Springing into Science
March was another exciting month of discoveries and explorations in the Science Lab. Kindergarten began the month wrapping up a unit on pushes and pulls. They were given the engineering task of building a Leprechaun Trap that used either a push or pull to catch their little person. It was amazing to see their minds at work coming up with different ways to utilize the materials they were given. Then we moved on to learning about solids, liquids and gases by observing the life cycle of a Snowman. We talked about the properties of the snowman as a solid, and made a prediction about what would happen to him overnight in their classroom. They all believed he would melt…and sadly he did. But the good news is they also learned, he will evaporate into the air (gas), and eventually come back to the earth as rain or snow. They recorded each stage of the snowman’s cycle and were engaged and enthusiastic learners.
First grade began the month finishing their unit on light and sound energy. They loved getting the opportunity to experiment with different tones by creating their own
bottle music songs, and
exploring how different levels of water in each bottle affected the sound it created. They also got the chance to work in partners to create messages they could send with different colored lights. In the last week or so we have transitioned to our unit on Life Science. This is always a popular time of the year when they get to explore animal adaptations, plant parts and growth and then if all goes well digging in our new, relocated garden.
Second graders spent a large part of the winter months learning about and experimenting with the properties of matter (solids, liquids, gases). One of the highlights was attempting to build towers out of note cards and paperclips. One had to be at least 12 inches tall and the second had to hold a hardcover book. They explored whether the same tower could in fact do both and discovered that they had to build two different types of structures. It actually took a lot of patience, trial and error, and tumbling towers for them to build successfully but I was so impressed by their growth mindset and perseverance to keep on trying. The fact that scientists learn the most, by making mistakes and trying over and over again, is something we have been discussing and practicing ourselves all year. To see it exemplified in this lesson was gratifying for all of us!
As we
March into Spring,
each class will be learning about different aspects of plants and helping to create a new school garden. The plan is to re-locate to a small plot in front of Stony so that it’s more visible and can be enjoyed by all. I’m hoping to start with some raised beds that will make it a little easier on our bodies and healthier soil for our plants. If anyone is interested in helping with these or another aspect of the garden, please reach out to me @
rogersj@nausetschools.org
.
