Touring the United States

We began our tour of the United States last week by completing some fun actvities that I found online.  One of our third grade history goals is to learn about the different regions of the United States.We loaded up on a "train" and went on a quick tour of the Northeast region last Wednesday.  In order to earn their train ticket, students had to label all of the states and capitals in the northeast region, carve a shape out whalebone (Ivory soap), and find a "Plymouth Rock."  Once they had completed these activities, they were given a train ticket and allowed to board.  Zoe was our wonderful conductor.  She did a great job of announcing each stop.   We visited famous landmarks located in the northeast, and we even stopped at a few places to complete some activities.  We made really cute suitcases to keep all of our papers in.  I will post some more pictures when our United States tour hits the next place.

Did you know that in the northeast, sailors used to carve and sell treasures out of whalebone?

Trey and Shaw locating states and capitals.

We toured the Hershey factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  We stopped and set up an assembly line.  We had a contest to see who could wrap the most kisses (chocolate chips) in foil.

These guys won by assembling 62 kisses.

We visited the following landmarks:

• West Quoddy Head Lighthouse- We got to listen to the foghorn and see pictures of the lighthouse.
• Mt. Washington, which is the highest peak in the northeast. (6,288 feet)  We learned about the wild weather they experience.
• We stopped by Plymouth, Massachusetts and even did an online tour of the Mayflower.  We used a map to trace the Pilgrim's journey.
• We stopped by the Boston Common, which is the oldest park in the country.  It is also the starting point of the Freedom Trail.  We also learned about the Boston Tea Party, and we all received a teabag to help us remember what we learned.
• The next stop was the Erie Canal, which was the first transportation system between New york City and the Great Lakes region.
• In Hershey, Pennsylvania, we learned about one of the great wonders of the world- chocolate!  We learned how candy bars are made, and we sampled a couple of fun-size candy bars.
• Independence Hall in Philadelphia is where the Second Continental Congress convened and where the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted.
• In Washington, D.C. we visited the White House.
• In New York, which was our final stop, we visited the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.  We did a litlle math to figure out how long it would take us to climb the stairs to the top.

We had a great visit, and luckily we made it back to SCA in time for dismissal.

Next stop- Southeast...coming soon.

Boxtop Competition/ Spirit Week

WE WON the boxtop competition!!  We strategized every day. We did not have the most boxtops for the week; just a really great, top-secret plan.  What does that mean for students? -one week of Friday dress code!  What does that mean for parents? -one week of not having to iron khakis!
Our class posing with the spirit banner-

Here are a couple of pictures from pajama day and jersey day-

And finally, meet Rockstar- the bull who "donated" for the "Moo-poo" competition. 

Our class pet has arrived

After polling the crowds, we decided on a guinea pig as a classroom pet this year.  The students enjoy taking him out to "graze" at recess, and sneaking in little bits of lettuce from the cafeteria as a treat for him.  We have learned all about the good, the bad, and the stinky when it comes to caring for a pig.  He has adapted well to his new environment and enjoys all the attention he gets.  The students get to alternate weekends taking him home.  We couldn't unanimously agree on a name, but we knew we wanted a Bible name.  It was either Joseph (for his coat of many colors) or Daniel (for his bravery).  We compromised on the name Joseph Daniel (J.D. for short).

Farm Day

Every third grader in Hardin County is invited to the fairgrounds to participate in "Farm Day" each October.  This is a fun event in which students learn about things such as pollution, electricity, wildlife, and farming.  Our class had the opportunity to attend this year.  Here are a few pictures of what we did.

Storming the Bastille

Recently, we have been learning about the French government and the inhumane conditions that the common people in France had to endure. The people of Paris did not like the Bastille, as it represented the power that the king had over them. We decided to use any "recyclable' products that we could find around the school and make replicas of the Bastille. We used everything from coke cartons to fishing worms.
Here is what they came up with..


Team 1-

Team 2-

Classroom Book

We are writing a classroom book in 3rd grade this year.  Sure, the reactions were not so great when I first told the students about this assignment...

However, they quickly warmed up to the idea and began working away.  We are learning about Christ-like character traits in chapel this year at school.  Students have chosen a trait, and they are writing about a person who displays their character trait.  They are doing exceptional, and I can't wait to share the final products with you.