Week of April 14 - 18

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

• Kindergarten: We studied a pillbug's body, life cycle, and habitat.
• 1st grade: We learned more about leaves and made a "Leaves of Old Union" book for our homeroom.
• 2nd grade: We studied more about ocean creatures by picking a marine animal and researching it. {We'll share our findings in a couple weeks!}
• 3rd grade: This was week one of our three week mini-unit over owl pellets.
• 4th grade: We studied thermal energy by doing some product testing on sunscreen.

Week of February 3 - 7

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

• Kindergarten: We learned about light energy by doing some simple investigations and playing a light game.
• 1st grade: We started a two-week lesson about seeds. This week, we got to dissect a lima bean!
• 2nd grade:We explored sound some more about sound by making telephones and clucking chickens with cups.
• 3rd grade: We made magnet cars and got to race them around the room. :)
• 4th grade: The wonderful PTO allowed a company to visit our school to teach about wind energy and help our students make wind turbines. It was a great STEM lesson!

Upcoming Events:

• February 19 - March 4: StarLab is visiting OUES. Please make sure your student wears socks during on Science Lab days during that time. Younger students may wish to wear slip-on or Velcro shoes, as we will need to take our shoes off before we get into the tent. 
• 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!

Week of April 22 - 26

Here are this week's Science Lab activities:

• Kindergarten: In honor of Earth Day, we learned more about recycling this week. We learned about what items are okay to recycle, and which are not. We also played a recycling sorting game where we sorted recyclable material into bins: paper, plastic, and glass.Home extension: Ask your student to help you sort trash from recycling items.
• 1st grade: I didn't get to see my 1st grade friends this week because of the STAAR exams I helped monitor. But I have something exciting planned for them next week, and I can't wait to see them again!
• 2nd grade: We learned about a super-cool boat made entirely out of recyclable materials called Plastiki. We also brainstormed ways to help our ocean's pollution problem. Home extension: Ask your student to tell you his/her plan for encouraging others to use less plastic and to recycle more.
• 3rd grade: I didn't get to see my 3rd grade friends this week because of STAAR makeup exams, but I have something exciting planned for them next week, and I can't wait to see them again!
• 4th grade: We not only learned about the solar energy this week, but we also learned about the importance of sun screen! We tested various types of sunscreen against UV-reactive paper to figure out which piece of paper got the hottest and/or changed colors due to the UV rays. It was definitely a lesson to remember! Home extension: Help your student pick out sunscreen to wear every day -- clouds or shine! He/she can explain which SPF worked best in our investigation, and why wearing sunscreen is important.

Week of February 11 - 15

Here's what happened in Science Lab this week:

• Kindergarten: We learned about light energy by focusing on sources of light. We went on a "light scavenger hunt" to find things that provide light, recorded our findings in our notebooks, and played a "light charades" game. Home extension: go on a light scavenger hunt of your own at your home. Try to find as many light sources as possible -- even the smallest light counts!
• 1st grade: We learned a little more about magnets this week by going "magnet fishing." Using a magnet tied to the end of a string, students were able to "fish" inside a baggie filled with "little fish" (small paper clips) and "big fish" (large paper clips) to see which would allow them to catch the most fish. We graphed our results and then just did some "fishing" for fun afterwards. Home extension: Using a refrigerator magnet and a bunch of paper clips, allow your student to conduct a quick experiment to see how many paper clips their magnet can hold. Is the amount different, based on which magnet you use? Hmm. I'd love to know your answers!
• 2nd grade: We focused on the moon this week. We learned why the moon looks so small when it is actually quite large, and we learned more about how it rotates around our Earth and shows different "phases" along the way. Home extension: Allow your child to track the moon phases each night. Are there any patterns?
• 3rd grade: We explored magnets by making magnetic cars today! We had so much fun pushing and pulling our cars -- without even touching them! -- around the room. Home extension: the students were able to take home all parts of the car except the magnets. If you have a couple of magnets at home, you could recreate this activity in the kitchen or living room.
• 4th grade: We learned more about the water cycle by creating an actual water cycle inside our room. Home extension: ask your child to describe our water cycle model from today, and see if you can figure out a way to recreate it using items in your house. Talk to your student about how this model mimics the real water cycle. 

December 3 - 7

Wow! I cannot believe it is already December! We are having such a blast in Science Lab that time has been flying. :)

Before we get to the weekly update, I just wanted to say an extra THANK YOU to all of those that helped or supported OUES's first annual Super Science Sale last week! It was a lot of fun and a great success! 

Here's what we did this week:

• Kindergarten: We learned about temperature this week. We studied how the temperature changes through the year, how temperature impacts our lives, and how to measure temperature. Home extension: If you don't already, start having conversations with your student about the daily temperature, and let him/her decide what to wear, based on the weather.
• 1st grade: We learned all about air this week. We learned that wind is moving air, and we did an investigation to figure out how much wind it takes to move certain objects. Home extension: Ask your child about the wind investigation and allow him/her to re-create it at home with random, household objects.
• 2nd grade: We learned more about sound energy this week. We saw how sound waves look by modeling them on an slinky, we made "clucking chicken" noises with sponges and cups, and then we made our own cup telephones. It was fun to observe the vibrations and the way sound travels. Home extension: Fill various-sized glasses with water and allow your student to tap them with a spoon to create sound.
• 3rd grade: This was week 1 of our volcano exploration unit! Students learned all about volcanoes and made a model volcano on paper. We are so excited to create model volcanoes with soil and sand next week...and even more excited to make them explode! Home extension: While your driving for errands or the holidays, ask your student to look out the window and identify as many landforms as possible. There probably won't be any volcanoes where you're going (), but we've learned about other landforms, too, that your student could be on the lookout for.
• 4th grade: This was our first week into our matter unit, and we kicked it off with a fun investigation about making potatoes float. We got to conduct an experiment with our table groups to see if potatoes will float in salt or sugar water, and, if so, how many spoonfuls of sugar or salt it takes to make the potatoes float. Home extension: Allow your student to try a variation of this experiment at home by taking something that doesn't usually float and adding salt or sugar 1 spoonful at a time to see if you can make it float. Your 4th grader is an expert at this, so let them show you how it works! 

Green Thumb Club members, if you and your child would like to attend the Tuesday, December 11 meeting at Calloway's Nursery, please arrange transportation for your child. We will begin the meeting at 3:15 pm. If your child can't attend, no worries! We will gladly welcome him or her back at our next meeting on Tuesday, January 22.