Colonists

Colonists - Lesson #10 (3 days) 
Our focus of this 3 day lesson was to have the students become the experts. They began their work in small groups to complete their initial research on family/individuals, homes/shelters/forts, chores/games and school. Students read mentor texts and prepared information packets. They prepared notecards and visual aids. They also created models of homes, games, and school materials to use during their presentations.

Chores and Games Group

Mrs. Kneeland met with the family/individual groups to prepare their presentation materials. Students learned about popular colonist's names, how they dressed, and what they might have packed in their trunks on their journey to become a colonist. During their presentation, students shared colonial greetings and salutations.

Students researching homes/shelters/forts shared the log home and waddle home designs. Colonists utilized the resources of the land. They used timber, planks, logs, thatch, branches and mud. This  research group was surprised by the limited space and the colonists solutions for extra space - hanging items on the walls of their homes. This group shared an example of the two different types of homes.

The chores/games groups were kept busy finding out about the about the amount of chores both inside and outside the colonial homes. Chores were a necessity that always preceded fun. Girls helped more with the inside chores and boys with the livestock and field work. Sometimes a colonial child would even turn his/her chore into a game (for example, carding wool could be turned into a competition with a sibling or a friend). Games were played inside and outside too. Chess, checkers and ball/jacks were played indoors when it was too cold outside. Once it warmed up, colonial children played blindman's bluff, hoops, and graces (a games using embroidery hoops and knitting needles). During the presentation this group shared how to play with a whirligig toy.

Students researching schools shared the hornbook and quill-n-ink writing. Colonial children attended a one room schoolhouse. The buildings had wooden floors and were heated with a wood stove. Colonial students had chores at school too including fetching water and gathering wood.

Students were hard at work and it showed during their group's presentation. There was a general consensus agreed upon by all researching students. They expressed a huge appreciation for our modern day conveniences...running water, electricity, grocery stores and technology, especially computers:)

Explorers

Lesson # 9 Explorers (3 days)

To begin our lessons on explorers, we brainstormed with the students using a KWL chart.  We discussed what they already knew about explorers, what information they wanted to know and then after the third day we discussed what we learned after our 3 days.  Some of the questions we pondered were:  What does it mean to explore?  Why do people explore? How do they travel? What do they explore?  Where do they explore?   After discussing these questions, we viewed a map of the world and talked about why trading was important to explorers.  We looked at some of the trade routes and showed video clips of a few explorers from a variety of countries including China, England, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and India.  After gaining some background information, the students were broken into groups of 3 and given more detailed information on the country they were assigned to.  Then, they were to explore the new information they had and create some props they would be using the next day to act out "trade" with their group and the whole class.  They would become the teachers.

Included in their "hand outs" were a trading card with how to say "hello" in that country's language, objects that would've been traded by that country, an example of their flag,  a map, and a picture of an explorer from that country with information.  The students worked together to create the props they would need and the information they would need to know to share with the class.

On the last day, students participated in an explorer trading activity using all of the knowledge they gained from the past few days.  The students reinacted sailing on a ship from their country to another country.   They greeted the people from that country in their native language and then traded goods with them.  We did this for a while so that all groups would have ample time to trade and experience how it might have felt to be an explorer.  It was a lot of fun and by learning in a more "hands on"/ acting out method, I believe the understanding was more in depth for the students and it will probably be something they remember participating in.  


Below are some pictures from the previous lesson on Vikings and Native Americans.

He's loving Mrs. Kneeland's Viking Story

Working hard on his Viking ruin

Native American Buffalo Skin 

Moving on our timeline...

Vikings - Lesson #8 (3 days)
On the first day of lesson #8, students learned about the Viking culture years ago. They reviewed their shelter, food, clothing, and games and located the Viking's travels from Sweden, Norway and Iceland. On the second day, students learned about the Vikings art of picture writing with runes. After viewing several examples, students were given their own rune alphabet and stone to create their family names Viking style. If the student was a boy, they would use their father's first name and add -son. For example, if Jacob's father was (Simon) he would add -son to the end and be renamed Jacob Simonsson. If the student was a girl, they would use their father's first name and add -dottir. For example, if Sarah's father was (Simon) she would add -dottir to the end and be renamed Sarah Simonsdottir.

