Designing Paintbrushes This is our last challenge for our Project Lead the Way launch. In this challenge, students had to design a paintbrush with multiple functions. I was amazed at how quickly everyone dove in and created unique paintbrushes. I LOVED seeing their creativity in action as they used the design process to evaluate and improve their models. The kiddos had lots of fun designing them and they were able to express the functions they wanted their paintbrush to have. Testing Our Paintbrushes Everyone really enjoyed painting with their multi-function paintbrushes. Some of the kiddos discovered they could paint dots, thin lines, swirly lines, thick lines, etc. As they painted, they evaluated their paintbrush by asking questions such as: Does my paintbrush have the functions I planned? How could I improve my design? Do all of my functions work the right way? Is my paintbrush built well? It was great to hear some of their thinking and how they adjusted their paintbrush while they were painting so it would make different strokes. Raisin Data I gave each student a mini box of raisins to collect some class data. Before we began, each student had to estimate the number of raisins in their box. They also had to think of an estimate that was too low and too high. This helps students to think more carefully about their estimates and justify their thinking. We recorded estimates on a number line. Then, we counted the raisins and collected data from each student. We determined the lowest and highest number of raisins in a box to know the range for a dot plot. Students then used the data to create their own dot plot. I challenged them to come up with true statements and questions about the dot plot. And of course, lots of the kiddos chose to eat their raisins after our discussion about our data. Such an engaging learning experience! Collecting, Recording, and Making Dot Plots I set up several stations for students to use their knowledge about data. They graphed results of penny decades, dice tosses, and how far they could move a pom pom ball with one puff of air. They also analyzed bar graphs and answered questions about them. Growth Mindset After watching several video clips throughout the week about growth mindset, we created some art to show how we can have a growth mindset this year. Students drew a portrait and made speech bubbles to show statements they can say to help their brains grow and learn. Enrichment Time with Ozobots
Our enrichment time, (E-slot), is on Friday afternoons this year. We used Ozobots, (small robots), to practice coding.
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November 2019
Mrs. Swyers3rd Grade Teacher |