Term 1 Blog posts
Class Learning Updates
Please see this page for updates on the latest learning that has been happening in our Year 3 classrooms!
WeekS 9-10
Literacy
In weeks 9 and 10 we have continued working on our persuasive text. We have been focusing on our persuasive devices (modal verbs). We have looked at a range of different texts and The Great Kapok Tree has been the text we have been focusing on. Through our reading, we have identified the persuasive text features in The Great Kapok Tree. This has supported us in writing our persuasive texts. This week we have chosen a topic (Our Opinion) and started brainstorming ideas and persuasive devices such as emotive language, inclusive language, hyperbole, facts/expert opinion, rhetorical questions, and repetition that we would like to add in our writing to hook the reader. You MUST look down below to see our amazing work!
Mathematics
Last two weeks, in Maths we have looked at odd and even, number patterns (Number Functioning Machine), and measurements.
For odd and even, we have talked about looking at the ones place value to find out if the number is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) or even (0, 2, 4, 6,8).
For number patterns, we looked at the functioning machine and its components. We discussed how to find the rule in the middle if we had the input and output numbers. As well as how to find the output number if we have the rule.
For measurements, we have been having fun estimating the length of parts of our body e.g., Arm span, the width of a finger, hand span, and height, and then actually measuring the parts to find out the actual length
WeekS 7-8
Literacy
These past two weeks we have continued our focus on persuasive texts. Our Year 3 classes have enjoyed reading Ike's persuasive letters to Mrs LaRue in the book "Dear Mrs LaRue - Letters from obedience school". His letters contained more rhetorical questions than we could ever read (hyperbole!) We learned about the conjunctions 'because', 'but' and 'so' and wrote about our personal strengths using these conjunctions to support our statements. We watched some persuasive videos (Kid President) and noticed the effect emotive and inclusive language and repetition has on the audience. Don't you think that is fantastic!
Using our oral language skills asking one another rhetorical questions.
Mathematics
Place Value continued to be a focus learning to read, write, order and represent four digit numbers (thousands, hundreds, tens and one) understanding that the value of a digit depends on its place in the number. Students used Number Expanders, Base Ten blocks and Place Value Charts to assist with this learning
The collection, representation and interpretation of data was also continued in these two weeks. The students were really engaged in the lesson where they had to create the best question to use surveying their class mates on what food or drink they should sell in their very own Healthy Snack Food shop. Collecting and recording the data was a lot of fun. They had the chance to do that again, including interpreting the data when we looked at traffic outside ACPS. Varied types of graphs, (pie graph, bar graph, pictorial graph, tables) were used to represent the collected data.
ATHLETICS DAY
And then there was Athletics Day!
Wow! Were the students excited? Some parents who came to watch shared stories that their children were too excited to sleep the night before.
Friday of Week 8 was the annual Years 3 - 6 Athletics Day at Sprint Athletics Track in Craigieburn. Despite the morning light drizzle, the day was a huge success. Representing their Houses, students engaged in physical exercise, trying new activities, team play, supporting and celebrating each other and generally having fun! They participated in activities such as Sprints, Discus, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Hurdles, Walking/Running, Soccer, Egg & Spoon Relay, Tunnel Ball and Scarecrow Tiggy.
And then we all had to walk back to school. I'm sure everyone will sleep well tonight!
Enjoy some photos!
3E supporting each other's achievements in Long Jump. Great Team Work!
Having fun at lunch time.
Cooling down with the water spray back in the classroom
WeekS 5-6
Welcome to Week 5 and 6 in Year 3! The last two weeks have been full of fun, laughter and learning!
This fortnight we have looked at hyperboles in Literacy through reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The students learnt what a hyperbole is and had a go at including it into their own diary entry. The diary entry we created was based on an event that we have been a part of, this made it even easier to write with exaggeration!
Then we moved onto persuasive texts. This week the students have read 'The Day the Crayons Quit' and are able to recognise their own opinions on a topic. The students identified which crayon they agreed with most and orally discuss their thoughts with each other. We then explored the importance of supporting our opinion with a reason and used the mentor text to label the different crayons opinions and their reasons to support this. The students played a Kahoot to identify which statements were a fact and which were an opinion! This sparked up some informal debates around the answers and required us to explain our thinking to each other.
Finally, we also started our Book, Head, Heart lessons where we use a mentor text to develop our thinking, reasoning and communication skills through discussions about what we read, what we think and what we feel.
Now let's talk about Numeracy!
In maths we have continued to learn through games! We have played so many maths games like; Master Mind, Battleships, Place Value Wars, Nice or Nasty and Totality . The students continue to develop their understanding of Place Value and Data Representation through problem solving activities and team building games. We continue to use our growth mindsets during numeracy lessons especially when we enter the learning pit and showing teamwork and achievement by supporting each other through our learning challenges.
WeekS 1-4
Welcome to our first Year 3 blog for 2022!
The year has begun with each class 'Building a Culture of Community and Respect'. This is a whole school approach which helps the class communities to establish positive and consistent expectations for learning areas across our school whilst providing opportunities for students to be engaged and active citizens.
The students were able to examine our School Wide Positive Behaviour structure and work collaboratively to identify what the school values of 'Respect, Responsibility, Teamwork and Achievement' look, sound and feel like at an individual, class and school level.
The students were able to use their weekly and daily Community Meetings to establish a positive classroom climate and foster a sense of connection and belonging. They were able to advocate a class community goal, identify a celebration for when they achieve their goal and reflect on their progress.
As they demonstrated the school values from our School Wide Positive Behaviour structure, students were acknowledged through our 'Gotchya' token system and earned points for their house.
The students have been building their confidence in expressing their emotions through 'The Zones of Regulation' and have been developing their understanding that as learners, they learn best in the 'Green Zone' as they are calm, focussed and ready for learning.
They have been able to identify strategies to help them return to the 'Green Zone', such as; taking a deep breath, counting to ten, having a sip of water or moving away to a quiet place in the classroom.
Alongside our 'Building a Culture of Community and Respect', students also engaged with a new unit; 'Building a Community of Readers, Writers and Mathematicians'. Through this, they were able to distinguish the norms, expectations and routines of both a Literacy Workshop and a Numeracy Workshop. Students were able to discuss their understanding of themselves as readers, writers and mathematicians along with learning about their peers and others around them. They continued to build their skills of communication, collaboration and self-management whilst working in groups.
