What is astronomy, and why is it important?  The Chat team was fortunate to speak with astronomist Summer Ash from Columbia University's Department of Astronomy. Summer is also a science writer and is the resident astrophysicist on the Rachel Maddow Show. You can learn more about Summer by listening to our podcast and visiting SummerAsh.com. Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Click here to listen to and subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts. Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows. App development team: prototyping our app The team's been working hard on learning to code by completing puzzles in Swift Playgrounds. They are beginning to collaborate on some ideas for their app's design. Math: Working within 1000After playing Close to 100 and an assessment on addition and subtraction within 100 at the beginning of the week, we moved into working within 1000. To start, students made a 1000 chart and used landmark numbers to find numbers on the chart. This helps students understand relationship between numbers, as well as patterns. We finished the week with a fun task:  Thomas and Neil were the first to complete this tricky task correctly!  Winter Concert and PartyWe will be celebrating winter with our holiday concert and classroom parties on December 21. The concert schedule is below, and I will pass on information about our classroom party soon. 1st Grade- 9:45AM 2nd Grade- 10:30AM 3rd Grade -1:00PM 4th Grade -1:45PM Dismissal 2:30PM Informational writing: preparing to publish  The students are editing rough drafts and beginning to publish their final informational texts. For this final informational text, students are expected to use everything they've learned over the course of this unit to produce a text independently. Good informational writing teaches the reader all about a topic of the student's choice and includes the elements on the informational writing checklist. Native American ProjectStudents dove into researching Native American tribes using the provided resources. We learned that several Great Lakes tribes (Ottawa, Potawatomi, Chippewa, and more) lived right here in River Forest. The kids were interested to learn that the corner of North Avenue and Thatcher was a large hub for local tribes due to the proximity of the river and fertile soil. As students gather research, they will organize and publish their work online on our Native Americans of the Great Lakes website. Their written work is due on December 21; each tribe will create a movie or other demonstration after we return from winter break. Reader's workshop: |
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| Friday, December 21, 2018 Friday, December 21, 2018 Monday, December 24, 2018 - Friday, January 5, 2019 Monday, January 7, 2018 | Winter Concert and Party Early dismissal, 2:30PM Winter Break Return to School |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
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Does theatre reflect society?
Join The Chat and our very special guest, actor Mariette Strauss
This week, The Chat welcomed very special guest: actor Mariette Strauss, Mariette lives in NYC, and her latest projects include the movie, Breakable You, as well as the web series, Nannies. Mariette discussed the connection between society and theatre.
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows.
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows.
Native Americans of the Great Lakes
Our next unit of study in Social studies is learning about the Native Americans of the Great Lakes, and thinking about how the early tribes influenced our modern communities and culture. This unit involves a lot of research, writing, collaboration, and creativity. Please take a look at the unit here!
Writer's workshop
Our focus this week was taking what we've learned about longer informational pieces and applying it to smaller ones. Students spent a few days composing an outline and a rough draft about a place they like to visit. After, student partners critiqued and helped to revise the work according to the information writing checklist. Finally, students spent two days creating an informational brochure about their chosen vacation spot.
Next week, students will write their final informational text. When we return from Winter Break, we will begin our persuasive writing unit.
Winter Concert and party
We will be celebrating winter with our holiday concert and classroom parties on December 21. The concert schedule is below, and I will pass on information about our classroom party soon.
1st Grade- 9:45AM
2nd Grade- 10:30AM
3rd Grade -1:00PM
4th Grade -1:45PM
Dismissal 2:30PM
1st Grade- 9:45AM
2nd Grade- 10:30AM
3rd Grade -1:00PM
4th Grade -1:45PM
Dismissal 2:30PM
Reader's workshop: Reading to Learn
We began our nonfiction reading unit this week, with a focus on previewing texts to build information and reading for main ideas and details. Students worked with their reading partners to 'rev up their minds' before reading; looking through texts together to identify what the books are about, and making connections to their prior knowledge.
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After, students chose their own books and worked to organize main idea and details by using 'boxes and bullets' (outline).
Math
Our focus for the next few weeks is addition and subtraction within hundreds and thousands. We recalled sheets (100s), sticks (tens), and singles (ones), and moved into adding a subtraction by place value. Here is an example:
Please take a look at the Family Letter and math work pages your child brought home this week. Also, you can play Capture 5 and Close to 100 with your child to reinforce the concept of place value.
Art appreciation: I spy....Art Deco Architecture
We had a great time with Art Parent Mrs. Roginski! She introduced Art Deco in Chicago architecture and the Roaring 20s to the students. We had lots of fun creating our own Art Deco skyscraper paintings.
