Week of January 21 - 25

Here is what happened in the lab this week:

• Kindergarten: I didn't get to see my kindergarten friends because of this Monday's school holiday, but I can't wait to see them next week! We are going to have a blast.
• 1st grade: We learned about magnets this week by seeing what a magnet can attract and what it doesn't attract. Home extension: Give your student a magnet off the refrigerator and allow him/her to walk around the house, exploring magnetic capabilities. {Students have already been instructed that magnets are harmful to electronic devices and should be kept away from them!}
• 2nd grade: Since I had the flu on our special Teacher of the Day back in December, we rescheduled it to allow my new "teacher" to help in the lab on this day. Miss B. helped the second graders learn more about magnets, focusing specifically on compasses. Students were able to make their own compass in class before participating in a small "cardinal direction treasure hunt" with their shoulder buddy. Home extension: If you have a straight pin, a piece of Styrofoam, and a magnet, you could allow your student to make a compass at home. Hide a "treasure" for your student somewhere around the house, and allow your student to use their homemade compass to find it while you give them instructions about which direction to turn.
• 3rd grade: We explored the water cycle this week. Students were able to see a demonstration of a water cycle right in our Science Lab while we simultaneously made a cool, sliding craft to help remind them of the water cycle. Home extension: Ask your student to describe the water cycle demonstrate he/she saw in the Lab this week, and brainstorm a way to recreate this demonstration -- using different, household materials -- at your home.
• 4th grade: I was unable to see my 4th grade friends this week, due to Dragon Day, but I definitely look forward to seeing them next week!

**Notice: StarLab is coming to Old Union, starting next week! It will be in the Science Lab from January 28 to February 8. If possible, please allow younger students to wear shoes that don't tie (Velcro, slip-on, etc.) on their Science Lab day. Older students may consider bringing a clean pair of socks. Since no shoes are allowed inside our delicate StarLab, socks are required to go inside. I can't wait!

Week of January 14 - 18

Here is what we did in the lab this week:

• Kindergarten: This week, we did a magnet exploration. Students were able to rotate to test a variety of objects for its magnetic ability. Home extension: give your student a magnet from the refrigerator and allow him/her to explore the magnetic objects in your home. {Students have already been cautioned to keep magnets clear of computers and other electronic devices, so there should be no worries!}
• 1st grade: This week, we worked on observing and recording changes in the moon. Since our Science Lab lessons take place during the day time, we had to use a couple of videos to show how the moon changes its appearance. We practiced making each moon shape in a pie plate filled with sugar, and then we played some moon games. Home extension: once it gets dark, take your student outside to "moon watch." See if he/she can identify the shape of the moon in the night sky. I've encouraged my first grade friends to keep a moon observation journal at home to document what they see!
• 2nd grade: This was week 2 of our pendulum investigation. We have been studying ways objects move, so we were testing our pendulums this week to figure out if the length of our pendulum affected its swing. Home extension: during daily activity or errand-running, ask your student to be on the lookout for pendulums in everyday life. If you ask your 2nd grader about pendulums, he/she should be able to give you a list of examples of pendulums we see every day.
• 3rd grade: We completed week 2 of our planets in the solar system investigation. This week, we reviewed the planets and the order they appear in the sky. Then we used ratios and our measuring skills to make models of the planets; we demonstrated how far each planet is from the sun. Home extension: ask your 3rd grader to show you how far away the planets are from the Sun and to explain astronomical units (AUs).
• 4th grade: We started our force, motion, and energy unit this week by talking about conductors and insulators. Students were able to use strips of foil, D Cell batteries, a light bulb, and various random items to see which materials are conductors and which materials are insulators. Home extension: If you have some aluminum foil, a D Cell battery, and a light bulb at your house, your can allow your student to demonstrate how some objects are conductors and some are insulators. Ask your student to pick 5 of each and show them to you in a presentation.

Green Thumb Club members: our next meeting is Tuesday, January 22. Hope to see you there!

Week of January 8 - 11

Hello, everyone!

Our first week back to school went so well. Here's a look at what we did in the lab this week:

• Kindergarten: Because of our Teacher Work Day on Monday, I didn't get to see my kinder friends this week. I'm looking forward to seeing them next Monday, though!
• 1st grade: We learned about clouds this week. Specifically, we learned about the different types of clouds and what they look like. Home extension: go outside with your student and "cloud watch" with them. Allow your student to try to identify the types of clouds in the sky.
• 2nd grade: We started week 1 of our two week project on pendulums and how things move. This week, we answered the question, "Will the mass of a pendulum affect its swing?" Home extension: ask your student to tell you about week 1 of our pendulum project and describe some ways that objects can move.
• 3rd grade: We started week 1 of our two week project over planets in the solar system. This week, we learned more about each planet and how big each planet is. Home extension: With your student, research why Pluto is not considered a planet anymore, and have your student tell you about each of the 8 remaining planets.
• 4th grade: We investigated mass and density by measuring various liquids' mass, and then adding them to our "density tower." Students were able to predict the layers of the tower based on physical properties, and then they had an opportunity to change their hypothesis after they learned the masses of all the liquids. It ended up looking pretty neat! Home extension: if you have any of the liquids or materials listed on this experiment page, feel free to try this investigation at home. Because of time constraints in class, we didn't have an opportunity to investigate all of the materials listed on Steve Spangler's experiment page, so... try it at home!