Cool Christmas Poems!

Today, you will create a word cloud using a cool website called www.tagxedo.com.  OPEN GOOGLE CHROME, THEN GO TO MY BLOG.  First, you will need to practice your typing.  Choose one of the poems from the 4 that I have selected.  After you finish typing, choose a Christmas shape for your word cloud.

When you are finished with your poem, try out these Mad Libs using the following links:

Twelve Holly Days
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_044.html

Ten Great New Year's Resolutions
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_028.html


Holiday Sing-Along
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_011.html


Jingle, Jingle
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_012.html

Finish Animal Trading Cards

Please finish your animal trading cards today.  Don't forget that you must choose 2 different animal classifications (for example, do not choose 2 mammals or 2 birds, etc.).  Please correct any grammar mistakes I have noted on the draft I give back to you today. 

Animal Research & Create Animal Trading Cards

First we will spend some time exploring the National Geographic Creature Features website. You may choose two animals of your choice (make sure they are from two different classifications - mammals, fish, birds, reptiles or amphibians), then do a bit of research about those animals.  Fill in the worksheet provided and then we will begin to create animal information cards with photos and facts about our animals!

The National Geographic site can be found here:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/

Internet Safety Day!

Today, we will begin with a BrainPop Jr. movie on Internet Safety:

http://www.brainpopjr.com/artsandtechnology/technology/internetsafety/

Then take the BrainPop Quiz!

Here's another internet safety quiz.  Read all 10 tips and then take the quiz:  http://www.kidscomjr.com/games/safety/safety.html

Lastly, we will play a game to explore issues of web safety, such as downloading, passwords, meeting people online and being safe..

 

http://pbskids.org/old_license/

 

These games will coincide with a discussion of Internet Safety that will take place in the classroom this week. 

Raz-Kids

Each student has their own account on Raz-Kids. This is an online reading program with interactive ebooks, downloadable books, and reading quizzes set at each student's "Just Right" reading level. Click on the link below and then click on YOUR folder. Choose one of the books and complete the following for each book:

1. Listen to the story.
2. Read the story.
3. Take the quiz.
When finished, you will see a check mark next to each of these icons (ear, book and ?).

http://www.raz-kids.com/main/Login
IMPORTANT!  ALL 3RD GRADERS NEED TO TYPE MRS. SKONBERG'S USER NAME WHICH IS:
nskonberga

Grammar Games

1. Homophones - Matching
http://www.quia.com/mc/1290335.html

2. Homophones - fill in the missing word in the sentence
http://alexandria-es10.lausd.k12.ca.us/Staff_Pages/Henry_Anker/Mr_Anker_Tests_New/Language/Homophones/Homophones_Set_11a.swf

3. Homophones - fill in the missing word in the sentence
http://www.quia.com/pop/7442.html

4. Word builder - long -a and long -e
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/applications/wordbuilder/index.html?grade=3&unit=3

5. Sequencing - put the events in the correct order
http://www.quia.com/pages/sequencingfun.html

6. Spelling City - Play games with this week's spelling list.
User Name:  first name followed by last name AND Password: reader
www.spellingcity.com

7. Crossword Puzzle - Click on Unit 3
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr3/crossword/

Comic Life & Mathletics/Ticket To Read

Today, please finish your Annapolis Comic Life collages.  Don't forget to include your name and 3 facts related to what you learned during your field trip.  Once you have finished, you may go to Mathletics or Ticket To Read.  Don't forget that your user name and password are listed under the link called 3rd Graders Mathletics Logins.

Spelling City Login Information

Each 3rd grader has their own Spelling City account (www.spellingcity.com).  The login information is as follows:

User Name: first name followed by last name - no space in between (ex. benstone, aligrant, etc.)

There are 2 exceptions (aoifecg AND jalenjackson)

Password: reader (everyone has the same password)

I have also listed each student's User Name under the link located in the top box on my blog's home page (see 3rd Grade Spelling City Logins).

 

This week, each student created their own list and saved that list using their name.  In order to create a new list every week, the student must be logged in to the Teacher Account or the teacher can create each student's list.  Once the weekly list has been created and saved, the student can play all of the spelling games on the website using these words.  If you have any questions, please send me an email at:  cmiller@htsdc.org

 

Comic Life & Spelling City

BEFORE we open our Comic Life collages, I will show everyone how to create their own spelling list on Spelling City.  After creating your own list, you can save this list and play spelling games from home.  Click on the following link and follow along with me on the smart board: http://www.spellingcity.com/list-management.html

Everyone has their own User Name and Password to login to Spelling City.  However, in order to create your list for the week, you must login to the Teacher account.  Therefore, we will always create your lists during class time.  You may use your student login from home and from school. 

