Observation #3

(Observation 3/7)

Today, our classroom was back to normal (no fire drills or text book lessons!). The students came in and began their morning activities, including a morning work assignment. For this, they read a paper on Thurgood Marshall and were told to highlight the important parts. Personally, I was GREATLY pleased to see this type of assignment in a 3rd grade classroom. As a college student, I CONSTANTLY use highlighting as a tool for studying. I highlight as I read, and then review what I have highlighted vs. the whole chapter. I sort of learned this skill on my own upon entering college, but hopefully these students will aquire the tool sooner!

After the morning announcements, they reviewed the sheets, with Ms. K calling on students to share something they had highlighted. This was not only a way to teach a study skill, but they were also doing similar tasks each morning to review Famous Americans, a large subject on the 3rd grade SOL's. Once they finished this, they continued with their science unit on soil, by reviewing the life cycle of a bean plant (2nd grade SOL). First, the students sat on the floor as Ms. K read a literature book about seeds. Again, it was exciting to see methods discussed in our courses employed in her classroom (in basically every ed school class we are told to incorporate literature books). Afterwards, students wetted a paper towel and wrapped a bean inside it, and then placed the papertowel containing the bean in a ziplock bag. Students got to make a hypothesis regarding where to place their bags and what part of the plant would grow first. They were told that they would make observations over the coming weeks.

Finally, TP and I administered our preassessment. As we had suspected, most students knew that Columbus was the first Europpean to come to the Americas. However, the did not all know that he did this in 1492. Many said 1924 (a combination of the correct numbers). Only about half the students got the correct answer. However, more than expected knew that Jamestown was the first settlement, and that Christopher Newport had founded it. Questions about Jacques Cartier and Ponce de Leon were almost always answered incorrect. I feel like TP and I have a challenge set before us in teaching students a unit where they have very little prior knowledge, but I am very excited about this task!