Trick or Treat

 

 

Third Grade Celebrating in Style 

 

     

 

  

 

Halloween Fun!

From the Library

Third graders started the year by reading the latest installments in some of the series we read together in second grade last year.  Dodsworth and his travelling buddy the duck found their way to Tokyo in Time Egan's 2013 Dodsworth in Tokyo. In which major city will they land next? How will they get there?  Two beloved characters shared a few more adventures in Bink and Gollie, Best Friends Forever.
Our most recent project has been to design, in teams of scientists, an experiment that fails. Easier said than done! After reading Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter's very funny 11 Experiments that Failed, groups of scientists designed questions, hypotheses, a list of things needed, steps for what to do, results, and an illustration, and sprinkled them with a little humor.
One team wrote:
Question:What happens if you put ice in Dad's socks?
Hypothesis:  Dad will like it because he usually has sweaty socks
What You Need: Socks and Ice
What to Do: Put Ice in Dad's socks
What Happened: Dad freaked out and his feet got numb and he had to stay in bed

We followed this up with a reading and discussion of cause and effect with another book by the same authors, 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore.

It's About Time!

     The girls are learning to measure units of time.  After carefully analyzing the placement of the hour and minute hand, they log onto Think Central using a digital and analog clock to individually assess their work.   

Science: What is Inside the Earth?

From examining soil on the surface of the earth, the girls are moving on to learn about the nature of the earth's crust and what lies beneath it.  Earth Science is even more interesting when you understand that what is below can cause the tectonic plates to move and affect the earth's crust.  After learning about Mt. Vesuvius and its impact on Pompeii in Social Studies, the girls got to experience the eruption of our very own Mt. Mawr in the Science Center.  They enjoyed seeing a model of a volcano in action! 

Spelling: Observing and Applying

    
     As October displays its seasonal colors, we find the girls becoming more observant.  During recess they are even found playing games with fallen leaves.  Inside the classroom, as weekly spelling lessons are introduced, the girls focus on observing and applying letter patterns.  A variety of strategies are used to help reinforce these skills.

Visuals help paint pictures in our minds.

 

 

Manipulatives are used to build a better understanding of directions.

 

 

 

“Can you frown or growl?” shouted

the proud brown cow.

Silly sentences create clues to spelling patterns.

 

 



Values

Talking with...Third Grade about the Value of Loyalty

The Third grade girls and I spoke about our Founder's Day Celebration and what it meant to them.
We spoke about the strong and enlightened women who founded Bryn Mawr School.
We imagined what it was like for them 129 years ago, and what they would think of  Bryn Mawr
2014. Together, we discussed the loyalty these women had for each to her, and for their belief
in educating girls. The Third grade defined Loyalty as believing in their dreams and staying true to what they believe. Look for their definition on our Value of the Month Board, located in the LS lobby.
Talk with your daughters about what Loyalty means to them, and why it is essential in our
everyday lives.

We Have Spirit, How About You?

Spirit Day, always a colorful day of learning.
 

 Mills' Homeroom:  morning spirit, 8:15 a. m.

 

Rogers' Homeroom: continued spirit, 2:30 p. m.

 

 Happily, waiting with friends.

 

Spirit from head to toe!

 

I see the #1 queen!

 

They're riding in style.

 

Cheering Bryn Mawr spirit.

 

"When is the next Spirit Day?"

 

 





French: French Fair this Saturday

A colleague just informed me that there is going to be a French Fair this weekend in Seton Hill.  This may be fun for the girls to attend.  Here is the information if you are interested.

French: Hello from Paris

We had a wonderful flight yesterday and have safely landed in Paris.

Girls showed their tickets and
 passports as they boarded the plane.

Listen to the pilot talking to
the air traffic control tower.

Make sure you buckle your seat belt!

 

The girls read the safety instructions
very carefully.

What a treat to hear the pilot
explain how an airplane works!

He was so kind to answer
all of their questions.

Yum, girls enjoyed a
delicious snack during the flight.

Their eyes grew wide as they saw
France approaching in the window.

They could hardly contain their
excitement as we arrived in Paris!

Art: Clay Slab Artifacts

Third graders are putting the finishing touches on their low-relief clay artifacts. They made sure to include a raised surface, a lowered surface, and three different textures in order to show something that they value. Ask a third grader about the techniques and tools they used to complete their flat sculptures. 

Here are some slabs waiting to go in the kiln. They must be completely dry before they are fired. 

The Joys of Childhood

As they say, a picture says a thousand words.  Remember rainy day puddles that seemed to be calling your name?  Share your schema, smile as we did when little wiggly toes came out to dry.  

Reading: Schema

Today we learned our second reading strategy, schema. Schema is your background or prior knowledge of a given subject. We introduced the strategy by having the girls share with one another some of the qualities that make them unique (born in Texas, love gymnastics, big family, etc.). We compared the brain to a lint roller.  As the lint roller rolls along, it picks up little pieces of everything just like our brains pick up tidbits of knowledge all day long!  The girls jotted down their unique schema on little pieces of paper and stuck their schema to the lint roller strips. The girls had great fun thinking of all their own schema. Ask your daughters about their own schema.

Comprehension: Reading Skills Growing

Applying metacognition strategies, the girls use thinking stems to demonstrate their growing comprehension skills.  Wordless picture books come alive with partners.

Mosaics: Bringing the Past and Future Together

A few days ago, while taking a walking field trip through the colorful campus, the girls crossed the Bryn Mawr Owl Gate to discover mosaic tiles.  Where did this artifact come from?  Ask a third grader, it's recorded on their iPad. 

 

     Margaret Hamilton would have been proud to see the girls engaged in learning; 21st century style!

French: Fun with songs

All of the girls are packed and ready to go.  We leave on Monday, and the girls are counting down the days.  Today we watched a music video about packing for a trip.  The girls worked hard trying to figure out the words to the song.  Here is a version with the lyrics included.

Social Studies: All of Our Mosaics!

Look at the colorful mosaics your girls have created: a collection that speaks of each girl's patience, personality, and zest. Now ask your daughter to tell you what the difference is between a mosaic and fresco.

Social Studies: Our Very Own Mosaics

After looking at a variety of mosaics on the Pompeii app and talking about what the mosaics told them about life in Pompeii, the girls made their own mosaics. A mosaic of sea creatures and another of a container holding the garam fish sauce, which Pompeii was famous for, inspired these two mosaics.

From the Library

Third graders have just finished reading Like Bug Juice on a Burger. This is the sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, which we read at the end of last year. Author Julie Sternberg describes Eleanor's adventures as a Gypsy Moth at Camp Wallumwahpuk, the camp her mother loved as a young girl. Ask your daughter why Eleanor is called Salad Girl, how she got rid of her huge mildewy life jacket and what she did to celebrate her best day at camp.

Language Arts: Reading to the Kindergarten

On Tuesdays the girls are eager to search the library shelves for picture books. They can't wait to read aloud in the afternoon to their kindergarten partners. Having listened to third graders read to them when they were in kindergarten, they are excited about taking the role of the reader. Reading aloud, the girls work on reading with expression and have fun enjoying the picture books right along with the kindergarten girls.