Big 6 question review with a historical image of the Vikings.

Viking clothing

Creating our own rune "stones"

The letter S rune style

On the third day, students learned more about the Viking longships. They studied the masts, shields, and sails so they could then create their own version. Students used watercolor to create a warm-colored sky and then layered a cool-colored wavy sea to place their ships to sail.

Starting our history timeline...

Native Americans - Lesson #7 (3 days)
On the first day of lesson #7, students learned about the six main groups of tribes that settled in the United States thousands of years ago. Students located and labeled each group on a map and zoomed in on the state of Wisconsin for our local history on the second day. They learned that Wisconsin Native Americans lived in wigwams and used all the natural resources while hunting, fishing, trapping, harvesting and practicing early agricultural techniques for survival. The Eastern Woodland Indians (Ojibwa and Dakota) inhabited our region and harvested wild rice, Manoomin or good berry, in the Lake Menomin area before it was dammed up in two areas. The class acted out the wild rice process and examined the rice before and after the removal of the outer husk. On the final day of the lesson, students listened to a Native American story, and learned that Native American tribes used symbols (pictographs) to communicate to each other because they spoke different languages. Students studied the symbols and then created their own version of a "buffalo" story shawl.

Students view a historical photo and take initial
notes using the Big 6?s.

Identifying family members on a canoe journey.

More note taking for our Native American Studies.

Mrs. Kneeland explains the outside husk of wild rice.

Students stand and act out the steps of the wild rice harvest.

Mrs. K. reads aloud a Native American story.

Hard at work adding symbols to our story shawls

Group photo our buffalo story shawls.

Drone aerial photo opportunity:)

Mr. Wigdahl hovered his drone in front of the Oaklawn 3rd grade AIM students this morning. Look, we were wearing our official t-shirts!

Lesson 5 and 6 ---Reader's Theater

The Surprise Suitcase

This week Melissa showed up with a suitcase filled with surprise props.  Some of the props she had were a viking cape, white gloves, and military helmet.  The students used the props as a spring board for interpreting the 6 big questions.  They discussed what the person who would be wearing the hat might be like.  Then volunteers came forward and put the prop on.  It was amazing what one simple prop will do to help with the transformation of a character.  The students changed their facial expression and body language to match the prop. They had fun with this!




We did a few body warm ups and, as usual, the students got involved right away release tension and warming up our mouths and bodies for some acting.

Body Warm Ups

Then we had the students watch and listen to a story on the smartboard.  It was "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything".  The students began chanting with the story once they figured out the pattern:  shoes-clomp, shirt-shake, pants-wiggle, gloves-clap, pumpkin-boo  They were laughing and having a good time!

Next, we handed out the reader's theater script for this story and divided the class into two groups.  They were each assigned roles and they practiced their parts.  We spent time discussing the idea that even though most parts were small, it was up to them to make that character come to life.  It was nice that they only had to focus on one small part and do it well.

Mrs. Kneeland checking in on rehearsal

Reader's Theater at it's finest 

After  a week of rehearsing for a few minutes a day, the students performed the reader's theater for Melissa.  They did such a super job practicing dynamic reading and voice projection using expression.  The students watched each other perform and practice being a good audience member.  We shared positive comments with each other about what went well.  Then they asked if they could get the two groups together and do it as one whole group!

 Readers' Theater in the Classroom:) 

Practicing our parts

Students were motivated to get their parts right when they received the script: "There Was An Old Lady That Wasn't Afraid of Anything!" They prepped by creating their visual signs, then they practiced and practiced. Both groups decided to place themselves in rows, with the narrators acting as the end-caps. The "little old lady" was positioned in the middle. 

The final performance for our classmates

As the characters read their parts, they stood and performed with dynamic reading in mind. This focus proved to work with all readers because they could make the sound effect for their part, project their voice, and challenge the little old lady with their body language.

