Celebrating Science

We had a wonderful day celebrating scientists and science today.  First of all, thank you for your time and support of this project.  The children love science!  They have an open, questioning mind about the subject and an understanding of how diverse it is because of this project.  The children know that “mad scientists” are fiction and, they have a strong sense of what scientists do to solve problems and to continually ask questions to lead to further discoveries.  They know that one question, leads to another, and another after that.

In between Scientist Reveals we conducted several experiments.  This allowed everyone to think through all of the step of the scientific process.  Our first experiment asked:  What happens when we put raisins in ginger ale?  Our second experiment wondered:  What will happen to food coloring when a drop of soap is added?  And our third experiment asked:  What happens when you put skittles in water?

As we conducted the experiments it was interesting to see the differences among the tables.  Each group had the exact same supplies and followed the exact same procedures – and yet, each group was different.  Why? That made us wonder…What would happen if we used popcorn kernels, almonds or Craisin instead of raisins?  Would our experiment be the same or different?  Would the colors react differently in the Tie Dye milk if we added more color… if we added more soap?  In our final experiment, what would happen if we added more Skittles?  What about blowing on the Skittles…flipping the Skittles?

The great thing about asking questions is the more you wonder, the more you wonder, and the more you discover.

We had fun using physics to create catapults and plan optical illusions.  There is so much more in science for us to explore.  3E is a fan of science.  Your children are on an exciting path of discovery!  Happy Experimenting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secret Friend Celebration

What a wonderful celebration of friendship and kindness, of caring and appreciation, and of joy in giving and in receiving.

I wish you  all could have been here to see the joy on each of the children’s faces, first as they gave their gift, and then as they received the gift that had been made especially for them.  “Oh, how did you do that?”  “I love it!”  “Oh, you made that!  How did you do it?.”  “Thank you so much!”  3E is truly a wonderful place to be!  Here are some photos of the day.  I hope you’ll be able to catch a glimmer of the happiness that filled our classroom of friends.  Thank you!

 

Camp Lincoln – an awesome field trip

Today’s post was written by all the students in 3E:  Liam, Emma, Logan, Sophia, Ellia, Ella, Michael, Mady, Olive, Cooper, Eddie, Ryan, Charlie, Gabriel and Hayley

Here’s what we did at Camp Lincoln.  When we got there, we were excited because we were going to be there all day!

Mowgli welcomed us to Camp Lincoln at the picnic tables.  We followed him to the sports field.  He had us make a big circle with our entire grade.  We played a game about well we listen.  He also taught us a game called Knee Tag.  In Knee Tag you are safe if you put your hands on your knees.  When your hands are on your knees you can’t move.  Mowgli and Riptide also led us in the Clap, Jump, Spin and Run game.  It was lots of fun too.

After the games we went on a nature walk with Wolf. First, we visited the farm animals.  We saw chickens, ducks, goats and sheep.  Then, we found plants we could eat.  We found wintergreen and Indian cucumbers.  The wintergreen tasted and smelled like root beer!.  To find an Indian cucumber, look near water.  Be careful when looking for the Indian cucumber.  Dig around the stem and you will find a white root!  Clean it off  and taste it!  It tasted like a carrot!   After that, we made Nature Tea.  We used hot water, wintergreen leaves, and pine needles.  Some of us thought it was delicious, and some of us through it was yucky!  Finally, we reached the Point.  There were trees that had been struck by lightning.  They had stripes and broken branches.  We had lots of fun on our nature walk.  “AROOH!!!”

For the third part of our day, we began playing a game like Red Light, Green Light to steal a counselor, Riptide’s keys.  Once we got his keys we “drove” to the “zoo.”  We crossed a rickety-rockety bridge over a swamp to get there.  Once we got to the “zoo” we sorted out our animal names by size:  small, medium, and large.  We didn’t like the orders at the zoo, so we ran away.  We (the animals) had to cross over a “peanut butter pit,” but first we had to get the rope.  We made a lasso out of our sweatshirts to reach it. When we had the rope we had to swing across to escape the zookeepers.  There was only one tiny boat for all of us to fit on.  We swung across one at a time.  We huddled together like penguins on the boat so everyone was safe.  Our escape was a success.  And our adventure was lots of fun!

Camp Lincoln was fun because we got to do so many different activities and game.  It was a great day!

Float Examples From Past State Parades

Over the next few weeks the children will be identifying the Wonders of their state.  They’ll be choosing a state symbol to learn more about.  They’ll be identifying a famous person from their state, as well as choosing a man-made wonder, a natural wonder and a state festival, tradition or celebration.  Children may choose other Wonders if they would like to represent them on their floats.

These Wonder will be represented on their floats.  We’ll be painting the symbols, creating State Hero and creating a collage of the man-made Wonder in the classroom.  The other two wonders will be added as you create the floats at home.

The floats may be a sandwich board

 

 

 

 

 

 

On on a wagon, rolling suitcase, cooler, skateboard or an original base.

Suggestions of how to build each type of float along with the following criteria will be sent home on Monday, April 16.

Size Criteria:

  • Sandwich Board/Float should be no more than 36 inches long.
  • Sandwich Board/Float should be no more than 48 inches high.
  • Sandwich Board/Float should be no more than 30 inches wide.

Design Criteria:

  • The float obviously represents your state and shows its uniqueness.
  • Clearly represents your, the student’s, own ideas, work and effort
  • Shows common easily found materials were used to create the float.
  • Clearly demonstrate your, the student’s, best effort and creativity.

Content Criteria:

Represent and label your Wonders on the sandwich board or float clearly and accurately.

It is a fun project and such an exciting celebration of our country and a year of learning!  We can’t wait to see you on Thursday, May 24!

