Record Holders

Over the past two days students have been reading nonfiction short stories on record holders.  They are using these stories to help them figure out the traits that record holders possess.  Today they discussed these stories in small groups and created an answer to explain what traits they feel record holders have.  Tomorrow each small group will share their thinking with the class.  Eventually we will use each group's ideas to create a whole class answer to this question.  We will share our final answer with you.  Below are a couple of links to videos of two of the record holders that we are reading about this week.

Erik Weihenmayer

Felix Baumgartner

Spelling Words

Every Tuesday the students get 10 new spelling words.  They practice spelling these words with a partner before they move onto their word sort activities.  On Mondays they are given a spelling test on these same words.  Their spelling words this week are:  again, are, our, right, write, thought, most, catch, knew, watch

Computer Science

The students began a course on coding.  Check out the website below.  This program is funded by leaders in the technology field.  Bill Gates and Michael Zuckerberg are two of the people that support this program.  They see a need in this field.  Their hope is to get more students excited about computer science, especially girls.  The students are excited about this website and may ask you to try it at home.  If you have any questions please ask.

code.org

Final Chemical Test

This afternoon the students took their final test for our chemical unit.  They were given a mystery mixture.  Their mixture could be a combination of the following chemicals:  alum, baking soda, baby powder, sugar and cornstarch.  Each group was given time to complete about 6 experiments with their mixture.  They heated them up, added vinegar to them, stirred them in water, and completed tasks with them.  After completing these experiments they compared them to their previous notes completed in past experiments.  Once they had a idea of what the two chemicals were that made up their mixture they move on to their chromebooks.  On their chromebooks they wrote a paragraph explaining what two chemicals made up their mixture and why they know it was these two.  This last part was completely independently.  Finally they sent their document to me.

My partner,Logan and I had mixture A .Logan and I think that mixture A is baking soda and cornstarch.  When we put  vinegar in it fizzled. When we put cabbage juice in it harden.Then Mr. Waara told us to heat it up mixture A and the outside turned black, but the inside was still white. So we think that mixture A is baking soda and cornstarch.
written by Austin

My partner Joey and I had mixture B. I think it’s sugar and cornstarch because when I mixed the vinegar it was starchy. When I let it sit it was sticky and hard to move. I think there is sugar in the mixture because in all the experiments the mixture was sticky.
Written by Tanner

I think experiment A is sugar and cornstarch, because when Mateo and I mixed water with it, it dissolved. When we mixed iodine with it, it turned purple. When we waited for a while it turned white. Then when we mixed vinegar with it and it turned sticky and was easy to move.
Written by Josephe

 My partner Sam and I had mixture C. I think my chemicals are baking soda and baby powder. I think one is baby powder because it smelled really strong and when I added iodine it was getting creamy. When I mixed baby powder by itself it got creamy too. After that I looked at the color of the chemical and it was the same as what it looked like by itself. Another chemical I think was mixed was baking soda. I think that because when I added vinegar it got bubbly, made sizzling sounds, and it all went where it wanted. Baking soda acted like soda because of the fizz it did when I added vinegar to it. When I added vinegar all by itself with baking soda it was about the same, because it was bubbly and the bubbles popped. Those are some reasons I think It's baking powder and baby powder.
Written by Allison

Extended Response Questions

As a class the students read various nonfiction stories in small groups.  Some students read about bears.  Other groups read about sharks or pinnipeds.  They did numerous reading tasks with these books.  Today they were asked to write answers to extended response questions.  They are getting better at answering these types of questions.  Below are two examples of how students answered these types of questions.

Extended Response:  A couple ways seals and sea lions are different are sea lions have ears that stick out and seals don't.  Another difference is seals have a small neck and sea lions have a taller neck.  A third way they are different is that sea lions have fur and seals don’t.  A couple reasons how they are alike are they really look alike, they both swim and they both have flippers.  Those are a few reasons how seals and sea Lions are different and alike.

Written by Maddie

Seals and sea lions  are the same because they both have flippers. Another way they are the same is that they have blubber. A third is that they both have torpedo-shaped bodies to help them swim.The last reason they are the same is because they are pinnipeds     

These are some reasons they are different. The first is that sea lions have manes. Another is that sea lions roar and seals do not.  The last is that sea lions have their ears sticking out. Seals do not have those features.

Written by Josephe and Zack

Possessive Nouns

The students continue to work on word sorts each morning. We have been focused on learning singular possessive nouns, plural possessive nouns, singular nouns and plural nouns. It's been challenging, but fun. The work shown below is from Austin and Zack.

‘s                      s’                  s                singular

boy’s	boys’	boys	boy
cook’s	cooks’	cooks	cook
girl’s	girls’	girls	girl
sister’s	sisters’	sisters	sister
student’s	students’	students	student

teacher’s      teachers’       teachers         teacher

The student was a boy.

The cook makes yummy food.     The cooks’ knives were sharp.

The students study a lot.  

The cooks make birthday cakes.    The cook’s shop is out of food.

The student's locker was messy.

The boy was clumsy. The boys’ books are really long.

The boy’s pencil was dusty. The boys were practicing karate.

The students’ pencils were sharp.  The girl ate Pizza Ranch food. The girls were dancing.  The girl’s pencil was blue. The girls’ room is full of spider webs.

My sister ate at McDonalds.

My sisters are dancing.

My sister’s puppy bit me.

The teacher is teaching the students math.

My sisters’ makeup is dirty.

The teachers’ meeting was fun.

The teacher’s water bottle is blue. The teachers ate at McDonalds.

         THE FOOD FIGHT!

        Once upon a time there were two third graders. Their names were Austin and Zack. Zack was a cook. Austin was clumsy. One day, Austin bumped Zack in his hot soup. Zack was really mad at Austin!  Zack told Austin to go in his room for three hours. Zack wanted to get back at Austin,so when Austin came down the stairs,he got food all over him. Austin started to throw jelo at Zack, and Zack threw ten pizzas at Austin. they started to have a food fight! Cake, macaroni, even ice cream was on the floor. Austin!!!!!!!!!!!”said Zack,you bumped me in hot soup!”You started this food fight!!!!said” Austin.You did,no you did, no you did,said the two third graders.Just then,Zack thew some cake with a picture of the Mona Lisa on it. Wait,said Austin,”why are we even doing this”?He asked. “You bumped me in hot soup!”Well it was an  accident” Austin said. Lets clean this up”,said Zack.”Ok” said Austin.

Grand Opening!

Today was the grand opening of our third grade school store.  It was a success.  The first six student workers did an amazing job.  It was fun to watch them run their business.  Thank you to both parents who volunteered to help out today.  I will be contacting each parent in the near future about having their child work at our store.