Mrs. McGill's Third Grade

Tis the Season to Build a Village

2011-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

The children created many unique and creative gingerbread houses this week. They constructed many different homes from the variety of ingredients donated by parents. When they completed their homes they arranged them on a small community map according to their coordinates. Thank you to all the parents for the many donations and a special thanks to Mrs. Aiello, Mrs. O'Leary, Mrs. Fisher, Mrs. Goldstein, Mr. Valdavia, Mrs. Elefante and Mr. Joss for volunteering their time!

The Power of Water

2011-12-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

Students ended the Water Unit by making water wheels. They learned how flowing water could be used to help move a load. The demonstrations were a lot of fun even though they sometimes got a little wet!

Pumpkin Extravaganza!

2011-11-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Students had a wonderful time estimating the weight, circumference, and seeds of pumpkins. After completing and recording their measurements, students counted pumpkin seeds and designed their pumpkin for carving. Thank you to our terrific volunteers, Ms. Dove, Mrs. Giles, Mrs. Major and Mrs. Vananse who helped carve and supervise this activity. We could not have done it without you! Pumpkins were donated to Charlestown School's Pumpkin Glow Night.

How Many Drops of Water Fit on a Penny?

2011-10-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

The students learned about surface tension this week. They made predictions as to how many drops of water could fit on top of a penny. They tested their predictions and were surprised to find out the results. Water formed a dome on top of the penny and they were able to put a lot more drops then they thought. Some students had as many as 29 drops! This property of water is called surface tension. Next, the students tested this property using salty and soapy water. They were able to see how salty water did not change surface tension, but the soapy water reduces the surface tension by breaking the dome of water.

Water! Water! Water!

2011-09-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Water is the first unit in science this year. The children investigated with water this week. They were able to see what happened when water was splashed, spilled, or dropped on different surfaces. They found out that it does different things. Depending on the surface, sometimes it beads up, is absorbed, or spreads out. Some children had some very wet desks!

Field Trip to the URI Learning Landscape

2011-05-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last week the third graders went on a field trip to the URI Learning Landscape. The children learned about the red wiggler worm and how it decomposes household waste, but also how their castings are good fertilizer for the soil. They were shown good and harmful insects of Rhode Island. They got to looks at skulls and pelts of animals that are native to Rhode Island, then took a look in the greenhouse at many different types of plants. The children planted seeds and talked about germination. They also took a look at recycling and ways to protect the environment. The field trip was a success due to the well behaved children, great weather, and wonderful chaperones. A special thanks to Mrs. Roiu, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Ackroyd for chaperoning our trip!

Straw Instruments

2011-05-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

Students used straws to produce vibrating columns of air. Some students designed straw instruments that were really long which produced low pitch sounds while others were short with high pitched sound. In conclusion, students learned that pitch is related to the length of the column of air that is vibrating.

Chicks Arrive!

2011-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

The third graders were thrilled to watch the chicks hatch on Monday. They saw the chicks emerged from their eggs looking tired and wet. Our class had a great hatching of eleven chicks! By Wednesday the chicks were named and the students were even able to hold them, feeling their soft downy feathers. Some of our chicks names are: Cocoa, Chocolate Chip,Chipmunk, Oreo, Sugar Cookie, Fluffy, and Snowflake. What a fun way to learn about the life cycle of the chicken first hand.

Read Around the World

2011-04-09T06:34:00.001-07:00

The theme for Reading Week was read around the world. Each class learned about a different country. Our class learned about Ireland. On Friday other classes were able to visit to find out what we learned. Students were happy sharing information on Ireland's weather, flag, location, history, irish step dancing, clothing, jewelry, Celtic music, Gaelic language, irish folktales, Blarney Stone, and its beautiful landscape. As students left our class they were shown some irish hospitality when they were given a taste of irish soda bread and leprechaun juice. What a great way to end Reading Week!

Reading Week Success

2011-04-09T05:27:00.001-07:00

This week was Reading Week and we celebrated with many activities. The children were excited to have Ms. Iacoi visit as a guest reader. She was happy to be back at Charlestown and remembered many of the children from kindergarten.

