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Biography Share – June 8

Dear Third Grade Families,

Over the past several weeks, our third graders have been working SO hard on their biography writing. Last Friday, they finally got to share their writing and show off everything they learned with our seventh grade buddies!

Students (some in fabulous costumes!) sat around our desk groups, and got ready be interviewed. Seventh grade buddies came prepared with all kinds of questions for third graders. They wanted to know facts the third graders had learned about their biography subjects, but also wanted to know about the writing strategies third graders used for their essays. The seventh graders traveled from table to table to learn as much as they could.

After our interviews, the seventh graders told us some of their favorite biography facts that they learned during the interviews. For example, Babe Ruth went to boarding school, and Teddy Roosevelt was a real cowboy! We impressed our buddies by using chapters, complete sentences, punctuation, pictures, comic book pages, poetry, and creative, decorated covers!

Then, this Friday, we went to see our seventh grade buddies’ projects! The seventh graders held a Renaissance Fair with games, prizes and trivia. Third graders learned about historical figures (such as Joan of Arc) and events (like the Thirty Years War and the Black Plague) all while playing board games and game shows!

In Social Studies, we’ve been learning about what life in America was like for newly arrived immigrants. We learned all about tenement buildings, who lived in them, the size of the apartments, the shared bathrooms, the clotheslines people put up, and more. We even used our classroom and nearby rooms to map out a tenement floor plan and see just how little space there was for families to share.

We also learned about the jobs that new Americans (especially kids!) might have. We read a book about a girl who sewed lace and made dresses, as well as one about a boy who became a lamplighter. We also took a look at some jobs that other poor Americans (but usually NOT immigrants!) might have had at the time, by watching some of Newsies: The Broadway Musical. We talked about what methods the newsies used to sell their papers, as well as workers’ rights. (A request: please avoid watching this movie at home if your child has not already seen it– we will watch more in school!)

Finally, our third graders have also been practicing for our play, which is on June 13th at 9am. We have dedicated much time to working on lines, scenes, singing, and dancing. The class cannot wait for families and friends to see our performance!

Topics to talk about with your student:

  • What jobs did immigrants typically have when they moved to America?
  • How big were the rooms in tenement buildings?

Dates to remember:

  • Wednesday, June 13 —> Third Grade’s NYC Play @ 9am
  • Friday, June 15 —> last day of school

Shabbat Shalom,

Hilary and Talia

Judaics with Aliza

This week in Judaics, the third grade reflected on our Jewish Heroes of the Week from throughout the school year and the lessons they have taught us. Each student selected one hero they wished to “nominate” as their Jewish Hero of the Year, wrote their reasons for choosing them, and even drew portraits of their heroes.