Falmouth Historical Society

Well, the Wax Museum is over so what better way to celebrate than walking down to our local historical society for the morning?

It was perfect timing since many of the people in Falmouth’s history were actually portrayed in our Living Wax Museum the night before. Paul Revere and Katharine Lee Bates were of special interest on our trip!

Students enjoyed seeing inside of Dr. Wick’s house and learning about colonial times. What were the most shocking differences you learned about between the late 1700s and today?

Check out other exhibits at the Falmouth Historical Society: http://falmouthhistoricalsociety.org/

Living Wax Museum

Our Living Wax Museum was a HUGE success! Students combined ELA, Social Studies, and oral presentation skills to create a final project. After researching different biographies and collecting facts from different sources, students actually transformed into a famous MA person of his/her choice!

We were so proud of how much hard work each child put into his/her project. We know that in most cases the whole family got involved to help make props, costumes, listen to speeches, and visit our Wax Museum.

Take a look at the finished product!

Wax Museum Research

Researching for our Living Wax Museum project has been a HUGE task but third graders have risen to the occasion. We are studying biographies, MA history, research writing, speech writing, and oral presentation skills! Take a sneak peek into our classroom where researchers are hard at work!

Helping Hands Day

Helping Hands Day was a HUGE success! Half of our class visited Coonamessett Farm to help with weeding a raised garden bed and cleaning garden tools. We also got a private tour of the farm. It was fun to compare the animals we saw last fall to what they look like 7 months later.

The other half of Team 203 visited Sandpiper Nursery School to help work with young students. Everyone had a great time and learned what it means to be a good citizen.

May Madness

What a month it’s been! We’ve had some incredible visitors and trips during the last few weeks. You can definitely tell spring has sprung in Team 203! Students have been busy researching for our Living Wax Museum, traveling to the Cape Cod Canal, and taking care of our newest visitors . . .  3 anoles!

Check out some picture from this month’s adventures!

Learning about food chains and webs can be fun when you can interact with living creatures. We are playing host to about twenty crickets, three anoles, and some soon to come earthworms. These creatures will live in . . .  harmony, so to speak, as we study the workings of a food chain in our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The FHS Ecology Club paid a visit to third grade and taught us about endangered primates. Students learned about different types of chimps and the habitats they live in. Then, we got to make our chimp pencils to take home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, Team 203 traveled to Sandwich, MA to visit the Cape Cod Canal Visitor’s Center. There we learned about tides, marine traffic control, and the construction of the canal. What fun facts do you remember from Tugs to the Rescue, our jeopardy game on the lawn?

Once our work was done with the jeopardy game, we got to hit the beach and see some real food chains in action! Check out the crabs we found hanging out at the mouth of the canal!

We could not have ordered better weather if we had the chance. It felt like summer and students had an awesome trip!

Mother’s Day Poetry Celebration- Poetry and song filled our room as we welcomed mothers to our classroom earlier this month. Each student prepared one or more poems to recite front of a special audience. We also prepared two musical dance numbers. I was impressed with the effort that each child made in making it a special celebration for moms and teachers! Great job, Team 203!

Walk to School Day and C.A.S.T.

On a gorgeous Wednesday morning we got the pleasure of walking from Surf Drive Beach to Mullen Hall to start our day. In honor of National Walk to School Day students who normally take buses to school or get dropped off in a car changed routines and walked to school. This day helps promote exercise and decreasing the amount of pollution we create by motorized vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we arrived at school we were greeted by our fabulous eighth grade science student teachers. We made our own circuit boards and learned a lot on our final lesson with C.A.S.T. students from Lawrence.

Living Wax Museum

Students spent a month researching a famous historical figure with ties to Massachusetts. We used the IIM approach to research in class. Students learned how to cite sources, categorize facts, and formulate research questions. After that, the real work began. At home, children used their knowledge of this historical figure to create a costume, speech, artifacts, and an activation button in order to transform into a figure in our Third Grade Living Wax Museum. I was impressed, as I am every year by the creativity, ingenuity, enthusiasm, and general knowledge of all of my students. Check out the pictures from this magical night.

