Habitat Simulation We created a simulation of habitat loss to kick off our unit on environments and food chains. Each student pretended to be an animal or plant in a forest ecosystem. The herbivores set up a habitat within the ecosystem along with food and water sources, (colored tiles). Then the carnivores found a home near the herbivores. The trees and other plants also found a suitable place in the forest. Unfortunately, one of the students was a developer and plowed down parts of the forest to build a shopping mall and houses. The trees/plants that lived in that area perished and the animals had to flee in hopes of finding another home. We discussed how some of the food and water sources were destroyed due to the deforestation. Also, we discussed how that would impact the remaining wildlife in the ecosystem. Using Context Clues During reading, we learned how to use context clues to help determine the meaning of unknown words in nonfiction texts. Then, we practiced using context clues with task cards. Finding Perimeter of Rectangles To introduce perimeter, I posed a problem about a girl putting brick pavers around a garden. Our job was to determine how many brick pavers she needed. At first, we didn't have any information to solve the problem, but the kiddos quickly figured out what then needed to know. Once they knew the size of the pavers and the side lengths the kiddos got to work. Some of them chose to use a model of the garden made with blue tape, and others drew models in their notebook. I was really impressed how well these mathematicians solved the problem. They were all surprised when I told them they discovered how to find perimeter! I love when mathematicians discover concepts! Observing Ecosystems What a great week to go outside and observe ecosystems! We noticed several different habitats outside around the field including grass, around rocks, and trees. Students recorded living organisms and nonliving objects in their notebook and determined how these things support one another within an ecosystem. Endangered Animals Museum Trunk Our grade level ordered a trunk from the Williamson County Museum that contains items and information related to endangered animals. We rotated to different stations to observe fossils, learn more about caves, observe/sort fake invertebrates, observe samples of limestone, and dress up as endangered animals, (the class favorite). Everyone really enjoyed the costumes! Armadillo Population Game In science, we played a game to learn how events, such as a drought or flood, affect an armadillo population in an environment. We were surprised that a population can easily thrive or perish based on living and nonliving things. Perimeter Game My mathematicians really put their skills to work as they played a game comparing the perimeter of various polygons. The goal to was create a shape with the Exploragons that met the criteria on the game board such as making a rectangle with a shorter perimeter. This game helped students understand that perimeter is a measurement of a distance since they broke the shape apart and made it into a line. More Work on our Ecosystems and Endangered Animals I think we are finally finished, (mostly), with our ecosystem scenes. Everyone worked so hard on adding details and making the ecosystem look realistic. Today, lots of the kiddos decided to add some type of habitat destruction to their scene. Next week, we'll work on our scripts from the point of view of the animal. Then we will be ready to record videos.
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |