Popcorn Skeleton Hands....

The students had the opportunity to create a skeleton hand made from popcorn and candy corn.  We incorporated many different tasks, from following directions to a writing exercise upon completion.  The students made their skeleton hands then they wrote a "how to" paper.  In this paper they described in detail how they created their hand.  The students were told that they needed to write the paper in such a way that if someone walked into our room they could take the paper and follow their directions to make the hand.  The second assignment they had to complete was to write 5 "3rd grade" sentences about their hand.  Not only did the sentences need to be creative, they had to also incorporate adjectives (which we have been studying this week).

Red Ribbon Week

This is Red Ribbon Week.  Monday (10/29) is mismatched sock day.  Tuesday (10/30) is pajama day and finally Wednesday (10/31) is hat day.  We kicked off Red Ribbon Week this today by wearing red, reading and signing an oath to stay drug free and ending the day with a pep rally in the gym.  The cheerleaders and step team from Lewis Fraiser Middle School came and provided entertainment.  FLE's 4th/5th grade chorus also sand a song for Red Ribbon Week.  We were visited by McGruff as well as a working drug dog, courtesy of the Liberty County Sheriff's Department.  It was amazing to see the working dog in action! 

Busy Week Ahead

There is a lot going on at FLE this week.  Mark your calendars for the following:
Monday-Wednesday~~~Red Ribbon Week
Tuesday~~~Treat NO Trick night at FLE
Thursday~~~Reading Night.  Teachers will be reading their favorite stories to students and parents that attend
Friday~~~St. Judes Dance (right after school until 4).

Frederick Douglass

Throughout this nine weeks we will learn note taking skills as well as various ways to put our notes together in a logical and workable manner.  Last week we studied Mary McCleod Bethune.  As we took notes and completed vocabulary/comprehension papers we attached them in manilla folders. 
This week we are focusing on Frederick Douglass.  We will continue to take notes as well as work with the vocabulary daily.  We are changing things up and this week we will create a DODECAHEDRON Reading Project.  A dodecahedron is a 3-D, 12 sided, geometric shape. Students will be provided with a rubric that will provide them with my expectations and what is to be included on each side of the geometric shape.

Social Studies Project

We visited the Media Center two weeks ago for classes taught by Dr. Sands.  She taught us how to use Nettrekker, Galileo, and Destiny.  During the next few weeks we will put our new knowledge to good use.  We have been researching specific American heroes.  Our class is working closely with Mrs. Smith (Computer Lab teacher) to complete the research.  Mrs. Smith will then introduce and give us lessons on how to create a power point presentation.  After we have learned all the ins and outs of power points, we will take all of the information we gathered during our research time and create a ppt. project.  After we have finished we will present out project to the class.
We are very excited to work on this project and are grateful to Dr. Sands and Mrs. Smith for their help and sharing their knowledge.

Red Ribbon Week

This is Red Ribbon Week.  Monday (10/29) is mismatched sock day.  Tuesday (10/30) is pajama day and finally Wednesday (10/31) is hat day.  We kicked off Red Ribbon Week this today by wearing red, reading and signing an oath to stay drug free and ending the day with a pep rally in the gym.  The cheerleaders and step team from Lewis Fraiser Middle School came and provided entertainment.  FLE's 4th/5th grade chorus also sand a song for Red Ribbon Week.  We were visited by McGruff as well as a working drug dog, courtesy of the Liberty County Sheriff's Department.  It was amazing to see the working dog in action!

Action Verbs Media Festival Project

Each year students complete media projects to enter into the FLE media festival.  This year my inclusion students completed a media project for the festival.  Their project focused on action verbs.  They each wrote 2 or 3 complete sentences then added an illustration for each sentence.  They did a great job on their project.  Enjoy!

Our Heroes Media Festival Project

We have been studying American heroes.  Through our discussions we looked at what made a hero and where we can find heroes within our own lives.   For our media festival project the students wrote about their hero.  They also added an illustration if they wished.  The students did a fantastic job!

Courage and American Character

As a 3rd grade we study American character through nine different people (Paul Revere, Frederick Douglas, Mary McLeod Bethune, Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR, Lyndon B. Johnson, Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall).  The second nine weeks of the ELA program is focused on informational text.  We will use our Social Studies people to accomplish this objective.  Students will not only read about the different people, their lives and contributions to our society, they will also learn how to take meaningful notes.  Each week will focus on a specific person.  Students will complete activities for each chapter and they will complete a cloze activity for each person.  I have uploaded the books so that they can be reviewed by students at home. 
To access the books, please click on the word Science (under the links heading).  Use the username and password provided.  Once you are on the eduplace site click on the online leveled books (computer icon).  Click on the words whole group.  This will take you to the books we are using. 
We will begin with Mary McLeod Bethune. 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

1st Marking Period ABC Award Winners

Each nine weeks FLE holds an ABC Awards ceremony.  ABC stands for Academics, Behavior and Change.  Students work hard to earn these awards each marking period.  For the first marking period the ABC awards were earned by Zoriah and Aryanna (for Academics) and Devereaux and Lydia (for Behavior).   Congratulations!  You have set a great example for our class.  Keep up the great work.

Additionally, CONGRATULATIONS to Lydia for making Honor Roll for the 1st marking period.  You rock!~

Timeline Research

The 2nd marking period finds 3rd grade learning how to take notes and conduct research projects.  Students were given the task to create a timeline using the 9 American heroes we study in our Social Studies curriculum.  The students worked in pairs to complete the research portion of the project.  Upon completion of their research, they took the information and created a timeline.

Measurement Assessment

We spent quite a bit of time learning how to measure properly.  As a culminating assessment students had to construct a robot.  The robot had to have a head, body, two legs, and two arms.  Each line segment had to be measured accurately and labeled in both inches and centimeters.

River Test

Students will have a test on the 5 rivers (Hudson River, Ohio River, Mississippi River, Colorado River and Rio Grande River) we study as well as additional notes regarding the 7 continents, 4 rivers and information regarding Georgia.
We spent two Social Studies class periods taking notes for this test.  The notes were written on the back of a map showing where the 5 rivers can be found. 
This test will be on Thursday 18 October.  Please help your child study for this important test.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Read for the Record

Our class and Mrs. Coley's class joined thousands of others on Thursday 4 October 2013 for Read for the Record. 

 Using classroom technology, we read the children's book Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, by David Soman and Jacky Davis, in support of Jumpstart's mission to work towards the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Through Read for the Record we helped celebrate literacy as well as support Jumpstart in its efforts to promote early childhood education!

Collaboration

The theme of our nine weeks was friendship.  We learned that friendship comes in many different shapes, sizes and ways....it can even come through animals.  Students actively work together to complete Venn Diagrams which will in turn help them to complete a writing assignment that compares the theme of friendship found within the stories we have read this nine weeks.   Some of the stories we have read are Because of Winn Dixie, Rosie the Visiting Dog, The Stories Julian Tells, Balto, the Dog that Saved Nome and Leah's Pony.