April 12

A Trip to SkaNaDoht

Last week, our class took a trip to a nearby indigenous site called SkaNaDoht. This is a recreated Haudenosaunee longhouse village and museum that allows students to get immersed in the history of our area and explore what we’ve learned about in class in new ways. Our guide was Alison who was a wealth of knowledge. Thanks to Mr. L and Mrs. P. for joining our class on the trip!

Ska-Nah-Doht is an Oneida word meaning “the village stands again”

As we walked through the forest and learned about the importance of cedar trees and white pine used for medicine and teas, we came across a palisade. This protected the village inside and is made from trees. Once we were inside, we gathered around a fire pit and then entered a longhouse. Can you imagine cooking supper in a clay pot next to a roaring fire? Could you pretend to grind corn into flour using a wooden mortar and pestle?

We explored the lookout and examined artifacts such as axe heads and arrowheads that were used in daily life. We saw hide stretching racks and other neat items inside the indoor museum as well. We got to touch beaver fur and deer hides and discussed how to make leather soft through the tanning process.

All around the village are 10 km of hiking trails, too! There’s plenty to do at this site. If you’d like to visit SkaNaDot, the village is open for visitors and is a great place to explore. Check it out! 

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April 12

Social Studies Projects Part 2: Green Screen

As the last part of our Social Studies projects, we had a little fun embedding ourselves inside our projects using a green screen. Mrs. S uses the app called Do Ink. You can use a green table cloth or fabric and have a lot of fun with the app. We have 1 more photo to add but here’s most of our projects. Enjoy!

Category: Science and Social Studies, Teacher Talk | 1 Comment on Social Studies Projects Part 2: Green Screen
April 4

April Activities

Our Gr.3 students have been very busy with all sorts of activities lately. One of our activities was using various line designs to create textured fur on our bunny rabbits. Students can be seen in the middle of this art task. 

Here, students were asked to go on a scavenger hunt in the Bible. They were asked to find 12 different Bible readings all having to do with Lent and Easter. Wonderful work, Grade 3s!

Students presented their social studies projects to 2 different classes. They needed to design a shoebox diorama of either an indigenous community in Canada or an early settler community. They looked so fantastic!

In math we’ve been learning about money. This is always a fun unit for students. We are counting coins, making change, and going shopping in our own classroom!

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March 29

Busy Bees in Room 117

Our classroom has been a hive of activity the last month.

Allow us to share some of our activities and learning with you!

Robyn Michaud, an Anishinaabe community member, came in to teach us about the importance of beads and how beads are communication and the colours and patterns tell a story.

The earliest First People did not write. They communicated through their beadwork. When settlers came from Europe, they had to make agreements. First Nations People used beadwork to communicate these agreements. These agreements were called treaties. 

Robyn brought buckets of beads and some ribbon for us to tell our own stories. Each colour and pattern was specific to us and showcased special memories and favourite things in our lives.

In math, we used the Bee Bots to explore movement on a grid. We practiced using language such as up, down, left, right, and turning the Bee Bot. For instance, 1/4 turn clockwise or 1/2 turn counterclockwise. We liked playing with the Bee Bots and coding instructions for them to follow.

Learning about perimeter and area led us to some creative work with designing an animal sanctuary on giant grid paper. Students were given a list of the items in the sanctuary that had to be included such as 5 animal enclosures, a picnic area, and a snack shack. We had to be able to state the perimeter and narea for all of the criteria given to us. You can see the students working together to design their projects and then presenting them to the class.

Just before March Break, we built 3D shapes using marshmallows and toothpicks. We reviewed the terms congruent, prisms vs. pyramids, 2D shapes within the 3D shapes, and maybe even invented some of our own shapes along the way!

Making leprechaun traps was something our class wanted to do, so that’s exactly what happened the afternoon before March Break. Were they successful? I’m not sure, but they sure had fun making them!

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January 16

What’s that Sound?

