Watch Us Grow In...Ms.McGarity's Garden!

Summer Is Here!

2010-06-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

We have worked hard all year long and it's time to CELEBRATE! I have enjoyed being your 3rd grade teacher and I will miss all of you! What are your summer plans?

Shapes in Our World

2010-05-27T03:23:00.000-07:00

Take a look around you...what do you see? There are 2D and 3D figures EVERYWHERE! In the photo is a picture of a 3D solid called a square pyramid. It's called a square pyramid because it has a square base. This solid is also made up of 4 triangles. Can you guess how many faces there are on a square pyramid? That's right...It has 5 faces! We can also classify this solid using other properties. A property is a word to describe a shape. Here are the properties of a square pyramid...It has 5 faces, 5 vertices, 8 edges, and it is a polyhedron. Polyhedra are three dimensional shapes which contain straight edges that connect. If you are thinking the word "polyhedron" sounds a lot like the word "polygon"...you are right! These words have very similar meanings. The only difference is a polyhedron is 3D and a polygon is 2D. A polygon is a two dimensional figure with 3 or more straight sides that connect. For example: An equilateral triangle is a polygon with 3 equal straight sides, 3 vertices, and 3 equal angles. Over the weekend go on a "Shape Scavenger Hunt". Take your friends or family on a walk around a park or neighborhood. See if you can identify and classify 2D and 3D shapes around you. Record your observations in a notebook or bring your camera along and take photographs of the shapes you discover! Here are some links to learn more about "Shapes In Our World"!
Shape Lab
Sorting Triangles
Sorting Quadrilaterals
What 2D Shape Am I?
Solid Shapes: Matching Game
Shapes Game
Buried 3D Shapes
Polygon Playground
3D Shapes-Net
Polygon Playground: Matching Game

Up and Down the Number Line

2010-05-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

In math class, I like to incorporate writing as much as possible. It deepens the child's understanding of the math concepts and it allows children to express themselves in a more creative mathematical way! We are currently exploring using positive and negative numbers to go above and below zero. To help understand this concept, we have been using skyscrapers and elevators. These skyscrapers are very unique because every floor is created just for kids! Here is a story called "The Elevator Power" written by Johnny who is one of the students in my third grade math class.
I'm Johnny...I live in a hotel that's NOT normal. There's an elevator that has super powers. I live on the 12th floor and there are 15 floors in all. Today, my buddy Coleman and I, have to run errands so we can go to a very cool place! We had to go to the 14th floor (12 + 2 = 14). When we got to the 14th floor, the elevator door opened and we were at the "floating flop, candy stop". Everything was floating...the candy, the tables, chairs, and even we began floating! When we found what we were looking for...super caramel power bars. Now it's time to go 7 floors down (14 - 7 = 7). We had to pick up our uniforms for the very cool place, so we stopped at the "flame fire clothes drier". Our clothes were on FIRE! When we finally put the flames out we decided to leave immediately...this place was too HOT to stick around much longer. Our next stop was "the come to life art studio". It was 3 floors up (7 + 3 = 10). When we got there, all the pictures were alive. We painted ours for the team. Mine was a bunch of monsters having a race. In the painting, the monsters ran all over my painting...COOL! Coleman's was a painting of him and a monster having a race with the monster on his back...COOLER! Now it was time to go to the 2nd floor (10 - 8 = 2). We arrived at the "Big BOOM Weapon Store". We would need battle back gear for the cool special place. Our last stop was on the 3rd floor (2 + 1 = 3). We bought monster seat belts at the "protection store for monster dudes". It was finally time to head to our special place! (3 - 2 = 1). There were monsters EVERYWHERE!!! We weren't scared because we were prepared! Here is the number sentence to represent his changes along the way: 12 + 2 - 7 + 3 - 8 + 1 - 2 = 1. The net change of the sequence of numbers equals +1.
Click on the image to view his illustration that matches his mathematical adventure!