User Names:  first name followed by last name - no space in between (ex. benstone, aligrant, etc.)

There are 2 exceptions (aoifecg AND jalenjackson)

Password:  reader (everyone has the same password)

Introducing Comic Life!

Today, everyone will create a Comic Life "poster" all about your field trip to Annapolis.  Please follow along with me while I give instructions from the smart board.  Your poster must include the following:

• At least three (3) facts that you learned about Annapolis
• Your first and last name

Exploring the Mayflower

While I am out on Monday, Mrs. Morell will help you to explore the Mayflower.  Step aboard and explore an exact replica of the Mayflower, anchored at Plymouth Plantation. Hear from 17th-century Pilgrim interpreters about the voyage, as well as the current day Master of the Ship, in this 20-minute Virtual Field Trip.

http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm

Plural Words & Inferring and Predicting

On Tuesday, practice plural words by changing the -y to -ies.  Click on the links below and play both games.

1.http://www.quia.com/custom/1857main.html


2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/spellits/activities_y6/activity2.shtml

Read the clues in the detective's notebook and figure out what happened by INFERRING or what is going to happen by PREDICTING.
http://www.pspb.org/blueribbon/games/detective/DetectiveGame.html





If you have time, try out this crossword puzzle.  After you click the link below, you must click Unit 2.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr3/crossword/

Storybird Information

Every 3rd grader has their own Storybird account. If you want to create a new storybird or add to one that you created in 2nd grade, you will need your User Name and Password. First, go to http://www.storybird.com/

Everyone has the same password: reader

The user names are as follows:

baileymichael - bourquet - camib - aoifec - dionnad - eatone - colleene - flanagans - annikag - gibbonsm - alisong - lilig - bobbijj - maloneym - mcallisterm - quinnm - moelleringc - marygracem - morrellm - eileens - stoneb - maiat - elizabetht - timponea - timponem - volkmanc

Another Grammar Day

Book Fair: 1:25 - 1:45 pm
Mini-Lab: 1:50 - 2:10 pm
and
Book Fair: 2:10 - 2:30 pm
Mini-Lab: 2:35 - 2:50 pm

On Tuesday, during our Language Arts Technology class, we will play games online to practice what you are learning in your classroom.  THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT LINKS FOR YOU TO CLICK ON AND TRY!

1. Compound Words - Play all 5 games on this site
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary_games/compound-words.html

2. Build words using the Vowel-Consonant-E pattern   - CLICK ON UNIT 2
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr3/wordbuilder/

3. Try this crossword puzzle just for fun :-)  You must click on Unit 1 after opening the link below.
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr3/crossword/

Finish-Up Mulan Letters

Today, you will finish writing your letter that is from the perspective (point of view) of Mulan.  Please open the letter you started before Hurricane Sandy :-)  Follow these steps:

1. Click on this link:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/letter_generator/

2. Click on the tab at the top right that says Open.

3. Click on Find My File at the bottom of the screen.

4. In the left margin, click on Desktop.

5.  Look for the document with your name (it will end with .rwt) and click to open.

6. When your letter opens, you will be at the page with the date.  Click Next until you reach the body of the letter.  Please add to your letter so that you have five (5) complete sentences.  Once you are finished, raise your hand so that one of the adults can review your letter before we print it.

When you are finished with your Mulan letter, you may go to Ticket to Read or Mathletics:
www.tickettoread.com
www.mathletics.com

You Are Mulan - Write a Letter to Your Parents

Today, we are going to practice writing in a friendly letter format.  You will use the ReadWriteThink letter format which includes the following parts of a letter:

• Today's date
• The greeting (Dear Mom and Dad)
• The body of the letter (see below for more details)
• The closing (this is used to end the letter)
• Your signature

You must use your imagination and think about how Mulan must be feeling.  The body of your letter should include the following:
1.  What is happening in your (Mulan's) life right now.
2.  How you are feeling while you are away from home (as if you were Mulan).
3.  What you/Mulan are hoping for.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO START TYPING YOUR LETTER!
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/letter_generator/

Map of the World!

