First Week Fun 2020!

 

The beginning of this school year definitely looks different with Covid precautions in place such as masks and desk plexiglass shields but that hasn't stopped us from having a fun first week getting to know one another and participating in engaging learning activities.

 

 The 1st day of school began with the read aloud First Day Jitters and a discussion about what having the "jitters" means and feels like. Next, we read the poem "Jitter Juice" and got to drink some while completing a reader response form, including writing about a time we had the jitters. We ended the day by playing "Two Truths and a Fib"; students wrote 2 truths and 1 fib about themselves and classmates had to guess which was the fib.

 

Our 3rd grade math program began with a review of place value and how to write numbers in standard, expanded, and word form. Students used manipulatives such as dice, place value mats, and animal/heart/flower erasers to demonstrate their understanding of identifying the place value of numbers and how to write numbers in these forms.

 

Our journey into science began with learning how scientists use the scientific method to make observations, formulate questions and hypotheses, conduct experiments, and reach conclusions. We then used the scientific method to "Save Fred", a gummy worm whose plastic cup boat capsized, trapping his gummy ring life preserver under it. Students used their critical thinking skills and paper clips to figure out how to save Fred. Then, they completed a lab report. It included their hypotheses, illustrations and written instructions of the steps used, and a conclusion. We ended the activity by eating candy...but not Fred of course!

 

 We commemorated 9/11 with with the read aloud September 12th: We Knew Everything Would be All Right, written and illustrated by elementary school children. This was followed by a discussion about the story's message that even after bad things happen tomorrow always brings a new day.

Students got some "brain breaks" by participating in Go Noodle movement and mindfulness activities and playing with scooters, basketballs, footballs, and jump ropes during recess.

Looking forward to a wonderful year filled with learning, laughter, and making memories!