Grade 3 Weekly Update Week of March 5, 2012

Unit This week we continue to track about the weather in another city. We will begin graphing the information as well. We are also exploring how various weather is formed (clouds, rain, etc). Each child is researching in their area of interest. Final presentations will be made in class via technology tools. Also, due March 7th is an at home project where your child should build a weather measuring tool. We look forward to seeing these on Wednesday! Ms. Victors class enjoyed a visit to the Potsdam weather station last Friday. The other two classes will visit on the 16th. We are continuing to look at non-fiction reading and writing. Literary nonfiction is also and area we explore. As you look at non-fiction books with your child have her note features that help her and the reason the author has used those features. Literature Circles are continuing. We are working on addition and subtraction again. We are reviewing regrouping and learning other strategies to solve problems. We are looking at how long ago inventions were made, books published, etc. This allows for many ways to get the right answer and explain thinking. Our new focus in assemblies is active and safe living. A component of this will be digital safety. A very informative website that you may want to look at is Common Sense Media. You can join this website and access many valuable (and mostly free) resources to help you stay well informed. According to their mission: Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. In the artroom In the next weeks, we will be experimenting with COLOR, and learning some terminology and techniques to help encourage children to develop awareness of color choices and how these choices can be powerful statements of mood and emotion. In the upcoming weeks, we will: Study Wassily Kandinksy, a Russian artist who used strong colors and shapes, among other elements, to represent moods/emotions o Create Kandinsky-inspired art which will be displayed in Haus 1 and the Art pavilion Experiment with color mixes using water color paints David Sexsmith david.sexsmith@bbis.de Erika Victor erika.victor@bbis.de

Unit

Language Arts

Math

Other

Andi Jamet andi.jamet@bbis.de

Grade 3 Weekly Update Week of March 5, 2012

o Learn how to make experiments in an ORGANIZED way in the artist sketchbook o Label these color creations using our own terminology (like moss green or salami brown) in order to avoid the tendency to see only basic colors like GREEN or BROWN etc. Try to understand the following color terminology: color wheel; complimentary colors; harmonic colors; primary colors and of course we have already experimented with color on unusual objects a grill, natural objects, and an old kicker table! See them on exhibit in the Haus 1 atrium.

As always, you can check on our progress via our ES art website: www.rootedvisions.com password: lehmbau In IT Today is starting the world education games championship! Students are limited to a maximum of 50 challenges during the official competition (around 1 hours participation on each day). For World Maths Day and World Spelling Day there are 10 challenges on each of the 5 levels. World Science Day has all 3 levels of difficulty within each of the 50 challenges. The dates of competition are: World Spelling Day 6 March 2012 World Maths Day 7 March 2012 World Science Day 8 March 2012 Each event runs for 48 hours (to cover each time zone, so the first two are already open!). Remind kids that they can also participate from home!

http://www.worldeducationgames.com/ Best, Carlos Andi Jamet andi.jamet@bbis.de David Sexsmith david.sexsmith@bbis.de Erika Victor erika.victor@bbis.de

Grade 3 Weekly Update Week of March 5, 2012

Looking Ahead Up-coming events: March 18 BIMP at BBIS Berlin Music Project, BIMP Concert on Sunday, March 18th, from 2:00-5:00 at the BBIS Sports Hall Remember to complete your Arendsee forms and transfer the invoiced amount. Reminders

Andi Jamet andi.jamet@bbis.de

David Sexsmith david.sexsmith@bbis.de

Erika Victor erika.victor@bbis.de