Thank You!

Thanks to your kind generosity our Animal Awesomeness event was able to raise $700.09.  We will send this money to the World Wildlife Fund to support threatened and endangered animals.

Here are the Animal Awesomeness Raffle Winners:

  • Fox Journal – Joe from KC
  • Hippo Journal – Carson from 5 Mc
  • Tiger Journal – Nolan from 5 Mc
  • Turtle Journal – Vera from 1N
  • Cheetah Head Journal -Estella from 1G
  • Red Panda Journal – Elena 1G
  • Lion Journal – Alex from 3 E
  • Sloth Journal – Eily from 3M
  • Lion Profile Journal – Ian, Mrs. Coronato’s son
  • Shark Journal – Joe from KC
  • Giraffe Journal – Corbin from 3E
  • Lion Head Journal – the Martinos from 5Mc and 5M
  • Books by Gina Perry – Joey from PreK
  • Books by Nicola Davies – Lexi from 3M
  • Panorama and Outside Your Window books Terra from December’s family

We are beyond thrilled and wondering what our next Good Deed might be.

The Good Deed Club presents Animal Awesomeness

Our first major study of the year is an integrated exploration of habitats and animals.  We traveled to a zoo and then created our own classroom zoo. In the middle of the research process the students began to realize many, many of the animals they were learning about were threatened or endangered.  They discovered that the loss of one animal – no matter how large or small – changes the world forever.  And they realized this change is never good.  They decided they wanted to do something to make a difference.  But what?

At home one night, Emily wondered if the class would join her in starting The Good Deed Club.  The next morning she asked and a few classmates agreed to meet and talk during recess. In a few week’s time, seventeen third graders had joined, decided their first mission would be to help animals and began meeting weekly to plan.

From those first November talks they ideas began to take shape.  They decided they would invent games and activities with an animal theme and invite the school community to an event.  Every time someone played a game, they’d get at least one ticket for a raffle.  They met with the principal to share their plans and got the okay.  They created fliers about the event to send home and post around the school.

They planned and created The Sloth Lounge – for parents to rest in after a long day, Animal Safari, Pin-the-Tail on the Wildebeest, Red Panda Pie Face, Animal Chairs, Cotton-topped Tamarin Bowling, a Feed the Animals Obstacle Course and Toss The Poison Dart Frog.  When the games were done they created animal-themed journals for the raffle and decorations for walls.

At last, after four months of planning and making, they set up Animal Awesomeness in the gymnasium and hoped people would come.  They did!  For an hour the gym was filled with families playing games, winning tickets, taking chances in the raffle and most importantly helping the Good Deed Club change the world!

The commitment, effort and creativity of these seventeen third graders was on view for all to see.  Their pride and joy filled the room.  Thank you all for celebrating Animal Awesomeness  and helping the Good Deed Club’s dream come true.

Celebrating Dot Day

We had a wonderful day celebrating International Dot Day.  This is a day focusing on creativity, building confidence and sharing this important message with the world.  Here’s how we made our mark.

We began the day by each making a quarter of a dot.  Altogether we made four unique dots.  Next we worked from a menu of activities.  We drew personal dots, dotted dots, made magnet and button dots, painted a giant dot and created swirly gold frames for our own special dots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We created pendant dots and window dots that had to be left behind for the weekend.  They’re waiting for their creators along with our completed Dot Gallery.  I can’t wait until 3E comes to school on Monday to see how wonderful their “marks” look altogether.

 

 

 

I hope you’ll be able to stop in too.

Miles’ mom created a dot for the Celebri-dots Gallery.  Isn’t that COOL!

 

Make a Plan to View the Eclipse

I hope you’ve heard about the eclipse.  It’ll be here in 17 days, 3 hours, 34 minutes and 25 seconds  – well that time changes quickly, but you can check out the exact time by clicking on this link.  There are lots of different resources about the eclipse.  I learned a lot from this quick video.  I think you’ll enjoy it too.  Make sure to get some glasses.  Check with the town library.  They might have some.  I know you can order them online too.  Ask your family about them.

The total solar eclipse is a real big deal.  It only happens once in a life time and the last time a eclipse like this moved across the United States like this was in 1918!  We aren’t going to see the full eclipse but even in New Hampshire it will look as through a bite has been taken out of the sun.

The Exploratorium is going to set up a live stream on the path of the total eclipse so you can watch it happening.  It only last for short time, so make a plan.  That way you and your family won’t miss it.

There are a couple of thing you can do to see the eclipse if you don’t have glasses.  There are some direction on the Exploratorium link above.  Mystery Science has some directions for a pinhole projector that I’ve attached here.  There is also going to be an Eclipse Party at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in in Concord.  The schedule says there will be events happening between 10:30 and 4:00.  The maximum viewing time for the partial eclipse is around 2:45.  There are several resources on that site as well. Check them out and make a plan.

The next total eclipse will be in 2023.  You’ll have to travel to see evidence of that one.

Enjoy!  Science is cool!

(The blue letters are live links.  Click on them for the information mentioned in the post.)

A 3rd Grade Celebration

Your children did a wonderful job leading the school in a Celebration of the States.  They ran the whole assembly from the introduction, through the slideshow of past floats, to the singing of The 50 States that Rhyme, on to a rousing Rally of the States and finishing with the whole school singing America the Beautiful.  They were practiced, prepared and proud.  Everyone agreed it was fun to do!  Enjoy these bits and pieces:

Here Are Some Floats Examples

Here are some floats from the Parade of the States – 2016, 2015 and 2014.  We hope these samples will inspire some fabulous ideas of your own.  Some of the floats are on wagons, others are on coolers and still others are on skateboards or scooters.  Floats can also be worn by the float builder themselves.