Week of April 7 - 11

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

• Kindergarten: We planted a seed of our own and learned about the parts of plants and a plant's life cycle.
• 1st grade: We participated in tree stations to learn about 3 important parts of trees -- bark, cones, and tree cookies.
• 2nd grade: We participated in ocean stations to learn more about the ocean ecosystem.
• 3rd grade: We did several light activities to illustrate light energy.
• 4th grade: We made circuit quiz cards to demonstrate our knowledge of circuits while practicing a few math questions for our upcoming STAAR exam.

Week of March 24 - 28

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

• Kindergarten: We learned the difference between living and non-living things.
• 1st grade: We learned about bats' extraordinary senses of smell and hearing by playing a "Mama Bat" game and testing our echolocation skills.
• 2nd grade: We learned more about wind and made anemometers.
• 3rd grade: We continued our investigation over simple machines by focusing on the inclined plane and the wedge this week.
• 4th grade: We investigated circuits by making our own with our shoulder buddy.

Special Thanks:

• Family Science Night: Our amazing PTO funded our first ever "Family Science Night," and I am so happy to report that it was a great success! Family Science Night was hosted by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History; the museum had various science stations available for students to explore between 6-8 pm. All families that attended received 2 adult passes and 2 child passes to enter the museum for free. In addition, the Fort Worth Astronomical Society set up giant telescopes in the playground area and helped students and their families pick out the constellations and various other objects in the night sky. A big thanks goes to each of these organizations for providing a fun time for us! Here's a video with some pictures of the evening:

Week of March 17 - 21

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

• Kindergarten: We explored magnets by making magnet kites and having a magnet race.
• 1st grade: We learned about the parts of a plant and dissected a flower.
• 2nd grade: We showed off our knowledge of weather and how it determines what clothes we wear, what transportation we take, and what activities we participate in.
• 3rd grade: We started our three week mini-unit over simple machines by studying the lever.
• 4th grade: We learned about insulators and conductors while making circuits.

Upcoming Events:

• March 27: Our amazing PTO funded our first ever "Family Science Night." FSN is hosted by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The museum will have various science stations -- including a StarLab -- available for students to explore between 6-8 pm. All families that attend will receive 2 adult passes and 2 child passes to enter the museum for free. In addition, the Fort Worth Astronomical Society will set up giant telescopes in the playground area, starting at 6:30. Mark it on your calendar -- it will be a fun night! Find out more about it by clicking HERE.

Week of April 1 - 5

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the 3-day weekend; I sure did!

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

• Kindergarten: We learned about plant lifecycles before planting our own [green bean] seed. Most students took the planted seeds home, but I think that at least one classroom teacher had the seeds stay in the classroom so she could help her students watch the plants grow daily. Either way, when the planted seed comes to you, please remind your student to place it in a sunny spot (like a windowsill) and water it every day. When the plant gets bigger, you can transfer it to a bigger pot or to an outside space where it has more room to grow. Enjoy your green beans! Home extension: if you have a garden, allow your student to help plant, weed, and water. If you don't have a garden, letting your student plant 1 seed of his/her choice to keep and nurture in his/her room would be great!
• 1st grade and 2nd grade: I did not get to see my 1st grade friends this week, due to the STAAR writing exam that I helped monitor. I can't wait to see them next week, though!
• 3rd grade: We reviewed measurement methods today by participating in some measurement centers. We reviewed area, perimeter, length, and width. Home extension: There are lots of opportunities to practice measurement at home! Make up a problem that requires measurement, and allow your student to solve it for you. For instance, maybe you need a rug to fit the living room; your student could measure the length and width of the room to figure out how big of a rug to buy. They could also calculate how many square inches or feet of fabric you'd need to buy if you were going to make the rug yourself.
• 4th grade: We made electroscopes today, and each student got to take home their creation! Home extension: Ask your student to dig their homemade electroscope out of his/her backpack and show you how it works!

 Green Thumb Club members: our next meeting is Tuesday, April 9. Hope to see you there!

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!

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!