Upcoming events
| Friday, December 21, 2018 Friday, December 21, 2018 Monday, December 24, 2018 - Friday, January 5, 2019 Monday, January 7, 2018 | Winter Concert and Party Early dismissal, 2:30PM Winter Break Return to School |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
App Dev: Mood Monster's Wellness Workshop
The App Dev team is currently working to design the UI (user interface) for our app by creating design prototypes in Keynote. Next week, we will take a look at each design, and see which parts of each we like best. The team also decided on a logo and name for our app: we are calling it Mood Monster's Wellness Workshop, and making it a follow-up to last year's app, Mood Monster's Yoga Workshop.
The Chat: How can coding make the world a better place?
The essential question this week was, 'How can coding make the world a better place?' We had a terrific conversation with Eric Johnson, software engineer for a local company. Unfortunately, we must re-tape the closing, so it could not be published today. We will publish it Monday!
Veteran's Day Assembly
It is so important to recognize and thank the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving the United States. The best assembly of the year is Lincoln's Veteran's Day assembly because the students get the opportunity to learn from and honor our local veterans.
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Math:
We finished our unit on data and measurement this week, and are moving into Unit 3- Travel Stories and Collections: Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System. This unit focuses on understanding and extending knowledge of place value and the number system to 1,000, and adding and subtracting accurately and efficiently. It centers on the Operations and Algebraic Thinking strand of the Common Core State Standards, which develops students’ ideas about counting and quantity, place value and the structure of the base-10 number system, the meaning of operations with whole numbers, the development of computational fluency, and generalizations about numbers and operations.
Reader's workshop: focusing on
the Narrative Reading Progression
We finished our Mystery unit this week with the students learning to apply what they've learned about reading mysteries and applying it to all fiction. We worked on the following strands of the Narrative Learning Progression: Envisioning/Predicting, Monotoring for Sense, Fluency, Orienting, and Retelling/Summary/Synthesis.
The Narrative Reading Progression is an excellent tool you can use to help your child become a better fiction reader. It is easy to use at home, too: the progression tells what your child should focus on and be able to do by the end of Third Grade.
After the Thanksgiving break, we will begin the information reading unit.
The Narrative Reading Progression is an excellent tool you can use to help your child become a better fiction reader. It is easy to use at home, too: the progression tells what your child should focus on and be able to do by the end of Third Grade.
After the Thanksgiving break, we will begin the information reading unit.
Writer's workshop
We are moving to a different focus for our information writing next week: the students will be applying what they've learned about writing for a long project and applying it to short projects like articles, speeches, and other short texts.
This week, students worked on finishing up a their long informational text by 'teaching' their text to other students in the class. Students practiced teaching students the important points of their topic by using techniques like boxes and bullets or main idea/details.
This week, students worked on finishing up a their long informational text by 'teaching' their text to other students in the class. Students practiced teaching students the important points of their topic by using techniques like boxes and bullets or main idea/details.
Plants, animals, and the environment
Students continue to explore the question, 'When the environment changes, do the types of plants and animals that live there change?" We participated in a Google Hangout with Tori Linder, Director of the Path of the Panther Project. The project focuses on identifying the land protection and wildlife crossings needed to keep the Everglades connected to North America and save a future for the Florida Panther.
Visitng the 2nd Grade Living History Fair
The students loved visiting the Grade 2 Annual Living History Fair in Mr. Rodgers's and Ms. Jenkins's classrooms. It was great to listen to the proud 2nd Graders talk about their families.
Winter Concerts and Party:
Friday, December 21, 2018
Believe it or not, Winter Break is only 5 weeks away! Of course, before vacation we will be celebrating winter with our holiday concert and classroom parties! The concert schedule is below, and I will pass on information about our classroom party soon.
1st Grade- 9:45AM
2nd Grade- 10:30AM
3rd Grade -1:00PM
4th Grade -1:45PM
Dismissal 2:30PM
1st Grade- 9:45AM
2nd Grade- 10:30AM
3rd Grade -1:00PM
4th Grade -1:45PM
Dismissal 2:30PM
Upcoming events
| Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23, 2018 Friday, December 21, 2018 Monday, December 24, 2018 - Friday, January 5, 2019 Monday, January 7, 2018 | Thanksgiving Break- NO SCHOOL Winter Concert and Party Winter Break Return to School |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade
This week, The Chat welcomed special guest Andrea Ingram, The Davee Vice President of Education and Guest Services at the Museum of Science and Industry to help us discuss, "Can the past help us understand the future?"
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows!
The students are learning the ins and outs of having a weekly production. It is fast-paced and requires a lot of creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. The students learned (kind of the hard way) this week that effort equals success. Experiencing failure is an important part of learning.
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows!
The students are learning the ins and outs of having a weekly production. It is fast-paced and requires a lot of creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. The students learned (kind of the hard way) this week that effort equals success. Experiencing failure is an important part of learning.
App Dev
We've been working very hard this week on learning to code using Swift Playgrounds. Not only are the kids learning to code, but they are working to ideate a useful product! It is hard and serious work.
The team decided that the main goal of our app is to help kids lead a healthier life. The app will focus on nutrition and food, exercise, and mental health/wellness. The team made some decisions about how they want to do this, but we've yet to determine a name or begin the design process. The next few months are critical in our app development process.
The team decided that the main goal of our app is to help kids lead a healthier life. The app will focus on nutrition and food, exercise, and mental health/wellness. The team made some decisions about how they want to do this, but we've yet to determine a name or begin the design process. The next few months are critical in our app development process.
Writing: connecting ideas and facts
Our writers have been practicing implementing different structures, as well as balancing the addition of facts and ideas in their informational writing. We also practiced researching facts using books and reputable websites.
Students are also learning to incorporate strategies such as compare/contrast, pros/cons, cause and effect, and more into informational writing. Students are working to elaborate, using graphic features like checklists, definitions, questions, and more to engage the reader.
Students are also learning to incorporate strategies such as compare/contrast, pros/cons, cause and effect, and more into informational writing. Students are working to elaborate, using graphic features like checklists, definitions, questions, and more to engage the reader.
Reader's workshop:
Red herrings and hidden clues
As we work through the last lessons of our reading unit on mysteries, students have been having a lot of fun learning about red herrings and trying to find hidden clues. Reading mysteries has been a terrific way for us to extend our fiction reading unit, and the kids and I have enjoyed it a lot.
Third Grade is a big shift from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn', and students need all the practice they can get. At conferences, we will talk about what skills and strategies your child is ready to learn next. Comprehension strategies (retelling, character traits, plot development, identifying motive, author's purpose, etc.) are all great things to practice with your child at home. Although we read a lot at school, please help you child by encouraging reading at home.
Third Grade is a big shift from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn', and students need all the practice they can get. At conferences, we will talk about what skills and strategies your child is ready to learn next. Comprehension strategies (retelling, character traits, plot development, identifying motive, author's purpose, etc.) are all great things to practice with your child at home. Although we read a lot at school, please help you child by encouraging reading at home.
Math
This week's focus was analyzing data by creating line plots. Students had fun measuring their using feet and inches, then plotting the data. Next week, we will continue to learn about data, measurement, and line plots by measuring the length of the classroom, how far a Third Grader can jump, and how far a Third Grader can blow a pattern block. Then, we will plot our data on line plots and analyze our findings. Next week, we will finish Unit 2, and move into Unit 3 (Travel Stories and Collections) after conferences.
How can you help your child with math at home? Did you know that you can log into your child's math portal to play math games, see what your child is learning, and view math words and ideas videos/work? Ask your child for his/her password, then log into Pearson Realize with him/her. Have your child show you around, and view the concepts we are studying in class! Please feel free to ask me any questions.
How can you help your child with math at home? Did you know that you can log into your child's math portal to play math games, see what your child is learning, and view math words and ideas videos/work? Ask your child for his/her password, then log into Pearson Realize with him/her. Have your child show you around, and view the concepts we are studying in class! Please feel free to ask me any questions.
Student-led conferences
We are preparing for student-led conferences next week! This is a great time for your child to take ownership of learning, and share his or her successes, struggles, and goals with us in a supportive environment.
Since this is the first experience with student-led conferences for most, we are keeping it simple and relaxed: students will share and discuss work, set goals, and talk about his or her learning experiences so far in Third Grade. We (the adults) should be open and supportive, and discuss ways we can assist and or facilitate learning. It will be a very positive experience! Bringing your child is not mandatory, but it is very much encouraged.
Since this is the first experience with student-led conferences for most, we are keeping it simple and relaxed: students will share and discuss work, set goals, and talk about his or her learning experiences so far in Third Grade. We (the adults) should be open and supportive, and discuss ways we can assist and or facilitate learning. It will be a very positive experience! Bringing your child is not mandatory, but it is very much encouraged.
Halloween fun
Upcoming events
| Friday, November 2 - Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Thursday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23, 2018 Friday, December 21, 2018 Monday, December 24, 2018 - Friday, January 5, 2019 Monday, January 7, 2018 | Lincoln School Book Fair Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break- NO SCHOOL Winter Concert and Party Winter Break Return to School |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade,
Episode 2: How will technology change our world?
The team from The Chat interviewed Mike Yakubovsky, Head of the Engineering Design Department and STEM coordinator from the innovative Copell High School in Coppell, Texas. Be sure to listen to find out what they learned!
