Third Grade Egg Drop 2014

Today, I sent home the information about the Third Grade Egg Drop.  Students are excited.  Please go over the information with them.  They have a lot to accomplish in the next three weeks.  There is a writing piece, a detailed drawing and a contraption to build.  Have fun!

 

Third Grade Egg Drop 2014

The Egg Drop is a highlight for third graders!  Your child needs to design something to put a raw egg into.  On Egg Drop Day he/she brings it to school and drops it out Mrs. McKenzie’s classroom window.  (The window opening is 25”X 15”.)  The contraption is limited to 5 pounds or less.  Your child will take apart his/her egg drop and see if it survived. 

            This activity is an introduction to writing a “Scientific Inquiry”.  Along with the egg drop, students need to draw their design and label the materials they used.  They also need to explain, in writing, how it was put together and why they feel their egg will survive the drop.

Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Time:             View the designs in classrooms from 9:00-9:30am

             9:30 –The Egg Drop

Place:  Spectators can assemble on the playground

              Great Photo Opportunity!!!

See you there!

Outline for Scientific Inquiry:

Question: Will a raw egg break or not break when it is dropped 20 feet out a window onto an asphalt surface?

 

1.      What I already know: (for example: an egg is fragile, the surface is hard and many materials can be used to cushion the egg.

2.     Prediction: I think….  This is the section where students explain what they think will happen and why they chose the materials they used.

 

3.     Procedure:  In this section, students explain how they put their egg drop together.  Include a drawing and a materials list.

 

4.     Conclusion:  This section will be completed after the egg drop.  They will record whether or not the egg survived and explain their results; why it survived or why it did not.

 

The first three sections are to be completed at home and turned in on Egg Drop Day.  They should be written in paragraph form.  The inquiry can be typed or neatly handwritten.

Biography Lap Books

Thanks for helping your student with the editing on their biographies.  I have a good 6-7 kids who haven't gotten their work looked at yet.  Please help them before tomorrow.  They are chomping at the bit to begin the publishing portion of the project.
Thanks
Valerie

Biography -Non Fiction Writing

March 14, 2014

Dear Families,

                Students in room 21 have been researching an important person in history.  They have read about “their” person and made some notes on a graphic organizer.  From the organizer, they have written at least three paragraphs.  These paragraphs have topics such as; major achievements, early life, and challenges.  We are organizing that information, and more, into a lap book (I found them on Pinterest!).  Over the weekend I would like you to look at their work and, with them, edit the paragraphs for spelling, capitalization and punctuation, and complete sentences.  On Monday, we can begin to put together our mini books that will go into the lap book.  When I tell them they are going to work on their biographies –they cheer!!  Let’s keep this ball rolling!

                Thanks for your support,

                Valerie McKenzie

Portland: The Musical

Wow!! The kids did a fantastic job with the play this morning!  There were some nerves but the kids handled themselves wonderfully.  You are really going to enjoy the show tonight.
 Students should arrive in classrooms at 6:00 dressed in their first costume.  They need a little time to get into character and ready to go on stage.
There were several parents that  volunteered to help set up in the cafeteria.  That job begins at 5:30 and involves setting up the chairs for the audience.  Thanks in advance to Denise and Sean Parker, Heather Whiteford, Erin and Brenden Casey.  If you want to help (and thereby getting a prime spot!!) show up at 5:30 and lend a hand.
We also need people to help put the show away, this can take a short time if everyone helps.  Mr. Nelson will need someone to help load the props into his van so that he is ready for his next show.  Please help with this one.
The kids are happily working in Math Work Places and this afternoon they will start to create the covers for their biography projects.
We are busy and happy.
Valerie McKenzie

The Play's the Thing!!!

It may not be Shakespeare, but it is pretty darn good!  Kids are working so hard to prepare for next week's performance.  Thanks for helping them learn their lines, gather the raw materials for their costumes and listen to them sing the songs.
Our evening performance is Wednesday, March 12 at 6:30 pm.  We will have a dress rehearsal the morning before.  Kids will come to school in their 1st costume change and any other changes in a grocery bag.  They should have a change of clothes for the rest of the day.
Several people have volunteered to help set up for the show and we could use some more help for the take down afterwards.  Many hands make short work.
I've seen a draft of the program and it is wonderful -a true souvenir of a wonderful moment in your child's life.
Thanks for everything you do,
Valerie McKenzie