ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule:

Monday June 10th (Ww) Walking Day – Students will take a walk outside (weather permitting) around the Kozy grounds.

Tuesday June 11th (Xx) X-tra Fun Day – Students will have x-tra fun with field day.

Wednesday June 12th (Yy) You are Wonderful Day – Students will write wonderful things about one another.

Thursday June 13th (Zz) Zoom Out of School Day – Zoom out on our last day of school!

ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule:

Monday June 3rd (Rr) Red Day – Students should wear red to school.

Tuesday June 4th (Ss) Sunglasses Day – Wear your sunglasses to school.

Wednesday June 5th (Tt) T-Shirt Day – Wear your favorite Kozy t-shirt to school.

Thursday June 6th (Uu) U.S.A. Day – Wear red, white, and blue to school.

Friday June 7th (Vv) Video Day – Students will watch a video in class. (And Kozy Spirit wear day).

ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule:

Monday May 27th NO School!!!!

Tuesday May 28th (Nn) No Homework Day – Students will not have homework!

Wednesday May 29th (Oo) Opposite Day – Students can wear their clothing inside out.

Thursday May 30th (Pp) Puzzle Day – Bring your favorite puzzle to school.

Friday May 31st (Qq) Quick Arrival Day – See which class can arrive and be in their room the quickest.

Our Last Nature Center Field Trip

I can't believe I forgot my camera! On our last, and I would say best, field trip to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center I forgot my camera. You're going to need to rely on my description of events and your child's memory to get the details.

Somehow, despite the terrible weather predictions, there was no rain to hamper our trip. We had a beautiful, sunny, warm day and the students were able to spend the day outside.  The day had three major activities: ponding, wetland animal petting zoo, and the creature feature.

The students started out the day ponding.  Ponding entailed dipping into different ponds with strainers and then examining the creatures caught.  Students were able to observe animals like mosquito larvae and pernicious diving beetles.  

After, they learned a little bit about some of the larger creatures that live in Wisconsin ponds.  These included turtles, frogs, and salamanders.  Animals were brought out on display and students were allowed to touch some of them.

The day ended with a "creature feature." During the creature feature some of the animals that we caught during the day were brought out and projected on a screen so that the students could get a larger look at them while learning a bit more about what made each unique.

It really is a beautiful place and I encourage all of you to use one of the free passes you received this year and visit at least once this summer. 

Field Trip Monday

We have our last field trip to the Audubon Nature Center on Monday. This is one of my favorite trips of the school year. We are scheduled to go Ponding. During this trip we explore the ponds located in the nature center and investigate the pond life that lives in them.

Looking at the forecast for Monday, the weather does not seem to be cooperating with us. The Audubon Center always has an inside backup plan should the weather be terrible. However, I urge everyone to dress for the weather! The nature center tends to take us outside unless the weather is awful, so plan ahead with rain boots and play clothes.

Kozy Carnival

YES! The Kozy Carnival is still on for tonight. Join us from 4:00-7:00 for an evening of fun and games.

ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule:

Monday May 20th (Ii) Illustration Day - Students will be able to illustrate a story they wrote or read.  (And Kozy Spirit wear day).

Tuesday May 21st (Jj) Jersey Day – Students can wear their favorite jersey to school.

Wednesday May 22nd (Kk) Kindness Day – Take time to write a “kindness” note to your classmates.

Thursday May 23rd (Ll) Lollipop Day – Enjoy a lollipop from your teacher.  

Friday May 24th (Mm) Music Day – Classrooms will have music playing.  (And Kozy Spirit wear day).

G is for Game Day

Today we celebrated Game Day as we move through our ABC countdown towards the end of the year. Don't forget, tomorrow is Hat day followed by the Walk-a-Thon on Friday.

Experiment With Light

Today the students used two tin cans to mimic how the eye worked.  

The eye works by letting in the correct amount of light through the pupil which then hits the back of the eye.  Special cells called rods and cones read that light and then transmit the information via the optic nerve to the brain.

On the first can they placed tinfoil over the opening and poked a small hole in it.  This small hole acted as the pupil and let light in. On the second can they placed a plastic shopping bag over the opening.  This acted like the back of the eye.

