Week of February 22, 2021

 We had a wonderful week back from February Vacation! It was wonderful to see everyone and dive back into learning. 

With the completion of our last science unit, this week we have been working on creating informational writing pieces based on the knowledge we have learned about how things change over time. Students are using artifacts found within a watery cave as evidence to support their claim. We hope to have these writing pieces completed within another week or so. In years past, I have hosted Writer's Celebrations. These celebrations were a time for families to come in and listen to their children share their writing pieces with an audience. I'm thinking we can host something similar to this, virtually. Be on the lookout for more information regarding this event in the upcoming week. 

We returned to our reading and math groups throughout the week. In our reading groups, we continue to focus on character motivation (why is the character acting the way they do?), dialogue (making sure our reading voice matches the feeling of the text), and the author's craft (reading the text the way the author intended us to read it and determining what the message of the book might be). In math, we continue to strengthen our multi-digit addition and subtraction skills. Soon, we will be moving onto our next unit, Introduction to Fractions. Anytime you have a moment in the kitchen, encourage your kiddo to take note of the various measuring cups you have in your drawers. Discuss observations they have about the different sizes and shapes of the measuring tools. Anything hands-on will only deeper their understanding of fractions when we begin our next unit. 

This week the weather was certainly on our side. We had temperatures reaching 40 degrees on Wednesday. Besides Class Council. students were able to spend the entire day learning outside. It was wonderful to reduce the number of transitions to and from the building and spend more time in the sunshine. On Friday, we had the opportunity to tap our beloved maple trees again and began the sugaring process! It was around this time last year that we shut down, and couldn't see the whole tap-to-table process, but I am keeping my fingers this year we will all be able to see our hard work pay off. 

Here are some questions to spark conversation:

-What happened with the mice on Wednesday?

-What artifacts are you writing about in your information piece? 

-What time of year can we tap maple trees?

-What did you think was impossible before the school year began? How has that changed over time?

Here are some pictures from the week:

Building an ice ship

Beautiful temperatures midweek!

Finding bucket ice first thing each morning

Perfect way to start our day together

Mi Maestra (our Spanish teacher) joined us in the woods this week as well

In celebration of the 100th day, every student built a snowman!

Adding lids to our maple buckets! Best way to end the week!

Week of February 8th, 2021

 This week we were completely immersed in science! It was a great change for us all and allowed us to think deeply about the animals and environment around us and how much has changed over time. When looking in your child's Friday Folder, be sure to take a closer look at all of the investigations we completed. There is an accompanying paper that provides families with prompts you can use to start science conversations with your kiddo. They should be able to answer each question listed with evidence and knowledge from our investigations. 

At the beginning of the week, we focused on fossils and how they provide clues to what the habitats were a long time ago as well as what animals could have lived there. Next, we looked at animals today and how humans have created different breeds within the same species. We discussed the importance of selection (choose a trait to reproduce over a long period of time) and how selection can happen with or without human involvement. We finished the week looking at mosquitoes and their life cycle. By looking closing at one organism, students recognized when an environment changes (such as more rain one season followed by hot weather) the organisms within that environment also change in order to survive. When we return we will look at how our environment can change our physical traits. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful February vacation this week. Stay safe, get outside, enjoy some much-needed downtime, and don't forget to continue reading! 

Here are some pictures from the week as well as questions to spark conversation:

Looking at similarities among different fossils to predict what habitat these animals live in

The sun was a wonderful sight this week

Building snow towers

We were able to have PE in the gym for the first time this school year!

Trudging through the newly-fallen snow

Playing "500" in the deep snow

Soccer has become an important part of our afternoons together

Even when it's 5 degrees, we find ways to get outside and move around

Science questions to spark conversation (these are the same as the ones that came home Friday):

Fossil Dig:

• What are fossils?

• What can fossils tell us about the world?

• How have landforms changed over time?

• What is a habitat? What is a trait?

Watery Cave & See-Think-Wonder Chart:

• Tell me about what was found in the watery cave.

• How did those things get in the cave?

• Has there always been water in the cave? How can you know for sure?

• What kind of skull was it? How do you know it was not a reptile’s skull? How can this skull tell you what kind of food it ate?

• After completing some science mysteries, how did your observations of the cave findings change?

What Do These Familiar Animals Eat:

• What is an herbivore? Carnivore? Omnivore?

• How can you tell what type of food the animal eats?

• How do you know if it is a mammal or reptile skull?

Designer Dogs:

• What is selection? Why do humans use selection?

• Where did the first dogs originate?

• What is a species? What is a breed?

• If you could design your own animal, what two species would you use?

Adopt a Lizard:

• Why are sticky toe scales important to green anoles?

• How many sticky toe scales did you have? Did you survive in the invasion of brown anoles?

• Can selection happen without humans? How?

Week of February 1, 2021

 This week was filled with snow, reading, snow, math, snow, writing, and more snow ❄. We discovered new kinds of snow formations along the brook (see pictures below) and students had to trudge through the newly fallen snow on Wednesday morning after our snow day on Tuesday. We held reading groups inside this week and continued to host math groups outside for much of the week. I had the pleasure of reading with each student individually this week and I could not be prouder of the progress our group is making in reading. Every student is moving forward with their reading progress! I sure hope they are showing you some of those skills when at home. (Remember, third graders should be reading 20-30 minutes each night). 

This week we continued our investigation of Hartford's history. We took a closer look at the early European settlers and what contributions they made to our town. We ended the week organizing Hartford facts in chronological order, gaining a new familiarity with historical timelines. Students also made the connection to the importance of having a written language because Abenaki people did not have a written language, and therefore we still do not know as much about their history as we would like to. 

Looking ahead, this week coming up we will be spending a little more time inside to complete our next science unit. Students should plan to start their day inside all week. Don't worry, this will not become our norm 😉. We will be investigating animals through time and how their bodies have adapted in order to survive. The homework this week will be connected to our science unit. 

Lastly, tomorrow night I will be hosting a Virtual Math Night for any family members who wish to gain a stronger understanding of the 3rd-grade math curriculum, key learning targets, and strategies to support your child at home. This discussion will be adult-focused. Students do not need to attend. 

Questions to spark conversation:

Why do we have more information about the European settlers than the Abenaki? What information do you feel would be important to keep a record of?

What discoveries did you make in the woods this week?

Can you read to me for a few minutes? (listen and praise your child for how they sound, unknown words they solve, and the effort they put forth)

Tell me about the Train Wreck of 1887

Pictures from the week:

Enjoying lunch under the trees

After snowy days and windy nights, these formations appeared.

                                          

                                                            Snow cones for sale! Any takers?

Chopping up the snow

When searching for firewood, one student came across this intricate pattern inside the bark.

Placing historical dates in order

Our walking path has become a side slide

Trying out a new hill for snack recess