December 17 - 20

We had a great last week of school in 2012 at Old Union! Check it out:

• Kindergarten: We learned a little about constellations before constructing our own constellation with white crayons and star stickers. Students were able to work on their presentation skills when they told the class about their creation. Students also learned more about the three types of clouds: Cirrus, Stratus, and Cumulus.
• 1st grade: We learned a little about snow, weather, and animals' winter habits today. We made "snow" with my special "snow powder," compared its mass to that of plastic bear weights, and drew snowflakes of our own. Finally, we talked about what animals do in the winter and how they get food. We decided to construct a simple, yet effective, animal/bird feeder out of Cheerios and pipe cleaners.
• 2nd grade: We did an investigation about friction and movement patterns today. We had 3 different surfaces to test: cardboard, wax paper, and sand paper. Each table was assigned one of the three surfaces and was instructed to conduct 3 different tests with each one. We wanted to know how quickly a toy car would race down the ramps of different surfaces when the ramps were held at different heights above the table, and we wanted to know what movement patterns these cars would exhibit, based on their surface on which they raced.
• 3rd grade: This was "Kids Rule the School" day, and I was supposed to be the teaching assistant of the fabulous Miss B. on this day. Unfortunately, I had to stay home sick with the flu on both Wednesday and Thursday, and the Science Lab was cancelled altogether on Thursday. I'm looking forward to making up that day and having a new "teacher" in my room, though! :)
• 4th grade: We experimented with a "mystery substance" today called Oobleck. I pre-made the Oobleck due to time constraints, but students were responsible for trying to figure out if it is a solid or a liquid -- it was tricky, and I think it's still up for debate! 

I'm not including any "home extensions" in this post because I want you to take these next two weeks to relax and spend time with your families. Learning is always important, of course, but families are much more important.

Thank you to all who stopped by this week to wish me a merry Christmas or to drop a little something on my desk. I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a loving and generous school and community. 

I wish you and yours the happiest holiday of them all. See you in two weeks!

October 22 - 26

Here's a recap of this week's Science lab activities:

• Kindergarten: We learned about sorting this week. We sorted pumpkins and colored shapes. Home extension: ask your student how and why a scientist might need to sort things. Present your student with a pile of random objects and ask him/her to sort them.
• 1st grade: We saw a change in matter (popcorn kernels) when we applied heat. We also worked on our graphing skills; we graphed our predictions and the results of our investigation. Home extension: ask your student how matter can be changed by heat. Allow your student to assist/observe you cooking dinner to see changes in other types of matter (food) when heat or cold is applied.
• 2nd grade: We got to practice measuring the mass of various types of matter with a spring scale. We also discussed the fact that not all things are matter. Home extension: ask your student to tell you which things are not matter and why they are not (matter takes up space and has mass...if something doesn't fit those two criteria, it's not matter!).
• 3rd grade: We held a "raft rally" this week. 3rd graders collaborated with their table teams to try to build the smallest raft possible (out of aluminum foil and straws) that would float and hold 15 pennies. Home extension: try this activity at home with your student! Allow your student to show you what boat/raft structures work and why.
• 4th grade: Although we didn't spend time in the Science Lab this week, we did participate in a science adventure; 4th grade went on a field trip to the zoo. We saw a lot of interesting animals, gathered more information for the 4th grade animal projects, and had a lot of fun! Home extension: ask your student to tell you more about the animal he/she is researching. Discuss the zoo trip with your student: What was your favorite animal? Tell me one interesting fact you learned about the animal. Etc.

Have a great weekend!

October 15 - 19

Here's a recap of our week in the Science Lab:

• Kindergarten: We learned more about our senses of smelling and hearing as a way of observing matter. We played a sound egg memory game and did 5 smell tests. Ask your student about their favorite things to hear and smell.
• 1st grade: We did an investigation to find out the effects of heat and cold on matter. Ask your student if food coloring moves faster in warm water or cool water.
• 2nd grade: We had a shortened period due to testing, but we still had fun weighing various objects on a primary balance. Students were able to use hexagram weights to find out the exact mass of objects on our list. Ask your student to explain how to operate the primary balance and how to use the hexagram weights. You could even ask your student to predict the mass of various objects around your house.
• 3rd grade: We conducted a brand-new experiment ("Lava in a Cup") to learn about mixtures. Ask your student to explain their group's experiment and results.
• 4th grade: I was unable to be in class on this day, but we had a fabulous substitute, so I know the students had a great time and learned a lot! 4th graders conducted an experiment about bird beak adaptations to figure out which beak type is most conducive to eating various types of food. Ask your student which bird beak they used in class, and which food was easiest to pick up.

 Reminders:

• Next week is Red Ribbon week. Please refer to the previous post to figure out how to show your support each day! You could even recite the Red Ribbon pledge each morning on the way to school. OUES is proud to be drug free!
• Tuesday, Oct. 23 is the tree planting ceremony. We would love to see you in the OUES garden around 3 pm!
• Wednesday, Oct. 24 is picture re-take day and group picture day. Green Thumb Club members are invited to be in the club yearbook picture! If your student did not get a chance to attend the meeting but is planning on joining the GTC, please feel free to be in the picture! We are wearing OUES t-shirts to support Red Ribbon week.

Have a great weekend!