Here are a selection of quick third grade teacher recaps from Lower School Head Kimberly Kaz’s newsletters this year to give a peek into the third grade classrooms in action.
From Mr. Morris’s Classroom
Third graders met in book clubs during their Stories of Activism unit to learn about the lives of activists such as Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, Harriett Beecher Stowe, and Jackie Robinson. Students have also been preparing for their Persuasive Speech Learning Celebration by revising, editing, and practicing their speeches on topics including We Need a Longer Lunch, We Need More Reading Time in Class, We Need to Stop Climate Change, and Stop Cutting Down the Rainforests!
From Ms. Bell’s Classroom
Overheard during a strategy share about 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication:
“Mr. Rigel, where did the 20 and the 1 come from?”
“Well, you see, I decomposed the 21 into 20 and 1 to make it easier to solve. Then I partitioned the rectangle.”
Third graders enjoy getting to “be the teacher” during math lessons. Giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their strategy and explain their thinking builds confidence, resilience, and courage, as well as logical reasoning and mathematical communication skills.
From Zhou Laoshi’s Music Studio
Second and third grade musicians have embarked on their creative journey, combining all the knowledge we picked up about ukulele, rhythm, and pitch, to write and perform their own songs! This is our “Battle of the Bands.” I am impressed on a daily basis by our musicians’ creativity and dedication.