Third Grade Videos
I hope you enjoy these videos from our school year.
2019 - 2020
*FYI - THIS WEB PAGE IS BEST VIEWED FROM A LAPTOP OR DESKTOP - WHEN VIEWING FROM A MOBILE DEVICE SOME IMAGES MAY APPEAR TO BE CUT OFF.
Some formats that I use to create these videos give me control over the music volume when students are talking and some do not. I apologize if some students are harder to hear.
Electric Houses
Over the course of several weeks and with the help of Mrs. Walker, the girls have been working in groups to design their own houses on a tri-fold board. They included items that need to be electric and they are wiring them to actually work. There are lights, buzzers, and motors. The girls needed to use at least one parallel circuit and at least one series circuit. They created chandeliers that light up, toaster ovens that buzz, toilets that sound like they flush, and much more!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Bilingual Book about the Planets:
SCIENCE, SPANISH, ART, & LIBRARY
The girls worked in groups in Science and Library to research the planets in our solar system. Each group wrote a poem about their planet using the facts they learned. They then translated their poem into Spanish in Spanish class and created to scale versions of each planet in art class. Photos with their art work are included in this e-book. This amazing e-book was put together with audio links in Spanish class. The girls worked hard on this multi-divisional project!
We are all so proud of them!
Sra. Ponte (Spanish), Ms. Siembora (Art), Mrs. Josef (Library), and Ms. Haines (Science).
Wiring a Sticky Note Circuit Board
Students turned an ordinary sticky note into a circuit board using tin foil as a conductor. On the front of the sticky note all you can see is the holes with the tin foil showing through. The back shows the lines that connect the holes. Electricity is conducted through the tin foil so only the holes on either side of the tin foil strip will complete a circuit. The girls used a cell battery and buzzers to test their circuit boards. All the buzzing made the room sound like a traffic jam with impatient drivers.... ha ha. They worked hard, had fun, and learned a lot about circuit boards.
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Creating a Paper Circuit in a Light-Up Card for a Friend
The girls learned how to make a paper circuit with a battery, copper tape, and an LED lightbulb. They used their knowledge to create a card for a friend that lights up. (Watch out Hallmark!) Each student gave a card and each student received a card. The students presented their cards to their friends who were thrilled to receive these personal notes of kindness.
The second video is a card that Ms. Tobia's class made for her 30th birthday. She LOVED it!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Anna's Card.m4vLighting a Lightbulb
We are learning about electric circuits. The girls learned about how circuits work, how batteries work, and how lightbulbs work and were then given the challenge to use ONLY 1 battery, 1 wire, and 1 lightbulb to create an electrical circuit that will light the lightbulb. I did not give them directions, just the information that they need to figure it out on their own. Like Thomas Edison, it took the girls many tries, but they were persistent and resilient! I love their expressions when the lightbulb turns on for the first time and how they cheered for their friends when they got it to work too. Wonderful work!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Learning about Space X
Today we had a Google Hang-Out session with Paige Hayne's cousin, Alli DiNatale who works at Space X. Here is our video thank you note we sent to her.
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Solar Ovens
The girls learned about solar heat through this project based learning experience. After learning about the purpose for solar energy and how it works, the girls were given materials to build solar ovens in groups but they were NOT given directions. They needed to work together to create their own design. They tested their ovens by melting a Hershey's Kiss, they took the temperature of their oven every 5 minutes, and watched the temperature rise and soar well above the temperature outside. They brainstormed ways to improve their solar oven and took on the challenge to increase the temperature in their oven next time. They made adjustments and then "cooked" S'mores in their new and improved ovens. Unfortunately, it was a slightly overcast day and the sun was not as strong as we would have liked BUT from this, the girls learned about the limitations of solar energy and the importance of the sun and weather. I am so proud of the enthusiasm, hard work, learning, and "energy" the girls put into this project. GREAT WORK! The first video in this section is from the entire project over several weeks. The second video is the girls' reflections.
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Relative Distance of the Planets
We took a quick trip outside to talk about perspective and relative distance. We showed how RELATIVELY close some planets are and how far apart are some of the other planets. We learned about how the distance from the sun would effect the temperature and other facts. More to come!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Moon Explorations
Students experimented this week at different stations in our classroom to learn about phases of the moon, moon craters, solar and lunar eclipses, and the relationship between the sun, the earth and the moon. On a separate day we did an experiment that simulated how moon craters are made. The girls did their own filming and I used most of their clips for this video.
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Exploring Space Virtually
As a launch to our planet and constellation lessons in the space unit, the 3rd graders virtually explored space today using the SkyView app. We searched for planets, constellations, and other space objects such as satellites, the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station, space junk and more! I loved when one student found a constellation with a unicorn and with excitement many of the other students came to find the same constellation. We will also use this app at the end of this portion of our unit. You can see the excitement on their faces! Now they are excited to learn more!!!! This is a free app that you are welcome to download at home as well. You may enjoy it for yourself! :)
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Phases of the Moon
After learning about the phases of the moon, the girls used Oreo cookies to represent the different phases the moon goes through in a cycle of about 28 days. It begins as a new moon, and then gets bigger into a waxing crescent, then a first quarter moon, then a waxing gibbous, and then a full moon. At this point it begins to decrease into a waning gibbous, then a last quarter moon, a waning crescent, and then into a new moon to start the cycle again. Added bonus - the girls got to eat an Oreo at the end. :)
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Science & Art SHADOWS
The girls practiced resiliency today. We had three times planned to check our shadows today and see how they move throughout the day. While is was a beautiful day and we had many bursts of sun... the sun did not cooperate with our schedule most of the time. We began at 8:30 and waited as the blanket of clouds moved across the sky for a short opening of sun. We traced our early morning shadows and saw that they are longer than our actual bodies. We came out at 11:30 to see what our shadows look like close to noon... Will they be longer, shorter, or the same? Will they move or be in the same spot? But unfortunately there was no sun at all. We came out again at 3:00 and still no sun. :( Luckily we all had fun and still learned something new.
UPDATE: Please also check out the 2nd video. We were hoping that "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow..." and it did!!!!!!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Exploring Shadows
Question: Can shadows move? Students experimented with a light source (a flashlight) to find out how shadows can move. They also experimented with changing the direction and length of the shadows. On a separate day the girls explored how the sun shines from different points in the sky throughout the day and what effect that has on shadows. Then they learned about how sundials work and they got a chance to see the AIS Sundial. The girls became human gnomons. (The stick part of the sundial.) Unfortunately it was not a sunny day so we did not see our shadows but that does demonstrate an imperfection in using a sundial to tell time.
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.
Color Experiments
Today the girls worked on using scientific observation skills as they completed color experiments. They practiced looking closely, examining carefully for details, asking questions, and using their 5 senses (not taste today). Bonus: Hear what the 3rd graders think about science!
*If you click this video and it doesn't work, try clicking the YouTube button on the bottom right of the video.