Literacy – Children will be completing their Literacy Assessment this week. The booklets will be marked and then sent home so parents and children can go over the results together. Can I ask that parents sign the cover of the booklet and have it returned to me by Friday, 22 January.Math– We complete our Measurement unit this week. Revision work will take place in class and extra homework will be given in preperation for the Measurement test on Thursday, 21 January.Inquiry – Children should have completed their research about their chosen aspect of Cayman. They will start putting this information into a Power Point presentation. We aim to have all Power Points complete by Friday afternoon so that we can share them with the class and with any parents who wish to view them. An email invitation will be send home when the Power Points have been completed.
Inquiry Project
Inquiry Project
To help us understand and answer our big question (What does it mean to be Caymanian?), each student will be inquiring into a certain aspect of Cayman. The children have now chosen their topics and written questions to guide their Inquiry. In class, research time will be given on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. The rest of the research will need to be completed at home as part of their weekly homework. Once all research has been completed, children will present their information as a Power Point presentation. This will be worked on during the week 18 – 22 January. The children will then share their Power Point presentations either at the end of that week or the beginning of the next, 25 or 26 January. Parents will be informed about the time and date we intend to share our work so that they can come and view the Power Point presentations.
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Rubric for Inquiry Project |
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D |
C |
B |
A |
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Questions |
Teacher directs the focus of the Inquiry questions. |
Some teacher assistance needed to write the focus for the Inquiry questions. |
Little to no teacher assistance needed to write the focus for the Inquiry questions. |
Independently writes thoughtful and engaging questions. |
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Research · Utilizes effective reading techniques e.g. skimming and scanning, finding the main idea, supporting details and the sequence of events. · Can use a variety of sources for information e.g. internet, books, personal expert. · Records where they found that information (source). · Records information neatly and in their own words i.e. does not copy sentences/paragraphs from their source. · Answers their questions which were written to guide their Inquiry. |
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Expectations for Grading |
Meets only one or two of the research criteria. |
Meets three of the research criteria. May meet more of the criteria but only with a lot of teacher/adult input. |
Meets four of the research criteria |
Meets all five of the research criteria. |
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Presentation · Is able to use the features of Power Point e.g. create new slides, add pictures, animations and backgrounds. · Slides are appropriately sequenced with helpful headings. · Only main points are listed on the Power Point and the speaker adds more details about their research as they present. · Shows a thorough understanding of their topic by effectively answering questions from others at the end of their presentation. |
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Expectations for Grading |
Meets only one or two of presentation criteria. |
Meets two or three of the presentation criteria. |
Meets three to four of the presentation criteria. |
Meets all the presentation criteria. Shows a confidence about their topic as an ‘expert’ in this area. |
Weekly Update
I trust you all had a great Christmas holiday and are enjoying the start of the 2010 year!This week:
- Writing. Children will be writing a story based on the Folk Tale The Six Blind Men.
- Reading. We read and then design a picture book for The Elephant’s Child by Rudyard Kipling. Other folktales will also be read and analysed during our scheduled Reading time.
- Math. We continue our focus on Measurement with a particular focus on Area, Volume and Capacity. Children will take a mid chapter review test on Friday. This review will also cover previously looked at areas in Measurement such as length and perimeter.
Next Week
- Assessment (Literacy). Children will complete the Harcourt School Publishers Storytown Grade 3 Benchmark Assessment for Mid Year. These tests will be spread across the different literacy times during the week. When all tests are completed, it will be marked by the teacher and then sent home with the child for discussion with parents. The test booklet will then be signed and returned to class where it will be kept in the Child’s Portfolio. These test results will be discussed in the next Parent/Teacher meeting or we can arrange an earlier time should this be desired by either parent or teacher. Let me know if you have any questions about this assessment.