The students' first interview podcast went off without a hitch, and the kids did an amazing job. I am very, very proud of them! After the podcast, they reflected on what went well and what they can do better next week. The team was extremely intuitive, and was able to pinpoint some areas they will be able to adjust. Parents, you would be so proud...it is a very serious and difficult task to create, organize, and produce a podcast every week. Today was a big step for the team: they saw how their hard work paid off, and they are already excited for next week!
Please tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday, and don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
The students' first interview podcast went off without a hitch, and the kids did an amazing job. I am very, very proud of them! After the podcast, they reflected on what went well and what they can do better next week. The team was extremely intuitive, and was able to pinpoint some areas they will be able to adjust. Parents, you would be so proud...it is a very serious and difficult task to create, organize, and produce a podcast every week. Today was a big step for the team: they saw how their hard work paid off, and they are already excited for next week!
Please tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday, and don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
App Dev:
learning to code with Swift Playgrounds
Students began working in Swift Playgrounds to complete puzzles while learning coding concepts. This week, the App Dev team worked on learning commands and functions. Ask your child what these are! Check out Madeline's coding work.
Collecting and organizing data:
graphs and pictographs
The students are working on collecting, describing, and comparing data. They are working to understand the connection between our data and logical ways to represent it.
We continue to work on previously learned concepts by weaving them into current work. For example, students are working on multiplication/division by creating pictographs and graphs where skip counting (graph) or the each picture (pictograph) equals a determined number of items.
To reinforce these concepts at home, please have your child work on these Investigations math games:
Factor Pairs
Count and Compare
Missing Factors
We continue to work on previously learned concepts by weaving them into current work. For example, students are working on multiplication/division by creating pictographs and graphs where skip counting (graph) or the each picture (pictograph) equals a determined number of items.
To reinforce these concepts at home, please have your child work on these Investigations math games:
Factor Pairs
Count and Compare
Missing Factors
Today's number
Today's Number is a way for students to think flexibly about numbers. Here are two terrific examples from Sara and Walter.
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Information writing
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The students are learning the foundations of good information writing: selecting a topic they know alot about, and dividing the text into subtopics with details. We read the mentor text, 'Deadliest Animals', and learned about some strategies for elaborating on our facts. Students learned to add a variety of text features to support their work, like adding questions, diagrams, labels, questions, and statistics. Students are using the information writing checklist to guide them during independent writing.
Readers of mysteries...
Our mystery unit is pretty neat! The kids are really enjoying the book we are reading, Room One by Andrew Clements. Each student has checked out mysteries from the library to practice skills and strategies we are learning independently. Over the last two weeks, we've learned about the structure of mysteries: introduction to characters/setting, crime solver identified, mystery rvealed, trail of clues and action, and mystery solved. Students also learned about making a timeline of clues, events, and/or a list of suspects to help them perservere when the reading gets long and tricky (main idea and details). The kids read with their reading partners to work on reading fluency.
Science: Plants, animals, and the environment
Students finished the first part of theis unit by sharing a way that plants or animals are influenced by the environment. Students used what they learned at the Chicago Botanic Garden to show something they saw that proves the environment influences living things. Here are two ideas from Lucia and Violet.
Now students are working on the next part of their learning: do plants and animals change when the environment changes? Students will be designing a model or experiment to find out!
Upcoming events
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Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Friday, November 2 - Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Thursday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23, 2018 |
Halloween parade and party
Lincoln School Book Fair Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Field trip to the Chicago Botanic Gardens
We had a wonderful time at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! We were very lucky with the weather: although it was hot, I think we went on the last summer-y day of the year. The students participated in a flower dissection lab where we learned all about the different parts of a flower and its purpose.
After, we were able to walk through the gorgeous gardens to investigate plants and animals. On Tuesday, we returned to the question we asked last week: Do you think plant and animal traits can be influenced by the environment? The students chose something from our field trip they noticed was influenced by the conditions where it lives, and began demonstrating what they learned via writing and diagram. We will continue to think about this question and finish our work next week.
A VERY big thank you to our incredible chaperones: Mrs. Auvinen, Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Roginski, and Mrs, Tamm!
After, we were able to walk through the gorgeous gardens to investigate plants and animals. On Tuesday, we returned to the question we asked last week: Do you think plant and animal traits can be influenced by the environment? The students chose something from our field trip they noticed was influenced by the conditions where it lives, and began demonstrating what they learned via writing and diagram. We will continue to think about this question and finish our work next week.
A VERY big thank you to our incredible chaperones: Mrs. Auvinen, Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Roginski, and Mrs, Tamm!
The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade:
Season 3 Opener!
We have produced our first podcast of Season 3! Each Friday, The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade will produce a podcast focused on answering a question we are curious about. This week, the team introduced themselves, and talked briefly about some things they want to explore this year.
