About Leigh Newton

I've variously been a teacher, church worker and songwriter/entertaienr. 2013 to present - Immanuel Lutheran School, Gawler

Term 3, 2017

Welcome to Term 3, 2017.

Congratulations dear student on having made it half way through Year 3 on your way to Year 4. Already we have seen huge growth in your ability this year. What are your goals for your personal learning for the rest of this year? What would you like to improve on in Semester Two? Is focus something that you think you might be able to improve?

We welcome Aimee this term and hope that she will have a fantastic time in 3NR.  We specialise in daily fitness and daily singing.  We understand that you’re into music, so there be should plenty of things to keep you moving.

You will notice that the new UOI is on energy, which, when we make the connection to global warming, is perhaps the biggest issue for the next few decades. Full details of the UOI are on the UOI#3 page.

The new unit of inquiry is as follows:

How the World Works

Week #1-6, Term 3, 2017

Central Idea: Energy exists in different forms and is used in many ways

Lines of Inquiry:

  1. What is energy? (forms of energy)
  2. The production and transfer of energy
  3. Why we need energy

Concepts:

Function-How does it work?

Form- What is it like?

Change- How has it changed?

Year 3 Teaching Team:
Mr Leigh Newton  3NR: Mon-Wed
Mrs Karen Rollings  3NR: Thurs-Fri
Miss Ellie Clark  3C: Mon-Fri

The Authors’ Project

The Authors Project

For genre writing this term you will become an author and create your very own book!

The book that you chose to create is up to you but some ideas might include:

– A picture book

– A recipe Book

– An information book on a favourite topic e.g. Minecraft

– An instruction book e.g. how to play Minecraft

-A biography or autobiography.

You will receive a new exercise book which is to be used as your planning scrapbook. You will need to plan out your book in a lot of detail before making the good copy.

You will need to think about the target audience (who the book is aimed at babies, little kids, school kids, adults etc.), the type of pictures (illustrations, diagrams, photos etc.), Techniques (rhyme, repetition etc.), Features (contents page, page numbers, characters, headings and sub-headings etc.) words/writing (can’t have a book with no words), and layout (how the pages will actually look).

If you chose to do something like a recipe book, information book or biography you will have to do some research to collect your information (it can’t just be made up). It will also be a good idea to look at other books that are in the library or that you have at home to get ideas about what you would like to do with your own book e.g. if you are doing a rhyming picture book, find other picture books that use rhyme and use them as inspiration to help you. Record all of this in your scrapbook.

You will have until the end of week 7 to plan and make your good copy of your book. There will be a ‘Book Launch Morning Tea’ during week 8 where you will invite a special guest to come along for morning tea and see your book be launched. You will have time during morning tea to read your book to your guest. During the ceremony you will be presented with your book and certificate by a ‘mystery guest’.

Summary:

  1. Chose a book to create
  2. Plan in your scrapbook
  3. Create the good copy
  4. Due end of week 7
  5. Book Launch Morning Tea celebration in week 8
  6. Good luck and happy writing!

 

Starting Term 4, 2016

This year (2016) is 3/4 through, with a big Term 4 starting.  We’re now looking towards entering Year 4 and taking on the responsibility that goes with that new year level.

Here are some of the things coming up in the near future:

  1. Visit to Cleland Wildlife Park – Wednesday of Week #1  – 19th October 2016
  2. UOI#5 to be completed by Tuesday of Week #2 – 25th October 2016
  3. Year 3 Camp to Kadina – Wednesday and Thursday of Week #2 – 26th & 27th October 2016
  4. UOI#6 starts Week #3 and finishes Week #8 (Week ending 9th December).   Details to be listed on this blog in the next few days.

Don’t forget to leave your email address on this blog’s homepage, which will bring notification emails whenever we have posted something new.

 

UOI#4 How The World Works

Energy in the world

We now have a separate page on the Year 3 blog for the current unit of inquiry. Head on over to get more information including student resources.


 

How the World Works

Week #1-6, Term 3, 2016

Central Idea: Energy exists in different forms and is used in many ways

Lines of Inquiry:

  1. What is energy? (forms of energy)
  2. The production and transfer of energy
  3. Why we need energy

More info is found on the UOI#4 page.

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UOI #3 Summative Assessment

Hi, everyone

We are at the business end of our UOI on commemorations and celebrations. Students are beginning research on a chosen country. Many of them are working in groups but some have chosen to work alone.

This unit will be presented at the end of Week #9 (starting Monday, 27th June, 2016)

The marking rubric (somewhat blurry) is found at below.

Summative Assessment:

  1. Make notes on each country that you ‘visit’ in the Unit of Inquiry. These will be assessed. (the note-taking has already occurred in the classroom)
  2. Write an information report on your chosen country or cultural group. Ask questions about commemorations and celebrations in that country (function). You may also ask other questions about your chosen country. Create a minimum of three (3) subheadings (or questions), however, four (4) or five (5) will be more appropriate for some students.
  3. Create a Venn Diagram recording differences and similarities between your chosen country and your Australian culture. (perspective)

Rubric UOI#3

 

 

As a reminder, this is what a Venn Diagram looks like:

Venn Diagram capture

 

Some people are choosing to present using PowToon.  This is a video/PowerPoint/cartoon form of presentation. You will need an email address but 3NR can use the following format: leigh.newton+firstname@gmail.com.   (where “first name” might be ‘bill’, or ‘clara’) e.g. leigh.newton+alison@gmail.com
This email for signing up will send an email to Leigh Newton who will then confirm the registration. Students will need to choose a memorable password, which should be written down for later use (because we all forget sometimes).

Time is short so if PowToons takes too long it should not be used.

Web Quest – A traditional Irish Easter

Visit this link on Celebrating a traditional Irish Easter.  – http://goo.gl/FGdqy3

Answer the following questions.  All answers are found in the text.

  1. What is one thing that people do before Easter in Ireland?
  2. On Good Friday – Why do people cut their hair?
  3. What children will have the gift of healing?
  4. Easter Saturday – What would Catholics eat during Lent?
  5. Easter Sunday – Why would Catholics go to a hill to see the sunrise?
  6. What do they do with eggs?
  7. What is a ‘Cludog’?
  8. What do merrymakers do on Easter Sunday?
  9. What is traditional food on Easter Sunday?
  10. Who gets a cake as a prize?

Welcome to Year 3 at ILSG

Hey!  Welcome to Year 3, 2016 at Immanuel Lutheran School, Gawler.  How exciting!!

Miss Clarke, Mrs Rollings and Mr Newton are very, very excited to be your teachers this year. We will all learn so much together.   We know we will have a lot of fun together but there will also be some hard work, which is part of what makes us into whole caring people.

This year we are planning for you to take some huge steps towards taking charge of your learning. That means being able to ask good questions and being able to research their  answers so that you become a mini-expert on your topics.

The units of inquiry will require growing independence  but we will be helping you along the way.  One very important thing is to ask questions when you are not sure what to do.  Another important thing is to value mistakes, for they tell you what you still need to learn. There’s nothing bad about making mistakes because in our classrooms our focus is on learning and no-one knows everything.