By looking through the cans, children were able to see what their eyes see.

ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule

Monday May 13th (Ee) Extra Recess Day – Students will have an extra recess (outside or indoor).

Tuesday May 14th (Ff) Fairy Tale Day – We will read some fairy tales and watch a fairy tale movie.

Wednesday May 15th (Gg) Game Day – Students can bring a board game to school.

Thursday May 16th (Hh) Hat Day – Wear your favorite hat to school.

Friday May 17th KOZY WALKATHON!!!! (Wear your Kozy Walkathon T-shirt)

ABC Days

Here is next week's schedule:

Tuesday May 7th (Aa) Athletic Day – Students can wear athletic apparel to school.

Wednesday May 8th (Bb) Buddy Book Day – Bring in your favorite book to school to read with a classroom buddy.  

Thursday May 9th (Cc) Color Day – Wear your favorite color to school.

Friday May 10th (Dd) Dress-Up Kozy Day - Dress in your Kozy finest.

Help out our first graders

Message from one of our first grade teachers:

This is a shameless plug for my class.  We created a You Tube for reading fluency.  The class read Elephant & Piggie I am Invited to a Party!

I told my class if we get 100 views of the video I will give them ice cream.....1000 gets them pizza. (Currently at 16)

So spread the word and make the video of viral!!!

Click below and help make a first grader's dream come true!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLIilRiFuUQ

ABC Countdown

ABC Countdown

This school year is quickly coming to an end. During the last twenty-six days of school, Kosciuszko Elementary will be participating in the ABC Countdown. The countdown will begin on Tuesday May 7th and end on the last half day of school (June 13th). Each school day we have a different activity, depending on the letter of the day. Below, is a list of the activities planned to help your child to remember what day of the countdown we are on.

We hope that this optional activity brings additional joy to your child’s last days of the 2012-2013 school year!

Each Friday, I will post the next weeks' themes.

Tin Cans

Soon,  we are going to be doing a science experiment using tin cans.  I ask that each student bring in at least two cleaned soup cans (or other tin can) by Wednesday of this week.  Please remove both the top AND bottom of the can.

Field Trip

We will be going on our next Audubon Center field trip on May 20th. You have already filled out your permission slip for this trip, but I have not collected the fee. Please send $5.75 with your child by May 6 to cover the cost.

This is an all day, outside field trip. Please dress for the weather and if you did not order a lunch from school you will need to send a lunch with your child.

Walk-a-Thon

Last week Friday your child should have brought home a packet of information regarding this year's Walk-a-Thon. Included in the packet was information about collecting pledges as well as a prize sheet. Please return the collection form, and any pledges, to Kozy by May 10th.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

MAP Testing

Tomorrow the third graders will take the first of two spring MAP tests. Please be sure that your child arrives on time and well rested tomorrow.

Spring Concert

Just a reminder that the spring concert is tomorrow. All third graders are asked to meet at the high school at 6:00pm.

If you enter through the main entrance, take an immediate left and go down the long hallway (along side the auditorium). We will meet in the orchestra room, which is through the band room.

The concert will begin at 6:30. Students will be dismissed to their parents from the auditorium immediately following the performance.

Friday Wrap-up

One of the more important things that the students worked on this week was fractions. On Monday, the students were introduced to fractions and began to learn about what fractions mean and how fractions can be combined. Talk to your child about it. He or she should be able to explain that the top number (numerator) tells you how many pieces you have and the bottom number (denominator) tells how many pieces there are in all. Students should also be able to explain that you can combine fractions in various ways to make a whole.

In reading class this week the students read one of my favorite stories in our reading series, The Mysterious Garden of Abdul Gasazi. It was about a boy who lost his dog in Abdul Gasazi's garden only to find that Mr. Gasazi turned the dog into a duck. We also continued working on creating story maps.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Friday we had our most recent field trip to the Audubon Nature center. During this latest trip, the students learned about song birds, birds of prey, and how birds navigate their routes during their annual migrations.

