Then how can we help? One way we can help is to clean polluted water and make it safe to drink. With some alum and coffee filters, we were able to clean the dirty water and make it clear. Since we didn't disinfect it, we decided not to drink it.
As you can see, this water doesn't look very good. We talked about how water can be polluted by plastic, medicine, and other garbage. The water we drink is connected to all waterways (oceans, rivers, creeks, etc), so our actions can have a big impact.
Then how can we help? One way we can help is to clean polluted water and make it safe to drink. With some alum and coffee filters, we were able to clean the dirty water and make it clear. Since we didn't disinfect it, we decided not to drink it.
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Our tetra fish have names! We decided on Bubbles and Creampuff. And yes, we can tell them apart! Creampuff has a little black dot on his tail, and Bubbles does not. A special thank you to one of our third and one of our fourth grade students for presenting our learning to the whole elementary school at our community meeting. We shared pictures of our fish drawings and some facts we have learned about fish.
The fish have arrived! Our goldfish is named Ponyo. Ms. G got the name from a movie, and we learned it means "chubby" in Japanese.
Our two tetra fish are anonymous (for now). Our share question for the week is: What should we name our two little fish? We will put it to a vote and decide as a class on what we should call the little guys or girls. A guest teacher in our classroom brought ocean artifacts from her time in Saint John. This is a conch shell that she got from the depths of the ocean. People eat the mollusk meat inside and then drill holes in the top to make a horn-like instrument. We gave it a try and decided it is a hard instrument to play!
We will be getting some aquatic friends in our classroom. It won't be ocean life since it would be a little tricky to maintain the salt water. But fresh water fish will be our aquarium tank Monday morning! We have been busy bees in the 3rd/4th grade classroom! Last week we looked at children's books. Our students were finding book patterns and finding inspiration for their own writing. In science, we did two experiments that explored the scientific method. In one experiment, students were asked to make an aluminum foil boat (two different sizes), and fill the boats with 3D cubes. It got a little messy when the boats sank, but thankfully it was just water to clean up. Finally, in reading, students have been learning about the Atlantic Ocean and the way in which ocean water moves. Students have been using the strategy "stop and jot" in which they read a paragraph, then write a sticky note to describe their thinking. They have been challenged to find the main idea of their readings. Our class has been spending lots of time learning and exploring the Magic School Bus ocean book and TV episode. We have compared the two materials and are almost done writing paragraphs to support our thinking. As you can see, our students are practicing cooperative partner work, as well as individual responsibility. It has been a successful process for all! This week we will be grouping the students and moving through content rotations. Students will be learning about the scientific process, elements of the Atlantic Ocean, and elements of successful children's literature. Welcome back to school! Yesterday we had our PBL kick-off. We will be learning about the Atlantic Ocean and the biology within it. Students will rotate through stations (reading, writing, and science inquiry) during the day. Even with a two-hour delay, we accomplished a lot! We read "The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor" individually and with a partner. The class identified things we think we know about oceans in a K-W-L chart. We also explored author's purpose and craft and asked ourselves "Why did the author write this?" Students will be logging their daily work in notebooks and binders. It'll be a great way to combine literacy and scientific research skills. At our presentation, our students will have a great way to show all of their learning. We'll let you know the official presentation date soon! Our Native American PBL was a hit! Before we delve into our next project in the spring, we are taking some time to work on individual goals. We are calling this time "Reach for the Stars." During the PBL block, we will be working on our goals.
Students are working in small groups on either spelling, reading, writing, or math goals. We are looking forward to including technology as one way to facilitate our learning. We know our 3/4 "superstars" can do it! The 3/4 class has completed their PBL Native American skits. They worked very hard to adapt folktales and make sure everyone in their group was included.
We sent students home with a copy of their scripts. As unofficial "homework," we are asking students to take some time to review their lines. Our goal is to have all students memorize their lines by performance time. Remember our presentation is set for Tuesday November 24th from 9-10:30 AM. We hope to see you there! We will be making baskets in the upcoming weeks. It is a great way to promote hands-on learning and gain insight as to how Native Americans lived. A small group of students will be working at a time, so we're asking students to be patient until it is their turn.
A big thank you to Mrs. Nally for helping us make the bases for our basket making piece of our Native American PBL! Remember: Our PBL presentation will be Tuesday November 24th from 9-11 AM. We look forward to seeing you there! |
AuthorWe are your 3rd/4th grade teachers! Here you will find class info for the year. Enjoy! Archives
March 2016
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