Merry Christmas!  This last week of school before Christmas break, we will be very busy!  We will be sending the top three posters in for the NC Zoo Endangered Species Contest.  We will also continue studying the plants and animals of the taiga biome, while preparing a narrative essay.  Hopefully, we will be able to squeeze in a little holiday fun too!

 

2nd Trimester

Week 3:  Dec. 14th - Dec. 15th

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Judging of Endangered Species Project * Taiga plant fact sheet and vocabulary	* none
Tuesday	* Taiga animal fact sheet and vocabulary * Taiga narrative essay	* none
Wednesday	* Taiga overview * Taiga narrative essay	* none
Thursday	* Taiga narrative essay	* none
Friday	* Thidwick, The Big-Hearted Moose  * A Little Fun TOO!	* none

  

 

 

 

We spent most of last week learning the basics of  biomes.  Over the next couple of weeks we will spend most of our time studying the taiga biome and working on various projects.  We will also be focusing on our Endangered Species Project, which consists of a poster showing our selected endangered species and a slogan to encourage its protection.  The children will also be focusing on specific questions as to why this particular species is endangered and what we can do to help sustain it.  Next week select teachers will be judging the posters to determine the top three that will compete in the NC Zoo Endangered Species Contest!   

 

2nd Trimester

Week 2:  Dec. 7th - Dec. 11th

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Complete Biome vocabulary and introduction. * Taiga location and climate * Endangered Species Project	* none
Tuesday	* Endangered Species Project * Guidelines to Narrative Essay Project	* Work on fact sheet and required questions for Endangered Species Project.
Wednesday	* Taiga plants and animals * Endangered Species Project	* Continue working on fact sheet and questions for Endangered Species Project.
Thursday	* Taiga vocabulary review * Taiga Narrative Essay Project	* Finish working on Endangered Species Project.
Friday	* Continuation of Taiga Biome * Finalize Endangered Species Project	* none

 

 

 

 

 

We are going to begin this trimester with an overview of biomes before we delve into each of the six biomes we will study this year.  The first biome we will study closely is the Taiga. Gotta love the MOOSE in the Taiga! Make sure to have your children describe each biome to you as we are studying them.  Our first project calls for at least 6 shoe boxes, if you can send one in please do so ASAP.   

 

 

2nd Trimester

Week 1:  Nov. 30th - Dec. 4th

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Introduction to Biomes * Overview of an atlas and location of six major biomes.	* none
Tuesday	* Endangered Species NC Zoo Project * What Makes Up a Biome?	* none
Wednesday	* The Taiga Biome  - Climate and Population	* Gather magazines from home to use in class.
Thursday	* The Taiga Biome - Plants and Animals	* none
Friday	* The Taiga Biome - Project Introduction	* none

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first trimester is quickly coming to an end.  We will finish our study of botany and nutrition this week and have a quiz on Tuesday. After the holiday we will do a couple of experiments we were unable to complete this week due to portfolio viewings, bake sales, etc.  We will be gardening on Tuesday with Mrs. Denham and the seventh graders.  I hope everyone has a blessed and safe Thanksgiving! 

 

 

 

 Week 13:  Nov. 23 - Nov. 27

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Botany on Your Plate and Nutrition Review.	* Study for Quiz.
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate and Nutrition Quiz. * Gardening	* none
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

 

 

 

 

                 

 

 

 

We have been busy finishing studying nutrition labels, planning healthy menus, while practicing nutrition raps and skits and working on healthy comic strips.  On Friday we compared 80 percent lean ground beef to 96 percent lean ground beef and learned some interesting facts.  This week we will wrap up our study of nutrition and begin our final study of botany.  We look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday for our presentations and portfolio viewing.    

 

 

 Week 12:  Nov. 16 - Nov. 20

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	Nutrition Label Project - Rehearse skit, rap, and cartoon strip presentations - Peer evaluations	* none
Tuesday	Nutrition Label Project - Dress Rehearsal of skit, rap, and cartoon presentation - Finalize Family Menu	* Make sure you have all props for presentations.
Wednesday	Nutrition Label Project - Review and go over elements of presentations.	* none
Thursday	Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 7 - Tastings and Journals - Dissecting Seeds - Gardening	* none
Friday	Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 7 - Seed Functions - Seed Experiment	* none

 

 

 

 

 

                 

 

 

This week we will continue our study of nutrition!  The children are busy working on their Nutrition Label Projects, which includes working as a team to come up with a skit, rap song, or comic strip emphasizing eating a healthy and balanced diet.  All of this ties in with the botany unit we are studying because they are learning that we get a great amount of nutrition from the plants we eat.  Don't be surprised if you find your children trying to help you come up with a well balanced menu at home.  I'm so proud of them!!!!   

