to distinguish between explicit and implicit examples. Tonight for homework they should answer the question regarding the poet's use of these examples to strengthen the imagery.

Miss Nelson...: Mood, mood, and more mood...We are slowly getting the distinction between mood and feelings in stories. The important thing to keep in mind is that mood is the "emotional atmosphere" where as feelings are more "in the moment" reactions. Tonight they have an RRJ entry to complete with the assistance of their organizer.

Math: The infamous study guide is coming home tonight - albeit a day late. The kids have two jobs tonight: develop a plan for completing the guide by Tuesday and complete a probability worksheet. My expectation is to address any concerns next Tuesday and Wednesday so Thursday's assessment is as smooth as possible. The probability work is due tomorrow.

Language Arts: We keep plowing through figurative language (alliteration and personification so far...). Historical fiction is on-deck!

Science: We completed our 4-string harp creations today and will respond to a prompt tomorrow!

Spelling is due Friday!

Math: I had an excellent conversation with a parent this morning who was concerned about their student's comprehension of the fraction/decimal concepts. Historically, fractions/decimals/percents are areas of concern in grades 4/5 and even middle school. In short - this unit lays the foundation for more success down the road. However, with that said, this isn't a one shot deal...there will be many times over the next few years to sharpen their knowledge of how these three concepts relate to one another. In the end, fractions/decimals/percents will take time - there isn't a short cut!

Tonight they should complete their BCD packet (subtracting decimals). I hope this supplement was helpful but if it wasn't please let me know what didn't seem to work on your end.

Tomorrow there will be a study guide coming home for our unit three assessment scheduled for 2/19. Considering I still have probability lessons to instruct over the next 5 school days, I need each family to develop a plan that works best for them for the completion of this guide. It is not intended to be done in a single sit-down - try to spread it out into manageable parts and note questions for class the following day.

Language Arts: We are moving into figurative language for the next couple of weeks...mainly poetry. Shortly there after, we will begin historical fiction novels.

Reading groups have experienced a few changes in recent weeks so please ask your child about what they're working on...

William and Mary - tonight they should complete the pre-assessment part in preparation for tomorrow's discussion and subsequent paragraph.

JGB - We began the Ugly Duckling in class today but I will finish reading with them tomorrow (20+ pages!). Tonight they should complete the text opener activity to prepare for tomorrow's discussion.

Hailstones... - "Choose a poem and explain how the poet uses language to paint a picture in the reader's mind. Describe what you see."

Miss Nelson... - Complete the organizer about how the mood changes throughout the story.

Math: About 10 instructional days left until the unit assessment! We have about 5 days of probability lessons yet to come so you should begin to see this in about a week. Today we had a comprehensive lesson on the purpose of estimating, rounding decimals, and adding them. The concept of estimating is somewhat paradoxical in that we spend all year looking for the exact answer yet now want something that is "about" the right answer. In the end, it's more about why we estimate and how it can be used in everyday life. They have some book work tonight encompassing today's lesson - notably, they are asked to estimate sums and differences but the book fails to identify which place column to round to so I showed them how I expect it to be completed today. First, round each decimal to the nearest whole number - second, add/subtract accordingly...

Language Arts: Outstanding work with the importance of mood in stories. I've been encouraging them to think about "bigger" or "deeper" ideas in a story rather than focus on their initial thought. Too many times students get off on the wrong foot with their thoughts as a result of thinking too simplistically about a story...the deeper you think initially, the stronger your supporting details become. For example, rather than work with the idea that a mood is "happy" in the story, think about why he/she might be happy - could it be he/she was "encouraged" by something...empowered...go deeper. This makes good readers into great ones.

How many Mondays can we miss? What a crazy couple of weeks...

