Beware These Dangerous Animals!

To finish up our animal research unit, the third graders read "Never Smile at a Monkey" by Steven Jenkins (which won the 2011 RICBA). We learned why we should never pet a platypus, clutch a cane toad, or go near a variety of animals who could hurt or even kill us. Did you know that the HIPPO is the deadliest land animal? Or that a spitting cobra can shoot its venom 8 feet?

Then we found the animals' ranges on a world map. Luckily, we only need to worry about black bears and beaded lizards here in North America. Africa, Australia, and the oceans have some of the deadliest animals. Make sure you never corner a cassowary!

 

Interesting Animal Facts 3T - cont'd

After using the index and table of contents of animal books to find information and take notes, 3T students created posters. Everyone has now finished making their presentations and sharing some pretty interesting facts.

Dolphins have very good hearing; they can pick up sounds that people cannot hear.


Nurse sharks live close to the ocean floor.

Zebras are endangered.


Narwhals can weigh up to one ton.

Chameleons' eyes move separately; one can look forward while the other looks back.


Iguanas' tails are twice as long as their bodies.

Cougars' babies are called kittens.

Sea otters are the slowest sea mammals.


Turtles live everywhere in the world except Antarctica.

Beavers are the largest North American rodents.


Cheetahs are the world's fastest animals.

Blue whales migrate to warmer water in the winter.

Wolves prey on deer, moose, and caribou.


Chimpanzees have long fingers and short hair.

Bears can use their sharp claws to kill prey.

Great white sharks like shallow water.

Interesting Animal Facts - 3T

After using the index and table of contents of animal books to find information and take notes, 3T students created posters. This week they started making their presentations and are sharing some pretty interesting facts.

Mamba snakes like to hang out in trees.

Boa constrictors have jaws like rubber bands.

Black widow spiders like to hide in dark corners.

Crocodiles literally weigh a ton: 2,000 pounds.

Penguins are birds, but they can't fly.

Zebras: 30 years ago, there were 100,000 zebras; now there are only 2,000.

Koalas live in their mothers' pouches for six months after they are born.

Polar bears can drift for miles on Arctic ice.

African buffalo babies weigh 90 pounds.

Raccoons like to go in humans' trash cans (as this researcher can attest).

Highlights from 3T

I have learned that third graders LOVE highlighters.

I haven't run a scientific test with a control group yet, but I believe that letting students use highlighters instead of pencils to find key words and concepts in a reading selection increases their concentration and accuracy by 500%!!

Put The Needle on the Record!

By popular demand from 3T, here is the video we danced to when learning about records and how they were replaced by CDs. Skip to 2:46 for the pivotal part. Wicky wicky! (Note: In a connection to the grade 4 maps unit, the cosmonauts have CCCP on their helmets ... there's no more CCCP!)

And here is Mixmaster Mike from the Beastie Boys, whose job is to put the needle on the record.

Comments welcome from my 3T students as to whether or not you danced with your families to these!

Grade 3 Obsolete Inventions

The third graders are working on taking notes from "The Inventor's Times" (publish date: 2003). As we went through some of the inventions, I realized that several have already been replaced! Today's third graders may have never seen a Polaroid camera or a typewriter.

However, they can all still watch a silent movie ... Buster Keaton is my personal favorite. Oohs and ahs ensued when I showed this clip.

Edited to add: "The Artist," a mostly silent movie about the silent movie era, is up for an Oscar!

What Am I?

The third graders are working on making inferences. What do YOU think this riddle poem is about?

Fitting In

I fit inside your door just right
wherever you reside.
But put me in your neighbor's door
and you'll still be outside.

There's just one hole that I fit in
made specially for me.
There's just one door, one safe,
one skate and one locked diary,

which makes me feel real special.
like I am one of a kind.
Of course, sometimes folks copy me
in case I'm hard to find.

I share a ring with others
of my type; I'm rarely single.
But that's okay 'cause when we
touch each other, then we jingle.

WHAT AM I?
(C) 1998, Arden Davidson