Last Day Blues

It's award day at Don Brewer! The last week of school is an exciting time of year where we get to celebrate all of our accomplishments! Congratulations to everyone for working so hard and achieving your goals. I am proud of each and every one of you and I have enjoyed being your third grade teacher! Don't forget to come back and visit me!

Exploring Bar Graphs

For the end of the last module in math, the students created a survey question, collected the data, and designed displays to represent their data. We presented our bar graphs to the class using our new Flip camera. It was exciting seeing our faces on the blog!

What is your favorite movie?



What is your favorite food?



What is your favorite fraction?



What is your favorite thing to do after school?



Who is your favorite celebrity?

WE LOVE DATA! :)

What is data? Data is collected information. In math class, the students have been exploring data with surveys. A survey is where students collect data by asking many people the same question. Once the information is collected, we organize the data into categories and then represent the data using a frequency table, bar graph, circle graph, or pictograph. Our first survey was titled "Our Favorite Places to Eat"...stop by our class bulletin board to see our student work displayed! I found an interactive website where students can practice collecting, organizing, and representing data in a fun way...enjoy! :)

Click Here-->Interpreting Data With Surveys and Graphs

Fraction Fun

In math, we are currently exploring "Fair Shares". This unit is ALL about fractions. A fraction is a part of a whole. To better understand fractions, the students and I have been working with paper brownies. Sometimes we share 7 brownies between 4 people, 5 brownies between 2 people, and 9 brownies between 5 people. This was a challenge for some students because there were an odd number of brownies and an even number of people. Many students asked, "What do I do with the extra brownies?". That's where fractions came into play. Working with the brownies made learning more fun and it helped students overcome their fear of fractions. Challenge your child to use fractions while cooking dinner, sharing food items, or even dividing money. Check out this fantastic fraction website that I know you'll enjoy! Here you will be sharing brownies and cookies with friends...but these sweet treats you may not eat!
Kids and Cookies: An Interactive Fraction Game
Scholastic Fractions: Video Clip and Activities

Come Explore With Us!

In math and science we have enjoyed using tools such as: rulers, straw kits, and modeling clay. This month in math we have been discovering ways to find perimeter of regular and irregular figures, identifying two-dimensional shapes by the number of sides and angles, and defining the attributes of triangles. In science, we have had a "blast" making straw model rockets. This gravity lab demonstrates how gravity can be overcome and helps us to see why it is important for scientists to use models. Alot of learning has been taking place and we are hard at work. As you can see in the workshop model, students are working in small groups and with a partner to find solutions and explore new ideas! This type of environment is necessary for all learners to feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

It's Getting Hot in Here!!!

The last few weeks in December were chilly for Floridians. I think it's time to heat things up!! I know...what about exploring our Sun and the stars in our solar system? In January, the students and I will be learning about our closest star...the Sun! The Sun is the main source of heat and light for earth. Do you know why the Sun looks large to us while other stars look much smaller? Do you know how many earth's it would take to fill up the Sun? Do you know why scientists use telescopes? These questions and many more like these will be answered in our next science lab. Check out these "stellar" websites to learn more about the stars around us!
Kids Astronomy
Stars and Constellations
Bill Nye: The Sun
NASA Kids' Club

Wave Your Flag

In Social Studies, we created flags to represent who we are as individuals. Every image, color, and symbol on our flags tells a story about our life and makes us "one of a kind". We are proud of who we are and we are proud to "Wave Our Flags". Stop by the classroom to check out our display of fabulous flags! Also, watch this You Tube video that was filmed for the 2010 World Cup Soccer...we LOVE it!