SCIENCE:
In Science this week, students will be working in groups of 3 in class on a research project that involves the creation of a poster that informs others about either bridges OR skyscrapers. They are to include a picture(s) and information about a famous bridge OR a famous skyscraper of their choice, tell where the structure is located and its size, and explain the factors that helped make their chosen structure strong. Information about LOADS, FORCES, MATERIALS AND SHAPES are to be included on their poster (how they relate to their famous structure). The students will be working hard in class, and much of the research will be done on the school’s laptops and in the computer lab! The final posters are to also include at least five non-fiction conventions (e.g., title, headings, subheading, pictures, captions, etc.). The students are aiming to complete this poster by Tuesday of next week. We are not sending home the homework duotangs this week. Instead, students must read (and re-read) the information links at the”Grade Three Structures Activity” link on this class blog under Science. This will better prepare them for work in class on their poster project with their fellow group members.
Also, this Thursday morning, we will be welcoming a very special guest to our classroom – Mr. Brian Johnson, a real-life structural engineer! Mr. Johnson’s engineering firm was responsible for the design of our school’s recent extension! During his presentation, Mr. Johnson will be sharing with the grade three students his love of structural engineering and what makes his job so interesting. He will also bring many photos of various buildings that he has designed in the Ottawa area. The students are in for a treat!
Next week, the students will be planning and building one final stable structure at school in groups. For this activity, they will be using all of their knowledge to build a two-story structure that can support the most number of Math textbooks. A final, more extensive unit test will be given next Friday as well.
The students will have a very short fill-in-the-blank quiz this Thursday on what we have studied thus far on stable structures. Key terms to be aware of are struts, ties, towers, twisting, stable, bending, load, forces, and pushing. Duotangs can be brought home for review (just make sure they are sent back each day!)
MATH:
In math, the students will be having their patterning test on Thursday of this week. To prepare for this test, students should complete all of the practice tests for our Patterns in Mathematics unit online at Nelson Math 3 (Nelson Math— Try It Out –Chapter 1). Next week, we will start into measurement -linear, time and temperature measurement.
OTHER ITEMS:
Scholastic Book Orders are due on Fri. January 24th. Please remember to put your child’s name on the order forms and to pay with a cheque made out to Scholastic Canada Ltd. (if possible).
P.D. Day– Friday, January 17th. No school for students!
Sincerely,
Mr. Jackson