Third Grade News from Mrs. C
April 25th-May 6th
Tidbits From the Teacher
Well Hello There!
We have begun our final PBL of the year: The Economics Fair!! The kids are so excited about this and we're learning about entrepeneurs, up-cycling, and many more economic terms these days.
There is an important letter about the Economics Fair that can be found in my email and on the website. The expectations for products and other pieces of information can be found in this letter. We really want students to take responsibility for this small business opportunity. If they have questions, please direct them to ask me. This project is really all about giving them the time and space to shine and be creative!
Since the letter is for the entire grade level, the guidelines will remain the same and cannot be changed.
Enjoy!
Dates to Remember
April 29th: Final K-5 Assembly
May 4th: Early Release (Enrichment Day)
May 9th: STAAR Math for 3rd graders
May 10th: STAAR Reading for 3rd graders
May 20th: Field Day & ALL Library Books are due!
May 24th: 3rd Grade Economics Fair 8:30-10:30
May 25th: Math Superstars Party
May 26th: 5th Grade Flugtag Competition at 10am, Seussical the Musical in the evening
May 30th: Memorial Day Holiday
June 1st: 3rd Grade End of Year Party 10:45-12:15 in grassy area by car pickup
June 2nd: Last Day of School!
Creation Station on Earth Day
I liked watching them try to solve problems in different ways when their first idea wouldn't work. It was so fun to watch them persevere and be creative.
I highly recommend a Creation Station (some call it a Maker's Space) at your house!
The Economics Fair Letter
Dear Parents,
We are preparing for our next PBL project in Social Studies to enrich our study of Economics. On Tuesday, May 24th, the third grade classes will be having an Economics Fair from 8:30-10:30. Each student will be responsible for upcycling an item to sell, advertising the product, and selling those items at the sale that day. The students will keep track of profits. They will use the personal finance TEKS involving spending/sharing/saving to calculate their profits. All money will be donated to the RRSC (our year long PBL project). Specific guidelines for the project are listed below. We are excited about this learning experience and hope you will encourage your child in their participation.
1. Each student will think of one type of item to sell at the Economics Fair. These items must be made from recycled and/or reusable materials. This is a required assignment – a major portion of our social studies grade will come from this project. ***We have learned about upcycling in class, made an example, and shared websites.
All products must be handmade. Purchased items will not be accepted.
2. Students will turn in business plan on Friday, April 29th for teacher approval. Students will turn in product (1) prototype on Friday, May 6th to present to class.
3. Items to sell will be made independently at home. Students can make as many items as they like but are required to make at least 30 items to sell. Most often, all items sell out before the end of the fair so if your child would like to make more, that would be great. The total cost of making those items should be no more than $5.
4. The students will determine the selling price of their item at $.25, $.50 or $.75 (including tax).
5. Advertisements for their product will be made at school.
6. The Economic Fair will take place in the cafeteria on May 24th from 8:30am-10:30am. Items will be sold to all classes in the elementary school that day. Parents are invited to attend and see young entrepreneurs in action, but PLEASE know you are just there to observe. Students must run their own business.
7. Parents: students should not be told to put out more product until teacher directed.
***ABSOLUTELY NO LATEX ALLOWED DUE TO SEVERE ALLERGIES
Thank you for your help in this PBL project. We appreciate your support at Sommer Elementary! If you have any questions or concerns, email your student’s teacher.
Thank you, Third Grade Teachers
What We're Studying and Learning...
Math- We will be starting our review for the Math STAAR test that will be on May 9th. We will review all math concepts taught this year over a two week span leading up to the STAAR test.
Reading- This week in reading, we will be starting our review for the Reading STAAR test that will be on May 10th. We will begin by looking at the four different types of test questions and seeing what they looked like on past STAAR tests. We will then take time to review poetry, theme & genre, and all literacy concepts taught this year.
Social Studies- We are continuing our PBL project. Students will be learning about making a business plan and discussing supply and demand. Students will be coming home with a business plan on Monday so be on the lookout. It's due back to school no later than Friday, April 29th.
Writing- We are finishing up our unit on persuasive writing. We'll spend a bit of time reviewing editing and revising skills but spend most of our time on writing workshop projects of choice. Our class book, "Poems for Everyone" will be coming in May!! It is a jewel.