Today, we will play six (6) different games to practice locating each Continent and Ocean on a World Map:

(1)

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/World_GL.html

(2)

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/world_G0_Click.html

(3)
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/world_G1_drag_drop.html

 

 

(4)

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/World_G4_name_input.html

 



 

 

(5)

http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/continentNames/continentJig.htm

(6)
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/mappuzzle/continents-puzzle.html

Next, we will open Pixie, and draw a map of the world! On the Smartboard, I will list the Continents and Oceans you should place on your map.

Spelling City Today

Each student will type their own spelling words in the boxes provided on www.spellingcity.com

Don't forget to click the Enter key to add more boxes.  Practice your spelling words by playing the following games:

• Which Word?
• Missing Letter
• Alphabetize
• Audio Word Match
• Sentence Unscramble
• Word Search
• HangMouse

Grammar Day!

Today, we will begin by working with Telling Sentences vs. Asking Sentences. Click on the link below to start the first game.

http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/language_arts/statement_or_question/quiz1525.html

In the next game, you have 3 choices, is it: 1) a telling sentence, 2) an asking sentence or 3) an exclaiming sentence?  Give it a try by clicking on the link below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/games/penguins_on_ice/small_no_sound/standard2.shtml

Continue to play the following games to practice your grammar skills.  Don't forget to click on the link (the title directly ABOVE the picture) and not on the picture.
During the last 15 minutes of class, you may login to Mathletics.  Look up your user name and password in the 3rd grade list on my blog and then click the Mathletics link.

Clean up your grammar – Nouns vs. Verbs

Grammar Blast One

Grammar Blast Two

Grammar Blast Three

Noun Ice Cream Catch

Quia Noun Review

Christopher Columbus and Contractions

Today, we will do a few online activities related to Christopher Columbus.  To refresh your memory, we will watch the BrainPop video again (it's only 4 minutes long).  Click on the following link (http://www.brainpopjr.com//socialstudies/holidays/columbusday/) and complete these activities:

1.  Put the events in order.

2. Take the Easy Quiz (5 questions).

3. Take the Hard Quiz (5 questions).

Once you have completed these 3 activities, click on each of the links below to practice contractions:

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/word_games/vocabulary-games/contractions-card-flip.html

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary-games/contractions/where-does-the-apostrophe-go.html

http://www.quia.com/jg/410335.html

Introduction of Mathletics

Yesterday, I introduced Mathletics to 3rd grade.  Everyone had the opportunity to login with their individual user name and password, create their own avatar and start playing math games.  The highlight for them seemed to be playing Live Mathletics which is where the student races to answer math facts while competing against another student somewhere in the world!  I hope that 3rd graders will continue to work on Mathletics while at home.  Please click on the following link:  www.mathletics.com

Spelling City!

Today, we will work with your spelling words (related to Christopher Columbus) in a website called
www.spellingcity.com
Open the website (click on the link above) and begin by typing your 10 spelling words into the empty white boxes.  When you need more boxes, click Enter to add another box. When you finish typing your spelling words, click the green circle that says Play Games.  Play the following games: 

• Which Word?
• Missing Letter
• Alphabetize
• Audio Word Match
• Sentence Unscramble
• Word Search
• HangMouse

Spelling Words

America

island

sailor

natives

discovery

voyage

journey

Spain

New World

Atlantic Ocean

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

This game offers practice in differentiating between common nouns and proper nouns. Click on the link below.

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/basketball/index.html

Scholastic News - Weekly Reader

After finishing your Read This! flyer, you may click on the link below to open a digital copy of your social studies Weekly Reader that is due this Friday.  Within this site, you can watch a video, play a game that tests your knowledge of the articles in the Weekly Reader and you can learn the meaning of new words found in these articles.  Good luck!

http://sni.scholastic.com/SN3/10_01_12_SN3

Read This! Flyers

Each student will choose a book that he or she has read and really enjoyed.  Everyone will create a flyer using Microsoft Publisher that will promote this book.  Each flyer will include the following:

• Why you loved this book
• Who your favorite character is and why
• Why you would recommend this book to others
• The book title, author and an image of the book cover

When students have completed the above, they may work on the design aspects of the flyer including fonts, color, etc.  Don't forget to keep saving your work along the way.  Save in your individual network folder.

