Our structures’ unit is almost at an end! On Wednesday, 3F tested the strengths of different kinds of paper beam bridges at different span sizes – 3in., 6in., and 9in. with metal weights. Students made a paper-fold bridge, a walled bridge, and an accordion bridge out of paper. Each partner group had built an equally tall foundation on both sides out of books, and each partner had a ruler to measure the spans. Partners wrote their data on a “Morning Message.” As we looked at the data, the numbers proved that the least amount of span held up more washers in all three bridges. The accordion bridge was the strongest bridge of all the bridges, holding up many, many washers at all spans!!!!! As the Accordian Bridge flattened, it held less washers. Students created their own “Word Bank” to write about what they learned about spans. Some of the words included our new engineering vocabulary – “tension” and “compression!”
Our last Science Notebook entry will be titled, “So What do We Now Know about Structures?” It will be interesting to read how students synthesize their months of work into a concluding piece of writing. This has been a very highly successful science third grade unit!
3F completed Chapter Five of Think Math! Students’ assessments showed how accurately and efficiently students can add and subtract with regrouping a variety of ways, how students can estimate and round off numbers in the tens and hundreds, and how students can solve word problems. (Look for these assessments in your child’s yellow folder on Friday). 3F students already started Chapter Six, which is extremely challenging! Students are beginning to figure out the rules of “Function Machines.” The rules might be addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division! Monday on the Baker School website, students learned how to work hard to solve a variety of number and word problems on the math programs Mr. Padula and I put on the third grade site. (There is even a Function Machine program)! If your child wishes to, your child can practice one program each night. Each program aligns with the math learning standards we have learned. Practice makes perfect!!!!!
3F students are busy reading their structures books for book groups and writing their magazines about their structures using non-fiction features. Students are learning very interesting historical facts about their structures. Students have cut out paper collages of their structures, which are hanging up on the wall outside of the classroom. Look for paper collages of the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India, The Great Pyramid in Egypt, and the Brooklyn Bridge in N.Y.C.! I am proud to say the 3F students have gone global!!!!!!
Thank you to all the parents who brought in recycled material. With masking tape and recycled material, our first grade buddies next week will be building some recycled structures together with 3F!
For the last week of school before vacation, all third grades will be working on paper plate race tracks.
Our last Science Notebook entry will be titled, “So What do We Now Know about Structures?” It will be interesting to read how students synthesize their months of work into a concluding piece of writing. This has been a very highly successful science third grade unit!
3F completed Chapter Five of Think Math! Students’ assessments showed how accurately and efficiently students can add and subtract with regrouping a variety of ways, how students can estimate and round off numbers in the tens and hundreds, and how students can solve word problems. (Look for these assessments in your child’s yellow folder on Friday). 3F students already started Chapter Six, which is extremely challenging! Students are beginning to figure out the rules of “Function Machines.” The rules might be addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division! Monday on the Baker School website, students learned how to work hard to solve a variety of number and word problems on the math programs Mr. Padula and I put on the third grade site. (There is even a Function Machine program)! If your child wishes to, your child can practice one program each night. Each program aligns with the math learning standards we have learned. Practice makes perfect!!!!!
3F students are busy reading their structures books for book groups and writing their magazines about their structures using non-fiction features. Students are learning very interesting historical facts about their structures. Students have cut out paper collages of their structures, which are hanging up on the wall outside of the classroom. Look for paper collages of the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India, The Great Pyramid in Egypt, and the Brooklyn Bridge in N.Y.C.! I am proud to say the 3F students have gone global!!!!!!
Thank you to all the parents who brought in recycled material. With masking tape and recycled material, our first grade buddies next week will be building some recycled structures together with 3F!
For the last week of school before vacation, all third grades will be working on paper plate race tracks.