Week of November 4 - 8

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

• Kindergarten: We made predictions about measuring a pumpkin and then measured it with nonstandard units. We also got to weigh a mini pumpkin and test to see if pumpkins sink or float.
• 1st grade: We learned about the layers of soil and made a model of it with our table team.
• 2nd grade: We did an investigation with cornstarch packing peanuts and learned how biodegradable items are better for the Earth than non-biodegradable items. 
• 3rd grade: We learned about the different types of landforms this week.
• 4th grade: We got to share our unique Texas animal and its adaptations to our classmates this week.

Upcoming Events:

• November 19th: 4th graders are doing an activity that requires the use of one clean 1-liter bottle for every student. Mrs. Mertens and Mrs. Arefi are offering 10 tickets for every 1-liter bottle that is brought in! 
•  December 2 - 6: All students will come to Old Union's 2nd annual Super Science Sale. Previews will be on Monday and Tuesday (similar to Book Fair), and purchases are welcome the rest of the week. Hours are 7:30 - 3:30 except on Thursday, when the hours are 7:30 am to 6:00 pm.
• December 12: 3rd graders are making and erupting volcanoes. This activity involves soil, baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. If your student is allergic to any of these items, please contact me ASAP.

Week of October 28 - November 1

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

• Kindergarten: We learned how to sort various things, including ourselves, pumpkins, shapes, sizes, and colors.   
• 1st grade: We conducted an investigation to see which objects float and which objects sink.
• 2nd grade: We saw how ingredients can be mixed together to make something new -- ice cream!
• 3rd grade: We participated in a "foil boat contest" this week.
• 4th grade: We used our time this week to finish creating our adapted animal and finish writing our animal facts.

Upcoming Events:

• The Super Science Sale will come to OUES for the second year in a row on December 2 - 6. It will be set up much like Book Fair -- where students have an opportunity to preview at the beginning of the week and shop the rest of the week. I'll post an updated list of shop hours when the date gets closer. 

December 10 - 14

I guess the countdown is officially on for winter break; I heard lots of kids remind me that next week is the last week until "next year." :)

Here's our weekly update:

• Kindergarten: We learned more about the patterns in the Earth, specifically focusing on the seasons and the patterns of day and night. Students brainstormed some fabulous ideas about what special things happen in each season, got to add a picture to a part of our season mural, and played a game that involved reading and thermometer and dressing a teddy bear appropriately for the weather. Home extension: Pick out a tree near your home, and "adopt" it with your student. Allow your student to observe the changes of the tree over the course of a year. Students could even write or draw their observations in a home notebook.
• 1st grade: We studied weather and air this week. We read a book that taught us more about various types of weather and discussed how weather affects our lives. Then we learned about weather vanes and how they help people make predictions about the weather. Afterwards, we made our own weather vane to take home. Home extension: Allow your student to use his/her weather vane in your back yard at home. He/she can keep a log of the direction of the wind and the temperature for the day; then, he/she can use those patterns to try to start predicting the weather.
• 2nd grade: We created 3 different types of paper airplanes and tested them to see which model flies the furthest. We also observed the ways that airplanes moved in the air and tried to come up with reasons why certain designs flew better than others. Home extension: With your supervision, allow your student to Google paper airplane directions and make a few different kinds. He/she can conduct a similar investigation to this week's lab lesson at home.
• 3rd grade: This was week 2 of our volcano project. On this day, we constructed volcanoes out of soil, sand, water, toilet paper rolls, and baby food jars. We made our volcano models look as lifelike as possible before we activated "eruptions" in each one. Home extension: this website not only tells how to make a "volcano eruption," but it also gives variable suggestions so that students can make this into a true experiment. You may want to allow your student to conduct these experiment extensions in the back yard, due to mess. :)
• 4th grade: We continued our matter investigation this week with a foil boat competition. Each team was challenged to make the strongest boat possible out of 1 foot of aluminum foil. (We measured the strength of our boats with hexagram weights.) Students were able to experiment with boat shape and surface area to see what design would hold the most weight. Home extension: If you have a small, plastic tub and some foil, your student could recreate this investigation at home. He/she could experiment with different lengths and widths of foil and use pennies to measure the amount of weight the boat can hold.

