Fraction Animals

Today the students were able to be creative and create different animals using fractions.  They really enjoyed designing and creating the animals.  They did a great job describing their animals using the common core vocabulary and fractions.  Next step, equivalent fractions!  Get the worksheet (here), it is on sale now at my TpT store.

Founding Fathers

In continuing with our History unit we have been researching the founding fathers.  My students have been eating up all of the information being thrown at them.  Teaching at a science based school makes history that much more interesting when the students get it.
The students researched 7 founding fathers, independently and in small groups using a variety of media.  They wrote down and organized their research on graphic organizer then placed into their lapbooks.  They really had so much fun.  I have really enjoyed make the first lapbook in my classroom and cannot wait to make more.

My students are currently working learning about the founding of the USA.  I have created this little packet for my students to understand the Declaration of Independence.  It includes a blank map of the 13 colonies, a readers theater of the Second Continental Congress, a timeline and a kid-friendly version of the Declaration of Independence.  You can find my packet here.  Look back for classroom action shots.

US Symbols Chalk Drawings

I can say that I really enjoy teaching 3rd grade.  I have done it for 7 years now.  I can say that I love my school and the freedom it allows me, as a teacher.  My school uses the EIC framework for instruction, which really sparks my creativity and passion for teaching. 
Currently, my students are studying US History and government.  This is a large unit my teaching partner and I created last year and lets the students experience everything from the US Symbols to local government and agencies created to protect the environment. 
We have experienced an amazingly warm winter, so as we were studying the symbols students were able to do some outdoor jigsawing.  A group of 2 or 3 students were given a symbol and a fact sheet. They were then set free with the fact sheet and chalk to draw their symbol and learn as much as they could about the symbol.  Students then were able to take a gallery walk around to each symbol and view it and hear the facts the group learned. 
My students loved this, and created amazing representations of their symbols.

                                                               The Statue of Liberty

The Capital Building

                                                          The Washington Monument