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows!
Tune in to The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to The Chat via Apple Podcasts.
Click here to let us know what you think, and suggest guests and topics for upcoming shows!
App Dev update!
The App Dev Team decided that the essential question for the app we want to create is, 'How can we help kids lead healthier lives?' To find out how we can help and guide our app, we are thinking of questions to ask kids from a variety of communities and backgrounds. After the students get a firm foundation and idea of what is needed, they will begin to learn to code using Tynker and Swift Playgrounds.
Math: Division story problems
We worked to write our own division story problems this week (see Ella's example below), and also took an assessment on math facts. Next week, we will work on more division and multiplication and finish up Unit 1,. We will move into Unit 2: Graphs and Line Plots near the end of the week!
Coming up in reader's workshop:
Mysteries
We have finished our first Unit of Study (Building a Reading Life) and will continue reading fiction next week with our Mystery Unit. Students will continue to work on inferencing, synthesizing, and creating predictions during reading. Students will use close reading strategies to help guide comprehension within mystery texts, and work with partners to solve mysteries. It will be lots of fun!
Next week in writer's workshop:
Informational writing
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We finished publishing our narrative writing texts (see some book covers above), and are moving into informational writing next week. This informational unit is a lot of fun, and I think the kids are ready to move on. We will start with a 'cold write': students will have 45 minutes to produce an infromational text as a pre-unit assessment. It is used to compare to the post-unit 'cold write' to measure growth.
Upcoming events
| Wednesday, October 31, 2018 Thursday, November 7, 2018 Friday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23, 2018 | Halloween parade and party Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Reminder:
Order Mrs. Burns's Class tee-shirts
before October 12!
The Logo Team came up with a short-sleeved, less expensive version. Please order a tee-shirt for your child before October 12 via our CustomInk online form! If we do not have 91% participation (20 kids), we will not be able to order, and parents will be refunded their money. Thank you!
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Field trip to the Botanic Garden on Tuesday!
The Third Grade clesses are taking our first trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden on Tuesday, October 9! The busses will leave Lincoln around 8:30AM, and we will return around 2:00PM. Please pack a completely disposable or recyclable lunch and drink for your child (no lunchboxes). Although we will participate in the flower lab, we will probably spend some time outdoors, so please make sure your child dresses appropriately.
Plants, animals, and environment
In addition to our visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden, we've also started a unit focused on answering the following questions about plants and animals:
Do you think plant and animal traits can be influenced by the environment?
When the environment changes, do the types of plants and animals that live there change?
In the Native Garden, are there plants and animals that are surviving well? Are there any that are not surviving as well? Are there any plants and animals that could not survive in the Native Garden? Why are some surviving well when others can not?
I asked students to answer the first question to identify what they already know about animal traits and the environment before we embark on our study. See below for some of their responses.
Do you think plant and animal traits can be influenced by the environment?
When the environment changes, do the types of plants and animals that live there change?
In the Native Garden, are there plants and animals that are surviving well? Are there any that are not surviving as well? Are there any plants and animals that could not survive in the Native Garden? Why are some surviving well when others can not?
I asked students to answer the first question to identify what they already know about animal traits and the environment before we embark on our study. See below for some of their responses.
Math Investigation 4: Understanding division
The students were introduced to the relationship between multiplication and division. The focus points for this investigation, the last in Unit 1, are:
We found that division is a 'missing factor' problem. Students practiced multiplication and division by playing math games like Count and Compare and Missing Factor. A great way to practice math without homework is to play these games at home, too!
- Understanding division as the splitting of a quantity into equal groups
- Using the inverse relationship between multiplication and division to solve problems
We found that division is a 'missing factor' problem. Students practiced multiplication and division by playing math games like Count and Compare and Missing Factor. A great way to practice math without homework is to play these games at home, too!
Writer's workshop: revising and editing
our final narrative writing piece
Students spent the last two days writing the rough drafts of their final narrative writing piece. We also worked on using quotation marks and commas for dialogue and creating a strong ending this week. We will spend the beginning of next week revising and editing the work, then publish on Thursday and Friday. Our next unit on informational writing will begin on Tuesday, October 16. The students are looking forward to sharing their hard work with you at student-led parent/teacher conferences in November.
Reader's workshop: asking higher level questions to make sense of the text
In addition to asking general questions about plot- like who are the characters and what happened- students are learning to ask higher-level questions like, 'Why did the author include that?' We are trying to determine author's purpose to make better sense of our reading. We also talked about the progression of character problems and wants. The kids really enjoy our read aloud, Wild Robot. It is a terrific book for developing skills like analyzing character traits, modeling descriptive language, and demonstrating the writer/reader connection.
