We have been very busy in the classroom and I'd like to update you!
We are heavy into our Rocks, Soil, and Fossils science unit! After we prepared our compost bins, red worms were delivered and we are now "vermicomposters"!! The kids spent one class period reading non-fiction articles on earthworms and red worms, and then they did some observing and recording of data.
After we observed the worms the kids used the scientific process to answer three questions. Do worms go to wet or dry? Do worms go to light or dark? Do worms go to hot, warm, or cold? They made predictions, experimented, observed, recorded data, and drew conclusions. They loved this!
This week we had a visit from some NIH scientists to present "It's a Noisy Planet", a lesson about how noise can impair your hearing...it was REALLY interesting and interactive. Ask your kid about the sound kids can hear, but most people over 30 cannot. It was quite disturbing for this "over 30" year old teacher!! :-)
The very next day we had Kicks Karate visit the third graders at UES...earlier this year we studied goods and services, so we had a local service come in and tell us about their service and teach us some safety moves. Mr. Lee is awesome and was fantastic with all the kids!!
More science!! We spent Friday looking at rocks and minerals...the kids had to look at all of the stones on their trays and find a way to categorize them...then we discussed the differences between rocks and minerals and they tried to determine which stones were which...these kids have really matured when it comes to group work...in the beginning of the year, we would spend a good three minutes worrying about who was working with who and being disappointed in who they were grouped with...now they hear their group, move into it, and get busy...I LOVE IT!!
And then also this week, Ms. Willett read a story to the kids!! In the Media Center, Mrs. Wright has been sharing all of the Black Eyed Susan Award nominees with the kids. The voting had to be turned in this week, and our class hadn't heard all of the books, so she gave me a couple to read. The kids LOVE Ms. Willett and hung on her every word.
Ms. Willett is only with us for one and 1/2 more weeks. We are going to miss her terribly...but she must graduate and enjoy her summer. She will be attending Towson State University to study teaching. :-) I would like to collect a small donation from you all to buy her a gift from the kids...if you would like to donate ($2-3) for this gift, please send it in an envelope that says "gift" and your child's name...I will pick out something that she can have to remember this class by...she has been a true asset to our classroom!
In Language Arts we have been reading novels and working on writing summaries and using text evidence when answering comprehension questions. Each group is delving deep into the plots and characters of the stories.
In Writing the kids are just finishing an opinion piece about the penny and whether or not America should keep it or get rid of it. I am SOOO impressed in the growth these kids have made in writing.
In Math we have been working with Geometry...shapes, lines, and angles, oh my!
IMPORTANT INFO:
1. Our last field trip of the year is set for Monday, June 2nd. I am allowed unlimited volunteers that day, although you will probably not all fit on the bus, so some may have to drive! The field trip slips will come home in a week or so, but for those of you that want to accompany us, this gives you time to do two things...1. MAKE SURE you're a "trained" volunteer at UES...if not, you can get trained on line, let me know. 2. Ask for time off work now! We leave UES around 9:00 and return sometime around 1:30 if I remember correctly.
2. Zaner Bloser is a great handwriting resource...if you're looking at your child's papers and you notice I'm suggesting some handwriting review, the link is to the right of this post...it's under "Educational Resources" and once you click on the page, you can create a worksheet right there! It is a great way for the kids to complete their Monday night homework because they can see the correct cursive right next to where they are writing.
And last, thanks so much for making me feel so appreciated last week during Teacher Appreciation week. I am a very blessed individual because I like my job so much...your kids make it all worthwhile.
