Parent Newsletter-Science

Ms.
Washington's
third grade science

newsletter
Welcome to the new school Throughout the year
year! As we embark on this
>> Earth & Space Systems
journey, I would like to share
>> Earth Resources
some important information
>> Living Systems & Process
regarding your child's science
>> Matter
education in our class. This
>> Force, Motion, & Energy
newsletter will inform you
>> Scientific & Enginering
what we are going to cover in
Practices
science for the whole year
and focus on what our first
lesson will be. I will also Focus of newsletters
Science VA SOL
inform you on how I will teach
3.8 The student will investigate
such topics to your children
and understand that natural
and some resources for you events and humans influence
to do at home. ecosystems. Key ideas include, a)
human activity affects the quality
of air, water, and habitats. b)
water is limited and needs to be
conserved; c) fire, flood, disease,
and erosion affect ecosystems;
and d) soil is a natural resource
and should be conserved.
Across the Curricula
Art lth Health
Hea
Art
Our First Unit: Earth Resources
Unit Content
Human actions (e.g., polluting, clearing large plots of land to build
neighborhoods or plant crops, over-fertilizing lawns, burning fossil
fuels) can negatively affect the survival of organisms in an ecosystem.
Humans can make choices that reduce their impact on an
environment.
The water supply on Earth is limited. Pollution reduces the amount of
usable water; therefore, the supply should be conserved.
Natural occurrences (e.g., earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes,
hurricanes, floods, coastal erosion, disease) can harm the organisms
in an environment.
Humans cannot eliminate natural occurrences, but they can take
steps to reduce their impact. Mitigation measures such as adoption
of zoning, land-use practices, and building codes can prevent or
reduce damage.
Conservation is the careful use and preservation of natural resources.
Humans need to help conserve limited resources. 
Since soil takes a long time to form, it should be conserved, not
wasted. (VDOE 2018)
Across Curricula Intergration
We will be incorporating the health SOL standard that
discusses what happens with waste and recycled
materials and how reducing, reusing, and recycling
products promotes a healthier environment. Students will
incorporate Art with creating ecosystem models with
varies supplies.
How the lessons will be taught
Inquiry-Based Learning
Throughout the year, your child will be engaging in
inquiry-based learning, which is a teaching approach
that encourages students to ask questions, make
observations, and explore topics in a hands-on way. The
follow steps are what I will using to achieve this:
1. Encourage students to create questions.
2. Carve out class time for students to research their
questions.
3. Allow students to share their findings with the class.
4. Ask students to reflect on their process.
(Wolpert-Gawron 2016)
How the lessons will be taught
Continued...
5E Model
The 5E model is a teaching approach that follows
five stages: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate,
and Evaluate. This approach helps students make
connections between what they already know and
new concepts, while also encouraging active
participation and deeper understanding (Gerges
2022).
Engage: the teacher will try to

obtain student curiosity by posing
Explore: students are given
questions to the topic. The teacher
opportunities to investigate and
will also address prior knowledge.
experiment with the concepts
Explain: students are asked to being taught.
explain what they have
Elaborate: students are asked
learned so far, either to their
to apply what they have
peers or to the teacher.
learned to new situations or
contexts.
Evaluate: students are assessed on their
understanding of the concepts and their
ability to apply them. (Lesley University Online 2019)
Tips for Parental Involvement
As a parent, you play an important role in your child's

education. Here are some tips for how you can help support
your child's science learning at home (University of Plymouth
2019):
Encourage your child to ask questions and explore their
curiosity. Try taking a walk in nature or visiting a science
museum.
Provide materials for hands-on exploration.
Talk with your child about what they are learning in science
class.
Attend science-related events as a family, such as science
fairs or planetarium shows. (NSTA 2009)
Sources
Gerges, E. (2022, March 4). How to use the 5E model in Your science classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved April 9, 2023,
from https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-5e-model-your-science-classroom
Lesley University Online. (2022, January 21). What is the 5E model? A definition for teachers. TeachThought.
Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/5e-model/
NSTA. (2009). Parent involvement in Science learning . National Science Teachers Association . Retrieved April 8,
2023, from https://static.nsta.org/pdfs/positionstatement_parentinvolvement.pdf
University of Plymouth. (2019, September 19). Parental involvement plays key role in children's academic attainment,
research shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 9, 2023, from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190919095220.htm
Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2016, August 11). What the heck is inquiry-based learning? Edutopia. Retrieved April 9, 2023,
from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-inquiry-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron
VDOE. (2018). Standards of learning for Science. Retrieved April 9, 2023, from
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-
literacy/standards-of-learning
*All pictures and graphics are downloaded from Canva

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Ms.

third grade science

How the lessons will be taught

Engage: the teacher will try to

As a parent, you play an important role in your child's

*All pictures and graphics are downloaded from Canva

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