We will finish this unit within the next week, and we will start another unit called Mystery: Foundational Skills in Disguise. It uses mysteries to teach skills like identifying cause and effect relationships, reading closely to catch key details, and work on developing predictions. I am looking forward to reading mysteries!
We will finish this unit within the next week, and we will start another unit called Mystery: Foundational Skills in Disguise. It uses mysteries to teach skills like identifying cause and effect relationships, reading closely to catch key details, and work on developing predictions. I am looking forward to reading mysteries!
Check out our recommendations!
Books We Recommend: October 2018
Upcoming events
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Monday, October 8, 2018
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Thursday, November 7, 2018 Friday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 |
Columbus Day- NO SCHOOL
Third Grade Field Trip- Botanic Garden Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Order the NEW and IMPROVED
Mrs. Burns's Class tee-shirts before October 12!
The Logo Team went back to the drawing board, since we some parents expressed concern over the price and design. They came up with a short-sleeved, less expensive version. Please order a tee-shirt for your child before October 12 via our CustomInk online form!
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Bird migration and banding via Google Hangout
We were lucky to be part of an group Google Hangout with the Boise State University's Intermountain Bird Observatory (IBO). We'll watched the scientists study songbirds up close at their Lucky Peak Research Station. We got to observe as the ornithologists captured, banded, measured, and weighed songbirds and learned how, why, and when they study birds. We were able to ask the scientists a few questions about how and why birds migrate. It was very cool! (Photo copyright Crystal Lovato)
Our class theme song is finished and released!
We had so much fun making this song on Garage Band, I think more songs are in our future. Congratulations to the Class Song Group for perservering through difficult times to create this awesome piece of music! Listen to 'We're in Mrs. Burns's Class' on Soundcloud.
Introducing the App Development Team!
The App Dev team will be thinking of a problem we can solve through coding. We hope to develop an app to submit to the App Store by the end of the school year!
Introducing the new team for Season 3 of
The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade!
The Chat Team will be creating and producing a podcast every week that centers around an essential question. We hope to produce our first episode in two weeks!
Reader's workshop
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The students are working on using textual clues to better comprehend unknown words. We thought about identifying unknown words as climbing a hurdle, and also looked for clues authors leave to help solve tricky words.
Every day, we practice the skills and strategies we are learning as a group during the read-aloud, then students read idependently and apply the skills and strategies to help them better comprehend the text they have chosen.
Every day, we practice the skills and strategies we are learning as a group during the read-aloud, then students read idependently and apply the skills and strategies to help them better comprehend the text they have chosen.
Writer's workshop
This week the students became their own job captain by choosing a focused small moment, and then following all the skills we've learned during this unit to write a new narrative text. We have a few more things to work on next week before we begin the final narrative piece. After narrative writing, we will move into informational writing and research clubs.
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Understanding area
We are learning the concept of area. Students worked this week with arrays to determine the area of a rectangle. Students can practice multiplication at home with games like Factor Pairs, Missing Factor, and Count and Compare. Click the links to play; the students know their student log-in information for Pearson Realize..
Next week, we will finish this investigation and begin Investigation 4 of our Unit 1: Understanding Division. Students will continue to work on understanding the meaning of multiplication and learning multiplication facts, and they will also begin to develop strategies for division based on understanding the inverse relationship between multiplication and division.
Next week, we will finish this investigation and begin Investigation 4 of our Unit 1: Understanding Division. Students will continue to work on understanding the meaning of multiplication and learning multiplication facts, and they will also begin to develop strategies for division based on understanding the inverse relationship between multiplication and division.
Upcoming events
| Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Monday, October 8, 2018 Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Thursday, November 7, 2018 Friday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 | School Picture Day Columbus Day- NO SCHOOL Third Grade Field Trip- Botanic Garden Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Our first projects are ready to be shared:
Mrs. Burns's Class Creations website, our class tee-shirts, and our class song*
Our class media store is complete, and just waiting for all of the books, apps, movies, and podcasts we will create! As we create content, it we be available for free download on our store.
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Finally, our class logo group has decided that to show our class unity, we should have tee-shirts with our class logo. They have designed the shirt, and have figured out the cost. Over the week-end, I will send an anonymous poll via email to gauge parent interest in this...I think the cost is around $30/each. The shirts they've chosen are Sport-tek Competitor Quarter-zip Performance shirts.
I've told the kids that this will not be viable if we don't have parental support. Please let me know via the poll if this is something you would be willing to purchase for your child or not. Please read their letter to you below:
I've told the kids that this will not be viable if we don't have parental support. Please let me know via the poll if this is something you would be willing to purchase for your child or not. Please read their letter to you below:
*Our class song group worked so hard this week to record their lyrics via Garage Band, but we are still trying to add the music. I hope it will be ready by next week.
