Happy Columbus Day!

In honor of Columbus day, third grade at The Heiskell School did a fun project! Today was extra special because we had just finished studying about Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the New World! I loved how excited my students were about Columbus day, because they knew the meaning behind it. This afternoon we colored and cut out Christopher Columbus hats! However, coloring, cutting, and gluing isn't all we did. To demonstrate what we learned, each student wrote six facts about Christopher Columbus on the back of their hats. We definitely showed  everyone that we knew many facts about Columbus off the top of our heads! Enjoy the pictures below! 

We couldn't help but share what we did with Miss Boyd!

 She was clearly impressed!

We Have Spirit, Yes We Do! We Have Spirit, How About You?

Calling all Heiskell students and family members! 

Thursday, September 30th, is spirit night! 

Come and display your Heiskell spirit as we celebrate our beloved school and some delicious chicken! 

Where: Chick-fil-A off of Northside Drive

When: 4:00pm-6:00pm  

How to show your spirit: wear your Heiskell t-shirt!

The Ups and Downs of Air Pressure!

       In third grade science class we have embarked on the journey of studying zoology. We have been discussing how scientists classify animals, and came up with our very own mnemonic phrase to help us remember the system of classification. We then learned a few things about flight and how God gifted some animals with the amazing ability to fly. The students learned that air pressure is a key component of a bird's ability to fly. To demonstrate this principle and to allow the students to experience how air pressure works, we conducted an experiment! Read below to find out what we did!

Uplifting Pressure!

Materials Used:

• A cup completely full of water
• One straw cut in half (first half must stick out of the water by only 1/2 an inch)
• trash bag 

Procedure:

• Place the trash bag over the table and put the cup on top. 
• Put the longer straw in the cup of water.
• Move the cup to the edge of the desk.
• Squat down so your eyes are level with the cup.
• Using your fingers to hold the small straw next to the edge of the cup, blow through the other straw at an angle towards the top of the straw in the cup. (Angle the straw upwards so that the air coming out of it passes right over the top of the straw in the cup.)
• Keep blowing and blowing over the top of the straw in the cup. 

Recorded Class Hypothesis:

• "The water will begin to bubble and will eventually spill out of the cup."
• "Nothing will happen to the water."
• "The air will make a whirling sound, but no water will come out of the cup." 

Results:

• A stream of water squirted out of the straw that was in the cup. 

Conclusion:

• When the students blew air over the top of the straw, the moving air could not press down as hard on the water in the straw. The air over the rest of the water in the cup was not moving, so it continued to press down on the water with its full pressure.
• Since the water in the cup was being pressed down harder than the water in the straw, water was forced up and out of the straw! 
• This is a lot like what happens to a bird's wing. 
• Just as the difference in air pressure over the straw and the rest of the cup lifted water out of the straw, the difference in air pressure between the top and bottom of a bird's wing lifts the wing into the air! 

A Day That Changed America's History

Last Saturday marked a special day of remembrance in American history. September 11th, 2001, brought America to her knees in prayer. Many people will never forget where they were when news of the attack spread.

However, what's more shocking is the fact that these precious third graders were too young to know what happened on that dreadful day. A teacher is not only responsible for nurturing academic knowledge, but also Biblical wisdom and a prayerful heart. These young children will not know how to pray for and evangelize to those in darkness if they are not educated to do so.

Last Friday Ms. Heiskell gave a wonderful chapel presentation concerning the events of 9-11. That afternoon I had the opportunity to further the discussion with my students. The main part of our discussion centered on Matthew 5:44. The students' comments brought tears to my eyes and thankfulness to my heart as I saw more clearly the beautiful and strong men and women of God that they are becoming. After our class discussion each student made a "Pray for America" necklace and also wrote their own prayer for our country. Specifically, one student said, "Lord, thank you for your protection. Please help us learn to pray more even when it's hard." The Lord is at work in the third grade, friends. I pray we have the humility to learn and grow from the passion of these little ones.

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

~Matthew 5:44

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

My third grade class has a famous tradition known as "The Friday Dance." Every Friday before dismissal, we raise our roofs in celebration of another completed week. As much as we love school, we are thankful for the weekend and the restful family time it brings. Thank you, Lord, for time to rest and sweet fellowship with family. Happy Labor Day everyone!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

3, 6, 9! It's Counting Pattern Time!

This week in math we have been reviewing place value, as well as counting patterns! Yesterday, we broke out our colored pencils and hundreds charts in order to obtain some hands-on understanding! As each child skip counted by 3's and 4's we also noticed some pretty neat patterns. It was such a sweet time when students started recognizing spatial, visual, and numerical patterns! Below are pictures of the hundreds charts we completed!

Third Grade: A Swingin' Bunch!

Today marked the first day of school for the third grade and we couldn't be more excited! We're all prepared with our fresh supplies, books, and an inspiring classroom! We will be using this blog as a window into our world as we learn and experience new things. Below are some pictures of our classroom, as well as the sweet students that make teaching worthwhile! We invite you to follow and pray for us as we embark on the adventure of growing and learning in God's grace!