Newsletter Info

Social Studies
Our focus this year will center around communities of long ago, as well as modern communities of today. This week we will begin with a look at the places that we live and call home. We will learn that the places we live are called communities and consist of a population of citizens. We will discuss how important it is to obey the laws of the community, in order to keep the citizens safe and avoid chaos.

Science
We will start off the year with a brief introduction into how scientists work safely in the lab. We will focus on how scientists make observations and inferences, as well as the types of tools that will be available for use in our lab this year. We will then dig right into our first unit of study on plants, with a nature walk and observation session. Students will have the opportunity to examine a plant of their choice with a hand lens, before formally recording their observations. We will learn to share and compare our data/observations in the name of scientific integrity (i.e. our data should match and if it doesn't we need to examine it closely to figure out why that's the case). We will finish the week with a look at our next essential question: What are seeds (and, how do bean seeds make a new bean plant)? Any and all donations of potting soil, dry lima beans, celery, and a sweet potato would be greatly appreciated!

Math
It is imperative that third graders have an understanding of how The Base Ten Number System works and how to accurately represent, identify, compare, and/or order numbers through the hundred thousands. Our work in this unit will focus on the following essential questions: How are numbers comprised in our Base Ten Number System? How can greater numbers be read and written? How can whole numbers be compared and ordered? To begin addressing these questions, students will be introduced to the 1,000 chart. This will help us as we begin to discuss how place value is represented. The catch is that not all the numbers will be filled in on these charts. As we play a game called Finding Numbers, students will need to use landmarks they are familiar with (multiples of ten and twenty-five work well) to help them locate the numbers called. If you are curious about your child's ability to locate numbers, have them bring their chart home over the weekend to play a few rounds as a family. You can even let them call the numbers and quiz you to see who is faster!