Haiku

Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry. Haiku are  simple, three line poems that are usually about nature. They always follows a 5-7-5 syllable pattern.

Here are a few haiku that were written by poets in our class.  

Birds flying in air

Flap flap flap flap flap flap flap

Laying eggs in nests

by Mason

I live in water

I eat prey in the water

I have slimy scales

by Hayden

Jumping happily,

Swimming in some cool water,

Green, spotted, croaking

by Jamie

A caterpillar

munching on a milkweed leaf

almost been eaten

by Owen

 Grade 3’s, can you add a Haiku of your own about summer? We would love to read yours in comment section!

A Visit from the Medicine River Wildlife Centre

We had some extra special guests to our classroom today! Erin Young, and Otis the Great Horned Owl visited us from the Medicine River Wildlife Centre.

During their visit, we learned all about the Centre, and the work it does for wildlife rehabilitation.  We saw photos of a variety of animals who have been helped by their organization. We also learned about what to do, and what NOT to do if we encounter an injured or orphaned wild animal. 

Perhaps the most important thing for students to take away from Erin and Otis’ visit, is their powerful message about respecting our environment and the animals in it.

Thank you so much to all the families who sent in a donation for the Wildlife Centre. We were able to present Erin with $207.00 today!

Grade 3’s, Otis was definitely a big hit! What did you LEARN today  from Erin and Otis?

If you are interested in learning more, CLICK HERE for more information about the Centre.

 

All About Me – an Introduction to Poetry

We are very excited to be starting a new unit on poetry! Today we began by trying to decide what the word “poetry” means. This is a hard thing to determine. Some poems rhyme, some don’t. Some poems have rules to follow, some don’t. In the end, we decided that poetry can be all sorts of things. It is a way for writers (poets) to paint a picture in our minds using words.

Next we enjoyed some funny poetry that was written by Bruce Lansky. For a taste of more funny poems check out this site.

Giggle Poetry

Finally, students got the chance to have some serious fun with words! Their task was to use words that they found in old newspapers to describe themselves.

Check out their work below. 

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Together is Better

One of our favorite things to do with our Chromebooks is to collaborate. “Collaborating”  means working together to help each other learn and create.

These students are working together to research the environment of India. They are creating a table together to record their information.

Grade 3’s, why do you like to collaborate with your classmates? What are some of the other ways  that you like to use your Chromebook to work together?

Rocks and Minerals

This week we started a new Science unit called Rocks and Minerals. During this unit we will be learning about;

– the rock cycle

– how to classify and identify rocks (color, lustre, texture, hardness, presence of carbonates)

– how rocks break down to become soil

– ways we use rocks and minerals

We would like to thank Mr. Nicholson for coming in to talk to us about diamond mining! His presentation was a fantastic introduction for our unit. We really enjoyed seeing the pictures that he showed us, and we are excited to learn more about how coal becomes a diamond.

On Wednesday our class also had a Rock Show to show off our rock collections. 

As you can see, we had some very interesting and unique samples to show!

Grade 3′s, do you have a favorite rock of your own?

Where do you like to hunt for rocks? Who do you go rock hunting with?

Can you describe the most unusual rock that you saw during our rock show?

Peruvian Textile Weaving

Our class has learned about Peruvian textile weaving as part of our Social Studies curriculum. This traditional art form may have originated with the Incas, and has been passed down from generation to generation in the high mountain villages of Peru. We have learned from www.incas.org that “In places like the mountain community of Chinchero, most girls and some boys learn to weave at six or seven years old. From an early age they have fun playing with their mothers’ spindle and yarns, and experimenting on their own until they learn to spin fine yarn. Then they start weaving narrow ribbons called jakimas (pronounced “hakimas”). Often older sisters, brothers or adults help the children learn to make their first narrow backstrap “looms” starting with twenty or thirty threads.”

One thing is for certain. We now know that weaving is not only fun, but it also takes a great deal of skill, and stamina.  Check out our finished projects!

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Social Skills – Playing a Game!

Playing a game can be a lot of fun! Sometimes we might have a chance to play with our friends during an indoor recess, sometimes we might play with our family at home. At other times, our teachers ask us to play a game at school so that we have a fun way to practice the things we are learning.

Unfortunately, games don’t always go the way we want them to. Playing should be fun, but instead it can turn into frustration and hurt feelings if the game players don’t all follow the simple steps that our class came up with.

1. Be sure you know the rules.

2. Decide who starts the game. (rock, paper, scissors or largest role, etc.)

3. Remember to wait your turn.

4. When the game is over, say something nice to the other person. (Remember to help clean up.)

Our class has spent some time practicing this important social skill, and we have developed some video role plays showing these steps in action.   Here is a sampling of our work. 

Great job Grade 3’s! Role playing and videoing can be challenging. One thing is for sure – you certainly have some great game playing skills!

Please feel free to comment and let us know how your “Game Playing” homework goes this weekend. I can’t wait to read about the games you choose to play!

Ears, they’re not just for earrings!

We are busy learning about hearing and sound in Science. Our class now knows;

– how sounds are made

–  how different vibrations create different pitches

– how human voices work

– how our ears hear sounds, and how our ears help us balance

We will be examining safe hearing levels over the next couple of weeks, and comparing our hearing to that of different animals.

Grade 3’s can you think of any examples of places or times when sounds may be TOO LOUD? What can you do when you are exposed to loud sounds to protect your hearing?

Measurement – Appropriate Units, and Exploring Perimeter

In Math we are learning about centimetres and metres. We know that there are times when centimetres are a great unit to use, and other times when metres are more appropriate.

What unit would you use to measure…

Here are some measurement games to boost your measurement skills.

Fun Brain Measurement

HB School

We have also been learning about perimeter. We know that perimeter is the distance around a 2-D shape. Here is an online geoboard that you can also use to explore different rectangles with the same perimeter. How many different rectangles can you make with a perimeter of 24cm?

Math Playground Geoboard

Hooking Your Reader

Writing a story can be a lot like fishing. You want to make sure you “hook” your reader right away by quickly getting them involved in the story. We will be learning about many ways to do this during our writing classes over the next couple of weeks.

To get us started, read the following paragraph from Owen’s latest story. He does a great job of adding details that quickly interest the reader and draw us in. I know that I could not wait to find out what happened next!

The Wildfire

by Owen

     It was a really hot summer in Australia. The eucalyptus trees were dry which was a bad sign, because wildfires were common. My dad and I and my 2 brothers had just got out of the business rush in Sidney. A few hours later my brother said, “We’re here!” and we jumped out of our pickup and helped my dad unload the tent, rations and sleeping bags. “Boy that ride was boring!” one of my brothers said. I looked around and caught glimpse of a warning sign with my binoculars.”Uh guys there’s a forest fire sign up there.” I said. “Whatever” my dad said.

Grade 3’s, what do you think might happen next? Do you already know who the characters are? What details do we already know that help us visualize the setting?