In our science unit, we’ve been learning all about light and sound. 

We’ve been introduced to science words and concepts such as:

  • transparent
  • translucent
  • opaque
  • refraction
  • reflection
  • absorption
  • natural and artificial light sources
  • light pollution
  • How light travels
  • How sound travels
  • frequency and amplitude?

We’ve done several experiments involving flashlights, paper cups, pencil in water, and sugar on a bowl.

What was your favourite experiment?

Students have been given some choices for their final project. Some students have chosen to make a guitar, some others want to make a harmonica. Others have chosen other research projects.

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October 23

Ontario: Yours to Discover

In grade 3, we have been learning about our province, Ontario. We know the different landform regions in Ontario including:

  • The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Lowlands (where we live)
  • Hudson Bay Lowlands
  • Canadian Shield

Recently, we each got to choose one particular landform region to showcase by using plasticine on a paper plate. For instance, in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, you might find polar bears, marshy, wet land, and migratory birds.

We first brainstormed various items could be included on the plate and then off they went. Have a look at our hard work! We presented to the class afterwards.


Here are some fun facts about Ontario:

  • Ontario has more than 250,000 freshwater lakes, which hold about one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. That’s more lakes than most countries have!
  • The official flower of Ontario is the White Trillium
  • At over 1 million square kilometers, Ontario is so large that it could fit France, Spain, and a few other countries inside it and still have room left over.
  • At Niagara Falls, there’s a cool attraction called “Journey Behind the Falls” where you can walk through tunnels and stand right behind the giant waterfall—it’s loud, wet, and super fun!
  • The Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, Ontario is the only place in the world dedicated just to polar bears. You can watch real polar bears swim and play—sometimes even in the snow in the summer!
  • Canada’s Wonderland, just outside Toronto, has Leviathan, a roller coaster that zooms at 148 km/h (92 mph) and is one of the tallest and fastest in the world!

 

We also are learning all the province and territories in Canada. Can you name them all? Can you name all the great lakes?

Where have you traveled to within Canada?

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May 21

World Bee Day!

What’s the buzz all about? Well, on Tuesday May 20, we celebrated World Bee Day by learning all about honeybees!

We shouldn’t fear honeybees. They don’t want to hurt us; they’re just buzzing around, looking for food! We should never run or swat at them. If we do, then they might feel threatened. Stay calm, and watch what they’re up to!

Turkey Jay was kind to loan us some of his bee keeping equipment. We passed around some propolis which is bee glue! The bees use it for sealing holes or cracks in the hive and will use it to seal dead animals or bugs that end up in the hive.

NatGeo Kids has an article all about honeybees. Check it out here!

Some Fun Facts…

  • The worker bees are all female. They can be scouts (looking for a new home), nurse bees (helping to raise the young), caretaker bees (they clean up the hive), guards, foragers (out looking for nectar and pollen)
  • The main purpose of the queen bee is to lay eggs. She has a long body so that she can lay the egg at the bottom of the cell. She has a stinger, but will not sting you.
  • Drones are male bees and are the only bees who don’t have a stinger. They have bigger eyes and a big body and fly very fast. Their sole job is to mate with the virgin queen. They do this in the air on a “mating flight”
  • The drones get kicked out of the hive in the fall as they would use up too many resources and are not needed.
  • In the winter, the bees stay in the hive and keep warm by beating their wings and staying close together
  • They are amazing pollinators and support our ecosystem and food production
  • Honey lasts forever. It’s even been found inside tombs in Ancient Egypt!

 

We also played a Kahoot in class the next day to test our memory…

If you’d like to play, click on the picture below!

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May 8

Ontario, Canada

In grade 3, we learn about our province, Ontario. We learn about the industries within Ontario, how people live in different landform regions, and the types of land that exists within our province.

In addition, we learn about our country. What are the provinces and territories in our own nation? 

Have you seen different parts of Ontario? What about Canada?

Where have you traveled to within your own country?

 

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