The Breeches-Buoy steals the show!!

We traveled to neighboring Hull today to visit the Hull Lifesaving Museum's exhibit Hoist, Heave & Haul: Simple Machines at Sea.  After visiting the musuem we crossed the street to experience simple machines in action, the Breeches- Buoy.

The challenge was to create a Leggo design using a simple machine. No problem!

Still no problem.

The museum was interesting until............The Breeches Buoy.

A breeches buoy is a crude rope-based rescue device used to extract people from wrecked vessels, or to transfer people from one location to another in situations of danger.

It takes team work to get a classmate up and 3OJ's has plenty of that!

A fun day was had by all. A special thank you to our chaperones, Mrs. Donovan, Mr. Harrison,

Mrs. Leibovici and Mrs. Ross.

Hull Lifesaving Museum

   Our class is scheduled to visit the Hull Lifesaving Museum on Tuesday, June 14th,  as part of our study of simple machines. We will be exploring the museum's  hands-on exhibit Hoist, Heave & Haul: Simple Machines at Sea. The family-friendly exhibit draws attention to the numerous simple machines already on display in the museum's historical exhibits - oars, boat ramps, blocks, rudders and more. If you'd like to learn more about the Hull Lifesaving Museum, you can click on the link; http://www.lifesavingmuseum.org/
    On Tuesday, I will need two chaperones to join us on the bus. If you would be available, please email me at my school email: kjennings@hinghamschools.com . If you are not chosen as a chaperone, you are still more than welcome to meet the class at the Lifesaving Museum that day. 
    We will be spending the morning and having lunch at the Museum. 
Students will need the following:

• sunblock
• hats
• jackets if necessary
• no sandals
• bag lunch (no glass bottles or soda)

We're all looking forward to a fun and informative day. Hope you can join us!

   

Our Solar System

The study of our Solar System has taken us from the moon and moon journals, to the sun, and now the study of the eight planets that make up our solar system. Over the next two weeks we will be learning about the planets in order from the sun outwards. We will begin this week with the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Followed by the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Some of you may remember the acronym that helped us learn the planets, My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas, with Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet, we will be using  My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.  Watch for interesting facts on each planet, which will be coming home nightly for homework. 

Recorder Concert followed by Scavenger Hunt!

     This Wednesday, May 25th, at 9:15 in the East School cafeteria, 3O will be hosting a recorder concert followed by a scavenger hunt in our classroom. On display will be both our biography and autobiography projects, which we've all been working very hard on. Our posters will be on display and you'll be asked to join us in a "Scavenger Hunt" to find answers to questions we've created regarding our interesting person. It should be fun as well as informative. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

Adams' Birthplace Field Trip a tremendous success!

Today we visited the Adam's Birthplace in Quincy. The students took part in The Families of the Revolution, a program run by the National Parks Service. Students played the role of a colonist, learning both their job, postion, and family history. We even had a spy in our ranks. We learned a lot about the lives of both John and Abigail Adams, while still having some fun. Take a look for yourself.

Learning to march.

The colonists prepare for battle.

The British are coming!

Animal Poster Project

The students have chosen their animal for the popular Animal Research Poster Project.  The culmination of this project will be a well-designed and well-researched poster, full of information. The students will have two opportunities to visit our library to find books and will have extra time in the computer lab to do some research online but the majority of work will be done at home.

The handout that came home last week offers suggestions and tips for the poster. The cover letter gives a time line for the process of creating the poster. It is important for the students to meet the deadlines along the way to avoid any problems completing the entire project by the due date. 
Poster Timeline

• Wednesday, May 11th - Show teacher 2 resource books and 1 website
• Thursday, May 19th - Rough Draft of answered questions
• Thursday, June 2nd - Final Project Due 

The students are very excited about the animals they have chosen and I look forward to seeing the completed posters.  If there is anything I can help with along the way, please don't hesitate to ask.

Adams' Birthplace Field Trip

We will visiting the Adams' Birthplace in Quincy on Wednesday, May 11th.  There is no cost for this field trip. The bus will be leaving the school at 9:15. All students must bring a bag lunch on this day. We will be eating back in the classroom when we return to school. Lunch will be later than usual, so please make sure your child has a hearty breakfast. Please have your child dress accordingly.