The highlight of the trip was the "Meet and Greet" with the center's raptors. Teachers at the Audubon Center brought the birds around for each student to closely examine while another teacher taught the students about each bird's personal history as well as details about the species in general. Afterwards, the children were able to watch other birds as they flew across the room.

Other parts of the trip included the children navigating the center while watching for birds, cleaning the beach, and playing a game of "Owl and Mouse" where children were able to experience how an owl hunts without seeing its prey.

Field Trip Tomorrow

Tomorrow is our next field trip. We will be going to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center again. Based on the forecast it seems likely that we will be inside for the duration of the trip. Remember though, this is a nature center, and they do their best to take each group outside to experience nature.  Please, be prepared to walk outside. Umbrellas won't be necessary, because we won't be outside in the rain; however, rain boots would be a good idea. If we go outside, the trails will obviously be quite muddy.

Friday Wrap Up

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to a late edition of the Friday Wrap-Up.

I'd like to thank all of the parents who came to Parent-Teacher conferences last week. It was great to see all of you. I'd also like to thank you for all of the help and support you give to your children at home.

Last week we wrapped up our math unit on data analysis. The students worked very hard as they learned how to analyze graphs as well as produce their own. Unlike the last graphing chapter, this chapter devoted itself to how things change over time. They began the chapter by looking at weather and how the temperature changes and concluded with a study of how different rates of change appear on a graph.

In science the students have begun studying what heat is and how it moves. They've learned that "heat" is not the same thing as "temperature" and that cold things, like ice, still have heat. We will continue that discussion this week.

In reading the students worked on two things. First, they practiced drawing conclusions. Children learned that they can take clues from the story and information from their heads to learn something that wasn't directly stated by the author. Later in the week, we revisited the skill of story mapping.

Finally, last week found the children working on being respectful. Students learned that when they are talking or disruptive in class, that it hurts other children's learning. Being quiet in class should not be something new for students, but the reasoning behind it might be. Be sure to talk to your child about this.

Report Cards

Your child's report cards were sent home today. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Computer Programming pt 2

Another game is just about to be released for the PC ( Mac version already available) that teaches Children how to program using the language Java. You can read more about it here: http://codespells.blogspot.com/

Computer Programming

One of the most valuable and sought after skills in the work place today is programming. One could argue that of all of the jobs available in our country today, none has more of a future than that of computer programming. The ability to write code is an incredibly valuable skill; unfortunately, most people do not begin learning this skill until high school or, more likely, college.

This doesn't need to be the case. Children as young as third grade can start learning how to write code by playing games. CargoBot is a free iPad app that is a lot of fun. In playing the game, students work with a series of commands that program a robot arm to move crates. Scratch a website that uses a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art.

Third graders are old enough to start using these tools to develop their skills. I have included two videos about programming. The first, I couldn't get to embed, but it stresses the importance of programming and can be found here. The other, features a ten year old boy who has published several apps on the iTunes store. 

Book Orders

Book orders were sent home today.  If you would like to order, please have them turned in with payment by Friday. As always,  you can order online at www.scholastic.com. Our class activation code is: GVWB3

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are on Thursday. Your child should have brought home a slip indicating your time. Please sign, and return this slip with your child by tomorrow.

A Letter from your child

I posted this earlier this year, but it is worth reposting.

Dear Mom and/or Dad,

     Today you saw my report card, and next week you will speak to my teacher.  This report card is my teacher’s attempt to describe my actions and accomplishments at school.  When you read the card, and talk to my teacher, please remember that he is describing someone near and dear to you, so please don’t get “uptight” if you see something you do not agree with.  I hope you will accept me as I am.

     Remember that all children do not learn to walk and talk at the same age, nor do they learn math and reading at the same rate.  Please do not compare me to my brothers and sisters or friends, because I am unique to this world.  Be realistic in setting my goals.  I need to be challenged, but not pushed beyond my ability.  I want to be successful and I need time to “smell the flowers” while I am still a child.

     Please remember that my report card is a picture of me at school.  It is a whole different world from the one at home.  Can you imagine having 22 children my age at the dinner table tonight, or 200 children in our backyard playing?  Don’t be surprised to find that I respond in a different manner at school.

