Hi Parents!
Today in third grade, the students learned about Ancient Greek Mythology. They first learned that myths were used by the Ancient Greeks to explain natural events that otherwise couldn't be explained!
Then the students and I read one specific myth about Persephone and Demeter. Persephone is the reason that we have spring and fall.
After reading the myth the students created their own scripts in order to act the myth out as a dramatic play. The theater is a very important part of Greek history, so what better opportunity than to act out a myth?!
The students then split into small groups to rehearse the script. After all of the groups felt ready to perform, they performed the plays for one another. I even video recorded them so you could see!
I will post the productions soon! It was a dramatic day in third grade, but the end result was a lot of fun and all of the students seemed to learn a lot about Greek mythology and this particular myth!
Miss S.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Getting Creative with China!
The students and I had such a great time today! We put our imagination caps on and put our minds to work. We pretended that we all went to China and were writing a story about our visit there. We used our imagination, in addition to Flickr pictures and the internet, to create our short stories. Here are some pictures we looked at:
Our first step was to look for pictures of China and feed off of what we saw. Then, we headed over to the tourist websites of China and looked for some interesting tourist attractions that we may have gone to if we had actually visited China. Afterwards, we compiled all of our findings into our very own short stories which we then illustrated cover pages for. Finally, we read our favorite parts of our stories to each other in class. I have collected the stories and will be binding them to add to our class library.
We has such a wonderful day filled with a little imagination and a lot of fun!
Miss M
PS - Don't forget to bring in special pictures of you and your family or pictures of your favorite things for next class.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Running through Ancient Olympia!
Hi Parents,
Recently the third graders traveled to Olympia in Greece to learn about the Ancient Olympic Games. Before learning about the games we looked at pictures, like the one below, that have been posted online (to Flickr).
After looking at the pictures, the students learned about the chariot races, horse riding, pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling), boxing, and the pentathlon (which includes discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling). They were all quizzed on the information after spending time discussing it with their peers.
Finally, the students and I had a discussion about the similarities and differences between the Ancient Olympic Games and the Modern Olympic Games. If you are interested in reading what your student found interesting, please visit their individual blogs. They have posted a short post about some of the similarities and differences between then and now.
Hope you enjoy reading about the Ancient Olympic Games! I know the students enjoyed learning about them! I will be in touch soon!
Miss S.
Recently the third graders traveled to Olympia in Greece to learn about the Ancient Olympic Games. Before learning about the games we looked at pictures, like the one below, that have been posted online (to Flickr).
After looking at the pictures, the students learned about the chariot races, horse riding, pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling), boxing, and the pentathlon (which includes discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling). They were all quizzed on the information after spending time discussing it with their peers.
Finally, the students and I had a discussion about the similarities and differences between the Ancient Olympic Games and the Modern Olympic Games. If you are interested in reading what your student found interesting, please visit their individual blogs. They have posted a short post about some of the similarities and differences between then and now.
Hope you enjoy reading about the Ancient Olympic Games! I know the students enjoyed learning about them! I will be in touch soon!
Miss S.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Exploring China
We had such a great time exploring the wonderful content of Asia, focusing closely on China, specifically the cities of Shanghai and Beijing.
Our class had the opportunity to use Google Earth to virtually take a tour of Shanghai and Beijing. We then split into groups of five and focused on the cities more intensely by researching them online. We used http://www.cia.gov/, http://www.stats-sh.gov.cn/english/shgl/index.htm, and http://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/beijing-facts.htm for our research. After we completed the worksheets the students had a chance to share their findings with the class. Afterwards we looked at some real Chinese artifacts brought back from China.
We had an awesome time learning about the geography of China and can't wait to learn more about World Countries the rest of the week!!
Miss M
Our class had the opportunity to use Google Earth to virtually take a tour of Shanghai and Beijing. We then split into groups of five and focused on the cities more intensely by researching them online. We used http://www.cia.gov/, http://www.stats-sh.gov.cn/english/shgl/index.htm, and http://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/beijing-facts.htm for our research. After we completed the worksheets the students had a chance to share their findings with the class. Afterwards we looked at some real Chinese artifacts brought back from China.
We had an awesome time learning about the geography of China and can't wait to learn more about World Countries the rest of the week!!
Miss M
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Look Out World... Here Comes 3rd Grade!!
Join 3rd Grade as we travel the world!
Throughout the week, we will be taking a journey around the world. Our major stops on our world map include:
- Greece
- China
- Egypt
- Australia
- Brazil
During our stay in Greece, we will be focusing on the Ancient Olympic Games, as well as an ancient myth. We will compare and contrast the modern and ancient Olympic Games while learning about all the different events. Then, after we read the myth, we will create a script as a class and videotape a dramatic production of it in small groups, which will be posted on the blog for you to see!
During our stay in China, we will be focusing on three cities: Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Students will have a chance to use Google Docs to create profiles for each of these cities including demographics such as population and location. They will have the opportunity to view real artifacts brought back from China by my family including currency and calligraphy.
During our stay in Egypt, we will be focusing on the pyramids. Students will have a chance to learn the history of the pyramids and then create their own pyramid out of everyday materials. After creating a pyramid, students will write autobiographies that they can put in their pyramid. Their pyramids will be buildings dedicated to their lives.
During our stay in Australia, we will be focusing on animals. Students will learn the basics about Australian animals and then continue on to research an Australian animal of their choice. Then they will write about it on a class wiki (similar to Wikipedia). It will be like creating our own encyclopedia on the topic. Students will then be able to draw a picture of the animal that they will save to the classroom blog. After reading all of their classmates wiki posts, each student will be able to write about their favorite animal and why that animal is their favorite on the class blog.
During our stay in Brazil, we will be focusing on the geography of the country as well as the rainforest. Students will have an opportunity to label a class map, as well as their own map. Students will also get a chance to listen to Samba music while making a traditional Brazilian food dish. In addition, we will be studying famous Brazilian literature.
Check back in throughout the week to learn about our travels!
We can't wait for the trip to begin!
Miss S & Miss M
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