Scantron Testing This Week

Today, we will begin about two weeks of standardized testing in the subjects reading and math. This test helps your teachers understand what you have learned so far and how they can best help you learn more.
The Scantron test will be administered during technology classes and during the technology block of your language arts class.
A few things you should know about this test:

• The test will be slightly different for each of you. If you correctly answer a problem, it gives you more difficult problems, and if you incorrectly answer a problem, it gives you easier problems. The length of the test may be very different for each of you as well.
• You must answer every question.
• It is very important to do your best and answer all items carefully, because the test will stop if you are guessing. You will have to start over from the beginning if this happens.
• Parts of this test will be very difficult, and likely cover topics you have never seen before. Please don't worry! Make your best guess, then move on.
• When you finish, raise your hand and I will come over to help you.    

I will provide your Scantron ID number.

Using Our New iPads !!!

3rd Grade is learning how to use a new App we've downloaded for the HTS iPads and it's called Pic Collage.  Each student is creating a colorful collage that will become the cover for their Language Arts binder. This will personalize his or her binder and generate a greater sense of ownership.   Students can decorate their collage with images of their favorite things including:  sports, animals, pets, books, authors, musicians, vacation places, hobbies, colors, foods, etc.  Students can also add words that describe them and may include photos of themselves and their 3rd grade class.  Ms. Skonberg, Ms. Khanijoun and I hope the 3rd Graders have fun with this project!

Welcome Back to School!

Dear 3rd Graders,

I hope you all had a fun-filled summer and that you are excited about coming back to school to see all of your friends -- new one and old ones.  I am looking forward to being your Technology teacher for 3rd Grade!  We have brand new computers in the Lower School lab as well as a number of new iPads for your classroom.  I can't wait to see everyone on the first day of school!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Miller

Planet Pixies and Summer Learning Blog

We will create a Pixie creation of a planet to begin our day, then spend a bit of time exploring the Summer Learning Blog if we finish!



The link to the Learning Blog can be found here:

http://htssummerlearningblog.blogspot.com/

Type to Learn Day

It's been a long time since we've worked on keyboarding, so today I would like you to spend some time working on Type to Learn.  Be sure to use your keyboard covers, and keep your fingers on the home keys.   I'll be looking to give out base hits to those students who keep focused on keyboarding!  

Remember, our password is htstype.

If you keep on-task, at the end of class you may make a choice between Dreambox and Ticket to Read.

http://www.tickettoread.com/

https://play.dreambox.com/login/rgsc/holyts

Acrostic Poems this Morning

For homework last night you completed a draft of an acrostic poem.  This morning, we will use the website readwritethink to turn your draft into a printed masterpiece.  Begin by clicking on the link below:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/acrostic/

Just follow the directions listed... and make sure I proof it before you print it!

Mrs. Morell

Follow up to the Sant Ocean Hall Exhibit

In order to check your work on the worksheet you completed at the museum this morning, click on the link below. 

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/ocean_hall/Galleries/introduction.html

If you finish this, you may finish your Puffin project,

Then, do Ticket to Read, Type to Learn or Dreambox!

Puffins!

To tie in with your Language Arts study of "Night of the Pufflings", we will spend some time researching puffins and pufflings using a mini webquest:

You will use the following links to find the answers to your questions:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/atlanticpuffin/



http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Puffinprintout.shtml


http://www.brucemcmillan.com/FRB_PuffinPage.html


You will answer the following questions:

Puffins!
Atlantic puffins are birds that live at _____ most of their lives.	Because of the size of their beaks, Atlantic puffins are sometimes called:
Puffins eat small fish, such as __________ and ______________.	Another nickname for puffins is:
Puffins flap their wings over _______ times a minute.	The Atlantic puffin is about ____ inches long.
Puffins often become mates for:	The Atlantic puffin weighs about_______.
Puffins nesting sites are often found on _____________________ Where the birds and their eggs are safe from predators.	The color of the bill of a puffin is _______, ________, and ___________.
Puffins line their nests with: ________________________ _______________________.	The color of the legs of a puffin are:
The breeding ground for about 60 percent of the world’s Atlantic puffins is:__________________	The main predator of puffins is: _______________________.
The scientific name of the puffin is: _____________ ______________________.	The parents will abandon the puffling, who will leave the nest after about a week to search for ____________.
The Atlantic Puffin may live to be more than ___ years old.	Atlantic puffling population is _____________
Puffins are the provincial birds of _________ and ________.	Their bodies, similar in shape to the Penguins, are wonderful for:
Both parents feed a puffling for about ___ Weeks.	Pufflings are true seabirds because they come ashore to _______ and then spend most of their lives in the___________.