     My teacher knows me as I am at school.  You know me as I am at home.  The “real me” may be somewhere in between.  I know you see me as a unique individual who can make you proud and bring you much happiness.  I will try my best.

With love from your child.                 

Great Job!

The following students met their AR goal for the third quarter:

Antonio
Bri
Makayla
Alexandra
thomas
Samantha
Ashlyn
Hunter
Sebastian
Isabella
Dominic
Zachary

When we start school again on Monday it's a brand new quarter. Everyone starts from scratch and it will be your last chance to meet your AR goal for the year.

Pysanky Eggs

Today the students read the story Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polloco. In this story, a group of children made traditional Pysanky eggs using melted wax and dye. The children were very excited to make their own, modified version, today.

Worms?

For our latest field trip today, the students came home with an unusual souvenir-worms.

On our trip to the botanical gardens today, the students learned about different types of soil and a little about worms. Our class left the trip with our very own "Vermiculture" bucket. Over the course of the next two months we will be saving some of our morning food scraps and putting it into a bucket that contains some soil and worms. As the worms eat our scraps, they will produce waste, called "worm castings," that is an excellent soil.

If we do our jobs right, when we visit Boerner Botanical Gardens again in June, we should have a bucket of dirt and twice as many worms as we do now.

Field Trip

Reminder-We have our next field trip to Boerner Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, March 27. We will be back in time for lunch, but please remember to dress for the weather.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Spring parent teacher conferences will be held on April 11. Several of you have already signed up for a time slot. If you haven't yet, you can sign up for a conference slot here.

Student Showcase

Yesterday evening was Kozy's annual Student Showcase. Thank you to all of the parents who stopped by to see the wonderful work your child does at school. For those of you unable to attend, please visit the student work section of our classroom website. Most of the projects your child does are posted in this section.

Week(s) in Review

In math we have left Multiplication for the time being. However, this does not mean that the children are done learning multiplication. While the students understand the process of multiplication, many students are still a ways away from having learned all of their facts. Please continue to work with your child nightly. Memorizing math facts makes math much easier in the future. 

Our current mathematics study is on graphing and determining different rates of change based on tables and graphs. You may have heard your child talking about the Rhomaarian children and their magic marbles. Here is the story behind it:

For the first thirty nights of every year, each child on Rhomaar is visited by a Magic Marble Messenger, who leaves that child the same number of Magic Marbles each night. The odd thing, though, is that the number of Magic Marbles received by one child each night can be different from the number of Magic Marbles received by another child each night. So different Rhomaarian children can get different numbers of Magic Marbles. The Magic Marbles can be used to buy toys, books, snacks, and other things children like. Also, the Magic Marbles are so valuable that many children do not use all of their magic marbles in any one year and may save some for next year. 

 During this unit, the students have been looking at various Rhomaarian children and exploring how the number of marbles change throughout the month and then develop rules to determine how many marbles each child would have on any given during that month. Students are also asked to predict which child would have the most at the end of the month based upon the number of marbles each starts with and the number

Spirit Week

The big news this week was Spirit Week. The children enjoyed each of the special dress up days and I was thrilled with the level of participation the students showed. This week was also our Money Madness week. All week we were collecting money to help fund all of the new technology we have at Kozy. You may not know this, but Kozy is one of two elementary schools in Cudahy to have four computers in each classroom and the only elementary school in Cudahy to have five iPads for each grade level. We are extremely grateful to our PTA for supporting our technology growth, but we still need money to pay for it all.

This week, our school brought in an amazing $1082.72!  Great Job Kozy!  Our classroom also did an outstanding job and raised $191.46! This was the second most in the entire school!  (I don't recall a time I have ever used so many exclamation points)

The highlight of Money Madness week is always "Stuck for a Buck." On Thursday, each child could purchase a piece of tape to stick Mrs. Berner to the wall. The kids loved it and brought in $79 on Thursday alone.

