Third grade students will practice measurement and construction when building a rocket ship from large pieces of cardboard, paper and craft glue. Encourage students to work in groups of three or four to construct a creative rocket by accurately measuring pieces of cardboard and adhering them together with craft glue. For an instant method of attachment, tape is another option. If students inaccurately measure the lengths and widths of cardboard pieces, the rocket will not fit together adequately. Allow the groups to decorate the rocket with paper decorations.
Reinforce the concept of idioms, (which can be described as phrases that have a figurative meaning as opposed to the literal perception of the wording,) through clay sculptures. Examples of idioms are "a piece of cake," "let the cat out of the bag," and " when pigs fly." The students, either in groups or individually, can form the representation of an idiom from sculpting clay or colored play dough. Allow the masterpiece to dry and present to the class while explaining the idiom wording. Other uses for the project are to display the art at a parent open house or present it at a school art show.
Experiment with various non-toxic lubricants to display the levels of friction in science. Cut 1-inch by 1-inch cubes of previously-made gelatin and place about 10 cubes in a disposable bowl. Coat the cubes with 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, and in a matter of 30 seconds, test how many cubes can be transferred successfully into a second empty bowl using only the index finger and the thumb. Repeat the experiment with uncoated gelatin cubes and with other lubricants, including dish-washing detergent and water. Discuss with the students the level of friction felt when transferring the cubes and if any lubricants were more slippery than others.
Reinforce the social science concept of cardinal and intermediate directions with a hands-on, interactive activity. Allow one student to be "it" and all other students to stand in a cardinal or intermediate direction from the "it" student, such as along the walls or in the corners of the room. The student who is "it" stands in the center of the room and calls out one direction, such as North, after which all the students standing north of the student must take their seat. The third-grader will attempt to remember to use all cardinal and intermediate directions during her turn. If all other students have sat down, the "it" student is the winner, and if there are remaining students standing, the group is deemed the winner.