Writer's workshop:
learning to write for our readers
Sometimes writers are so excited to write, they forget that their readers need very explicit details. Students worked this week on writing a 'flash draft', developing the heart of their story by adding descriptive details, and also telling the 'internal story' by writing about feelings and thoughts of the narrator. Writing partners are helping to keep each other on track and edit as we go.
Reader's workshop:
Using predicting, retelling, and reading with 'grit' to become better readers
This week, we learned to use prediction strategies to imagine how the story will go, based on what has already happened, as well as knowledge of how stories tend to go. Then, as the story unrolls, they say, ‘Yes, I was right, or ‘Oh, I was wrong-that’s surprising.’ Also, we learned how readers often retell books (up to the part where they’re reading) as a way to lay the story out for themselves, so they can read on, thinking about how the new part fits with the old.
When students read with 'grit', they are reading with resolve. Students discussed what that looks like: setting reading goals, reading a lot every day, choosing challenging books, etc. Good readers need to practice and read with purpose (a skill or strategy in mind) to become great readers!
Practice these strategies at home with your child, and encourage reading for at least 30 minutes a night.
When students read with 'grit', they are reading with resolve. Students discussed what that looks like: setting reading goals, reading a lot every day, choosing challenging books, etc. Good readers need to practice and read with purpose (a skill or strategy in mind) to become great readers!
Practice these strategies at home with your child, and encourage reading for at least 30 minutes a night.
Math: Arrays
Our math focus this week and next is arrays. The main ideas of this investigation are understanding the meaning of multiplication, learning multiplication facts, and understanding and working with an array/area model of multiplication. An array is an arrangement of objects in columns and rows like this:
The dimensions of this array are 3 by 4. There are three rows and four columns. The equation would be 3 x 4 = 12.
Students were introduced to arrays to represent multiplication; then used arrays to find factors and products. Students used arrays to find features of numbers and find products for the array by skip counting or using known facts.
Students were introduced to arrays to represent multiplication; then used arrays to find factors and products. Students used arrays to find features of numbers and find products for the array by skip counting or using known facts.
Coming up next week: project-based learning
Beginning next week, we will start to think about creating Season 3 of our class podcast, The Chat with Mrs. Burns's Third Grade, as well as ideas for creating an iOS app. Like much of what we do, these projects will be student-driven. I will facilitate, align with the standards, and assess. We will be addressing many Social Studies, Science, English Language Arts, and Math standards through these projects during the school year. We are learning to collaborate, and we are ready to start creating incredible and innovative things!
Identifying landforms due next Friday, 9/28
Students are finishing up the projects on identifing landforms and bodies of water on maps. They are preparing presentations to demonstrate their learning. Students chose the region they wanted to look at, the landform/body of water type, and the mode of presentation. Please see the project description and directions here. I am excited to share what they've created!
Upcoming events
| Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Thursday, September 27, 2018 Friday, September 28, 2018 Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Monday, October 8, 2018 Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Thursday, November 7, 2018 Friday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 | Fall MAP testing (Math) Fall MAP testing (Reading) EarlyDismissal (11:25AM)- School Improvement School Picture Day Columbus Day- NO SCHOOL Third Grade Field Trip- Botanic Garden Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Thank you for joining me at Open House!
It was so nice to see you all and spend the evening together. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I loved doing the BreakoutEDU, and next year I'll know to make it harder. You are too smart! We will have a terrific year, and I'm so glad we are all together this year.
Spelling
Spelling words are here! After we assessed all of the students in early September, the students were sorted into groups depending on the spelling skills that need to be developed. I send a spelling sheet home for the kids to work on, and they will keep a copy at school. Students should choose activities from the list below in order to bulid spelling knowledge. New lists will go home on Monday, and we will have a short assessment on Fridays, but students will receive words every week. There is nothing to hand in at school...these are just activities in order to practice spelling at home. For those of you that have forgotten or did not have a child in 2nd grade at Lincoln, here is what the kids could be doing a few times a week at home:
Spelling activities for home
1. Re-write all the spelling words on cards. Sort them into categories (for example, CVC, CVVC, CVCe). Can you sort them more than one way?
2. Write a sentence using each spelling word.
3. Write a letter to a friend. See how many spelling words can you include in the letter.
4. Can you find other words that fit the pattern of your spelling words?
Spelling activities for home
1. Re-write all the spelling words on cards. Sort them into categories (for example, CVC, CVVC, CVCe). Can you sort them more than one way?
2. Write a sentence using each spelling word.
3. Write a letter to a friend. See how many spelling words can you include in the letter.
4. Can you find other words that fit the pattern of your spelling words?
Student-led Conferences
Our class will participate in student-led conferences this year (in lieu of traditional parent/teacher conferences! Student-led conferences are a great step for your child on the path to take ownership of learning; and share his or her successes, struggles, and goals with both parents and teacher in a supportive environment.
