Discovering Living Things – Learning with Hamsters in Year 3

In our Year 3 PYP science and English class, we combined two subjects into one exciting lesson about hamsters. The focus was on our Central Idea for Untit 1: Living Things.

We began with a short instructional video about hamsters. From this, the children gathered many new vocabulary words related to the topic. They wrote these words carefully into their vocabulary notebooks, practiced reading them aloud, and worked on spelling. Together, we also discussed the meanings so that every child could explain the words with confidence. At the end of the video, the students completed a fun quiz to check their understanding of everything they had learned and observed.

To make the experience even more special, one of the students (miss Mishel) brought a live hamster into the classroom. She introduced him as a living thing, connecting directly to our Central Idea. The children were full of curiosity and excitement. They learned how to handle the tiny hamster with gentleness and empathy, realizing that he is a nocturnal animal who needs rest during the day. With Ms. Mishel’s guidance, the students showed kindness by carefully passing the hamster to each other and treating him with respect.

This day was a truly wonderful example of experiential and hands-on learning, where science and English came together in a joyful way. The children left the classroom with new knowledge, new vocabulary, and a memorable connection to the living world around them.