The two words don't seem like they go together, but it's true. We've had a lot of fun after finishing up our M-Step testing. Extra recess time, special treats, and game time are all part of the fun!
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I really enjoyed teaching 3A all about 3rd grade science! It was so fun to see the students get excited about science and bring in various rocks, fossils, and even their own experiments. It's hard to believe that this will be our last week of science. Third grade scientists will be investigating the six simple machines (wheel and axle, pulley, wedge, lever, pulley, and inclined plane) in stations to learn how they make work easier. I hope you can squeeze in a science experiment or two over the summer! Have a fabulous summer!
As we count down to summer break, I want to give you information on how you can help your child this summer. If your home is anything like mine, I start the summer off with grand ideas of all I want to accomplish. Before I know it August has hit and my list hasn’t been touched. Summer is time where your child learns in many new ways! Whether you go on vacation, spend time with friends and family, enjoy a morning to sleep in, or a night to stay up late, kids truly learn from all experiences. Take time to cherish these moments with them and allow everyday moments to be a chance to learn something new.
Here are some everyday learning experience that can mix in to everyday life. Writing: -Have your child write a thank you card after visiting a friend/family member -Students can write me a letter (I promise to write back) -Make a grocery list -Write a menu for a special meal Math: -While cooking/baking take time to talk about fractions -Search for 3D shapes in your home -Purchase a multiplication song CD to listen to while traveling -Have your child wear a watch and keep track of the time they are arriving or leaving -When shopping have your child pay cash to practice money counting skills. Reading: -Expand your child’s vocabulary by teaching and using one new “cool” word a week! After LOTS and LOTS of hard work the students earned their ice cream sundaes for successfully memorizing their 0-10 multiplication facts! Some students even memorized their 11s and 12s as well! A special thank you to all the parents who helped students work on their facts each week. Also to the PTC for providing the yummy sundaes! This week we will be learning all about Forces and Motion. Students will be exploring the force of friction which can either speed up or slow down the motion of the object and gravity which is the force that brings us to the center of the Earth. Next students students will explore simple machines (wheel and axle, pulley, wedge, lever, pulley, and inclined plane) which are devices that change the direction or magnitude of a force.
This week the students have been learning about public issues. We have examined some possible public issues at South including: -Should we be allowed to chew gum? -Should we be allowed to wear hats? -Should we all wear uniforms? -Should everyone be required to play an instrument? We learned that before we can give our opinion about something, we need to do some research. The students used videos and articles to learn about the different viewpoints people had about their public issue. This week we will be wrapping up our Earth's surface unit. We will be learning how volcanoes rapidly change the surface of the earth. In our next mini unit, we will focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling. Your child will be making a plan of how he/she can help protect our natural resources with the 3 Rs. I hope your family will get to try and implement one or more of your child's ideas within your home.
The students made their own glaciers and observed what happened to the Earth's surface when their glaciers moved and melted. To practice for the M-Step today we completed a shared writing. We all worked together on different paragraphs to put together one complete piece of writing. Because the students used their best writing skills (topic sentences, transition words, conclusion sentences) their writing flowed perfectly! Way to go! At the end of last week, we started a new unit on Earth Changes. The students began learning how our Earth is constantly changing. These changes can be rapid changes, while others may take millions of year.
This week students will learn how erosion can occur by wind, water (rain, rivers, waves) or ice (glaciers). Erosion can pick up rock particles and move them to a new place and erosions also wears away the Earth's surface. This can happen in seconds, minutes, or a year or two. However most erosion happens over hundreds or thousands of years. Next students will be creating their own glaciers to see how these large masses of ice and snow can change the land. At the end of the week, students will explore how earthquakes (rapid change) change the surface of the Earth. Please look for an Earth Changes Homework Project coming home on Thursday. Please have your child bring it back to school to present on Tuesday, May 12. |
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