Since this is the first experience with student-led conferences for most, we will keep it simple and relaxed: students will share and discuss work, set goals, and talk about his or her learning experiences so far in Third Grade. We (the adults) should be open and supportive, and discuss ways we can assist and or facilitate learning. It will be a very positive experience! Bringing your child is not mandatory, but it is very much encouraged. Please know that there is very little I would say to you that your child and I have not discussed: it is important to me and part of our classroom culture to give honest and frequent feedback.
Last year was the first year I implemented student-led conferences after seeing the success of the Third Grade team at Willard School and our 4th Grade team here at Lincoln. Both parents and students overwhelming agreed it was a successful and positive experience last year in our classroom, as well.
Since this is the first experience with student-led conferences for most, we will keep it simple and relaxed: students will share and discuss work, set goals, and talk about his or her learning experiences so far in Third Grade. We (the adults) should be open and supportive, and discuss ways we can assist and or facilitate learning. It will be a very positive experience! Bringing your child is not mandatory, but it is very much encouraged. Please know that there is very little I would say to you that your child and I have not discussed: it is important to me and part of our classroom culture to give honest and frequent feedback.
Last year was the first year I implemented student-led conferences after seeing the success of the Third Grade team at Willard School and our 4th Grade team here at Lincoln. Both parents and students overwhelming agreed it was a successful and positive experience last year in our classroom, as well.
Inquiry and exploration:
a team update
The Class Creations Team has been putting together a website that will showcase our creations and share them with the world.
The Logo Team has been working on a logo in Keynote to show our classroom unity.
Our proposed class logo.
The Class Song Team has written lyrics and created music to share the story of our classroom through music.
Reader's Workshop
As we continue with our Building a Reading Life unit, students focused on checking themselves for comprehension by asking themselves the following questions when they read:
We finished our first read aloud (Fake Mustache- very good!) and have moved on to The Wild Robot.
- Who is in this part?
- What just happened?
- Is this something that is connected to something that has already happened or is it something new?
We finished our first read aloud (Fake Mustache- very good!) and have moved on to The Wild Robot.
Writer's Workshop
At the biginning of the week, students chose their seed idea to grow into a whole story. They practiced rehearing the story aloud with his/her writing partner, then began to write a 'flash draft'. Students used the mentor text, 'Come on, Rain' by Karen Hesse, which is rich in descriptive details, to understand ways to add storyteller's voice to their own work (see below). When students use a storyteller's voice, their work instantly becomes more enjoyable to the reader.
Math
We are studying patterns and relationships between numbers, which can be a little tricky at first! Using 3 and 6 and 5 and 10, students are asked to describe ways soliving one multiplication problem can help solve a related problem. Finding patterns in mathematics is an excellent way to develop critical thinking skills and mathematical depth. To do this, we are using methods such as counting around the class, as well as finding visual patterns on 100 charts.
This week, your child recieved his or her Pearson Realize (Investigations) sign in information. The Investigations website has numerous resources to use for practice at home, but especially good are the math games. Please let me know if your child forgets his/her password, and I am happy to resend.
This week, your child recieved his or her Pearson Realize (Investigations) sign in information. The Investigations website has numerous resources to use for practice at home, but especially good are the math games. Please let me know if your child forgets his/her password, and I am happy to resend.
Resources:
Learn more about our classroom and literacy at home
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a group of global educators to co-author a book on K-3 literacy. The book focuses on activities and lessons that are easily implemented at home or school using iPad. The book is free, and available on iTunes (Apple Books). If you are looking for activities to boost literacy at home, please download Literacy: The K-3 Literacy Project and take a look.
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Also, if you are interested in learning more about the culture of our classroom, I wrote another book this summer called Cultivating a Culture of Creativity and Collaboration in the Classroom (it was a busy summer for me!). It is also free and available on iTunes (Apple Books). I am happy to answer any questions you have about either of these books!
Botanic Gardens Field Trip Permission Slip
| botanicpermission18.pdf |
Upcoming events
|
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Friday, September 28, 2018 Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Monday, October 8, 2018 Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Thursday, November 7, 2018 Friday, November 8, 2018 Friday, November 9, 2018 |
Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL
EarlyDismissal (11:25AM)- School Improvement School Picture Day Columbus Day- NO SCHOOL Third Grade Field Trip- Botanic Garden Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led) Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student-led)- NO SCHOOL Non-attendance Day- NO SCHOOL |
Contact
Mrs. Karrin Burns
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
Third Grade Teacher
Lincoln School
511 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
burnsk@district90.org
(708) 366 - 7340 x 8026
@MrsBurnsD90
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