Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Time flies when you're having fun, which we've been having while learning how to tell time in The Third Grade Learning Spot! We began our unit by creating model analog clocks, including labeling the hour and minute hands. We also labeled o'clock, quarter past, half past, and quarter to on them. When we lift the flap for each number the minutes are revealed.

After learning how to identify the hour and minutes, students went on classroom scavenger hunt to find analog clock task cards and record what time each clock showed.

Other hands-on ways we've practiced telling time included playing "Beat the Clock" on the BenQ Board, matching analog clocks to digital clocks displaying the same time, and using mini clocks and number lines to determine elapsed time.

During Writing Workshop the students have begun making their own personal narrative books. Each week we  read a personal narrative picture book and then discuss how the author brought it to life for readers. Next, we create a bubble map for the topic the author wrote about such as "an exciting life moment" or a "favorite family celebration". Bubble maps help us generate topic ideas.

 Then, students compose a rough draft, focusing on adding details. After peer and self-editing they write their final draft, then draw an illustration to accompany it. Our personal narrative books will be going in portfolios so students can share them with their families at the end of the school year.

The class is currently learning about adverbs during language arts. After defining what an adverb i,s we filled in the bubble word "ADVERB" with adverbs we thought of. Next, students picked a verb card out of a bag and brainstormed adverbs that could describe it. After learning ways to determine when to use  -er and -est adverbs the students took turns identifying if adverbs in sentences should end in -er or -est. They circled the hints in the sentence that helped them determine the answer and then filled in the blank with the correct ending.

    Happy learning!