Going Green

Parents and Guardians,

Continuing our awareness of the world around us we will be covering the importance of recycling. Recycling plastics, paper, and cans can help keep millions of pounds of garbage out of landfills every year. At the end of next week we plan to go on a field trip to visit the recycling center.* There we will see how things are sorted and recycled to make the Earth a cleaner place. We will also be taking any recyclables that we have collected with us, so feel free to send them to school with your child.

We will be sorting the recyclables in class. You and your child can practice sorting different recyclables by playing the game recycle or clean up your world. Both of these games are quick, easy sorting games for both of you to enjoy.

At Recycle City you can explore the way a whole town can come together to help change the environment. The web site has games and activities for the student to wonder through. It also has recipes for household cleaners that you can make at home that are good for the environment.

Michael, Michael, Go Recycle is game in which a little boy cleans up the park and helps other boys learn the value of recycling. It is a multileveled game and easy to use. It also reinforces the sorting skills that we will be using in class.

* I will need a couple parent volunteers to join us on the field trip. If you are available to help us please contact me.

Resources, here forever?

Parents and Guardians,

This week as part of the TEKS, we will be exploring renewable and nonrenewable resources. A nonrenewable resource is on that when it is used up there will be no more in the future. A renewable resource is one that will be available time after time. At wood magic you can find out more information about renewable resources, an example of which is wood.

A great website for you and your child to explore is Energy Kids. They have energy facts, an energy calculator, and a history of energy. They also have a page dedicated to different kinds of energy games and riddles.

We will also be doing a research project this week. I will split the students into groups to find out information on nonrenewable sources. We will discuss what they are, where they are, and about how long they will last. For more information please visit mineral search.

Solid, Liquid or Gas?

Hello Parents and Guardians,

This week we will be learning about the states of matter,
there are five states of matter but we will be focusing on
the three most common states. They are solids, liquids and
gases. Information on all the states of matter
can be found at Visionlearning.

Again I have located games for you and your child to play at home.
They are as follows:

At the solid and liquid game, you and your child can explore solids and liquids. Choose a substance and heat it to see at what temperature it melts. Then you can swirl the beaker to see how it moves. Ten you can freeze it back to a solid and swirl it again. Try different substances and not the differences in their melting points.

Another game you and your child can play is the changing state game. I this game you can heat or cool liquids to change their state and then change it back again. After you experiment you can take a quick quiz to check your understanding.

Surfing the Solar System.

Parents and Guardians,

As part of the TEKS, this week we will be learning about the Solar System. We will be covering the following:




Sun
Mecury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune






In order to help your student I have found some websites that you can explore together.
At Kid's Astronomy you and your student can view the different planets and click on them to learn more information about each one. Please note that this site still list Pluto as a planet, even though it is now considered a dwarf planet. For more detailed information you can visit National Geographic. They have information and pictures from throughout the Solar System.

You can also play Solar System games together. Solar System Jigsaws can be found here. Also, for more of a challenge you can help Willy Wonka help save the sun from the Evil Dr.Dren in Space Slalom.

Welcome!

Welcome to Ms. Grimes's weekly newsletter. Each week I will post information about what your students will be learning in my class. All lessons will be aligned with the third grade TEKS. I look forward to getting to know your children and helping them on their path to success.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.