COMPUTERS - Mr. Friedman

Grade three began the school year with a thorough introduction to the new technology lab. The students were very excited about our new computers and monitors. The lab’s Internet AUP, Acceptable Use Policy, was also introduced to the students at this time. The children read the contract and then signed them. Third grade took part in several enriching technology projects during this first semester. In relation to multimedia slide presentations, the children used the program, HyperStudio, to create a show entitled “All About Me.” The students also began their touch-typing keyboarding lessons by using the program, Type to Learn 3. This is a highly animated program that keeps track of student accuracy and WPM, words per minute, via a database. Third grade also learned about the benefits of file management by seeing how organizing files in folders can help locate saved documents with more efficiency. The children also enhanced their word processing skills by completing a tutorial on formatting and editing using the program, Microsoft Word. With regard to web page authoring, the students used Site Central and Web Wizard to learn how to make a basic web page. Students took to this quickly and created a colorful web page on African animals to support their classroom’s social studies curriculum. Students also used our web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer, to integrate the social studies curriculum by completing a Web Quest on geography.

FRENCH - Ms. Flippo

Third grade began the year by reviewing the French alphabet and playing “Comment S’écrit?” (How do you spell?) for practice and assessment. They learned the song “Je m’appelle” (My name is) and practiced several dialogues that incorporated basic French conversation and vocabulary. They learned numbers twenty one through fifty nine and played several games that allowed them to apply the numbers in simple mathematical computations. They finished the semester by having the story of “Casse-Noisette” (The Nutcracker) read to them in French then in English.

DRAMA - Ms. Angstadt

During the first term the students responded energetically and enthusiastically to all of the theatre activities presented for their participation. They gave monologues using nouns provided by their peers in order to smoothly connect unrelated words into a realistic storytelling. They also teamed up to do the more difficult dialogs using tag line. Third grade students enjoyed gibberish, a theatre technique designed for honing skills that involve originality of thought and clever interpretation of an appropriate and unique language. They joined in eagerly when asked to create an alphabet improvisational dialog. Some creative movement was enjoyed as the children expressed characters in many different situations using pantomime and quick emotional changes. Altogether it was a successful term filled with creative expression and confidence building peer-supportive activities. 

MUSIC - Mrs. Wilson

This semester third grade students practiced sight singing and notation skills using the Kodaly method, sang seasonal, patriotic, folk and multicultural songs, studied musical form and played classroom instruments. During September, students studied and sang songs of our American heritage. In chorus, third graders honed their vocal skills by practicing vocal warm-ups, diction, intonation, timbre and good posture. In October and November third grade students prepared songs for their play, Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock. Students also prepared unison, two and three part songs for the December Winter Concert and performed them on December 17, from memory. In the music lab, the software programs Music Ace and Making More Music reinforced note reading, the piano keyboard, treble and bass clef, whole and half steps, sharps and flats, key signatures, and major scales. Using Music Ace, the students composed original compositions. 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Mrs. Then

Mrs. Then new format was incorporated into the third grade physical education program at the start of the school year. All three classes have physical education at the same time with different instructors and in three separate locations. In the old gym, one class participated in a physical fitness unit. The students learned and practiced the components of physical fitness; flexibility, muscular strengthening and endurance, aerobic endurance, and body composition. The students were provided with opportunities to learn fitness concepts while participating in enjoyable activities that enhance their personal fitness levels and recognize the need of setting a personal goal of being physically fit. The second class divided its time between the new gym and the fields outside. Foot and eye coordination were emphasized through the practice of soccer skills such as dribbling, passing, trapping, ball control and shooting on goal. The third class stayed in the new gym where eye and hand coordination were emphasized through the practice of hockey skills such as stick handling, dribbling, passing and shooting on goal. During the course of the semester, each third grade class rotated through all three locations. All learned skills continue to be taught individually through repetitive drills and partner games. However, greater emphasis is placed on a variety of small-sided games for the continued development of the learned skills. A typical class in the soccer and hockey units would consist of practicing basic learned skills and eventually incorporating them into small sided games such as 3 on 3 and 6 on 6. Student’s practiced play making and simple offensive and defensive tactics in these games. The game situations were also used to foster good sportsmanship and teamwork by instructing the students to work together as a team in achieving a goal.

SCIENCE - Mr. Young

We began this semester learning about how scientists work and what is involved in performing an experiment. A brief review of air and air pressure followed, and we launched balloons on strings of various materials that were placed at different angles in the science lab. This allowed us to make predictions, write observations, collect data and draw conclusions. We began a study of air pollution and an investigation of observable particles in our air. Students collected particulate matter that settles from the air in special containers at home and both inside and outside the courtyard at school. The data we collected led to many good discussions and ideas for improving our original experiments. We expanded our study to include invisible particles in air and learned about bacteria and mold. Each student predicted where bacteria might be found, collected a sample of the unseen bacteria from that place and cultured that sample in an agar filled petri dish. Students soon learned how quickly bacteria and molds multiply as they observed and drew the growing colonies. They also learned how some might be helpful while others may be extremely harmful.