1. Crandall Chronicle January 2013
Classroom News from 3-1
Welcome back! I hope you all had a very relaxing break and a
joyful holiday season. We had a very eventful week before we left
for winter break. It was filled with fun activities and interesting
lessons. We ended our busy month of December by unveiling our
secret snowpals and touring the Midwest.
Race Across the States
Our class has been doing well with our Race Across the State project. We have
been lucky enough to receive nearly 150 postcards from destinations across the
country and throughout the world. We are very thankful to everyone who has
helped us with our goal. Postcards from 32 different states and 19 foreign
countries have taught the class a variety of information and interesting facts.
The students are really excited about the possibility of receiving a postcard
from all 50 states, so they are really hoping to get postcards from the following
states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
In this issue:
Race Across
the States 1 What We’re Studying
Reading 1 Reading occurring in the story. This
Writing 2
Before leaving for break, our helps the students to better
Social Studies 2 understand what they are
class began the third unit of
Science 2 our Treasures literacy reading. The children have
Math 3 program. We have been also been paying close
Writing Words 3 focusing on three main attention to plot and setting
Web Updates 4 comprehension strategies while reading.
Reminders 4 that include visualizing, Due to the shortened week
Dates/Events 5 analyzing story structure, that is coming up, we will
examining text structures, begin Unit 4 next week and
Student
and making inferences. While then take the Unit 3 test the
Challenge 5
reading, students make following week. This will apply
visualizations, or create for spelling and grammar as
mental pictures, of what is well.

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Writing to the class. Each day we will focus
our attention on and analyze an
Before winter break, we completed excerpt from the novel.
the first part of our Writers’ Express
writing program. The focus of these The students will experience and
first four units was focusing on a discuss how an author provides
single moment and showing with showing details to promote visualizing
detailed descriptions through the among the readers. After a short skill
writing of personal narratives. We will drill that focuses on a specific skill or
soon begin our next unit, which strategy that the author has used, the
students will have the opportunity to
focuses on responding to literature. I
will be reading the novel My Name Is use that skill or strategy in their own
Maria Isabel, by Alma Flor Ada, aloud journal writing.
Social Studies Science
We concluded our Midwest unit right before The students have really been enjoying our
winter break. Each student created a scrapbook new science unit. We continue to explore
containing important information about his or light through a variety of hands-on
her Midwest state. I was so impressed with activities and experiments. The class will be
their hard work and all of the interest they given the opportunity to utilize some
showed during the project. The students had exciting new technology to assist in our
the opportunity to share what they learned learning about the new light concepts and
about their states while on our train tour of the show our understanding.
Midwest. Students boarded our imaginary train
A software program called Animation-ish
and set off on a trip through each state. While
allows students to create digital models of
visiting the states, students viewed
light, through which they can show how
photographs of the state and listened to the
light bounces or reflects off surfaces into
tour guides provide fascinating information.
our eyes enabling us to have vision.
Prior to the trip, students each chose one or
The use of a light sensor or probe provides
two pages from their scrapbooks to share with
students with the ability to make more
their classmates. They recorded their voices
precise observations about the amount of
onto an iPod and downloaded images from the
light being emitted from various light
Internet, which were both later uploaded into a
sources and the amount of light that passes
Keynote presentation.
through different objects.
The students enjoyed learning from their
Visit our class website to access links to a
classmates and were excited about hearing
variety of resources for our light unit. You
their own voice recordings. I have posted a
can also view students’ projects,
QuickTime movie on our class blog so that you
observations, and photographs.
can take our virtual tour of the Midwest.

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Math
During the weeks before winter break, we concluded Unit 5: Place Value in
Whole Numbers and Decimals. The students learned how to read numbers
through 9 million, and practiced even larger numbers! Our class also worked
on comparing large numbers to one another and added these super-sized
numbers. We then turned our focus to small numbers. Students learned the
place values for decimals, including tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.
They practiced showing these decimals using base-10 blocks and writing them
as written-out words, decimals, and fractions. The students were given a
three-part unit math test that included written, listening, and speaking
portions.
This week we began Unit 6: Geometry. This unit is full of new vocabulary that
the students will be required to learn. Some of the new terms that we are
currently learning and practicing include line segment, line, ray, vertex,
and angle. The students will also be responsible for learning the names of
various polygons and polyhedrons (3D figures). The unit will be split into
two parts, and the students will be quizzed next week on the first part of the
unit covering the topics of lines, line segments, rays, angles, and turns.
Writing Words
Every month the students receive a list of writing words that they are
responsible for learning how to spell. Since the month of December was so
short, we did not have a list of writing words for that month. However, we
have quickly gotten back to our routines and the children already brought
home their list of words for January. A cumulative test will be given at the end
of the month. The test will be on all of the words from October, November,
and January. Remember, once the students have been tested on a set of
words, they are held responsible for spelling them correctly on all
assignments. One point will be deducted on graded assignments for having a
misspelled writing word. Therefore, please encourage your child to look over
his or her work carefully to check for correct spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation!

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Class Website Updates!
Visit our class website and check out these recently added items:
Tour of the Midwest
Light Observations
Race Across the States
Class Pet Adventures
Other class projects
MONTHLY REMINDERS
* The students will be taking a test on the Northeast states and
capitals at the beginning of February. A majority of their time
studying will need to be done at home, so please remind them
to practice. They may use the flashcards that were brought
home on Monday or any of the interactive websites found on
our class website. Click on the Race Across the States tab.
* Remember to send your child to school with appropriate
clothing for outdoor recess. If we do ever get any snow, your
child must be wearing snow pants and boots to play in the
field.
* The students will be tested on the October, November, and
January writing words at the end of this month. I will keep you
posted on the exact date.
* MAP testing will be taking place next week. Please check your
child’s Take Home Folder for a letter with more information.

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IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
January 16 & 18 – MAP Testing
January 21 – Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday (NO SCHOOL)
January 22 – Institute Day (NO SCHOOL)
January 23 – Monday Schedule
January 25 – Spirit Day (Crazy Hair)
Student Challenge
This month’s challenge: Cut out the 6 circles on the other piece of paper. Glue
them onto some thin cardboard like a cereal box or the back of a notepad.
Then, carefully cut around the circles on the cardboard. Have a parent help to
poke a hole in the center of each circle.
Now, choose one of the options below to make your circles spin.
1. Have a parent put the circles on the end of an electric screwdriver or drill.
Watch as the circles spin.
2. Poke a sharpened pencil through the circle to create a top that you can
spin. (This option will not produce the best results.)
3. Place the circles on a top that you already have and spin them.
4. Use any other creative idea you have to make the circles spin.
After spinning each top, record what you see happening to the black and
white patterns. Experiment with spinning them at different speeds. Write
down your observations on the worksheet next to each of the spinners. Think
about how this might relate to what we are learning in our science light unit.
Turn in your worksheet by Friday, January 25th!