Week of May 13 - 17

Here's a recap of our Science Lab activities this week:

• Kindergarten: We learned about goldfish this week! We learned that goldfish have special physical features that allow them to live underwater. We got to observe real goldfish, do a goldfish puzzle, and play some other fun creature games.
• 1st grade: We learned about ants this week. We added ants to our ant farm and got to observe them in action. We also learned about an ant's life cycle and all of the amazing things they can do.
• 2nd grade: We studied the life cycle of a butterfly this week. We learned about the various stages a caterpillar goes through as it transforms into a butterfly. We saw how truly breathtaking nature can be!
• 3rd grade:We played a game about life cycles in the rain forest and saw how difficult it can be for certain creatures to survive.
• 4th grade:We learned more about erosion by studying how rocks can break down. We illustrated this with chalk, cinnamon, sugar cubes, and glass jars {ask your 4th grader how we did it!}.

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of May 6 - 10

Here's a review of our Science Lab activities for this week:

• Kindergarten: We learned about the life cycle of a ladybug this week; students were very excited to learn more about ladybugs, since they got their first "taste" of the subject at our Earth Day Ladybug Release! We learned how a ladybug changes throughout its life, and we got to observe some live ladybugs up close. Afterwards, Mrs. Lugeanbeal was kind enough to let us borrow her tadpole aquarium again, so we got to see if and how those little tadpoles were changing. Very exciting!
• 1st grade: This was week two of our tree study. This week, we learned about different kinds of trees and how their leaves look different. We collected leaves of our own, graphed our leaves, identified the leaves of Old Union, and made a book of our leaf rubbings.
• 2nd grade: We wrapped up our ocean unit this week by completing a culminating project over ocean food chains. Students had to create a full ocean food chain in their notebook; the only "rule" was that everything had to have something to eat! It was a fun way to end our ocean study.
• 3rd grade: Since we studied owls for the past three weeks {and dug through their pellets!}, we finished our owl study by creating an owl food chain. We used our knowledge of owl pellets to create prey for the owls in our food chain. Students who finished early had the opportunity to continue trying to identify the bones they found in their owl pellets.
• 4th grade:We explored stream tables this week. We looked at different kinds of weathering and did some investigations of our own to see what happens to the Earth when rain hits the ground.

A special thank you goes to all of you that were involved in Teacher Appreciation Week. I definitely felt loved! :) Thanks for your hard work and generosity!

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!