This month in math we've been working on our problem solving skills with some new routines in class. Based on some research from Peter Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom framework, we've been trying out new types of problems, different arrangements of groups, and vertical writing surfaces to record our mathematical thinking. The students have grown to really enjoy our problem solving time, and there's definitely been a lot of thinking going on during out math time! You can learn more about Building Thinking Classrooms with the video below. |
We capped off our bridge-building project this week! The students finished joining their beams, decks, and trusses, and we tested them in our bridge competition. There were three stages to the competition:
Today we celebrated Family Literacy Day at Millgrove! Since 1999, thousands of schools, libraries, literacy organizations and other community groups have taken part in the initiative. We were lucky to have many guests read to our class this month, and today we enjoyed cozying up in our PJs, buddy reading, and listening to stories read by some of our parents. There are so many ways to enjoy reading! Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development, improving a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well. Thanks to all the special guests who read to us this month!
It’s been an exciting week in 3B as we started the culminating project of our building unit: building bridges! We’ve learned about different types of bridges and explored the design and construction of the Walterdale Bridge in Edmonton. The students are working on a challenge from the City of Edmonton to build a model bridge for a self-driving vehicle, using only glue and 150 popsicle sticks. So far they’ve constructed the beams and deck of their bridges, and next week we’ll be doing some railing and truss work. We have our very own model self-driving vehicle that the bridge will need to support, and a model of the river bank of the North Saskatchewan River. There will definitely be some great contenders for the Edmonton Self-Driving Vehicle Bridge!
As Millgrove celebrates a focus on literacy this month, our class has been lucky to have special guest readers come and read picture books to our class. You can find out more about Family Literacy Day here (which we will be enjoying with a PJ Day next Friday). We're looking forward to a few more special reading guests next week! Our amaryllis plants have continued to rocket up in their growth! Because we learn about life cycles in grade three, we're continuing to observe our plants as some bloom and some are just forming foliage. Our plants "Eloise," "Dawn," "Jack," and "Nicky" have grown exponentially in the past month, and many flowers have bloomed this week. Our latest measurement of "Jack" had the plant pegged at a height of 65 cm which means it has grown 59 centimetres since we planted it! You can watch the video below to see a time-lapse of another amaryllis growing. 3B has been hard at work this week building model playgrounds! One of the outcomes for this unit is that students will use a variety of materials and techniques to design, construct, and test structures that are intended to serve as models of particular living things, objects, or buildings. Students had to carefully consider materials, aesthetics, and function as they built, and the result was many creative and fun playgrounds! You can take a look below at some of the playgrounds that were built in our class.
The students were excited to start our new Science unit on building this week! In this unit, students will use a variety of tools and simple techniques to build things for specific purposes. Their tasks will include building a bridge to span a gap, a model playground, and a stool to hold a person. Through these projects, students will learn the value of safety and good workmanship and that different materials and designs can be used to obtain the same result. We will talk about how working together on a common task is easier when ideas and materials are shared collaboratively. We’ve already had fun planning and building vases to hold a bouquet of flowers and a gift box to hold a chocolate, and the students are eagerly planning their model playgrounds for next week!
This month our class is starting a Math unit on multiplication and division! Multiplication and division are basic computational skills that children must eventually master in order to succeed in higher levels of mathematics. The focus of this unit is developing an understanding of the process of multiplication and division in order to develop strategies for multiplying and dividing within 100. Children will use counters, number lines, and arrays to develop their understanding. We are beginning this unit with multiplication and division with whole numbers up to 5 x 5, and will build up our skills to within 100 as the weeks go on. In this unit, the students will:
You can encourage your child to share different strategies used to multiply and divide. We use multiplication and division in many day-to-day situations. Here are some suggestions for activities you can try at home:
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Mrs. BarkerMrs. Barker is a grade three teacher at Millgrove School. She loves science and reading, and lives in a little brick house with Mr. Barker and her kids Jack and Ellie. Archive
April 2024
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