Melissa videotaped all three classrooms to record each group's progress during Lesson #6. We are all hoping that she was impressed with our short turn around from rehearsal to final performance. Now, on with the historical show!

The Red Fedora Strut...

The prop walk in practice.

A prop surprise!

Lesson # 5 started with the Big 6 question review. Melissa brought in a suitcase filled with surprises - a red Fedora hat, a Viking cape, a jeweled mask, a motorcycle jacket, elbow-length white gloves, a military helmet and a wool cap. Students took turns answering the Big 6 questions and then they had the opportunity to walk in the prop's "shoes!" The transformation was immediate. It took only seconds for each student to change their body language, facial expression and emotion. Answering the questions really brought out the dramatic side of each student and also revealed the power of using a prop!

We continued as students warmed up their faces with the tongue talking exercise. Students repeated a phrase while keeping their tongues extended. This activity was a playful way to warm-up our jaws.

Cat-cow stretch

Tongue exercise

Students also warmed up their spines with the classical cat-cow stretch. We used our classroom floor to release any tension in our faces and spines.

Creating character signs

We viewed  the story "There Was an Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything" on the Smartboard. As the read aloud continued, students began to act out the movements to each character's part (shoes clomped-clomped, shirt shaked-shaked, pants wiggled-wiggled, gloves clapped-clapped and pumpkin head Boo!-Boo!). Melissa then introduced the readers theater script for the book. We divided the class in half and assigned roles for each student. Students then met in their groups and practiced their parts.  The lesson ended with students creating a visual sign to hang around their necks during the final performance.

Lesson #6 will be the big reveal - students will perform their scripts for each other. We are scaffolding the transition from a reader's theater script to a historical dramatization of American history. Only half way through our AIM's unit and first semester, can't wait to see how students make sense of our country's early history.

Six Props, Six Big Questions and A Lot of Energy:)

The 3rd grade students proved that they were up to the challenge during Lesson #4. Melissa assured us that by providing six hats that our "characters" would come to life. Well, the afternoon played out exactly as planned. Students were grouped mainly in threes and provided a hat, chart paper with the big 6 questions and time. Before the students set off to their work space, we provided a model of a princess hat. We prompted students to begin answering the who, what, when, where, why and how about the princess. Before long, the students began to recognize that their creative thinking brought a hat magically to life. One student even commented that we could write a story about her when we finished.

Students then set off to their six character building spaces (cowboy, knight, pirate, witch, baseball player, and chef). They were to write answers to all the questions on the chart paper, including lots of details. We reminded the class that they would be presenting their character to the class. This gentle reminder seemed to spark some extra creativity in a few of the groups.

Groups practiced for a short period and performed for their audience. We could tell that students were engaged in the process because audience members were giving plenty of compliments and asking clarifying questions!

The knight group begins its journey.

The "hot sauce" chefs in action.

The chef's group planning sheet.

Creating a Character

Body warm ups are always exciting with Mrs. Kneeland!  

We were expressing our lion and mouse interpretations.  

The students were put in groups of three at six different stations around the room.  At each station, there was one of the following hats: pirate, cowboy, knight, witch, baseball cap, chef.   
The students worked together to "tell a story" about who might be wearing the hat.  They collaborated and created sentences answering the six big questions: who, what, where, why, when, and how.  Then they read the sentences to our class working on projection, emotion and fluency.  As always, the students gave such positive feedback to their friends after their mini "performances".  An extension of this lesson is to have each group use the sentences they wrote creating the character they would imagine and write a story about that character.  We're all looking forward to next week when we get to try out reader's theater.

Using all of our spaces for Lesson #3!

In our desks: First, we start with our Big 6 Question Review.

Around the classroom: Then, we practice our volume and intonation. Mrs. Kneeland is looking a little "green."

Utilizing the gym space: Finally, we punctuate with purpose and movement -stomp (.), skip (,), shoulder shrug/hands raised (?), and jump pointing index finger in the air (!). Reading passages really gets the 3rd graders' circulation going.