Measuring with Beanstalks

We are just about to finish up Unit 4 in math which has been all about measurement and fractions! To end the unit we have been working on a three day exploration with Jim (yes, Jim, not Jack) and his beanstalk! We have been measuring to the quarter inch and doing some data collection with fractions!  Check out all of our hard work!

Up next in math: Multiplication, Division, and Area!

Projects Galore!

Hello Families! We have been busy finishing up projects in third grade! Mr. Davidson, Mrs. Foley, and Mrs. Duggan helped us record our weather forecast videos to finish up our weather unit. This was another project integrating art, technology, and science. Check out the links below to see the different videos! 

New York

Northwest Territories

Libya

Puerto Rico

Oklahoma City

India

We also just finished up our maglev (magnetic levitation) train engineering task. We spent time investigating properties of magnets so we would have all the knowledge we needed to build our own maglev train car. This project required lots of team work, perseverance, and fun! Check out the video to see a train car in action during our testing event on Friday! 

Maglev Video

More Science Fun!

Hello Families! We have had an awesome week in third grade! 

Some dates for your calendar: 

SBAC ELA Testing April 10th-12th

SBAC Math Testing May 15-17th

International Dinner: Tuesday January 23rd 5:30-7:00

Pancake Breakfast: Saturday March 24th: 8-10am

Here are some more photos from our science rotations! I popped into Ms. Bergstrom's room to share some of the magnet strength testing they were doing! 

You may have also heard that we started book clubs during Reader's Workshop! Ask your child what book they are reading with their group! We are learning how to track characters throughout a book and discuss our ideas with peers. 

Four Winds and Magnet Exploration

Hope many of you can join us at the International Dinner next Tuesday night! 

We had snow much fun in Four Winds today. We talked about snow! We learned that snowflakes start as a speck and eventually end up as beautiful snowflakes. It was observed that the six arms of a snowflake are all the same, so we used our bodies to make some life sized snowflakes. We also got to learn about the different types of snowflakes! Thanks to our wonderful Four Winds volunteers. 

We also have launched a two week exploration into magnets with an anchoring event of understanding how a maglev train works! Third graders are currently rotating between the three classrooms to explore magnets and their properties. All of this work is to prepare for next week when they become engineers and have to design and build their own maglev train! In Ms. Pacy's room we are exploring the poles of magnets doing some "magnetic sailing". In Ms. Bergstrom's room students are exploring the strength of magnets, and in Mrs. Cole's room students are working to identify what can impact a magnetic field. This has also been a great opportunity for third graders to work with kids from different classes! 

Measurement in Math

We have spent the last two weeks working on measurement in math. We started by practicing and reviewing time to the minute. We have also learned both US customary units and metric units for mass, length, and volume. We have been introduced to different tools we can use to measure like a balance scale, measuring cups, clock, and rulers. 

We also have been working on understanding how big or small a unit of measurement is. For example, we know that a paperclip is one gram and a dictionary is about one kilogram. Ask your child to help out with any measuring around the house! 

We will be moving into fractions soon!