Beetle Pull

2011-03-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Students tested the strength of the Bess Beetle's legs this week. They attached a harness and had the beetles pull paper clips.
Before they started they weighed their beetle to determine its mass. After performing the investigation students came to the conclusion that not only could they pull their own weight, but they could pull more than ten times their weight. Students made the connection that the beetles have strong legs to pull and push wood in their habitat.

Sled Dog Presentation a Success!

2011-03-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

The third graders got a taste of what real sled dog racing is all about when Becki Tucker from Outlaw Ridge, Ct. came our school. Becki brought her team of siberian huskies and sled with equipment to share with the students. She spoke about mushing, team work, and her love for her dogs. The day was a beautiful sunny day, but Becki stated her dogs would rather have it -10 degrees when racing. The children realized how much work and dedication goes into the sport of dog sled racing! A BIG thank you to the PTO for sponsoring this presentation!

Structure and Behaviors of Crayfish

2011-02-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Students had fun examining and investigating the structures and behaviors of crayfish. They will be learning about their habitat and structures. As students learned to hold the crayfish they were quick to watch out for their pincers! Some students were not afraid!

Take a Look Inside a Green Bean

2011-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Our new science kits are here! Students took a look at green beans and found seeds. After collecting data on a histogram, they discovered that an average green bean will have about six seeds. Also, they learned that a green bean is a fruit because seeds are found inside. Students will continue to investigate the different properties of seeds.

Building a Community

2010-12-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

The children showed their creativity and design sense when they built gingerbread houses this week. They constructed many different and unique homes from the variety of ingredients donated by parents. When they completed their homes they arranged them on a small map according to their coordinates. Thank you to all the parents for the many donations and a special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ackroyd, Mrs. Roiu, Mrs. Foley, and Mrs. Wicklund for volunteering their time!

Water! Water! Everywhere!

2010-12-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

This week the children finished up their study of water by making water wheels and looking at water quality. They were very successful discovering the locations of four samples of water. By looking at the color, clarity, and smell of the samples, they were able to determine they were looking at ocean, swamp, faucet, and dish water.
Finally, they worked in cooperative groups and made water wheels. Their goal was to use flowing water to move the wheel and lift a load. In the end, all groups were successful and some a little wet!

Evaporation and Surface Area

2010-11-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

Students investigated water evaportion and surface area. They put equal amounts of water into a cylinder, dome lid, a beaker, and flat lid. After two days they measured the remaining water and found the container with the largest surface area had the most evaporation and the container with the smallest surface area had the least evaporation. In conclusion, if you want water to evaporate expose it to as much air as you can!

Pumpkin Extravaganza!

2010-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Students used their estimating skills in determining the weight, circumference, and number of seeds of different sized pumpkins. They came to the conclusion that there was no correlation between the size of the pumpkin and the number of seeds. Thanks to some wonderful parents that volunteered to help the event was a success!

Water Investigations

2010-10-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

Students have been performing different investigations with water to discover their properties. They have learned that water flows down a slope, it will flow faster down a steep slope, and bigger drops of water will flow faster. They also learned cold water is denser than room temperature water when they observed a blue dyed ice cube melt to the bottom of a cup of room temperature water. Using a thermometer they discovered the temperature to be colder at the bottom of the cups which proved that cold water is denser. Students are enjoying the many water activities in the water unit!

Noun Search!

2010-10-31T08:11:00.001-07:00

Students searched for nouns around the classroom. They realized first hand that most things are nouns in our classroom. Nouns are words that name a person, place, or thing. Students also learned the difference between common and proper nouns.

Large Numbers in Standard Form

2010-09-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

In math students are working on numeration. This week they had fun changing numbers from expanded form to standard form, Also, they learned about the importance of commas to separate the ones, thousands, and hundreds periods. Do you know how to write the number in word form?

Welcome Back!

2010-09-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Field Trip to URI Learning Landscape

2010-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Students had a wonderful day on their field trip to URI. They enjoyed visiting different stations around the center. They learned about insects, animal pelts, greenhouse plants, the importance of keeping water clean, plants growth, and the red wiggler worm. After experiencing the centers, the students enjoyed a beautiful lunch in the garden!