Don Brewer's Reading Celebration

2010-05-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say "Congratulations" to all of the students who met their reading goal this year. The Reading Celebration was a big success! The students enjoyed dancing, playing, eating, laughing, and movie watching! Check out this video clip to see how much fun we had!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2010-05-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Do stars really twinkle? Are stars all the same size and same color? Is the Sun the largest star? What are constellations? These are all questions we have been exploring in our science unit about stars. May is the perfect time of year to go outside with your family and look up into the night sky. To make the experience even better...bring a telescope! A fun game to play is "I Spy"; for example, I spy the Big Dipper. Then, see if any of the children can spot the specific constellation in the sky. To learn more about stars, I have included stellar websites that you won't want to miss!
Kids Astronomy
NASA: Make a Star Finder

Odyssey Software At Home

2010-03-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a way to actively engage your child at home? This program is designed specifically to meet your child's needs at their appropriate learning level for math and reading. To get started, click on this link: http://odyssey.duvalschools.org and save it to your "Favorites". The username and password for your child will be the same as their "Log In" on the school computers. Your child's information is on a label in the front of their planner. If you are having trouble locating it, let me know! This is a new resource for teachers, parents, and students...I would love to hear your feedback!

Fraction Fun!

2010-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

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

It's Crunch Time!

2010-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to sharpen up your math and problem solving skills? I HOPE SO! This is the FOCUS website. First, go to http://www.florida-achieves.com/, log in to the FOCUS side of the website (the right side). Your sign in name will be your last name and first initial (For example, if your name is Jane Smith, your sign in would be smithj) Once you have your sign in, enter your password which is the number 16, the first four letters of your last name and your birthday month, then year. (For example Jane Smith, born on January 1st would have the password of 16smit0101)
Once you have logged in, you can choose any link to work on. These assignments align with topics and skills we have gone over in class.

Let the Countdown Begin...2010!

2009-12-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

The students and I are very excited about the upcoming new year. Did you know that the number 2010 is a landmark number? It's a landmark number because it ends in the number 0. For the month of December, one of the Every Day Counts activites is counting down the days until January 1st. In our classroom, we have 31 red and green links on a chain and every day in the month of December we are taking off one of the links. We also created number sentences to represent the year...2010. One student suggested: 2010 x 2 / 2 = 2010. She used a combination of multiplication and division to name the number of the upcoming year. Another student said: 1,000 x 2 + 10 - 10 + 5 + 5. He combined the multiplication, addition, and subtraction operations to name the number 2010. Ask your child about some of the other Every Day Counts activities as they appear in the slideshow. Happy Holidays!

1, 2, 3, 4...Tetrominoes Galore!

2009-11-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

What is a tetromino? A tetromino is a shape formed of FOUR connected square regions. In the unit, "Flips, Turns, and Area", students will be exploring area using the tetrominoes. Do you remember playing the game, Tetris, as a child? If so, here is your chance to show off your Tetris skills. Click on the link below and choose one of the following Tetris games. As you and your child are playing the game, think about the following questions:
*Do certain shapes fit together well?
*How did you decide where to place the tetrominoes?
*Was one tetromino shape more difficult to place than the others? Why?
*What was the easiest tetromino shape to work with? Why?
*Are some of the shapes congruent? How do you know?
*Review the terms; translation (slide), reflection (flip), and rotation (turn).
Tetris Mania (<---click here)

What's the Matter???

2009-11-08T04:34:00.000-08:00

Matter is EVERYWHERE! Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. In our upcoming science unit we will be exploring the three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases using our senses. Take a minute to observe the world around you...can you identify an example of a solid, liquid, or gas? How are they alike and different? To learn more about matter in a fun way, view the "Properties of Matter" song by clicking on the video clip. :)

Metric Snakes

2009-10-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Imagine that you had a pet snake that was exactly one meter (m) long. How many decimeters (dm) are in one meter? How many centimeters (cm) are in one meter? These are questions that we will be exploring this month in class and at home. Each day in the month of October, we will be adding 1 decimeter or 10 centimeters to our measurement piece in Every Day Counts. If we added 1 decimeter each day for 31 days, how many decimeters will there be all together? How many centimeters will there be in all? How many meters all together? Did you estimate or did you write your thinking down on paper? What items in our world around us measure about 1 meter? I know that the width of my front door is about 1 meter wide. Bring your ideas to share with your classmates! I have included several measurement links to help reinforce the metric system at home. I can't wait to see your pet snakes slither their way into our classroom this Friday!
Measure It!
Length Strength
Wacky Ruler

Reading Really Adds Up!

