General Studies with Hilary

Dear Third Grade Families,

March has come in like a lion, and is going out like a lamb. We have experienced SO many weather changes over the past three weeks — let’s see what’s in store. The kids are VERY excited for our trip to the Brooklyn Bridge, and (crossing fingers) it looks like clear weather too!

For reading, we are working on a new Book Club system. In writing, we are getting ready to do a Take 2 on Information Writing. In social studies, we started learning about the Brooklyn Bridge! As well, we had a BLAST celebrating Purim with our 7th Grade Buddies yesterday!

Social Studies:

This class is now an expert at the steps it takes to build a bridge — specifically the Brooklyn Bridge. From caissons to towers to cables to anchorages, so many innovations were used to create this bridge. Did you know that it was the first suspension bridge to be made with steel? Due to its success, ALL future bridges started using steel as well! On the bridge, there were 4 cables, where each cable had 19 bundles, and each bundle had 278 strands of steel wire. Basically, the four cables were spun together to create a REALLY big cable! When it comes to safety during the construction of the bridge, it had much safer working conditions than the Erie Canal construction had — only 21 people died with this project over the 24 years it took to build it. We are VERY excited to see it in person on Tuesday!  

Math:

This week in math, we continued our division unit, specifically looking at long division. There are two new vocabulary words we learned this week — ‘quotient’ and ‘remainder.’ A quotient is the answer to a division problem. 8 ÷ 2 = 4, 4 is the quotient. A remainder is the number left over from a division problem, such as 11 ÷ 2 = 5 r1 (picture seen below). When 11 is divided by 2, the remainder is 1.

As we have previously mentioned, division can be a very hard concept for students, both in understanding how we divide numbers into equal groups AND what we do when or if there is a reminder. By using unit blocks (ones cubes, tens rods), we worked together in what to do if an odd number of tens rods need to be divided by an even number — such as 3 tens divide by 2 equal groups. Just like in subtraction, we need to regroup the tens by putting one tens rod in each group, followed by trading the last tens rod in for ten ones cubes. 30 ÷ 2 = 15 → 1 ten and 5 ones in each group. We did this for equations such as 93 ÷ 4 = ?, 75 ÷ 5 = ?, as well as 47 ÷ 3 = ?.

Below is a short movie, from BrainPop, that talks about division without remainders. https://www.brainpop.com/math/numbersandoperations/division/ While it does not talk about remainders, or use numbers like “97 ÷ 5 = ?,” students will enjoy this reminder about how to divide. They especially enjoy the quizzes and games!

Reading:

During Kindness Week, we read aloud three different picture books that followed that theme: A Chair for my Mother, by Vera Williams; One Green Apple, by Eve Bunting: and The Sandwich Swap, by Kelly DiPucchio and Queen Rania of Jordan. As these stories were read aloud, third graders practiced the protocol of Book Club. While listening to each story, students completed one of the four jobs — speaker, discussion director, key details finder, or connector. After listening, each student filled out their sheet, planning how to keep the conversation going with their table group. The final step was that they HAD real book conversations, filled with open questions, deep answers, and thoughtful thinking. Each day we practiced this, the students tried a new job. Next week, we will learn our new books and group members.

Topics to  discuss with your student:

• How is PT Barnum connected to the Brooklyn Bridge?
• Why is steel the best material for a bridge?
• If I have 4 cables, and each cable has 19 bundles of wires, and each bundle has 278 strands of wire in it — how many strands of wire were used in all FOUR cables?

Dates to Remember:

• Monday, March 25 — Parent-Teacher Conference from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, March 26 — Field Trip to the Brooklyn Bridge, from 9:00am to 1:30pm
• Tuesday, April 2 — Field Trip to the Skyscraper Museum, from 9:00am to 2:00pm
• Tuesday, April 9 — make up Field Trip to the Wyckoff House, from 10:00am to 1:30pm

Shabbat Shalom!
Hilary

Hebrew with Ilana S

This week the third grade start to work on a story related to the kindness week – Bikur Cholim, Visit The Sick. It will be their recording reading for next week. Also we start unit 4 of Chaverim Bivrit – After School. They had new vocabulary from their work book.

Judaic Studies with Aliza

This week in Judaics, third graders finished their Purim Mask projects, which are on display on the bulletin board in the hallway. We also learned about the Halachot (laws) and Minhagim (traditions) of Purim, including reading Megilla, giving gifts to the poor, having a feast, wearing costumes, and drowning out Haman’s name.

Art with Iviva

Students have been working hard on making special groggers for the school Purim celebration. In past years, students folded paper plates in half, decorated them and filled them with beans. This year, we innovated and decided to make clay “rattles” and noisemakers, inspired in part by the rattle Anaïs had made for the Lenape fair.