Static Electricity Experiments

Balloons, aluminum cans, records, crispy rice, thread, water...what do all these items have in common?  We used them to create static electricity!  Ask your child about our mini science experiments over the past few days, and check the pictures below to see some of the science excitement in third grade :)

Olympics

The 2012 summer Olympics have opened and closed, but somewhere in the middle we dug in to find some facts!  Students were paired to research a past or present Olympic athlete and create a biography card.  The pairs also created a graphic organizer and 3D flag after they researched a country that competed in the Olympics! 

Mr. Williams and myself were super proud of the students in their first attempt to research the Internet for information.  By the end of the year, your children will be teaching us how to research and create products :) 

Some of our work!

  

Salad and Sundaes

Have you ever heard me say I work at the BEST place on Earth?!?!?  If you haven't heard me before, let me remind you why Cravens Rocks!

In an effort to raise money for March of Dimes, I decided to have Salads and Sundaes for donations at Cravens.  So on Thursday, my mom and I prepared all the fixings for a salad bar as good as Briarpatch :)  We decorated the teachers' lounge...the best a teachers' lounge can be decorated :) 

On Friday, they came...just like the field of dreams!!!  Of course, I knew they would come because we are known for eating at Cravens :)  But they also donated...all in support of March of Dimes to honor Jay and Eva!  Salads and Sundaes raised $450 for Team 4Ever Friends!!!  Yep...you read that right...$450!!!

I could NOT ask for better friends and co-workers!  It is amazing how we come together to support each other in good times and bad!  I am turly blessed to work with such wonderful people!  Thank each of you for your donation and support!!!

Mrs. Travis hung out for an extended lunch! 

Sorry Gale...I just had to ;) 

Even these big guys got filled up! 

Some of the 4th grade ladies! 

The Little Mermaid

In preparation for our attendance at the Owensboro Dance Theater's production of The Little Mermaid, the students were challenged to enter a writing contest.  Their directions were to introduce a new character, a four armed starfish, to the story, describe how the starfish lost its arm, and tell how the starfish and Ariel became friends!

These kiddos took the challenge and ran with it!  Almost every third grader brainstormed, wrote, edited, revised, and published a story in hopes of winning first, second, third, or honorable mention! 

A few days before the performance, we learned that TREY HINTON won second place and BLAKE STRACENER won third place in the contest!  The boys were introduced before the performance.  Each boy was awarded a certificate, tshirt, AND a cash prize!

Check out our fabulous authors...

  

Simple Machines

In preparation for our March Leprechaun Trap MIND Time activity, the students have been creating simple machines...pulleys, levers, gears...oh me!  oh my! 

Please look for trinkets and trivets to send to school with your student to create traps this coming week...the shinier the better!!!  Items will be returned after St. Patrick's Day :)

Their MINDs are E   X   P   A   N   D   I   N   G   !   !   !   

Oobleck

  

  

Mr. Jansen read Dr. Seuss's Bartholomew and the Oobleck to the students during Read Across America Week.  Then the students discussed states of matter including solids and liquids.  They worked together to create oobleck which is a solid AND a liquid :)