Catie's Third Grade Class Blog: Weekly Update-Catie's Class

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Weekly Update-Catie's Class

It’s the home stretch! This week will mainly be about bridges, rocks and minerals, and tying up other loose ends. Don’t forget that we have one field study this wee, and another next Tuesday: a trip to the Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro on Friday, and the Bridge Tour on Tuesday.

Bridges

Last week, we began learning about the various bridges that cross the Willamette River in Portland, and we started learning about the different kinds of bridges in the world. This week, we’ll focus on building beam, arch, and suspension bridges, and learn about some of the math and physics behind these amazing and amazingly useful creations.

Writer’s Workshop

Last week (finishing up tomorrow) the class worked hard to finish up the articles for our class zine. This week I will be sending the book to the print shop so that each child will get a copy. We also got a visit from Melissa Delzio and Steven Snell on Friday. Melissa was the editor and creator of the book Our Portland Story, which inspired the creation of our book. Steven wrote a piece for the book about Portland’s bridges. They spoke to the students about writing, the creative process, and Portland. The kids had many great questions for our visitors. The students will be sharing their book about Portland and reflecting on themselves as writers at our final Author’s Tea on Thursday, June 13th at 9 AM. If you are interested in helping set up or bring snacks/tea, please send me an e-mail. Also, there is a $10 suggested donation for our class yearbook and zine. Every student will receive one regardless of ability to pay, but every amount helps! Thank you.

Reader’s Workshop

Last week, we began our final read aloud book of the year, Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It. This book is about a 10 year old boy living near Seattle who spends a summer discovering things about himself and the world. The main character, Brendan, has a black father and a white mother and sometimes struggles with ideas of where he fits racially. This has led to some great conversations with the class. Brendan is also a budding scientist who is fascinated with rocks and minerals - a great tie-in for our own study.

Rocks and Minerals

Last week, we began doing field tests on our 12 “mystery minerals.” These field tests, along with some research, will help the kids determine the identity of each one

Ask Your Third Grader...

What are the three types of bridges?

What is your favorite Portland bridge? Why?

Tell me about Brendan Buckley. In what way can you relate to Brendan's feeling that he is like "a puzzle piece that just doesn't quite fit".

Tell me about some of the field tests you have done on the mystery minerals.

Important Things Coming Up...

June 7 - Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals Field Study

June 11 - Bridge Tour

June 13 - Author’s Tea (9 AM)

June 14 - Last Day of School!

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If your child is absent due to an illness I am happy to provide an overview of the work they missed in class that day or for those days they are out sick. Inevitably there are times when trips need to happen during the school year and your student should be assured that although they are missing class time, I encourage them to embrace the learning opportunities outside the walls of our school. Parents often ask me for a packet to bring along to keep their child engaged in some learning and kept busy in a car or on a plane, but I don't assign "trip work" packets. Trips on their own have the potential to be rich learning experiences from airport or car, to destination and back. Instead I ask that students keep a journal, photo journal or scrapbook of their trip which could be shared with me upon their return to class. They are also welcome to share these with the class, but I don't require them to do so. Finding a secret spot and having a special little journal in hand in which to write and sketch what they see is infinitely more valuable to your child than me giving them a story prompt. If you do want your child to have some 3rd grade-level busy work during travel you could visit Learning Palace or a similar store to purchase 3rd grade skills workbooks. The following are some ideas for meaningful learning during trips:

Math:
Have your child use math, reading and writing skills as often as possible. Have them pay for things and count change or add up the coins received back, use maps, figure out elapsed time or the time an activity took to complete, compare prices of menu items, look for patterns in nature or architecture, estimate the time it will take to complete an activity, collect data of some kind and create a bar graph (cars vs. trucks on a five mile stretch of road or the kinds of people around you on the plane who order soda vs. juice for example), etc.

Writing:
Have them bring their writer's notebook or more fun, have them choose and buy a special little notebook just for the trip where they can sketch possible characters, special spots or images to use in future writing. Everyone and everything they see can be given new life as a character or setting in future writing. A little set of colored pencils or tiny watercolors to go along with it can make it more fun as well. Have your child write and mail a postcard or letter to our class (even if it arrives after they return). Our school's address is 3421 SE Salmon St., PDX 97214. Thank you notes for guest accommodations or for hotel operators is always fun, too.

Reading:
Trips can be made more fun if your child is taken to the library or to Powell's for a special trip book or two. Perhaps they could visit a local book store at your destination where they can choose a book to read or purchase for the time they are there or for the trip back. As time permits, be sure they read at least 30 minutes or more each day.

Science or Social Studies:
We study rocks and minerals in 3rd grade and it's always a joy for kids when we begin this unit in winter to bring in a special rock from a place they have visited during the year. We also learn about the first peoples who lived on this land long before white settlers came to what is now known as Portland. It can be interesting for kids to learn about other first peoples who lived in places you visit. Just learning a bit about the history of a new place with a city walking tour, nature hike, scenic route or collecting little souvenirs or scraps can be fun for your child as well.