3rd Grade Blog

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What a great ending to a fabulous year!  2020-2021 was a year of many uncertainties, but we made through with flying colors with in-person classes all year.  Students did an amazing job masking and distancing.   Yesterday’s events were a great way to wrap up the year with an enjoyable field day.  I am glad so many parents were able to join us.  I hope you all have a safe and fantastic summer break.

Our 3rd Trimester Celebration was a blast.   It was so great to have parents back on campus again.  Third-grade students began by sharing their Missouri animal presentations on Google Slides with their families.   Once they were finished, they headed out into the big backyard to complete a Missouri plant and animal scavenger hunt.   Students located specific items and identified their locations using cardinal and intermediate directions.  They also discussed and pointed out native and invasive species around the grounds.  It was a great way to wrap up our trimester unit on Missouri ecology.

Third graders made a list of favorite books, movies, school lunches, etc. to use to survey their peers. Students created their own forms to gather information from one another. They assessed the data they collected and created several types of graphs to present their findings. Each group wrote a summary and created a visual display to share with the class.

Today we dissected owl pellets. We were amazed at how many skulls we found. This activity demonstrated the importance of the food chain for populations of animals’ survival, predator/prey relationships, as well as a review of the bones of the body. Students were surprised how many of the animal bone names and shapes were similar to the anatomy of a human.  Please ask your student about their experience.

P.S. Some students may have rodent skulls and bones in their backpacks! Yikes!

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I have a lot of HAPPY CAMPERS today!   Students finished planning their camping trips this week so we ventured out to our big backyard to see how it is done.   They spent time in the tents reading, playing math games, and writing poetry.  Lunch was served outside at the picnic tables and then we wrapped up our afternoon with some delicious s’mores!   This weekend looks like it would be great for a camping trip.   Enjoy!

In our science unit this trimester, students have been learning the structures and functions of the human eye and how light works. We dissected cow eyeballs for our culminating activity.

Why cow eyeballs you ask? Well, they closely resemble the human eye, except for their large size and the tapetum; which is iridescent in color and makes animal eyes glow green at night.  Students were very careful with their scalpels and scissors.   Learning to properly use a scalpel is a skill in itself.   I think we may have a few future surgeons on our hands.  They did an amazing job and wanted to know what they could dissect next! Also, we want to give a big thank you to Dr. Heet and Mr.  Powers for assisting today!

This week third-grade students learned how to find the perimeter and area of shapes.   We began a two-week-long camping trip project earlier this week.   Students are planning for between 10-30 campers, finding the space ( perimeter and area) and specific tents needed for each of their guests,  activities, a budget for supplies, and of course, what they need to make enough SMORES!  Look for more information next week about this project.

This week third-grade students are learning the structures and functions of the human eye.  Yesterday, we created edible eyeballs as a way to learn about each part and its role in how we see.   Hopefully, they shared what they learned and you were able to see the delicious eyeball they created.

Our character word this week for Morning Meeting is Leadership.  Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to positively influence and guide others.  Students were asked to provide examples of character traits a good leader might possess.   I then asked them to tell me what traits they wouldn’t want to see in a leader.  It was interesting to hear if they saw themselves as a leader or not and in what areas.  Ask your student if he/she thinks of themselves as a leader and in what areas?   If you get a chance, ask your student about their leadership qualities. 

Students learned the definition of the words optimist and pessimist today. We made a list of book characters they thought of that would fit in each category.   They really had fun with this activity.