Mrs. Thorp’s Third Grade Blog

One of the concepts that I taught in third grade science was the difference between a physical change and a chemical change.

• I brought an apple to school. We cut it in quarters. This is a physical change. We let the apple sit out on the counter and saw that it turned brown. This is a chemical change. Of course, we all got to sample apple pieces.
• Making banana bread is another example of a chemical change, but cutting the banana bread into slices is a physical change.
• Freezing lemonade in small paper cups is an example of a physical change. Watching it melt is also a physical change.

When we studied the definition of a mixture (A composition of two or more substances that are not chemically combined with each other and are capable of being separated), we made a trail mix of raisins, cereal, M and M’s. Before we ate it we separated the ingredients, put them back together, separated them and finally put them back together. Repeatedly mixing and separating the ingredients, helped them remember the definition of a mixture.

During our unit on simple machines, a mom of one of my third graders brought in her apple peeler, corer and slicer. Each child had a chance to turn the crank and see all the different simple machines( wheel and axle, wedge, screw) at work.

Once again we enjoyed eating the apples when we were finished.

Let me know if you have any other ideas of using food to teach science concepts.

When I taught third grade, our focus was on learning about the regions of the United States. Learning about what crops were grown in that region was always a key idea for them.

Here are some of the food ideas and the region of the United States with which it is related:

Northeast Region: Wild Blueberry muffins from Maine, Hershey Chocolate from Hershey,PA

Southeast Region: Key lime pie from Florida, peanuts from Georgia, gumbo from New Orleans

Midwest Region: Pemmican (Plains Indians), cheese from Wisconsin, corn products from Iowa

Southwest Region: Any kind of Mexican food from tacos to burritos

West Region: California fruit (oranges, grapes, raisins) pineapples from Hawaii

If you are a teacher, you might want to ask parents to volunteer to bring some of these foods into the classroom and then help serve it.

There are more food ideas. If you have any ideas, feel free to make a comment.

I found that food and kids and learning was a combination that worked well in many subject areas. My third graders seemed were always hungry and if I brought some food to school that related to what we were studying, the lesson not only went well but they remembered the lesson much better.

In the next few posts I will give some examples of times I used food to teach in a variety of subjects.

Needs some ideas about teaching your child about the upcoming presidential election?  Check out this website from A-Z Reading.

You will find short biographies on each of the candidates, map of the U.S.A. to help count the electoral votes, a poster of the all the past presidents and much more.

This site is a great way to make this election a teachable moment for your children.

Let me know how it works for you.

This poster was produced by The Education Center Inc. in the magazine called The Mailbox, Primary Edition in October/November 2003. I highly recommend this magazine to anyone who teaches.

I found the bulleted points listed on the poster to be an excellent way to help readers with comprehension.  I had this poster on my classroom wall and referred to it daily.

I am going to elaborate on the bulleted points.

• Making predictions before and during reading is crucial for the reader.  It gets the child’s brain thinking and as your child reads, he can check to see if his predictions are correct.
• Ask questions before and during reading is also very important and gives the reader a reason to keep reading: finding the answer to the questions.
• Looking at the pictures if it a picture book is an excellent way to help with comprehension.  Remember a picture is worth a thousand words. Right?
• Making connections to one’s own life as a child reads help the child become more engaged in his reading. We all remember what we read much better if we can identify with some part of the story, whether it be a character or the setting or a certain problem in the story.
• Stopping to recap the story gives the reader a chance to see if he is remembering what he is reading and sort out the important main ideas from the details.
• Rereading the confusing parts is always good advice no matter what grade you are in.
• Making pictures in your mind as you read is like seeing a movie in your head as you read a book. When we see the movie running in our heads while we read, we  are more apt to remember what we read.

I came across an interesting way that parents or teachers may want to use to help their students learn about the presidential election and the two candidates:  paper  dolls.

I loved playing with paper dolls when I was little and now you can buy paper dolls of  Barack Obama and John Mc Cain at Dover Publications. Along with the paper dolls you get a short biography of each and an electoral college table to use on November 4 to keep track of votes.

I would like to hear what you think.

Soon parents and teachers will be meeting to discuss the progress of students.  How can you prepare?  What should you expect from the teacher?  What should the teacher expect from you?

Here are some thoughts:

• Before the conference make a list of concerns or questions. If you write them down, you won’t forget when you get there.  Teachers do not mind if you come in with a list of questions.
• If you have a complaint with the teacher, make sure  you say some nice things too.  Teachers are real people who need to hear positive things not just the negative.
• Come in with a smile on your face.  It will start the conference out on the right note.
• Be on time and if you cannot make it be sure to call and let the teacher know.
• Expect the teacher to give you some exact ways you can help your child at home.  If the teacher does not, do ask.
• Expect the teacher to listen to your concerns and be positive about your child.
• Leave on a positive note and if you still have questions schedule another conference.

If you have any other ideas, please feel free to comment.