Hello Families,
Before launching into a recap of recent weeks, I wanted to let you know that we are looking for chaperones to join us for our upcoming field trip to the SFMoMA with our 6th grade buddies on Monday, 2/26. Please let me know before 2/12 if you are interested in joining us. If there are more than 3 interested, adults, I’ll give preference to those who have yet to join us on a field trip, and draw from a hat of those who have already joined us on a past field trip.
We started a new math unit on multiplication. We look at multiplication in terms of repeated addition, skip counting, loops and groups, arrays, and ratio tables.
Thinking about multiplication in terms of arrays, Temescalians have been spending time thinking about sheets of stamps and their cost. This array model is one way to help 3rd graders recognize that there are ____ groups of items, with each group having the same amount.
Temescalians need to first find out how many stamps there are: 4 rows with 3 stamps in each row. This translates to 4 groups of 3, which is 4 x 3. After finding out how many stamps there are, 12 stamps, they now much find the cost of this sheet of stamps. By skip counting by 5¢, Temescalians can think of this problem as 12 x 5¢ or 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢ + 5¢.
Another way that Temescalians can think about multiplication is “loops and groups”, where each loop represents how many groups there are, while containing the same amount of items in each loop.
To practice this concept, you can play “Loops and Groups” with Temescalians at home!
This week, we did a few different methods of skip counting to make clear how multiplication is the same thing as repeated addition. We used cubes to make trains and made 10 groups of each train with alternating colors. We then used a strip of paper to mark out the multiples of each group. This was a very concrete way of demonstrating skip counting. We also used these cube trains to help Temescalians see how multiples of different numbers were related to one another. By placing the 2s cube train on top of the 4s cube train, Temescalians noticed “it takes 2 groups of 2 cube trains to make each 4 cube train”. 3s, 6s, and 9s were also similarly related.
Temescalians filled in the missing numbers in skip counting packets to notice multiples of a certain number, as well as write the multiplication sentence for each multiple. We also looked at transparencies to notice common things about all of the multiples of a certain number. For example, “multiples of 2s are all even and, on a hundred chart, look like they’re in columns. There are more multiples of 2s than there are of 4s.”
Having introduced all of the lower case cursive letters, we started Typing Club in class. If Temescalians would like to practice typing at home, they need to log into the class account via this web address: tbstyping.typingclub.com
When you first log into the program, you’ll need to click on “Log in with Google”. You may need to log into google using your Temescalian’s email and password.
Email: your child’s first name + first two letters of their last name + 2029 @theberkeleyschool.org
For example, if your child’s name was Lisa Chung, their email address would be LisaCh2029@theberkeleyschool.org
Password: grad2029
I will unlock lessons, but if your Temescalian would like to practice typing at home, please encourage them to keep their fingers on the home row and keep their eyes on the screen. (The screen has the outline of fingers on a keyboard that will indicate which finger they should be using to press the correct letters.)
In science, we continued our study of plants and talked about different types of seed dispersal: wind, water, via fur, fruit that gets eaten and deposited elsewhere, and explosions!
We made illustrations of each type of seed dispersal in our STEAM journals.
We then tasked the kids with thinking about wind dispersal and designing a seed that would travel the furthest from the fan. Temescalians had only 1 piece of paper, 1 length of masking tape, and 1 bead (to represent the seed).Many used things from their past experience (dandelions, tumbleweeds, paper airplanes) to inform their designs. There was a wide range of shapes on this first attempt.
Looking at the average of 3 test runs, we lined up each design and talked about what worked well with designs. Perhaps they wanted to take their original design and tweak it. Perhaps they were inspired by what they saw other people making. We put our observations to use as we designed our second trial seed.
We have been working on using more descriptive language. Setting out different objects on trays, Temescalians are tasked with using at least 3 specific adjectives to describe the object of their choice. We encouraged the descriptions to include shape, color, size, and texture. The kids had a blast describing items to one another.
We also worked on ending punctuation, editing skills, and practicing active reading skills during Readers’ Workshop.
Buddies with 6th grade involved creating buddy handshakes, seeing how many nose/ear touches we could do, and trying to get an Oreo from our foreheads to our mouths without using our hands.
Ear and Nose touch – You touch your left hand to your nose while crossing your right hand over to touch your left ear, and then switch to touch your right hand to your nose and cross your left hand over to touch your right ear. After each cycle, you clap to indicate that you’ve completed the actions. Temescalians and 6th graders had one minute to see how many they could do. It was hard, but so fun to do and watch!
Finally, we played “Cookie Face”, where you start with an Oreo on your forehead and attempt to move it to your mouth, using only your facial muscles to help the cookie along. This was hilarious to watch too, and so many kids were successful at this task! Talk about hidden talents and fun party tricks!
Finally, here are some snapshots inside and outside of the classroom during free times:
Upcoming Events
February
12 – Permission slips to the SFMoMA field trip are due! (Please email me if you’d like to chaperone!)
12 – 16 Friendship Week (We’ll have secret buddies that week. More information to come!)
14 – Valentine’s Day (More information to come!)
19 – 23 February Break (no school)
26 – 100th Day of School! 1,000s projects due! (More information to come!)
March
1 – 100th Day of School Celebration (families invited on campus. More information to come!)