Fluffy Chicks

2010-06-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our eggs hatched and we got ten baby chicks. The children got to hold them the day after they hatched and could not believe how soft and fluffy they were!

What's Inside an Egg?

2010-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

The third grade classes are hatching eggs. If all goes well, our eggs will hatch on Monday, May 24th. Last week our class looked inside an egg to see what parts help the growing chick. Students could find and identify all parts of the egg, even the white spot that will become the chick. It's hard to believe it only takes three weeks for an egg to hatch!

Thinking About Sound

2010-05-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Students have begun the new unit on Sound. They will be investigating what causes sound, how sound travels, how it changes and will be making instruments.
The students explored sounds produced by two tuning forks.

Structures in Life Unit Ends

2010-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Students ended the Structures in Life Unit with the study of crayfish and bess beetles. They investigated the structure of the organisms and learned how some of the structures function in growth and survival.
One of the final lessons was the bess beetle pull. Students watched as their bess beetles pulled many times their weight in paper clips. Bess beetles are very strong organisms!

What's Inside an Owl Pellet?

2010-02-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

After reading Owl Moon and making many literature connections, students explored owl pellets. They were amazed by the many things they found inside. Some of them were bones from mice, shrews, moles, and birds.

Connecting Division to Multiplication

2010-02-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

Students use cubes to see how division and multiplication are related. They explore and find out how easy it is to come up with a division fact since they already know the multiplication fact.

Seed Search!

2010-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Last week students embarked on a seed hunt, delving into an assortment of fresh fruits. They opened fruits, located seeds, described seed properties, and counted or estimated the number of seeds in the fruit. They discovered seeds develop in the part of the plant called the fruit and that different kinds of fruits have different kinds and numbers of seeds.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

Before the holiday break the students enjoyed designing houses out of graham crackers and assorted goodies. Each house was an original creation. When the houses were completed students had to find their location on a map using the compass rose.
Thanks to the parent volunteers, Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Caster and Mrs. Huzyk the event went very smoothly. Look how great our gingerbread town looks!

Water Unit Comes to a End!

2009-12-06T14:25:00.001-08:00

Students ended the Water Unit in science by constructing water wheels. They came up with many designs and learned how to make them work efficiently.

Evaporation and Surface Area

2009-12-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Students learned that water in containers with large surface areas will evaporate quicker then a container with a small surface area.

What Would it Have Been Like to Sail on the Mayflower?

2009-11-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

The students have been reading the non-fiction book, If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. They are amazed by the determination of the Pilgrims. The students are building their vocabulary by making word books with words from the text. They will be finding examples of cause and effect and illustrating them in booklets. As they read this book, the students are very thankful for all they have!

How Can We Help Others This Thanksgiving?

2009-11-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

The Westerly Sun asked the students of Charlestown School to write a paragraph about how they could help others this Thanksgiving. Mrs. McGill's class enjoyed writing and thinking about ways that they could help others. Maybe one of their paragraphs will be published in the Westerly Sun!

Where did the Water Go?

2009-11-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Mrs. McGill's class set up an investigation to learn about evaporation. Students examined the balance and were asked what they thought caused the open cup to go up. They quickly came to the conclusion that it weighed less because the paper towel exposed to air dried out. The lesson learned was that wet materials become dry when exposed to air and the drying process is called evaporation. Water changes into a gas called water vapor and goes into the air.

Water Investigations!

2009-09-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Students have been learning about the different properties of water. They have learned that water does different things on different surfaces and that water has surface tension. When they added soap to water they found out that surface tension is reduced.
Students had fun finding out what happens to water on a slope. It goes down the slope, but goes faster down steeper slopes! Also, larger drops of water flow quicker down a slope than smaller drops of water. Students are investigating the many different properties of water.

Welcome Back to School!

2009-09-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

The students are excited to be back in school! I am enjoying getting to know my class of twenty children.
Today the children used our classroom white boards to practice the concepts of place value. They practiced showing numbers in expanded form, word form, standard form and with place value blocks. Everyone enjoyed practicing their math skills!