During the Stuck for a Buck assembly, several brave students entertained us in song; among them were Cheyenne, Alex, Isabella, and Bri. I was able to record Cheyenne and Alex, but the audio is very poor. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture Isabella and Bri at all-sorry. :(

As a surprise for all of the students, the Kozy teachers performed in a flash mom. The teachers' dance is below. If you want to see the kids' reactions, you can follow this link: http://switchcam.com/d/borzick/flashmob/

Where has the time gone?

I don't know what happened this month, but time has been flying by and I have not been posting to this blog. My apologies for falling behind. I'm going to try and catch you up on all of the happenings, so grab a beverage, get comfortable, because there are going to be several posts coming up.

Spirit Week

Get Ready....Next week is Spirit Week and Money Madness!

This year we continue to raise money for Kozy to continue to add technology to our school. Bring your nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars to help buy more computers and iPads.

This year we will again have Stuck for a Buck. On Thursday, bring in your dollars to buy a piece tape to stick MRS. BERNER to the wall!


Monday, 3/18--Crazy Hat & Hair Day.....bring your nickels.
Tuesday, 3/19--Class Color Day, our color is YELLOW.....bring your dimes
Wednesday, 3/20--Wack Wednesday, dress crazy with mismatch socks, shoes, and many collors....bring your quarters.
Thursday, 3/21--Pajama Day and STUCK FOR A BUCK!....Bring your dollars to buy tape.
Friday, 3/22--Wisconsin Sports Day....Bring Any Money


The classroom raising the most money, earns a pizza party!!

Science Test

As I posted yesterday, our next science test is Tuesday, March 12 (Monday if you are in Mrs. Lew's class). What I neglected to mention, or write in the note you received today, is that I again created a set of flash cards to help you study. 

Click here to see the set. For full information about the site, as well as how you can use your iPhone/iPad to study, please read the Novemeber 11 blog post.

I have also uploaded each of the PowerPoints I use to when teaching the lessons. You can find them here.

We will be taking the test on Chapter B2.

Science Test

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Your third grader will be taking his/her next science test next week. Mrs. Lew’s class will take it on Monday, March 11. Mr. Borzick’s class will take it Tuesday, March 12. The material covered on the test will be taken from Chapter 2 of the Physical Science Unit.  The chapter is titled “Forces Machines and Work’ and begins on page B34 and ends on B55.  

Your child will be taking home a green packet of worksheets that he or she can use to study. The material contained in the three lesson assessments and the graphic organizer is found on the test.

Some of the things you can study with your child are:
1) Chapter content (reread lessons, review lesson questions)
2) Worksheets and Graphic Organizers sent home today
3) Thorough understanding of the Vocabulary Words is very important.  Know more than just their definitions.
4) Understand how simple machines work and what they are.
5) Understand how a lever works and where a fulcrum is best placed.

This material has been covered in class, but students should plan on studying at least 40 minutes in order to do well on the test.  Please feel free to call with any questions or concerns.

Family Trees

Today most students finished the first portion of their work on family traditions. Using Google Drawings, students worked to create their family tree. Click on the slide show below to see larger pictures. You can also see the pictures on your child's website. You can access their website from the classroom site.

Simple Machine Videos

Earlier this week, students took pictures of simple machines throughout the school. Today, the same groups worked together to create videos that explained those simple machines. To see all of the videos, visit our student work page on our classroom website.

Story Problems

In our continuing study of multiplication and division, the students needed to write and illustrate a multiplication and division story problem. They did this individually using an app called Doodlebuddy. They then exchanged their iPads and used the app Doceri to solve the problem. Below the pictures are two samples of the students' work. They did a great job on this and worked really hard both on the math problem and as they learned these two new apps. Visit the student work section of our classroom website to see all the videos.

Multiplication

In addition to the really cool game Timez Attack, multiplication.com provides another wonderful resource from which to learn multiplication facts. 

On Multiplication.com students can choose to play various games that will enhance their multiplication skills. Games are both single and multi-player games.

Paragraphs

I've posted the students' paragraphs in the student work section of our website. They can also be found on each child's personal website.

Non-Snow-Day Fun

We're missing quite a few of our students today, but that hasn't stopped us. Today the students were exposed to the iPad app String. This is another augmented reality app but this time, instead of the students creating the system, the trigger and response were created for them.

