Week of March 25 - 28

Here's a review of our Science Lab activities for this week:

• Kindergarten: We learned about the parts of flowers and animals. We sang a catchy song, raced to put together a plant puzzle with labels, played a fun beach ball game about plant and animal parts, and wrote in our notebooks. Home extension: while playing outside or as an animal walks by, encourage your student to reiterate its parts and explain how each is useful. You could also tie this into the human body by singing "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and discussing the special jobs of each of our body parts.
• 1st grade: We learned about the parts of a plant and dissected a flower. Home extension: while tending to the garden or walking past a plant, allow your student to discuss each part of the plant and how it helps the plant survive.
• 2nd grade: OUES 2nd graders have a very exciting opportunity this year: we are part of the trial Trunk Program from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum! The library and museum is letting us borrow their very special ocean trunk, which contains all kinds of neat marine goodies. We will be studying marine biology for the next several weeks. The trunk had an amazing IMAX movie in it that provided a lot of cool and interesting facts about the ocean, so we watched that this week so we could get some background information. Home extension: Ask for a re-cap about the IMAX ocean movie! I know your student would love to talk about all the neat things he/she saw!
• 3rd grade: We learned a little bit more about light energy this week. Specifically, we focused on colors -- how certain colors blend together to make other colors and how we can separate the colors in light and in inks so we can see them all. Home extension: Your student got to make a color wheel in Science Lab this week and might have already brought it home. Encourage your student to show you how the color wheel works and explain what it means.

Because of tomorrow's snow day, I won't see my 4th grade friends. Of course, I have something fun planned for the next time I see them, though! 

I hope you enjoy your 3-day weekend!

Week of March 18 - 22

Welcome back to Old Union! It was so nice to see everyone's smiling face this week.

Here's what happened in the Science Lab:

• Kindergarten and 1st grade: We kicked off our "organisms and environments" unit by learning the difference between living and non-living things. We also talked about basic needs of plants and animals. Home extension: If you have a pet at home, allow your child to take part in feeding and taking care of the animal; that would be a fantastic opportunity to talk about basic needs and living/non-living! If you don't have a pet, you could always adopt a virtual one; click here, here, or here for my top picks. Another option is to allow your child to help you plant something and be responsible for helping it grow.
• 2nd grade: We finished our meteorology unit by learning about wind and making an anemometer. We also talked about a case of extreme wind -- tornadoes -- and how to keep ourselves safe. Home extension: Your student got to take home his/her own anemometer and wind speed scale this Wednesday. Encourage your student to measure and track the wind speed for the next week.
• 3rd grade: We finished our three week study over simple machines today by focusing on pulleys and wheels. Home extension: Go on a "simple machine scavenger hunt" -- at home, at a store, or wherever! -- and see how many simple machines you and your child can find.
• 4th grade: Since we are still studying circuits in our force, motion, and energy unit, we did a fun little activity this week that involved making "quiz cards" with circuits on the back. Students had to come up with 4th grade math questions that would help them study for their STAAR test, and they had to make sure that the correct answer created a complete circuit on the back of the card. We used multi-meter testers to quiz ourselves afterward. A few quiz cards and multi-meter testers are now in the 4th grade math rooms so that students can quiz themselves during their free time. Home extension: You don't have to have multi meter testers to do this activity! Students could create their own quiz cards at home and test them with a light bulb and D Cell battery -- they know how!

 Green Thumb Club members: Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 26. Hope to see you there!

Week of March 4 - 8

Here's a review of what happened in the Science Lab this week:

• Kindergarten: This was such a fun lesson -- we learned about movement! We explored different ways to move and describe our movements, observed others and a ball moving, and played with marble ramps. Home extension: play "follow the leader" with your child, asking him/her to use describing words to tell how you're moving.
• 1st grade: We focused on sound energy today. Our lesson included playing a homemade xylophone and playing a sound/matching game. Home extension: grab a few small items in your home and an empty cup. Place an item inside the cup and allow your student to try to guess what is in the cup, based on the noise they hear. Take turns playing and guessing.
• 2nd grade: We played a weather game that involved making good decisions based on the weather conditions. Students had to decide what would be appropriate to wear, how they should travel, and what activities might be best for that weather. Home extension: Allow your student to watch the weather {or look it up online!} with you and decide for him/herself what clothing might be best.
• 3rd grade: This was the second week of our study on simple machines. This week, we focused on inclined planes. So far, we've learned that levers and inclined planes help make work easier, but that there is a trade-off involved. Home extension: Ask your student to explain how levers and inclined planes make work easier, and ask him/her to explain the "trade off" involved.
• 4th grade: We got to experiment with electricity today! We built several variations of circuits using a few pieces of wire, a D cell battery, a light bulb, and a knife switch. Students saw that a circuit cannot work unless it is closed. Home extension: take a D cell battery, the lowest wattage light bulb you can find, and some aluminum foil; he/she will surely enjoy creating a complex, closed circuit in the comforts of home.

I hope everyone has an amazing and relaxing Spring Break!

Science Rocks: Mini-Camp

Join mad scientists (Dr. Johnston, Mrs. LeJeune, and Mrs. Karas) for some science fun over spring break! We will conduct rockin' science investigations every day. If you like SCIENCE, and you like to THINK, this is the camp for you!

Who can participate: any student in grades 1-4
Dates: Monday, March 11, 2013 - Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place: Old Union Elementary, rooms C104 and E113
Price: $75/student (make check payable to Keri LeJeune)

To register, please visit THIS link or scan the QR code below with your mobile device.

Week of February 25 - March 1

Here's what we did in Science Lab this week:

• Kindergarten: We are still learning about energy, but this week, we focused on sound! We had fun playing various sound guessing games. Home extension: take your child for a walk or bike ride and allow him/her to vocalize his/her sound observations. Discuss how and why sound is important and can keep us safe.
• 1st grade: We learned about light energy this week by seeing which objects light can travel through. Home extension: give your child a flashlight and allow him/her to shine it on various objects around the house, seeing which objects are transparent.
• 2nd grade: We focused on the water cycle this week. We made our own mini-version of the water cycle in Ziploc baggies at our tables, and we even turned it into an experiment! Home extension: ask your child to share the observations of the mini-water cycle today. Was his/her hypothesis correct?
• 3rd grade: We started week 1 of our study on simple machines today. Today's focus was the lever. We learned the parts of a lever and how we can move the fulcrum to reduce our amount of work. Home extension: Ask your child to find examples of simple machines around the house. I bet you have tons!
• 4th grade: I didn't get to see all of my 4th grade friends today, due to Dragon Day. But I've got something exciting planned for them next week!

By the way: Dr. Johnston, Mrs. LeJeune, and I are hosting a mini-science camp over Spring Break this year! To get more information and/or sign up, please visit THIS link or scan the QR code below with your mobile device.