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Puxi Campus Grade 3: Taking an Important First Step

September 10, 2020

There are many first steps in life. The first step is not necessarily big, but it is significant. It represents the beginning of moving towards a goal.

Now that third-grade science classes have learned the steps of the scientific method (observing, asking questions, making hypotheses, conducting experiments, drawing conclusions, and sharing results), they have taken the first important step in scientific research and observation. During their lessons, students observed the buoyancy of different fruits in the water. Before conducting the experiment, students made predictions based on their daily life experiences and observations about which fruits they believed would sink and which they thought might float. During the experiments, students showed scientific enthusiasm and hard work as they tested each of the fruits one by one. Students patiently and scientifically observed and recorded their data. At the end of each set of observations, the students began to compare their hypotheses with the results they observed. Naturally, some results supported their predictions while others were surprising. Immediately, they started asking, “why are the results different from my predictions? Why do two fruits of the same size have different buoyancy?” More and more questions were bought up and the discussions became more and more passionate and intense. While one simple experiment could not answer or provide data to solve all the students’ questions, they were still partaking in the exciting scientific method. Asking questions is the first and most important step in inquiry and also the first step in becoming a little scientist. We believe that these doubts and questions will lead students into the halls of science and perhaps even guide them to become future scientific experts!

They took an important first step on the journey of science in third grade, and they also took an important first step in their personal growth lessons. Students reflected on the questions, “have all the superheroes you know helped people? Have you ever helped anyone? Why do you think we should be helpful? As a little hero, how do you think you can help the people around you?” As students began to discuss important character traits and ways to be the best versions of themselves, they gained a deep understanding of the heroic trait of helpfulness. Students came up with lots of ideas about how to help others, such as assisting parents with the housework, helping younger siblings organize their things at home, helping the teacher pass out homework, and countless other ideas. In addition to the discussion of helpfulness, the children also began to mold their hearts to become helpful heroes. In the lesson, each child was given a plain super hero mask and a blank comic book. The children painted and colored their special masks. These colorful masks represent each little hero in grade three. Students also began work on their HEROES comic books, drawing stories of their heroes showing helpfulness. These activities were excellent ways to promote helpfulness and also useful for encouraging the students to set their own requirements and expectations for being amazing students, classmates, and children. We hope that more and more heroes will arise from these wonderful comics!

As the saying goes, “the first step is always the most difficult.” Third-graders are already taking more and more bold first steps. Each step towards new milestones will surely bring us many more surprises in our future studies and life at SHSID. Let’s wait and see!

(Written by Yong CHEN Pictures/videos by Puxi Campus GradeThreeTeachers)