Science - Strong and Stable Structures

In Science we are learning about structures. We will conduct experiments building with various simple materials to see if we can design and build strong structures that can support a load and withstand forces such as tension, compression, torsion, and shear - forces that tend to break a structure or change its shape.

We will also learn about the stability of a structure and its ability to maintain balance and stay fixed in one spot.

We will identify structures built by both man and animals, and determine how their designs and materials enable them to serve a specific purpose and perform their load-bearing functions. Assessing the environmental impact of structures built by various animals and humans will also be discussed.

Looking at ancient structures helps us to learn about strength, stability, form, and function in building. Enjoy the following videos that focus on strange and fabulous structures around the world.

Valentine's Stories for Valentine's Day

Fables

Our new unit in Language is 'Fables'. Students will be reading fables and discussing the characteristics of fables - what differentiates a fable from other texts such as fiction stories or fairy tales.

Students will also be improving their ability to construct interesting sentences and retain a storyline, by retelling fables in their own words, paying close attention to the sequence of events and important details that need to be included. This will help students improve their story writing and oral communication skills.  

Another skill we will practise is inferential thinking. Students will be asked to decide on a moral for each fable based on what they have read and why they think the fable was created in the first place. (Most fables do have a moral stated at the end of the tale, but we have found that most fables have many life-lesson morals that apply to them. Your child's job is not to repeat the stated moral, but to decide on another moral that also applies to the fable being discussed.) Students must not only have good reasons for their answers, but they must also connect directly to the text and draw out evidence to support their answers. (This is a necessary skill for comprehension of a text at a higher level, and of course preparation for the EQAO testing this year.)

Comprehension questions for any reading in grade three involves students supporting their answers with evidence from the text and well as including their own thinking. Ask your child questions about the texts he or she reads. Try using the Q Chart to help guide you to asking higher-level, thinking questions.

 Expect a clear answer that actually answers your question, and displays good reasoning and includes evidence from the text. Remind your child to keep the entire answer in one tense i.e., the past tense.

Below you will find links to a number of fable videos. If they do not include text for your child to read, they could be watched in preparation for an oral retelling, or you could use the video as material on which you could focus comprehension questions.

The Lion and the Mouse

The Boy Who cried Wolf

The North Wind and the Sun

The Clever Crow

The Ant and the Pigeon

The Cunning Fox

The Bear and the Bee

Practising Grammar, Having Fun, and Improving 

Your Command of the English Language

Below, you will find a link to a website that has many simple games and activities to help you practise English grammar and sentence structure. From the main 'Home' page, you will find games, topics, videos, and printable materials. Try going to 'Games", and then choosing one type of activity. I suggest trying, 'Sentence Monkey' and starting with the Past Simple and Past Continuous sentences.

To Parents:
Most of the students in my class are still learning how to write correctly and with clarity. When writing a number of sentences about an event or topic, many students are not able to write the entire piece in one consistent 'tense', i. e., the simple past. This and many other writing skills are being introduced and practised at school.

When using this site, I would suggest not only completing 'the drag and drop' sentences, but also copying the sentences into a notebook and reading and rereading them aloud many times to consolidate whichever skill the sentences are focusing on i.e., the simple past.
Suggestion: The sentences could be reread every night during your child's Reading Log time, with the goal that your child will instinctively use the words studied in his or her everyday speech and writing.

Click here to access the site.