Students were amazed by what they saw (see the video below). When they pointed their iPads, a little green monster magically appeared on their desk and began to wander around, a dragon emerged from a wall a flew off, or a shoe began to hover in the air.

Students interacted with the virtual objects and took their pictures with them. We are now in the process of writing a story about our fantastical creatures.

Yes, we do have school today!

Google+

Many of you may never have heard about Google+ , but it is Google's answer to Facebook. For those of you who use this site, you now have a new way to follow this blog. I have linked the my Google+ profile with this blog and all new posts will appear there. If you would like to follow me, do a search for Josh Borzick, and select the one from the School District of Cudahy.

For the foreseeable future, the only things that will appear on that site will be the blog posts, so if you don't visit Google+, but read the blog another way, you won't be missing anything.

Simple Machines

Today we continued our work with simple machines. Students were divided into teams and sent to explore Kozy. Their task was to find as many different examples of simple machines as they could and document each using the iPad's camera. The children did a great job and found many unique examples.

Below are some of the examples that the children found. See if you would have thought of them.

Epic Citadel!

For roughly a year now I've been trying to work in an iPad app called Aurasma somewhere, anywhere, into my curriculum. It actually became a kind of quest for me. Quest completed!

Aurasma is an augmented reality application that is really cool. According to Wikipedia, "Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented bycomputer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data." An that is what this does. 


I began the lesson by exploring the world within the app "Epic Citadel." This app allows the children to explore a beautifully created, mid-evil world complete with flags, fruit market, stores, castle, and temple but without any other person in sight. Children are free to explore the land and develop their own story line about what may have happened to all of the citizens of this world. After exploring the app for awhile, children worked together to develop a list of "power words" to describe the castle, or parts of the castle. The words were then turned into a word cloud using the website abcya.


The children then used these words, and their experience within Epic Citadel to write a paragraph about Epic Citadel introducing the setting of the castle. Next came the really cool part. 

The children used the app Pinnacle to create a short movie of screen captures from the game as the backdrop to their paragraph. Then using Aurasma, the children used the movie as an overlay and their word clouds as a trigger image. Children were thrilled to see their movies miraculously appear when they scanned their clouds with the iPads. 

I've included one of the students' videos below, but if you'd like to try this out for yourself, you can find the students' word clouds here. Print them out, and then follow the directions beneath the video to make it work. 

1. Download the app “Aurasma” onto your Smartphone.
2. Open the app and press the A at the bottom of the screen.
3. Click on the search option.
4. Type in "kozy1" and click the option.
5. Click on "Epic Citadel."
6. Press "Follow.
7. Open the app and scan the word cloud
8. Watch and enjoy.

I'd like to thank this blog for the great idea.

Read!

Three Things

1. Progress reports went home today. If you gave me your email, your child's report was emailed to you. If you didn't, check your child's backpack.

2. Your child received a set of flashcards today. Please take 10-15 minutes each night to practice.

3. Please try to wrap up the discussions regarding family traditions. Each child should know about three traditions they have in their families and, if possible, a picture for each. They should also have a list of the members of their family tree as well as birth/death dates.  Pictures should be emailed to your child's account; if you send prints I will turn them into digital pictures for you.

Multiplication

We have recently begun working with multiplication in math class. Thus far, we have spent our time exploring what multiplication is, how and when it is used, and learning how to make multiplication easier. Throughout this time we have been using array cards to better understand multiplication. Today, the children used these cards and played a modified version of the card game, "War."

It's now time to start memorizing the multiplication facts. This memorization will be done exclusively at home. I will  be sending home a stack of multiplication flash cards that you should work with your child on for at least 15 minutes each day until all of them are memorized. Cards are memorized when the child can give you the answer without taking anytime to figure it out.

There are also websites linked off of our classroom site that will drill children on facts. Also, don't forget about the wonderful game, Timez Attack I blogged about several weeks ago as well as numerous apps that can be downloaded to your tablet or phone.

What a great field trip!

Today the students took their second field trip to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and it was fantastic!

