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Hi ya'll...

OK here is my newest delimna...

I am teaching 3rd grade for the first time this year...previously I've taught jr high (6-8)...don't ask, long story...

Well, I've decided to try and decorate my classroom in a mixed theme of fish and Garfield (my two favorite things), what kind of stuff has people seen with fish? I'm sure Garfield will be easy to find (have a bunch of stuff already), today I was able to buy border with fishies on it, am going to have a fish tank (guppies, my 29 gallon has plenty at this point)...

So has anyone seen anything with fish, any bulletin board ideas? where does anyone think I can get some cool stuff...

Please help, I'm terrified, excited, nauseated, insane, name it I feel it right now about the coming year...

Thanks ahead of time,
Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

hmlaird

One big question whose room is it yours or the students?
Make it there room, ask for suggestions as soon as you start of the year.

Never taught that level but 26 years as a trade teacher & special education handicaped students.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Hi Hm,

What do you plan on doing with this theme? Knowing that might help develop ideas?.

I don't know if it is your intentions, but because of your post I would say you intend on this being an independent project.

A word to the wise, 3rd graders still believe that the world evolves around them. If you choice not to include them in this little project of yours, don't be surprised if they have a lack of appreciation for it.

OK, so much for the lecture, here's a few tips

To include "fish" in the curriculium, consider art projects. I have often seen crepe or tissue paper made into varies objects including a tree that went from the floor to the ceiling of the classrom that was very impressive. Also do a search for "fish crafts" here is one link I found
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/fish/


You could also turn one of the walls in the classroom into a fish tank or mini-ocean. Have the students make a fish, plant, coral, octopus etc out of construction paper and fill the tank. Have students write stories about their particular choice and/or use this as a time to discuss ecosystems or marine life.

In reading you can try and find some fish stories.

There are endless possibilies involving fish. Get them involved, make it academic and keep it on there level. It may not be as impressive as an adults' vision of a fish theme decorated classroom, but it is thier classroom too, you are only one part of it.

As for Garfield, buy a cute little stuff garfield and leave it on your dressor or bed. I don't see were it could have a proper place in the classroom.

Also keep in mind that 3rd graders well tire of this theme sooner than you will, so you will need changes throughtout the year.

Have fun

. . . ask for suggestions as soon as you start of the year.

Perhaps in high school, but would be quite brave of a 3rd grade teacher to show up without a very specific plan of action.



[span class="edited"][Edited by JULRY3 2004-07-28 23:54][/span]

Use them as art projects.

3rd graders are scatty at the beginning of the year anyway, art projects arent taxing and it lets them express themselves.

Make a bunch of fish cut outs and get the kids to decorate them, possibly with words that represent their feelings about problems with the sea, or about feelings about themselves.

Later in the year, do papier mache fish and hang them from the ceiling

get a 'feature fish'... guppies are a bit ho-hum for 3rd graders. Have a naming competition

Learn about scuba gear.



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Ok let me clarify,
I'm thinking along the lines of beginning of the year decorations...Callatya, that pretty much says what I want in the tank (might be getting lucky and get a 20 gallon...keep your fingers crossed)...like the naming contest...pugperson and I brain stormed this morning and have some ideas...thanks Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Make sure whatever you get is active and colourful. Guppies might actually be good as they have such colourful tails and there's always fry!!!! Platies would also be good I think.

I've been teaching preschool for years and we always decorate our doors, bulletin boards, etc. with a theme at the beginning of the school year... so I would suggest on your door something like "Swim into Third Grade" (diecut letters if you have access to a diecut machine) and check out your school supply stores (or even office depot, etc) for fish oriented premade bulletin board sets. Then have each child's name on a fish on your door. If you laminate them, you can write on them with sharpies and then take off the names with nail polish remover for next year. We were fortunate enough to have a laminator but if your school doesn't then pay to have it done (kinko's, ups store, etc) because then you only have to buy the bulletin board sets one time. Anyhow, good luck with setting up for the new school year... I kind of miss it now that I am a stay-at-home-mommy.

-Beth

[span class="edited"][Edited by bscal 2004-07-31 18:21][/span]

well, personally i would stay away from live fish in the classroom. I'm not a teacher, and i dont know how old 3rd graders are, 7? 8? But, both my parents are teachers, my grandad was a teacher and I've got teaching in the genes.

But anyway, to the fish. You're probably going to have some nutters in the class, every teacher does these days. What are you going to do if a kid throws something at/in the fish tank, hits or kicks it? How will you clena up, save the fish and deal with the situation which led to the violence in the first place?

And you'll have the caretaker wanting to clean the room using strong chemicals, all come in spray bottles. These will almost certainly harm the fish, most of them say "harmful to aquatic life" on the label. You will probably also have a situation where all electrical wquipment has to be turned off at the mains each night, which will mean no filter or heater for fish, and I dont know about where you are, but in the UK, things that plug into aquariums generally dont pass a PAT test so are not allowed in schools anyway.

Sorry to be such a downer - I strongly believe that schools are no places for animals

The theme sounds great, though, and I think turning it into an art project is a great idea




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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

If we don't give kids any responsibility at that age, how are they supposed to learn it?

all they have to do is NOT damage the fish, and some will want to help out, that certainly isnt hard.

You are unlikely to find anyone slack enough to purposely kill fish in that age bracket i think.



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Third graders are usually 8 or 9, not to say that age counts as how responsible they are

You get a disturbed kid (EBD) or an autistic kid in the class, he's not going to understand about responsibiility. They may not want to kill the fish, but they just lash out without realising what they are doing. And at 8 or9, you will get them who will want to kill the fish, because they dont know how to deal with animals, they think it's OK cos it's what they do at home or they just cant deal with seeing an animal getting more care than they do.

Having seen an 11yr old try to kill one of his classmates (for real!) and a 7 yr old kick his teacher (again, hard and for real) i dont think that defenceless animals have a place in the classroom.

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions