Science Class Update!

FOURTH GRADE SCIENCE

Fourth grade is off to a running start preparing for this year's annual Mold Symposium in science class. The symposium will be hosted by Green Street Friends this year on Tuesday, February 2. Students have already prepared and are practicing making and recording observations of sample mold specimens. They have learned the difference between controls and variables. In all of their practice mold specimens, students used saltine crackers as their control. They were then give four different liquids to choose from as their variables (water, white vinegar, hot sauce, and lemon juice) as well as pipettes to decide how many drops of the liquid they were going to apply. Many students were feeling a bit more creative and added yet another variable, location. There are currently sealed mold specimens located in various places throughout the general science classroom area including; cabinets, the green house, window sills, shelves, and the wildlife habitat courtyard. As the students begin to prepare their actual specimens for the symposium, they will continue to observe the sample specimens while learning about good molds, bad molds, and cells.

KINDERGARTEN SCIENCE

Throughout our senses unit, kindergarten students have extended their knowledge the five senses. Students have explored ways in which we are able to complete tasks using secondary senses. For example, students built towering structures with wooden blocks and used keys to unlock different kinds of locks while blindfolded. They also wore earplugs and used their sense of touch to help identify objects sealed  in boxes by shaking and not seeing them. The students did a wonderful job wrapping up their study of the five senses with popcorn. In class we explored ways in which we are able to  use our senses to explore the world. Our kindergarten students thought of adjectives that best described the way buttered popcorn  and kettle corn feels, tastes, smells, sounds, and looks. The students came up with colorful words such as bumpy, squishy, smooshy, crinkly, cheddar cheesy, delicious, scrunchy, and munchie. One student even compared the look of the popcorn to falling snow as he had fun tossing it in the air to catch it in his mouth.