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Dear Third Grade Families,

What a week of change! First with the weather — can you believe how warm it has gotten, especially compared to last weekend? Then, more importantly, with the mixing of half groups! Third Graders rose to the occasion, and have smoothly transitioned into their new half groups. Academically this week, we have been diligent investigators in Social Studies and math by learning more about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and bar modeling (respectively).

In Social Studies, we concluded our study of Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott. After listening to a read aloud of Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni, we examined another historical document, written by members of the NAACP, which outlines suggestions for how one should act on the buses in Montgomery after the supreme court ruled segregated buses to be unconstitutional (click here to see document). We then moved into our writing project. Third graders wrote diary entries from the perspective of someone riding the bus with Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955, the day Rosa refused to give up her seat. Some students put themselves in the shoes of Rosa Parks, the bus driver, or the police officer who arrested Mrs. Parks, while others decided to create a character. In their diary entries, students zoomed in on the moment that Rosa Parks, using their five senses to imagine what it was like in the moment. It is challenging to put oneself in the position of someone else, and we are so proud of the third graders for working hard through this challenge.

Click here to watch a video about the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Click here for a video of Pete Seeger singing We Shall Overcome

Throughout the week, we have been learning more about how to draw bar models, and how their use supports our understanding of real-world examples. It can be hard deciding which operation we are supposed to use in a word problem, and drawing a bar model can help clarify the goal. Bar models are used throughout the grades, at Hannah Senesh, and we want to teach them the basics of bar modeling know so that it can be supported in older grades as it becomes more complex. When we come upon a word problem, there are three main steps we need to take:

  1. Read the problem carefully
  2. Draw a bar model
  3. Solve the equation (using an algorithm or other strategy)

After reading the story problem, students will think about if the problem is looking for the whole number or the part — similar to a number bond that thinks about the part and whole. As the students work to insert numbers into the bar model, they will be closely reading their story problem making sure they understand the question as well as which section of the problem is focusing on the part and which section is talking about the whole.

Attached are pictures to represent the two bar models we have focused on — Part-Part-Whole bar models and Comparison bar models. One student said bar modeling is, “An easy and fun way to break apart the word problem.” Another described it by saying that, “Bar modeling can help you tell if it’s an addition or subtraction problem.”

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Topics to talk about with your student:

  • Provide an equation for your student — can they turn it into a story problem?
  • Why was Montgomery Bus Boycott successful?
  • Have you ever had to stand up for your rights? Have you ever participated in a kind of nonviolent protest?

Dates to know:

Monday, January 15no school (MLK Day)

Wednesday, January 24 — 3rd Grade trip to the Wyckoff House

 (please fill in the permission slip!)

Enjoy your long weekend!

Hilary and Alisa
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Judaic Studies with Aliza

This week in Yahadut, third graders began learning about the Amidah and adding new blessings to their Siddurim. We discussed the three forms of prayer: Shevach (blessing and showing respect), Vakasha (asking for something), and Hoda’ah (saying thank you). We also learned two new brachot. In Chumash, we reviewed our new prefixes and suffixes and learned how to break Ancient Hebrew verbs down into their various grammatical parts. We also finished up our stories of Chelm unit and will begin a new folklore collection starting next week. Shabbat Shalom!

Hebrew with Ilana 

This week the 3rd grade learned a short story – A Fish For ShabbatDag Leshabbat. They had vocabulary and we worked on writing sentences and writing questions about the story. They have to practice their reading and submit their recording by Monday. Again you can use Vocaroo.com for the recording or any other website or video that works for you.  Please email me the recording at: ilanahebrew@gmail.com 

Shabbat Shalom