MARCH MADNESS  

   This is one of Miss Guay's most favorite times of the year! To get the students excited for it, the room has been decorated with a basketball theme.  I have created some relevant educational opportunities for the students, as many of them are basketball players themselves. 

Math - The students will learn about probability.  Although Spring Break spoils the plans of having the students create a bracket after the teams are seeded (teams are seeded the Sunday before our week off, & they will have started games before we return), students can still learn about the probability of teams advancing to the finals.  There is an actual formula for choosing teams in each round - such as expect two teams seeded 12 or 13 to win in the first round, the same teams appear to advance again and again in the regional section, normally no more than two teams seeded 1 advance to the final four, etc.  It's a fun lesson in probability and it's relevant to the many students who actually follow the tournament.  We will keep a bracket in our room.

Social Studies - Geography Lesson - Once the teams have been seeded, students can use their resources to locate where each team is from.  There is a map of the United States where the students will mark where each school is from.  We also talk about the different divisions/regions. 

Language Arts - The students will be reading independently and writing to me in their journals for the next few weeks.  In addition to that, the students will be encouraged to take Reading Counts quizzes that tests their comprehension of the books they are reading.  Once a student passes a quiz, he/she can color in a basketball and write their name and the book title to be posted on a classroom "Slam Dunk" bulletin board. 

   This is just a fun way to get students motivated about lessons we already learn in 3rd and 4th grade.  Please enjoy some photos of the room and activities the students participate in during March Madness!!