This week, the students were very busy as usual!
In math, the children continued the unit on probability. We did a class experiment where the children tried to predict the number of different coloured cubes in a sealed box based on the results of "peeking" at one cube at a time and tallying the results. The class learned that if you see one colour of cube a lot that means that there are more of that colour in the box and if you see a colour only a few times then there are fewer of that colour cube. The students made fair and unfair spinners and finally they did experiments to prove that when rolling a single number cube (die) the probability of rolling a 1,2,3,4,5 or 6 is equally likely but when rolling two number cubes (dice) the probability of rolling a 6,7 or 8 is more likely, and rolling a 2,3,11 or 12 is less likely. The reason is that for example, a 7 can be rolled by getting 1+6, 2+5 or 3+4, but a 2 can be rolled only by getting 1+1
In science, the class learned about the exoskeleton of the caterpillar and how this comes off (molting) to allow the caterpillar to grow bigger. Using a microscope, the students saw that the spikes stay attached to the shed exoskeleton, so the caterpillar must make new spikes each time it molts. The children used their magnifying glasses to see the holes in the sides of the caterpillars called the spiracles, which are used for breathing. There was some confusion about the number of legs on a caterpillar, since it is an insect it only has 6 true legs (seen near the front). The many other legs are actually "prolegs" or fake legs that are used for balance and keeping its long body up off the ground. The caterpillars eat using jaws or mandibles and produces a lot of "frass" (caterpillar poop) as it processes the food and grows. By the end of the week, many caterpillars had attached themselves to the "roof" of the container and settled into a J-shape. After a final molting of the exoskeleton, about half of the caterpillars are now in the pupa stage: the chrysalis. Finally, the students drew a diagram of the butterfly life cycle including the four main stages: egg, caterpillar (larvae), chrysalis (pupa) and butterfly (adult). The class even learned a song with American Sign Language about the butterfly life cycle.
In social studies (People of Canada: 1780-1850), the class learned about how people immigrated to Canada from Britain and Europe during this time period and the reasons why. The students also finished their weaving with the wool yarn they dyed a few weeks ago. Reflecting on the weaving process, the students realized that it would take a lot of effort to weave fabric for clothes and blankets! The children also used the "power of the twist" (the fact that twisting fibres make them stronger), to learn how to make rope. Each student worked with a partner to twist yarn to make a thicker and stronger "rope".
The class is also starting to talk about "tooth traditions" or how the loss of a baby tooth is dealt with. This differs from family to family and from country to country.
In our shared reading time, we began a read aloud project a bit differently. The book, The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes, contains wonderful, descriptive language. The children were asked to draw pictures of what was happening in the story to help them understand the story. This helps the children understand better the reading comprehension strategy of making a picture in your mind when reading a story.
In art, the students used the math concept of symmetry to create colourful symmetrical designs that we will use next week to create butterfly wing designs.
The grade 3 students continue to learn the rules of writing a standardized test and practiced answering both math and reading questions. We took up the questions and discussed all the information that needs to be included to get the most marks possible.
Books read aloud this week:
The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes (chapter book)
Squirrelly Gray by James Kochalka
Throw Your tooth on the Roof - Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby B. Becker
The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond
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