See you next week!

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. 

October 29 - November 2

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

• Kindergarten: We used our best estimation skills to predict how big around my pumpkin was, and then we checked our estimations. We also measured my pumpkin in a non-standard unit (beans) and did a quick sink/float investigation. Home extension: allow your student to practice measuring in non-standard units by providing some random objects to measure (pencil, shoe, book, table, etc.) and a non-standard measuring tool (beans, paper clips, pretzels, etc.).
• 1st grade: We spent the whole hour conducting a float/sink investigation. We tested lots of objects and learned that the shape (not necessarily the weight) influences whether it will float or sink. Home extension: give your student a piece of clay, playdough, or aluminum foil and allow him/her to experiment with different shapes to see what floats and what sinks.
• 2nd grade: Due to the Storybook Character Day parade and classroom presentations, we had a shortened lesson today. Nevertheless, we learned about salt water and fresh water on this day. We very briefly got to discuss the differences between the two types of water and some facts about surface tension, and we did a couple of quick investigations with the water. Home extension: allow your student to mix up his/her own batch of salt water and perform his/her own experiments with it.
• 3rd grade: We finished our matter unit by conducting experiments to make paper clips float in water. Home extension: ask your student to show you how to make a paper clip float in water. He/she can also explain a little about surface tension.
• 4th grade: This was week 1 of our living organisms adaptation project. Students were asked to take this hour in the Science Lab to research more about adaptations and to begin planning their project. Next week, students will use kitchen/art/craft resources to create their very own Texas organism with adaptations. Although I do have aluminum foil, some tissue paper, beans, toothpicks, feathers, and construction paper, supplies are limited, so students are welcome and encouraged to bring additional craft supplies from home next week. Home extension: talk to your student about his/her living organisms adaptation project. Ask him/her where his/her organism will live and what kind of plan he/she has created. Discuss the adaptations that organism will have and why it would be necessary for it to adapt that way.

As a reminder, the first annual OUES Super Science Sale will take place from November 26 - 30. You can read more about this sale and its parent volunteer opportunities by clicking HERE. You can also view the paper flier (sent by Heath Scientific) that lists some available items/prices and the animal purchase permission slip by clicking HERE.

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of October 8 - 12

 Hello, all! Here's what we did this week:

• Kindergarten: I missed seeing my kindergarten friends in the lab this week! There was no school on Monday, due to a staff development day. Home extension: ask your student about matter and how to observe matter with the 5 senses.
• 1st grade: We learned about volume and found the volume (in beans) of several different containers. Home extension: ask your student to explain volume and give a couple different examples of the types of matter.
• 2nd grade: We did a short activity over sink and float with various brands of bar soap. Then we put Ivory soap in the microwave and watched a fun change occur when we added heat to the soap. Home extension: ask your student to describe the change in matter (soap) when we applied heat.
• 3rd grade: We completed part 2 of our "Milk in Motion" experiment. All the planning from last week paid off as students got to perform their very own experiments. Home extension: ask your student to explain the experiment process and their personal experiment with milk from this week.
• 4th grade: We began our discussion over adaptations with a look at desert plants. We compared attributes of a cactus to attributes of a non-desert plant. Then we did an investigation with sponges and Vaseline to learn more about cacti. Home extension: ask your student how a sponge and Vaseline are like a cactus and why cacti might need a waxy coating on their skin to survive in the desert.

Our first meeting of the Green Thumb Club was this Tuesday, and we had a great time meeting all our GTC friends and taking a walk around the garden! Parents, please fill out the permission form and return it to me as soon as possible. You can also download a copy of the tentative GTC meeting schedule to hang on your 'fridge.

Group picture day is next Wednesday (October 17)! Even if you didn't get a chance to come to the first meeting, please join in the group picture if you are interested in being a part of Green Thumb Club!

Have a great weekend, Dragons!