Things That Come In Groups

Hey kids...what's an easier way to add items in equal groups? MULTIPLY!!!!! In math class, the students and I have been creating lists of items that come in equal groups. For example: 4 legs on a dog, everyone has 2 eyes, 3 wheels on a tricyle, 12 eggs in a carton(dozen), and 7 days in a week. Then, we demonstrated how to count the items repeatedly by skip counting or using repeated addition. "If there are 3 dogs at the park, how many legs are there in all?"...4+4+4=12 or 4,8,12 or 3 groups of 4=12 or 3x4=12! Now students are understanding why we multiply and recognizing when to multiply in number stories. Here is a great link to practice skip counting by muliples 2-10. We played it in class on our SmartBoard...it's called "Fruit Shoot". Students had to choose which fruit contained the missing number to complete the pattern.
Fruit Shoot: Skip Counting Game
Fruit Shoot: Multiplication Game

Come Grow With Us!

In Science Lab we are learning all about plants! Our teacher gave each of us our very own "bean-ie" baby (our bean seed). We have to watch over our little seeds to make sure they get exactly what they need to grow into an adult plant. We have learned that all plants and animals need the same things to survive: sun, water, air, and space. Right now we have been watching our plants grow for 15 days. Our plants now have the four main parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves, and the flower. Pretty soon our plants will be ready to take home so we can put them in soil next to a sunny window! Along our plant journey our vocabulary is growing, too! We have discussed the meaning of these cool words: photosynthesis, germination, pollination, seedling, seed coat, seed leaf, and embryo(tiny plant). Our plant exploration is coming to an end, but we sure did learn a lot! Check out some of these links to learn more:
Leaves Mini-Video
Helping Plants Grow Well
How to grow your name on a sponge
The Plant Part Song
Plant Growth Experiments
Bill Nye on Plants
The Life Cycle of Plants

Building a Learning Community

Beep--Beep--Beep! This sound is one of the noises you'll hear at the Don Brewer "Kid"struction Site! This year I need the very best work crew to help build the future of our school. I will be providing everyone with the proper tools and guidelines to make sure we are prepared for the job ahead of us! Make sure you have the necessaary equipment and materials that are required of each crew member. It is also important to show up to work on time and come in with a positive attitude. This will ensure a happier work environment for us all! I am excited and eager to build this "learning community" with each of you! Remember...the first day on the work site is August 22nd.