 

 

 

 

Week 11:  Nov. 9th - Nov. 13th

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Nutrition Label Project - Finish labels analysis	none
Tuesday	* Nutrition Label Project - Work on skits, raps, and comic strips	none
Wednesday	* Nutrition Label Project - Make menus - Finish cartoon campaign	none
Thursday	* Nutrition Label Project - Practice performances - Review nutritional calculations	none
Friday	* Nutrition Label Project - Practice performances - Review making healthy choices/activity	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

 

 

 

We all know based on the picture above what our children are most likely to choose as a snack. During our final phase of Botany on Your Plate I am focusing on a study of nutrition.  The children will be completing a Nutrition Label project and hopefully learning how to make healthy choices.  I am emphasizing the importance of a diet rich with fruits and vegetables, but also letting them know that it is okay to enjoy those sugary treats if you do so in moderation.  This week we will also be focusing on the final study of our plant parts, which are seeds.

 

 

 

Week 10:  Nov. 2nd - Nov. 6th 

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Botany on Your Plate-Lesson 7 - Review  - Tastings and Journals	none
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate-Lesson 7 -Dissecting Seeds  - Nutrition Label Project	none
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate-Lesson 7 - Seed Functions - Nutrition Label Project	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate-Lesson 7 - Reflection - Seed Experiment - Nutrition Label Project	none
Friday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 7 - Nutrition Label Project	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at the lettuce your children have grown with their own hands!  Our garden is looking beautiful and the children will be bringing home some green goodies this week and probably some sweet ones too!  This week we will be studying fruits and dissecting cherry tomatoes and grapes.  We will also be going on our second nature hike of the year to see what living things are out and the changes that have happened since our first hike.  

 

 

 

 

   Week 9:  October 26th - October 30th

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 6 - Gardening - Fruits and Vegetables We Eat - Introduction to Nutrition Label Project	none
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 6 - Nutrition Label Project	none
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 6 - Fruit and Vegetable Tastings and Journals - Lesson 6 Vocabulary	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 6 -  Dissection of Fruits - Analyzing Tomato and Grape Data - Reflection	none
Friday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 6 - Nature Hike/ Gardening - Nutrition Label Project	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week we studied leaves and the basics of photosynthesis.  The importance of this process was explained and how animals and humans couldn't survive without plants to produce oxygen.  Everyone was surprised to learn that celery is actually a leaf.  We dissected celery to see how water travels through the tubular structures inside the stalk.  The students made leaf rubbings with mint leaves and enjoyed the aromatic scent of the mint.  

 

 

 

 

 Week 8:  Oct. 19th - Oct. 23rd

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 5 - Flowers: Tastings and Journals - Lesson 5 Vocabulary	none
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 5 - Flowers: Exploring Flower Characteristics - Flower Dissections/Pollinators at Work	none
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 5 - Flower Functions - Reflection of Investigations	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate - Review of Lessons 2-4 vocabulary for quiz	Study for quiz on Lessons 2-4 vocabulary
Friday	* Botany on Your Plate - Quiz on Lessons 2-4 vocabulary - Nature Hike/ Gardening	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above is a picture of our daisy experiment!  Notice the middle flower is both blue and reddish, that is because we cut the stem in half and put one half in blue food coloring and the other half in red food coloring.  The children make predictions, otherwise known as hypotheses, about what would happen when we conducted this experiment.  We definitely have some future scientists in our class! This week our focus will be on leaves and their functions.  Look for your children to smell minty!!!

 

 

 

 Week 7:  Oct. 12th - Oct. 16th

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	No School	No School
Tuesday	* Growing Seasons of Fruits and Vegetables Around the US	none
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 4 -Leaves- Tastings and Journals -Dissecting Leaves	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 4 -Exploring Leaf Parts -Leaves as the Food Factory	none
Friday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 4 - Vocabulary Review - Continuation of photosynthesis	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was a fun time dissecting root plants this past week!  The children were able to taste radishes and a Mexican root plant called a jicama. This week we are going to focus on the stem portion of a plant and its functions.  We will dissect and taste various stems and finally, complete a stem experiment.  Our garden is starting to show little sprouts!!!  The children are quite excited to see that what they planted is really starting to grow!!

 

Week 6:  Oct. 5th- Oct. 8th

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 3- Stems and Functions * Tastings and Journals	Review Botany on Your Plate- Lessons 1 and 2 vocabulary.
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 3- Dissecting Stems and Observations -Stem Nodes and Adaptations * Lesson 3 Vocabulary	Review Botany on Your Plate- Lessons 1 and 2 vocabulary.
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 3- -Daisy Stem Experiment -Similes and Stems * Vocabulary Review	Study for Botany on Your Plate-Lessons 1 and 2 vocabulary quiz.
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate -Lesson 1 and 2 vocabulary quiz. * Gardening	none
Friday	No School

 

 

 

Have a Great Fall Break!!!!! 