Math: As you have likely noticed, we have been adding a homework assignment to your "TO DO" lists each of the last two weekends. Based on what I've seen thus far and considering the fundamental quality of fractions/decimals/percents, I have decided to add this supplement as a means to sure up their basic decimal knowledge as I plow ahead with the rest of my lesson sequence. So far, despite missing some time over the last couple of weeks, I have seen a stronger understanding of these interrelated concepts through the lens of "part of a whole". This underlying knowledge is critical to not just comparing fractions/decimals/percents; rather, it provides the big picture idea that these seemingly different numbers are actually equivalent forms of one another. They need to "get this" in order to "see it". I think we're getting close...

Tonight's homework is p. 420 numbers 2-25.

Language Arts: We're back on the spelling cycle after a hiatus - stay tuned. In addition to spelling, we have begun a new quarter which brings a different focus along with it - figurative language, historical fiction, and biographies. We will likely progress in that order, too...

Both JGB groups will have their discussions tomorrow so please remind them to have their initial responses complete prior to coming to school.

I did meet with parts of the other two groups today to discuss point of view... No homework for these groups!

Math: Rumor has it someone tried our "Bacon Mac-N-Cheese" recipe from last night's homework - hopefully it worked out since we were making it up! If not, keep the faith because tonight's is an actual recipe from Food Network! The actual directions on are on the back so the student can work out the conversions on the front...let me know how it turns out if anyone actually makes it!

As for the formative, we seem to be right where we want to be going into decimals...famous last words, I know but it seems like the confidence is there to actually apply their skills to unfamiliar situations which is my ultimate goal. Please look it over and let me know if there are any questions or concerns.

Language Arts: We have moved on from folktales and into fables...things to keep in mind are the lesson/moral in the story, the simple narrative quality, and how animals take on human characteristics.

I only met with two groups today but each had something to build upon...

The Monster Who Grew Small - Tomorrow we will have our first shared inquiry discussion. Today, they worked independently on a response to our focus question in preparation for tomorrow's discussion. After group tomorrow, they will be expected to revise and/or build upon their original response using the points we discussed in group.

The Princess and the Beggar - We had an outstanding discussion today that generated a lot of "I disagree but agree" statements... This ambiguity is the essence of interpretation and really requires us to revisit the text and thus, constructing a deeper understanding. I expect fantastic post-discussion responses tomorrow afternoon!

Adventures of Spider... - I did not meet with them today but their time was spent revising yesterday's response using the feedback from group and in their RRJs. They turned them in this afternoon and should reread their story tonight.

Jenius - Interesting discussion today...after listening to chapter 6 the group struggled to recognize why Jenius was actually playing dead. I adjusted our discussion by building the chapter through a sequence of actions. Through this sequencing, they seemed to get a better grasp of "why" Jenius had to play dead but tomorrow I'll be looking for this in their writing. Tonight they would benefit from listening to and discussing the story with an adult.

Science - Day two of reed instruments and decent discussion with respect to why their instruments made particular sounds. We've been working on including specific vocabulary in both our discussions and our writing and today's activity provided evidence of this...progress is good so I expect to see thoughtful written responses tomorrow afternoon.

Our interest in the science fair seems strong but the follow through is lagging...please get the paperwork in because late submissions will not be accepted as tough as that may seem...We will begin planning based on our numbers on January 26th.

Math: I sent the quizzes home on Friday so if you haven't seen them yet, ask your child about it tonight. In fact, this particular quiz is the definition of "applying" what you understand. As you'll see, I likely took the application aspect a bit too far when I asked them to order a combination of mixed numbers and improper fractions with "unlike" denominators. I know - big mistake! Since it was a classwide struggle I take full responsibility for it and thus, it didn't count last week but will certainly count this week considering the additional time we'll continue to put in. With that said, decimals are on our horizon and it is essential that your child understands how to create equivalent fractions using multiplication, reduce fractions to simplest form using division, and can determine the "like" or "common" denominators BEFORE adding or subtracting.

Tonight's homework is to complete the "choose the operation" page - numbers 1-10.

