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!