SFDS eNews3rd Grade

Third Grade Landscapers

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:18:39 +0000

It’s a matter of scale but not a matter of balance. In math lab, the third graders are busy finishing their garden projects. Having completed a study of area and perimeter, the third graders are now putting that knowledge to good use, while also learning about scale. Each group designed and landscaped a quarter of an acre. Some have ponds and streams, some have hot tubs. Some have fields for football, while others have fields for horses. They all have cottages and gardens to live in, complete with kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms. How many people can stand in a square meter? How many people can lie down in four square meters? The third graders can probably tell you.

Third Graders Write in Defense of the Trees

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:14:58 +0000

Third graders have been polishing their letter-writing skills by writing daily letters to members of the SFDS community (which are delivered by the first grade post office). Last week, students branched out and wrote letters to our neighbor across the street, the University of San Francisco, where there are two 70-year old Monterey Cypress trees that are tagged for removal. The third grade would like the university to reconsider this decision. A professor from the university visited the class to speak about the benefits of these trees and found a willing audience as students had already studied the coastal redwoods. The professor will present their letters and ideas at a hearing at City Hall. Keeping your fingers crossed!

Miwok Day

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:41:44 +0000

The third grade graciously welcomed the Busbys back to SFDS for their annual Miwok day on Wednesday, December 9. This knowledgeable couple has been coming to SFDS for years to share their extensive knowledge and enthusiasm concerning the skills and culture of the Coast Miwok. Third graders enjoyed a day of hands-on exploration into the skills of the Coast Miwok, a perfect extension of the Coast Miwok unit that they have been studying for two weeks now. Fresh off of a field trip to the Marin Museum of American Indians, students were eager to try their hands at basket weaving, flintnapping, and acorn-mashing. Students went home with obsidian arrowheads made by their own hands, baskets woven with Jute reed by their own fingers, and the smell of ground acorn in their clothes.