Canva in 3rd Grade Science - Prepare for Extreme Weather

In 3rd grade science class, students are utilizing Canva to creatively prepare for severe weather. By incorporating vibrant visuals and simple text, children crafted informative posters illustrating various types of severe weather phenomena such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or thunderstorms. Students depicted safety measures like staying indoors, creating emergency kits, and identifying safe spaces in their homes or schools. Through this interactive approach, students not only enhance their understanding of severe weather but also develop essential skills in communication and preparedness, ensuring they are well-equipped to face any potential dangers that may arise.

Makenna's Severe Weather Project by Makenna Patti

Teresa's Severe Weather Project by Teresa Ciovacco

Using the Green Screen to be in a Wampanoag Village

Students in 3rd grade learned about the Wampanoag people.

Essential Questions

Who were the Wampanoag people?

How did the Wampanoag use natural resources?

What were the traditions and customs of the Wampanoag?

Who were the Wampanoag leaders?

 In this unit of study, teachers taught the content through a Google slideshow.  See below:

Students created a Wampanoag story book, a poem, pictures, and answered questions to help them understand the life of the Wampanoag people.

Students worked collaboratively in groups to create murals and three-dimensional projects for Wampanoag villages during each season.

Students "fell" into their mural projects using Green Screen by Do Ink and iMovie.  They wrote their scripts, practiced their lines, and acted in their video.  Check out their videos below.


Mrs. Goldstein's homeroom video:



Mrs. Magner's homeroom video:



Ms. Nardone's homeroom video:

3^rd Grade Massachusetts Social Studies Standards

3.2 Identify the Wampanoags and their leaders at the time the Pilgrims arrived, and

describe their way of life. (H, G)

3.2.2 Observe visual sources such as historic paintings, photographs, or illustrations that

accompany historical narratives, and describe details such as clothing, setting, or

action. (H)

3.2.3. Observe and describe local or regional historic artifacts and sites and generate questions

about their function, construction, and significance. (H)

Technology Standards: W 6, W 10, SL 1 Use digital tools for communication and collaboration.   

Google Hangout from Fuller Meadow to Howe Manning

Mrs. Kennedy's class at Fuller Meadow School got to "Hangout" today with Mrs. Hobey's class at Howe Manning with the help of Google Hangouts.

Students in both classes had fun today trying to guess a three-digit number.  By asking Yes or No questions of each other, students could hone in on the "Mystery" number that each class chose.

The first and essential part of any video connections is to be respectful and use good manners when addressing each other.  Students introduced themselves by their first name, asked their question, then when it was time to answer, they were attentive and respectful.

Here's a peek at our lesson today...

Massachusetts and Common Core Standards for Math

2.NBT.A.1 Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. 

SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Mixed Up Fairy Tales using Explain Everything

Mixed Up Fairy Tales

What are the Elements of a Fairy Tale?

Students in Mrs. Weeks' 3rd grade class studied the elements of Fairy Tales. To really understand these elements, they made "Mixed Up" fairy tales.  Students chose a character, setting and plot from three different stories.  Imagine what happens when three story elements are combined.

The first step was to brainstorm which elements they were going to use.  Then, students used a template to record the information and use it as a storyboard.  Lastly, students drew pictures for their story.  The iPads and app "Explain Everything" were used to create a picture book and presentation.  Students from the "Student Help Desk" in 6th grade assisted the 3rd grade students with their projects.

Click each link below to view the stories.

5 Little Pigs by Sofia

The 1 Little Dumb Dumb and the Two Little Nerds by Davis

The Four Little Pigs by Mark

4 Little Pigs and the Mother by Ava

Cinderella and the Basketball Team by Danica

3 Cats and the Dog by Oliver

3 Little Pigs by Langdon

Tortoise and the Hare by Dylan

The Three Little Bananas and the Big, Bad Monkey by Teagan

The Three Little Meercats and the Big, Bad Hammer by Carter

The Goose by Noelle

The Three Cats and the Dog by Frank

Massachusetts Common Core Standards for ELA

RL.3.2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

SL.3.5. Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.

Third graders take a trip to Nebraska

Today, Mrs. Cleveland's third grade students had the opportunity to have a Google Hangout with a Mrs. Laucomer's fourth graders in Nebraska.  This was their first time "meeting" another class through Skype or Google Hangouts.

Each class introduced their teacher, class, school, town, and state.  We are always so proud to say that we are the home of the 2015 Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots.

It was fun to see our new friends wearing their Halloween costumes in school.  We discussed the differences in each state, including the time difference.

But, what everyone was the most interested in, was discussing our Global Read Aloud book, Fish in a Tree.  Students shared their favorite characters and why, made analogies as to why two characters feel like "A lobster playing tennis" when they read, and text to self connections.  Everyone was so engaged in this process and excited to talk about our book.  We will continue to "meet" up with our new friends, even after the Global Read Aloud is finished.

Our new friends are from Nebraska

Math Workshop in 3rd Grade (MTI562)

Student work books created with "Book Creator".

Massachusetts Standards for Grade 3 Math

Measurement and Data  

3.MD Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.

1. Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram.

Persuasive Writing in 3rd Grade

Students in Mrs. Goldstein’s class were challenged with a (fictitious) situation to stimulate a conversation, and writing piece, to voice their opinion.  “Which Specialist class should NOT be cut from the curriculum?”  Boy, did these children have the answers!  We all have opinions, but usually they don’t have any real research or evidence behind them.  But not in Mrs. Goldstein’s class.  They worked hard on their research to find factual information to back up their opinion.

A lot of preparation went in to this writing process.  The teacher used several mentor texts to teach the writing traits – voice, focus, organization, writing with details, idioms, and conjunctions.

Students decided on the Specialist that they were going to “save” and formed groups for each one.  They brainstormed together to create a persuasive chart.

Persuasive Charts for each Specialist: Library, Art, Music, Gym, and Computers.

Research began to find factual details for their opinion.  Mrs. Goldstein and Miss Fawson found some great websites that included facts that would support keeping our Specialists in the curriculum.  Students investigated the websites and found great facts to support their opinion.

Students gathered three facts off of the websites to support their opinion. The teachers also had hard copies of each website just in case students wanted to use them. 

They recorded their work on a graphic organizer and then wrote a letter to the principal to support their Specialist.

 I used the app “Green Screen” by Do Ink to create a video for the traits of writing –  Factual Information, Explicit Topic Sentence, and Voice.  Check out the video below.

Check out our Twitter tweet for “Voice”.  We were re-tweeted by Green Screen by Do Ink for using their app.  We were also chosen as a ‘favorite’ for a couple of people. 

  

Massachusetts and Common Core Standards for ELA

W.3.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.  Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.3.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.3.8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.