Catching up from Jan-April

Oh my! It has been too long! We have been so busy in class, that I've gotten slack about posting on our blog. For that, I deeply apologize! However, I want you to see some awesome things your kids have been doing in the classroom!

First, during the months of February and March, 3rd graders studied sound and how vibrations create the things we hear. They learned about pitch, amplitude, and frequency and how different items can affect those things. As our final project, the students used household items to create their OWN instruments. We saw lots of guitars, drums, shakers, and even some new inventions! Check out our 3rd graders and their instruments!

In March and April, we discussed energy. Students went on an "Energy Field Trip" to search for sources of energy that surround our school. We also discussed ways that we can save energy, which went hand in hand with Earth Day on April 22. To show how we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, students used a brown paper grocery bag and made it their own. These grocery bags are now their own, unique bags that they can use when they go shopping with their parents. Take a look at their paintings...

 Alex was not even posing for this one! :)

 Things got a bit messy...but we had fun! :)

Our final products!

One of our last projects has been a culmination of our practice in writing and reading. To finish up our "Storytelling" unit in Reading, students read a story about Johnny Appleseed. While the story was entertaining, we wanted to take it a step further. I do believe we have some budding screenplay writers and puppeteers in our midst... This is what they did.

1. The students decided and agreed upon which facts about Johnny Appleseed's life were important enough that they NEEDED to be in the play. (This became their rubric for grading.)

2. The students worked together to choose characters and write the dialogue between the characters.

 

 3. They created the puppets (and even some stages) from craft supplies.

4. They had dress rehearsals.

5. AND FINALLY, THEY PERFORMED FOR AUDIENCES WORLD-WIDE! (well, maybe not world-wide, but school-wide. :))

I am most proud of the students because they did ALL of this themselves! They totally impressed me with their final projects. One thing you need to know: YOUR KIDS ARE AWESOME! AND I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! :)