• I will need two chaperones for this trip. If you'd like to join us,  please email me at the link below; kjennings@hinghamschools.com

Math Update Unit 9

We have started Unit 9 which has four main areas of focus: 
                                                      
          * To multiply and divide with multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
          * To use mental math to multiply
          * To share money, and
          * To find the products of 2-digit numbers


The students will be working with two strategies to solve multiplication problems with 2-digit numbers.  The strategies are known as partial products algorithm and the lattice method.  These methods may appear confusing at first but the students will achieve a level of success with each of them.  They will be able to choose to work with the method they are more comfortable with after exposure to both.  I need your help in getting your child to understand both of these strategies. As such I am reposting the link to EDM to help you help your child with questions on these strategies.  To help with computation:

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/educators/computation/
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/index.shtml

Literacy Update

For the next two weeks we will be focusing on the genre of biographies.  In our anthology we are reading The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin by Aliki.  To enhance this study each student has chosen a biography from the Who was... ? or Who is...? series to read independently.  The students will use class time next week to create a poster showcasing the person or people thay have read about.  In class, the students will write a brief report, sharing interesting facts from their book.  The poster will also include a time-line of the person's life, a decorated cut out of the person, a stamp or coin designed by the student honoring their person and a blue ribbon award commenting on this person's contribution to the world. The students have already shown a great deal of enthusiasm for the biography/person that they chose, sharing facts they have already learned. This poster will require a great deal of effort from the students but the finished product will be well worth it. I'm hoping to have student's share what they've learned with parents and family members after their Recorder Concert on May 25th. 

Literacy Update

We are finishing up Stone Fox, if you still have a copy of the book at your house, I ask that you please send it back to school. The students enjoyed the story of a ten year old Wyoming boy, who enters a dog sled race to save his grandfather's farm.

For our next book we will be back in our anthology reading Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z Guiberson. This story follows the life of a saguaro cactus from seed to death as it becomes home to birds, bats, insects, and many other animals that need shelter from their harsh desert surroundings.

   If you'd like to extend your child's understanding of any of our anthology stories you can visit the following website provided by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill:

www.mhschool.com/reading

Math Update

We are finishing up Unit 8 on Fractions in math this week. We will be having our Unit Test on Wednesday, April 13th. Look for the review packet to be coming home on Monday.

I've attached two excellent links to help with any questions you may have about our Everyday Math curriculum. I encourage you to review our upcoming Unit 9 Multiplication and Division. We will be focusing on partial-products algorithm for multiplying 1 and 2 digit numbers, as well as developing readiness skills for division. If you are unfamiliar with partial products algorithm, including lattice multiplication, I encourage you to visit these sights:
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/educators/computation/
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/index.shtml

Welcome to 30's New Blog!

     Welcome to 3O's new classroom blog!  It's here that you'll find out what's happening in our classroom. Be sure to become a follower of our blog and you'll be in the know!

•  Mrs. O'Neill welcomed Matthew John, a beautiful baby boy on Friday, March 25th! We wish her and her family all the joys that come with parenthood. 

• If you need to reach Mrs. Jennings you can email me at kjennings@hinghamschools.com

Social Studies/Science

Our science unit on Sun, Moon, and Stars continues with our Moon Journals and will move into a study of the planets. How wonderful that our study of the moon coincided with the "Super Moon" event. This was an exciting experience for our young astronomers.


In social studies we continue our journey as Pilgrims settling in the New World. Our field trip to Plymoth Plantation in October has helped the students connect to the life of the Pilgrims.  Students may be asked to re-read chapters at home to reinforce our daily classroom discussions. 

Math

Having completed Unit 7 which focused on multiplication and division, we will begin Unit 8 this week. Unit 8 has two primary objectives: to review the uses of fractions and fraction notation and to help children develop a solid understanding of equivalent fractions. Students are completing the 6 table multiplication packets.

Literacy

 This week our class will be starting the classic book Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. This book was chosen as a town wide read for Hingham third grade classrooms. Stone Fox is the story of a young boy who when faced with adversity enters the National Dogsled Race to save the family farm. Students will be asked to re-read chapters of the story at home and at times respond to comprehension questions. Feel free to read this heart warming tale along with your 3O student!


To make a connection to the actual Wyoming Dog Sled Race, click the link;
http://www.wyomingstagestop.org/