‘Tis the season...for new and exciting learning in the Dallin third grade! This fall, third graders have been engaged in many interesting projects across the subject areas. In English Language Arts, students are underway with a unit on the realistic fiction genre. We are learning the characteristics of the genre and studying elements of fiction including plot, theme, conflict, and setting. We are crafting readers’ responses to books, incorporating textual evidence to support our ideas. We’re looking forward to upcoming literacy units on nonfiction texts and historical fiction. Roses are red, violets are blue, this spring we’ll be studying poetry, too!
Third graders have been working hard to create wonderful writing pieces this year. At the end of each of our writing units, you’re invited to come read students’ phenomenal work in a writers’ celebration. Recently, students published fantastic narrative stories. Students thought back to a moment in their lives and captured it through a personal memoir. They made the memory come to life with sensory details, dialogue, and descriptive verbs. Next up, students are creating informational books on a topic of their choosing. Topics range from a cat owner’s guide to a profile of baseball superstars. We are excited to share our expert knowledge with you through our informational writing!
In the third grade math workshop, an emphasis is placed on strategic thinking and effective communication. In the fall, students worked on developing strategies for multi-digit addition and subtraction. Ask a third grader to show you their favorite method for solving an addition problem! Currently, students are studying multiplication and division. We’re building our study habits and finding fun games to memorize our multiplication facts. By the end of the year, we hope to learn all of our multiplication facts within 100. We are excited to gain new skills through upcoming units on fractions, area, and perimeter. Overarching goals of our third grade math curriculum include building students’ problem solving skills and perseverance.
Did you know that the Earth is like a giant magnet? That’s just one of the facts that we discovered in our science unit on motion and matter. Students studied forces through investigations with magnets. They also studied patterns of motion and delved into Newton’s Laws of Motion. Third grade scientists engaged in an engineering design challenge to build the best cart or paper airplane that would travel the farthest distance. Through hands-on experimentation and data collection, third graders are gaining an authentic experience with science and engineering disciplines.
In social studies, third grade historians have traveled back in time to study the life of the Wampanoag tribe in the seventeenth century. We went on an exciting field trip to Plimoth Plantation where we witnessed what life was like for the Wampanoag in the 1600s. Students conducted a guided research project in which they gathered information about the seasonal life of the tribe. Students applied their research to create beautiful murals depicting the Wampanoag during different points of the year. Earlier in the fall, we conducted a mock election in social studies. Students nominated book characters who embodied presidential traits as candidates for class president. They launched campaigns and wrote speeches in which they passionately defended their preferred candidate. This was a great opportunity for students to practice civic engagement and learn about the structure of our democracy. We look forward to upcoming social studies units on the Pilgrims and the American Revolution.
This year, the Dallin third grade introduced a new homework system. The primary purpose of our third grade home practice is to develop students lives as readers. At home and in school this fall, Dallin third graders have been working on building their independent reading stamina. Students are doing a great job building their stamina and setting new records for number of minutes spent reading. Each month, students are also given a menu filled with optional activities for academic enrichment. You can come check out some of students great work so far in the “Home Practice Hall of Fame,” located in the third grade hallway. We can’t wait to share these projects with you, and all of the other fantastic work being done by our Dallin third graders!