2009-09-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday at Don Brewer, we celebrated the Million Word Campaign with a Literacy Kick-Off! Students and teachers were encouraged to dress up like one of their favorite book characters. We even had guest readers stop by our classrooms throughout the day to celebrate with us their love of reading. I dressed up as my favorite character, Stephanie, from the book titled "Stephanie's Ponytail" by Robert Munsch. It takes me back to my childhood when I use to wear my ponytail on the side of my head in the fourth grade. Now, take a look at this photo...can you guess who looks like a bunch of grapes from the story "Grapes of Math" by Gregory Tang? You are smarties...it's Mrs. Copeland, our math coach at Don Brewer. I was so excited to see another teacher who also loves this book as much as I do. Not only is the book great for problem solving and critical thinking, it is FUN, too! Here is an excerpt from the text: "I stroll along a vineyard path, and there I see the GRAPES OF MATH! Overhead the sun is blanzin', soon each grape will be a raisin. How many grapes are on the vine? Counting each takes too much time. Never fear, I have a hunch, there is a match for every bunch!" This story encourages students to find new ways to group numbers for quick counting. No worries...the solutions are located in the back of the book for those who need extra help. It may even teach adults a few tricks! Don't forget, as part of the 30 book goal this year, expose your child to different genres, including math related stories.
Author Website: Gregory Tang
Author Website: Robert Munsch

Plant Exploration

2009-09-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Do you know the four main parts of a plant? Did you say...roots, stem, leaves, and flower? If so, you're right! Each part of the plant plays an important role in the plant's survival. Like animals, plants need food, water, air, and space to grow successfully. In science lab, we have been observing the life cycle of a plant. We started with placing a bean into a baggie with a damp paper towel. Our class noticed that the first bean began to sprout on Day 3. On Day 5, Cayce's bean grew a stem and leaves. She must have a green thumb! To take on the role of a scientist, students must conduct research on their topic to learn as much as they can about that particular topic (example: plants). Researching information allows students the opportunity to go deeper with the science standards. I have included several weblinks which are plant related. Have your child explore each link to learn more about the plants in our world!

The Life Cycle of Plants
Parts of a Seed
Paper Towel Plants (video)
All About Leaves (video)
Plants In Motion (videos)
Adventures of the Agronauts
Botanists Dictionary for Kids

Finding the Difference

2009-09-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

What does the term "difference" mean? In math, it is defined as finding the distance between two numbers. During the explore period, students have been comparing items such as...numbers of children in their family and handfuls of beans. Students have been thinking a great deal about relationships between numbers without relying on memorized procedures. Too often, students memorize procedures that they don't understand. When this happens, many students just try to follow the steps and seem to forget about number relationships. They forget to estimate, double check, or THINK about the situation. Instead, in the math workshop, I encourage children to develop and use their OWN strategies for solving problems. When they take ownership of their thinking, this is when the learning and understanding of the concept takes place. In this video clip, you will see a student sharing his strategy for "finding the difference". This strategy is called the "open number line" and it helps students visualize what it looks like to find the distance between two numbers. It is also great for understanding number sense, landmark numbers, and identifying number patterns. You can also stop by our standards based math bulletin board to view more strategies and students at work!

Blooming Mathematicians

2009-08-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Math games are an essential piece to the Math Workshop. Not only are the games fun and enjoyable for everyone, the students are using problem solving and critical thinking skills, too. Our first math unit is titled, "Combining and Comparing". Throughout this unit, students will be exploring addition and subtraction strategies. During the first week of school, students were introduced to a game called "Close to 100". Students are to combine two sets of two-digit numbers. The goal is to combine numbers that equal as close to 100 as possible. Then, students will calculate the "difference" from their total and the number 100. This "difference" will become their score. Right now, we are sharing addition equations that total 100 and discussing strategies that allow us to get the smallest "difference" possible. I will be sending the rules and numeral cards home with your child for homework this week. This will be your chance, as a parent, to show what YOU know. Have fun and think strategically! If you click on the link below, it will give you a sneak peak of the game, "Close to 100". You may even print it out! :)
Close to 100