ELA: Pixar Tale
Students are wrapping up the current unit by writing their own fairy tales presented as a Pixar-style pitch! Next, we’ll begin the Create-A-Creature unit. In this project, students will design a realistic (yet fictional) extinct creature that could have lived in a biome of their choice. They will:
Research existing adaptations of animals in that biome
Create a new creature that would thrive in that environment
Write a narrative describing a day in the life of their creature
Math:
Students continue working on Singapore Math, Formative Tasks, Creating Equal Groups Story Problems and Math Rules challenge problems. We are reinforcing the importance of writing equations with variables to represent unknowns and ensuring each equation accurately fits the situation.
Dividing Land - A Fraction Based Grid Project: Students will pick a theme for their land and then divide it into seven differently-sized pieces. They find the fraction that represents each piece’s size and then simply all of the fractions. They try to create two equal halves (or as close as they can get). Finally, they order their pieces from largest to smallest and explain why those pieces would be those sizes
We are excited to see our third graders exploring new ideas, asking questions, and making connections as they begin to apply their learning both in the classroom and beyond.
This quarter, students are diving into rich and challenging learning experiences across ELA and math. In ELA, our focus is on depth and complexity. We are practicing how to think critically by engaging with higher-level depth of knowledge questions. Students are exploring the concept of theme by identifying common threads across related books and discussing how those universal themes connect to their own lives and our school community. We are also digging deeper into character studies, examining motivations, traits, and growth to better understand how authors craft meaningful stories.
In math, students are strengthening their problem-solving skills through the Singapore Math approach, which emphasizes flexible thinking and multiple strategies. We are extending our understanding of multiplicative comparisons with a special research project that allows students to compare humans and animals, making math meaningful and connected to the real world. To wrap up the quarter, students will take part in an enrichment investigation that challenges them to apply their knowledge of area and perimeter in creative ways.
We are so proud of the thoughtful, curious work students are doing as they learn to go deeper, make connections, and apply their understanding both in and beyond the classroom.
🌎 ELA: Biodiversity Campaign & Story
Fifth-grade students are exploring biodiversity—the variety of life on Earth and how all living things are connected. They will learn about the three levels of biodiversity: species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity, and why protecting all three is essential.
For the project, students will create a Biodiversity Campaign with words, drawings, and color to share why biodiversity matters. They will write a one-page short story imagining a world without biodiversity or missing one level, including a beginning, middle, end, and figurative language.
This project combines science, creativity, and writing skills.
📐 Math in Action: Hotel Furnishing Project!
In our upcoming math project, students will put their creativity and number skills to work by furnishing their very own hotels! Students will begin by planning the “big picture” of their hotel—deciding what makes it unique and appealing. They’ll then shop for furniture to fill rooms and suites. Using real-world math skills, students will write and interpret numerical expressions and perform operations with decimals as they calculate costs and determine their hotel’s potential profitability. The project will conclude with a presentation where students “sell” their hotel by explaining their design choices and financial decisions.
This engaging project helps students see how math connects to real-life planning, budgeting, and entrepreneurship.