Jane Goodall

Rachel Carson

Robert Rines

Samuel Adams

Ameila Earhart

Massasoit

Dr. Seuss

Clara Barton

Yo Yo Ma

John F. Kennedy

Thomas Edison

John Hancock

Bette Davis

Amy Lowell

King Phillip

Paul Revere

Betsy Ross

Alexander G. Bell

Benjamin Franklin

James Naismith

Hellen Keller

Science Adventures

Student volunteers from Lawrence Junior High School visited our classroom during three separate visits to teach third graders about energy. We tested insulators and conductors and also made our own circuit boards. The third graders loved learning from students closer to their age. CAST is a program that’s been going on for many years and stands for Cross Aged Student Teaching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of our Food Chains and Food Webs unit we got to explore by dissecting owl pellets. Some students were eager to find animal remains and put together all of those little pieces. Others helped to locate bones and identify animals. We all learned about dissection and how the owl fits into our complicated web of life.

May Newsletter

Here is the link to the document in word: May 2011

 

May 2011 May Minutes TEAM 203 From the third grade classroom of Miss Paltz
Highlights Juneis fast approaching and the students have been working so hard to complete projects and units of study! We have finished our study of food chains and food webs and are now embarking on an energy adventure in science! We have many exciting events to come this year so please keep your eyes peeled for important notices and announcements in your child’s homework folder!
MCAS NOTICE We have our Math MCAS test coming up next week, May 10th and 11th.  Students feel a lot more comfortable about the MCAS testing since they have already done a great job during last month’s exams. In class we have reviewed many of the vocabulary words and procedures for completing math problems. Students know that there will be three types of math questions on the upcoming Math MCAS: multiple choice, short answer, and open response questions. Many of the same strategies we practiced last month have been reviewed for the upcoming tests. Each student knows that the test is important, but it should not be something they worry about. I have told them that their preparation began long before third grade and they will be ready when the time comes. With a positive attitude, and best effort, each child will make us proud. At home, you can help your child prepare by making sure they have a good night’s sleep the evenings before each session. There won’t be homework on Monday or Tuesday night that week, so students are able to relax. Students will not be allowed to snack during the test, so I would like them to eat a hearty breakfast on each of these mornings. That’s it! We’re all ready!! Thanks for your support! English Language Arts/ Social Studies We truly enjoyed sharing our poetry books with you during our Mother’s Day celebration. We are also starting our study of fiction writing through mentor texts. Students will discover what makes a great lead and opening and also how characters play such a crucial role in fiction stories. As you know we have begun our research for our biography study. Each student has chosen a famous American or person from Massachusettsto research and “become” in our upcoming Wax Museum. Your student should be reading about this person at home and working on his/ her speech to present in June. This should be a great night to see our 3rd graders make history come alive!
M Tu W Th Fr 9 10 Math MCAS 11 Math MCAS 12 FHS Ecology Club visits 13 Last CAST visit 16 Canal Preview Visit 17 18 19 20 23 Gr. 3 Music Show 2:30 & 7 24 25 Gr. 4 Band Concert 26 27 30 Memorial Day No school 31 Spring Book Fair 1 2 3 Aptucxet Trading Post Drivers needed!	More news
	It is important that your child has reading material both at home and at school for the wax museum project. They will be creating a speech at home to use on the night of the performance (June 8th). If you are having trouble finding appropriate reading material, please let me know so that we can arrange a library visit! Please practice multiplication facts with your student daily! It is important that students memorize these facts to ease the transition to 4th grade math. A few dates to remember:  5/10& 5/11 Math MCAS 5/23 Gr. 3 Music Show 2:30 & 7 6/3 Drivers needed for Aptucxet! 6/8 Grade 3 Wax Museum 6/15 Field Day 6/16 Canal

May Star of the Week

Our last star returned for his week in the spotlight. We got to see how he spent his winter and all of his great accomplishments!  This star of course loves to ski but we also learned that this hobby is not just a one season commitment.   He shows his determination and dedication by practicing his skills on the trampoline in the summer. We are glad to have our 21st student back in action and we’re ready to celebrate the end of the year with our WHOLE class!