Dear Third Grade Families,
This week, the third grade explored sun clocks, used to tell the time in ancient Egypt. Sun clocks cast a shadow that moves across an attached scale with the sun's movement across the sky. The students also explored water clocks used by the Egyptians during the night. It was fun for the students to experiment with self-made water clocks, and they discussed what it would take to make them all run for the same amount of time. When the sun was low on Friday morning, the students traced their long shadows with chalk on the parking lot. After 20 Minutes, the students were surprised to see that their shadows had already changed. Around lunchtime, their shadows had shifted further and become significantly shorter. The exploration of alternative ways to keep track of time came with a story of an ancient Egyptian boy who tended to camels in an oasis. All week long, the students practiced mental math using all four processes. While presenting their solutions to the class, the students also discussed their different approaches to solve an equation.
In the garden with Ki Rachel, the class found out they can complete their garden chores in a shorter time by working as a team. During free time, the students were busy building a fort and a shelter with materials they found in the forest. The buildings have become quite strong, with windows, thick walls, and sturdy roofs. The students were also excited about the different animal bones they found on the campus. One of them turned out to be a piece of a snapping turtle skeleton.
The week ended with a big splash in the creek on Friday afternoon. It was a wonderfully warm and sunny early fall day, reminiscent of the summer!
3rd Grade Weekly Special Schedule:
Monday: Farm Building, Mandarin, Movement
Tuesday: Farm Building, Spanish, Handwork
Wednesday: Farm Building, Spanish, Movement
Thursday: Farm Building, Spanish, Music, Handwork
Friday: Farm Building, Mandarin, Creekcess (weather permitting)
Reminders:
This week is conference week. If you have not done so yet, please sign up for a conference on Thursday or Friday here.
We will have Early Release at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Please drop off your donations for our class scarecrow at the picnic tables from Monday through Thursday. Our theme is a Whimsical Witch. You can sign up for donations here.
Best,
Gaby Farrokhi
