This week, 3rd grade students began learning about multiplication and division fact families. A fact family is made up of 4 equations using the same three numbers, 2 equations are multiplication and 2 equations are division. In learning about fact families, students found that by changing the order of the numbers, they could change the equations and also receive the same answers, which we found is also the commutative property!
To make our learning fun and tasty we used a hot cocoa theme, where students were asked to complete different fact family activities with hot cocoa clues! OUr favorite activity was the relay race where we had to run around the room, matching our marshmallow equations to the correct hot cocoa fact family mug! Of course, with all of this hot cocoa fun we had to have some of the delicious treat while we worked!
To make our learning fun and tasty we used a hot cocoa theme, where students were asked to complete different fact family activities with hot cocoa clues! OUr favorite activity was the relay race where we had to run around the room, matching our marshmallow equations to the correct hot cocoa fact family mug! Of course, with all of this hot cocoa fun we had to have some of the delicious treat while we worked!
We're Not Eating Turkey this Thanksgiving!?
3RD GRADE STUDENTS COMPLETED AN INFORMATIVE WRITING PIECE THIS WEEK INFORMING THEIR WRITING AUDIENCE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE EATING TURKEY THIS THANKSGIVING! wE have decided that this year we are going to save our turkey friends and get our family members to eat other foods. To do this, students wrote about all kinds of alternative thanksgiving dinners that they would like to prepare, some students enticed their families with pizza while other students decided on a main course of ice cream! take a look at these informative, persuasive and silly writings!
The Skeletal System
This friday, 3rd grade students got together to have a "skeleton day!" during skeleton day, students traveled to each 3rd grade classroom to participate in different activities involving the skeletal system. Students created some scientific skeletal system diagrams in Ms. Godley's class and traveled the hallways completing a skeletal system word problem scavenger hunt for Ms. Carroll. Back in sweet room 104, students were asked to complete a reading passage about the skeletal system, but to spice things up, every time students found an answer with proof, they had to show it to ms. snyder. if they were correct, they received a part of the skeletal system. when all students had completed their passage and collected all parts of their skeleton, they had a chance to work with their hands, figuring out just how to put that skeleton together!
Taking a break from informational texts this week, third grade students have started their very first novel study. For the next two weeks, our class will be reading the novel, "Nancy Drew and the Pumpkin patch puzzle." Novels are so incredible, they teach us about characters, setting, plot, inferencing, conflicts and making resolutions! For the next two weeks, we will be using all of these skills and many more to figure out the mystery of the pumpkin patch puzzle!
Text Features in Informational Texts
(Non-Fiction)
Some of the most difficult texts that we encounter in third grade are non-fiction selections that provide our students with an enormous amount of facts that they have to comprehend their way through. To help them with this large comprehension task, many passages and books come with text features that provide our students with extra hints and tips about the text.
This week, third grade students took some time to study the different types of text features they are likely to encounter in their reading this year and we also learned how we can use these features to help us read our informational texts more fluently and also understand them while we are reading. Of course, to make text features a little more fun we read informational passages about pumpkins and candy corn- even tasting some while reading!
This week, third grade students took some time to study the different types of text features they are likely to encounter in their reading this year and we also learned how we can use these features to help us read our informational texts more fluently and also understand them while we are reading. Of course, to make text features a little more fun we read informational passages about pumpkins and candy corn- even tasting some while reading!
Informative Writing
3rd grade students have been working on some informative writing pieces this week. First, students were given a research assignment, where they had to use their chromebooks to collect some data about bats. students worked with a partner to discover various facts about bats including what bats like to eat, where they live and even some fun facts. Following, students took this research and turned it into an informative writing composition, where they explained and taught their audience all that they had learned about bats. Take a look!
Force and Motion
This week, students in Ms. Snyder's 3rd grade began their force and motion science unit. STudents found that a force is any type of push or pull that sets an object into motion and speaking of motion, we found out that motion is the change in position of an object over time. To put this new knowledge to work, 3rd graders participated in an experiment to test out the different types of motions an object can have- Does your object roll, slide or spin?
Once we practiced with the concept of motion and had the chance to watch various motions in action, we learned what can happen when a force pushes or pulls an object that is already in motion- it changes the direction and speed of the object!
Of course, we had to complete another, even more fun experiment to illustrate this concept of force acting on motion! For the experiment, students were placed into groups and were given an assortment of materials. Their instructions were to build a house (Using only the materials they were given) that could withstand the force of wind (which was actually a hairdryer). Students worked so efficiently with their partners to create houses that they just knew would stand up against the force of the wind.
Of course, we had to complete another, even more fun experiment to illustrate this concept of force acting on motion! For the experiment, students were placed into groups and were given an assortment of materials. Their instructions were to build a house (Using only the materials they were given) that could withstand the force of wind (which was actually a hairdryer). Students worked so efficiently with their partners to create houses that they just knew would stand up against the force of the wind.
Upon completion, we are proud to say that all of our houses stood up to the force of the wind!!.....but a few of them may have incurred structural damage and some even lost roofs! What a wonderful experiment that allowed us to make connections to our own experiences with Hurricane dorian as we were able to discuss how our fellow north carolinians were impacted by the force of the hurricane winds.