 

 

 

 

We finally were able to garden this past week!  The children worked with the seventh graders planting lettuce, radishes, collards, spinach, and pansies.  A big thanks to Mrs. Bondurant for being a co-gardener with me!  This week the children tried an assortment of vegetables in our first lesson from Botany on Your Plate.  I was happily surprised to see how open they were to trying all of the different vegetables.  We will start next week going over our Plant Preference Chart and analyzing the results.  From there we will jump right into the root systems of plants.  I will be emailing you to see if anyone is interested in sending in some radishes for all the children to taste.

 

 

Week 5:  Sept. 28th - Oct. 2nd

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Monday	* Review Plant Preference Chart- analyze results. * Finish Botany Journals	* Family Food Preferences
Tuesday	* Botany on Your Plate- Lesson 2 Root Systems/Tastings and Journals * How to read a nutrition label	none
Wednesday	* Botany on Your Plate Dissecting Roots Root Functions	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate-  Sweet Potato Root Hydroponics Experiment * Review lesson vocabulary	* Review vocabulary
Friday	* Read Stone Soup/Discussion * Review of Lesson 2	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's Become Botanists!!!  We will begin our study of botany this week.  The focus will be centered around a hands on investigation of the plants we eat.  This should be an exciting unit of study we will be concentrating on for the rest of the trimester.  Be sure to ask your children about all of the fruits and vegetables they are investigating and eating.  Hopefully, the rain will stay away on Wednesday and we can begin gardening!

 

 

 

Week 4:  Sept. 21st- Sept. 25th 

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Moday	* Introduction to Botany on Your Plate * Make a Botany Journal * Fruits and Vegetables grown around the U.S.	* Study for quiz.
Tuesday	* Science  Quiz on habitats and biology basics. *Botany on Your Plate- How do people use plants * Food Preference Study	* Family food preferences.
Wednesday	* Gardening * Clean out old plants and prepare soil for new plantings. * Discuss new vegetable we will be planting.	none
Thursday	* Botany on Your Plate- Cultures using plants around the world. * Review lesson vocabulary	none
Friday	* Reflection on Botany/ Week 1 * Diagram of a plant	none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Grade had a super week in science class last week!  This week we will begin our study of biology and botany.  Our emphasis will primarily be on botany-the study of plants.  Next week will start our unit called Botany on Your Plate.  I will be sending out emails asking for parents volunteers to send in various fruits and vegetables for our students to work with in our lessons.  I am really excited about this unit of study, and I'm looking forward to seeing the children explore and taste plant foods! 

 

 

Week 3:  Sept. 14th- Sept. 18th 

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Moday	* Complete The Lorax and Wise Choices. * Introduction to Biology	none
Tuesday	* Introduction to Biology * What are Living Things?  * Cell Basics	none
Wednesday	*Introduction to Botany * Plant Life Cycles-From Seed to Flower
Thursday	* Identification and labeling of plant parts * What plants need to survive	none
Friday	* Gardening * Review of plant life cycles	none

 

 

 

 

  We had a great week last week learning about nature around Woodlawn and taking a nature hike!  We will continue discussing nature this week and making advertisements for animal habitats.  On Friday we are going on a field trip to cruise around Lake Norman on the Catawba Queen.  While we are on our trip we will be making observations about nature and animal habitats on the lake.  We are also going to read the book,  "The Lorax", and discuss how growth and changes in the environment affect nature.

 

 

Week 2:  Sept. 7th - Sept. 11 

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Moday	Labor Day	none
Tuesday	*Animal Habitat Advertisements	*Research 3 facts about your assigned animal's habitat.
Wednesday	*Continue working on  Animal Habitats Advertisements.	none
Thursday	*Read "The Lorax" and answer discussion questions as a class. *Wise Choices activity based on reading of "The Lorax."	none
Friday	*Finish activity on Wise Choices and prepare for field trip.	none

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Third Grade Science!  We are going to have a fun and exciting year!  The first week we are going to be learning about nature around Woodlawn and our community.  Everyone should have finished reading Nature In the Neighborhood.

 

Week 1:  August 31- Sept.4

 

 

	Classwork	Homework
Moday	-Discuss classroom community -Set up supplies -Go over agenda set up -Get to know one another	none
Tuesday	-Learn about M.O.O.S.E. (Maintaining of Organizational Skills Everyday) - Begin discussion of summer reading.	none
Wednesday	-Nature walk around Woodlawn. Put on your hiking boots! -Work on nature journal. -Look at how nature has changed over time around Woodlawn.	none
Thursday	-We will continue with our nature journals today. -Animal habitats	none
Friday	-Written entries about nature piece.  We will start our habitat ads next week.	none