Week of April 21 - 25

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

• Kindergarten: We learned more about recycling: what to recycle, how to sort it, and where our trash goes.
• 1st grade: We explored magnets today by magnet "fishing" and racing.
• 2nd grade: I didn't get to see my second grade friends this week because of STAAR testing, but they continued to study the ocean with their homeroom teacher. 
• 3rd grade: This was week two of our mini-unit over owl pellets. Most of us were able to excavate the majority of our pellet's bones this week. Next week, we'll start trying to identify which prey they came from!
• 4th grade: I didn't get to see my fourth grade friends this week due to STAAR testing, but I'm excited to see them next week!

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.