Spring Learning Update

Many fun and exciting projects are cropping up in the Dallin third grade this spring! In English Language Arts, students are underway with a magical unit on the fantasy genre. In book groups, they’ve read about dragons, vampire bunnies, talking animals, and chocolate curses. We’ve practiced making predictions and developing questions related to the books we’ve been reading. We’re excited for upcoming literacy units on fairytales. 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. Currently, students are crafting opinion pieces. This spring, third grade writers have been honing their persuasive techniques, such as adopting a strong thesis and using convincing word choice.  Students wrote persuasive speeches which they delivered before an audience. Most recently, students crafted petitions about a topic for which they had strong feelings. Topics ranged from protecting endangered animals, recycling, and the use of electronic devices in school. Students have enjoyed exercising their powers of persuasion to try to convince you through their opinion writing!

In math, students have been learning a range of topics this spring. Overarching goals of the third grade math curriculum include building students’ problem solving skills and perseverance. Students regularly engage in problem solving workshops in which they take on rigorous problems in collaborative groups. An emphasis is placed on strategic thinking and effective communication. Third grade mathematicians recently concluded a unit on fractions. In this unit, students learned how to name fractions and represent them using visual models, such as pictures and number lines. We are now underway with a geometry unit in which students are analyzing shapes and their characteristics. Did you know that a square may be considered to be a rectangle, a rhombus, and a parallelogram? Ask a third grader to explain why! Later this year, students will extend their knowledge of geometric shapes to a study of solid figures. We’re excited for 3-D Day in June, an annual third grade event where students build exciting projects ranging from tetrahedral kites to polyhedra models.

Have you ever wondered just how reliable the meteorologist’s report is on the news? That’s a topic that students are exploring in their current science unit on weather. Third graders have ventured into the Dallin Garden where they used various tools to observe weather conditions. Students used rain gauges to determine the amount of precipitation, a weathervane to determine wind direction, and a thermometer to measure temperature. Students compared their observational data to the meteorologists’ predicted weather outcomes. In addition to studying weather, students have also explored several topics related to water in this unit. Using the scientific process, students conducted experiments in which they made discoveries about concepts such as surface tension and the relationship between temperature and the behavior of water molecules. 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 to the seventeenth century to learn about the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Students analyzed primary and secondary sources to learn about the Pilgrims. They learned about the Pilgrims’ origins in Europe and their desire for religious freedom that influenced them to leave their homeland. Students used what they learned about the Mayflower journey to craft letters from the perspective of a passenger aboard the ship. We also examined the complex relationship between the English settlers and the native Wampanaog tribe. Students learned about the daily lives and traditions of the Wampanoag. Soon, third graders will continue to explore this time period when we launch our unit on Colonial America and the events leading up to the Revolutionary War. This unit will culminate in a “Colonial Day” at the end of the year, a longstanding tradition in the Dallin third grade. We look forward to this event and to many more exciting times in grade three!