The first portion of the trip found the children learning about three different habitats-forest, prairie, and pond. During the discussion the students learned about the things that each habitat provides to help organisms survive. Students then set off on a hike around the Audubon Center where they explored the different habitats and learned a little more about them first hand.

During the second part of the trip the students learned a little bit more about Native American history and culture. It began with what was, for many, the highlight of the trip-a Native American dance demonstration. For this portion, an Apache spoke to our class and performed the "Grass Dance" for us. He then led some students in another dance and exposed us to traditional song. Throughout it all he spoke a little bit about himself, his outfit, and Native American Culture.

Following, the students explored some artifacts pertaining to Native Americans of the past and were able to enter a Wigwam that was still under construction.

The trip was fantastic, be sure to ask your child about it. To see the pictures larger, click on the slide show.

Valentine's Day Inferencing

One of the skills that third graders work on is inferencing. Inferencing involves looking at a piece of text or a picture, looking for clues, and then using those clues to figure out what a character is thinking or feeling. To work on this skill today, students used the iPads two different apps make inferences about a Valentine's Day picture. Click on the slideshow below to see full size pictures.

Field Trip Tomorrow!

Just a quick reminder that our field trip to the Schlitz Audubon Nature center is tomorrow. A portion of this trip will be outside, so please remember to dress for the weather. Snow-pants  boots, hats, and gloves are a must. Also remember that our bus will be leaving promptly at 8:30. Get to school on time or you'll miss the bus!

Field Trip

Yesterday the third grade classes took their second field trip to the Boerner Botanical Gardens. This field trip found the students working hard to understand the various parts of the plants and their functions. Each part of the plant was explained, and the students then had the opportunity to examine, dissect  and, much to the children's delight, eat the plant parts. Among the parts looked at were stems (celery), fruit (kiwi), and seeds (lima beans).

We will be attending two more trips to the gardens. The next one is sure to be very interesting-vermiculture is the topic. Click on the slide show to go to the web album.

Week in Review

This week we dug deeper into multiplication. We began looking at multiplication in terms of the area of a rectangle as well as arrays. Students should be understanding how one can use easier multiplication problems to figure out more difficult ones. For example, if students know that 5x4=20, then 6x4=24 because there is just one more 4 than before.

Science finds us in the middle of our lessons on simple machines. Students are learning about the six different simple machines how they make work easier.

Lastly, students have finished their research on a president and have begun writing their paragraphs about them. The children seem to really have gotten into this project and enjoy writing in the first person, as if they are the president. This next week, students will begin typing these paragraphs and you should see them on your child's website soon.

Mary Todd Lincoln

I guess this is my day to blog.  Earlier today I posted a list of upcoming events at the Cudahy Library, but I wanted to highlight one of them. Next Monday, February 11, there is an actress portraying Mary Todd Lincoln.  We are currently in the middle of some presidential research and this would be an excellent addition to that research.

Traditions

We are currently reading a series of stories about family traditions. As part of this unit on, the students will be creating presentations about some of their family traditions. To prepare for this, I will need parents’ help.

Talk with your child about some of his/her favorite family traditions and choose three favorites. Then, find a picture that best represents each of the three traditions. If these are digital pictures, please email them to your child. Their address is their user name @cudahystudents.org. For most students their username is their first initial and last name. For instance, John Doe would be jdoe@cudahystudents.org. If the pictures are prints, please send the pictures to school with your child and I will convert them into digital pictures.

The students will also be building a family tree. Please work with your child to assemble the names and birth/death dates of their family. Go back as far as you are able, but only include parents/grandparents/great-grandparents/etc. Not aunts or uncles. Pictures of each person would add interest to the family tree; please send or email any photographs of the people mentioned.

Valentine's Day Party

Our class will be exchanging Valentine’s cards on February 14. If you are planning to send cards with  your child, please be sure to send one for everyone to avoid any hurt feelings.

Class List

Antonio Bri Makayla Grace Alexandra Esteban Aubree Thomas Samantha Dakota Michael

Cheyenne Dylan Austin Hunter Ashlyn Sebastian Vanessa Isabella Zachary Dominic