Language Arts: I met with each group today, albeit briefly, to hit the ground running this week. One thing to look for as we move forward in our small groups is the time we spend with each book/rrj response. After meeting with some colleagues last week we discussed that the best strategy to foster the skill of applying feedback to their own work is to provide explicit opportunities with their own writing. For instance, rather than respond, get you grade, and move on to a different story and prompt we'll now be spending more time with each story to revise our work...wordy I know but it'll make sense when you see it.

Each group has homework tonight and it should be written in their planners!

Don't forget we have our paper bag book reports due on the 22nd!

Writing/Social Studies: As you know, we've been researching a city to learn about its landforms, climate, tourist attractions, and culture. Almost everyone is converting their notes into paragraphs for the actual brochure that is being created using Publisher.

Math: We took a formative today that required them to apply their knowledge of fractions when given an "ordering" scenario. It proved to be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how all the skills we've learned in isolation can be used to determine which fraction is less than, greater than, or equal to another. Tonight for homework we generated 4 fractions with different denominators. They should order these from least to greatest by using one of both of the strategies we use today - least common multiples or identify factors to simplify/reduce a given fraction. I created a model of this but unfortunately the copier was out of commission during my break today so it'll come home tomorrow.

Language Arts: Our whole group lesson revisited the importance of theme (author's message) from earlier in the quarter. However, this time the context is folktales.

Monster Who Grew Small - Reread their story tonight. They listened to the story on CD today but I didn't have a chance to actually meet with them in a small group.

The Princess and the Beggar - They need to reread their story tonight and complete the visualizing activity we modeled in group today.

Adventures of Spider - I listened to their oral responses in group today prior to reading their RRJs. I was curious as to how their oral responses compared to their written pieces since the written typically lags behind...I'll let you know after I read them. However, during the discussion it was clear the question was taken very literally which is ok to an extent. But, we have spent a lot of time in whole group "digging deeper" for the root cause of a problem which often times revolves around a character trait (greed, jealousy, stubbornness...) that in turn drives the storyline. Well, in this story the surface level reason was because Spider had a rope tied to his waist that went in two different directions - however, the root cause was the fact that Spider was greedy enough to want to eat food at both feasts. His greed is what actually created the problem in the first place. This subtly may not seem like a big deal but their thinking should be making this transition as we move forward...

Jenius - We read chapter three aloud and they need to respond to the following prompt in their RRJs: How did Joe feel about Jenius? Provide evidence from the story to support your thinking.

Two reminders:

Paper Bag Book Report papers need to be signed and returned ASAP. Th due date will not change from January 22nd.

Science Fair participation is strongly encouraged! This is an excellent opportunity to pursue a curiosity in an exciting way...If you decide to allow your child to participate, please return them soon so we can begin to get an idea of how many participants to expect.

We're back but maybe not for long - rumor has it we have some nasty weather on the way...

Math: I was thrilled with our recollection of fraction concepts discussed prior to our break! In fact, we actually began adding fractions with common denominators while we played with mixed numbers in small groups. Tonight's homework is a continuation of our classwork - through #37.

Odd and Ends...

Today we had an unusual day with respect to our schedule. During our normal language arts block we reviewed the city project and identified the city for each student. This project will be a significant focus of the next couple of weeks because it ties in so well with our language arts, writing and social studies content. This is to be completed in school.

As for a "home" project, there is a paper coming home tonight that needs to be discussed and signed - indicating your understanding of a "Paper Bag Book Report" to be presented later this month. In essence, the paper bag is filled with props to help retell the story. They have done this in 4th and 5th grades in the past so we thought we would try it our in 3rd!

Lastly, there is detailed information coming home tonight with respect to a science fair held here at DES. This is an optional but encouraged activity that is primarily completed at home. However, if your child is interested in working on his/her hypothesis but needs some adult support, we can try to accommodate it here at school during recess. As I said, the packet is detailed but the one thing I want everyone to keep in the forefront is that science is about the pursuit of an idea and not as much the end result. It is very important for the scientific process to be carried out in its entirety...perseverance is one trait that certainly drives scientist so we expect it here, too.