Brainy Guest Speakers – by 3rd grade class

Guest Speaker 3Last month, our 3rd grade class had two special visitors: Dr. Lisa Drozdick and Dr. Stuart Red. Mrs. Lasher invited them to speak with the class about their work with the brain because we had been learning and researching about the amazing system inside our craniums!

Both guest speakers work at Pearson (click here to learn more about this company). Dr. Drozdick is a psychologist whose work includes developing tests that help people who may have a brain injury. She designs the tests to show which parts of the brain may not be working as well as they should be. Dr. Red is a neuroscientist and he studies all about the brain. He’s worked a lot with people who’ve had concussions.

We got to try out some of the tests that targeted certain parts of the brain. For example, one test had different colored circles and we had to touch them according to the directions. In one part, we had to touch every color she said except “black.” If she said “black,” we were not supposed to touch anything. This may have been checking our temporal lobe (which helps with memory) and how the hemispheres of the brain work together.

We really enjoyed our guest speakers and learned a lot! We appreciated their time with us! Thank you, Dr. Drozdick and Dr. Red!

P.S.- We found a cool video with optical illusions and an article about what makes your brain wake up. Click here to see it on Wonderopolis!

Guest Speaker 1Guest Speaker 2

Liar and Spy (Book Review) – by Lauren Z.

liar and spyI found this book, Liar and Spy, by Rebecca Stead, because it was nominated for a Texas Bluebonnet Award. If you have never heard about the Texas Bluebonnet Award, you can read more about it here.

This book is about how Georges (the s is silent) is having some trouble at school. A boy named Dallas has been bullying him. His best friend, Jason, left him and hangs out with Dallas’s friend, Carter. And it gets worse! Georges used to live in a house. His family had to sell it because his dad lost his job, so his mom has to work extra shifts at the hospital.

Georges doesn’t really have any friends until one day when he and his dad are in the basement getting laundry. They see a note on the basement wall that says Spy Club. His dad writes a note back that asks, “What time?” and surprisingly, they receive a reply- 1:00!

Georges goes back to the basement at one o’clock and only two people are there: 12 year old Safer, and his little sister Candy. Safer has been trying to track down “Mr.X”.

You’ll have to read to find out what happens to George and Safer in Liar and Spy! There are some pretty fun twists at the end!

Click here to go to Rebecca Stead’s website.