Our Garden is Awakening!

First grade had their last gardening class this week.  While we were outside, we noticed that some of our plants are starting to grow!

Daffodil leaves.

Tulip leaves.

Our chive is looking great already!

A butterfly bush!

Purple Aster just starting to push up through the ground.

These daffodils have buds!

I am so excited to see how our garden does this season!

Investigating Paper with Kindergarten!

We are starting the second half of our unit by looking at properties of paper.  Kindergarteners have been exploring 8 different papers: wax, tag board, chipboard, newsprint, craft paper, paper towel, cardboard and corrugated cardboard.

We investigated what it was like to write on all eight papers with pencil, crayon and marker.  Some papers were very hard to write on with anything - wax paper and corrugated paper - while some were relatively easy - tag board and craft paper.

The tagboard is so smooth and slippery.

All these papers were hard to write on.

The papers have different colors.

It's not easy to write on the paper towel.

I can only draw lines on this paper.  I can't make circles.

The papers on the left were hard to draw on.
The papers on the right were easy to draw on.

A bin of papers!

 Does it make a difference if you draw or write on
the papers?

I have all 8 papers.

Crayon on paper towel is hard.

This paper is so hard to write on!

The cardboard is easy to write on, except the pencil.  It's hard
to see.

Look at the corrugated paper.  I can make so many lines.

Balancing with 2nd Graders!

2nd grade has started their new unit, Balance and Motion.  They started by thinking about balancing on one foot.  Is it easier to balance with ones hands by their side or stretched out?  Is it easier to balance on one foot with their eyes open or closed?

No general consensus on what was the easiest
way to balance on one foot.  

Next we balanced a cup on top of our head while walking around the classroom.  Was it easier to balance the cup when it was right side up or upside down?

Most people felt it was easier to balance the cup right side up!

Now to find the balancing point on a crayfish with your finger. No, not a real crayfish, a paper crayfish.

It can be tricky to find the balancing point, but when you do..
it's so awesome!

Everyone has their own technique.

Confidence!

Next we investigated whether using clothespins as counterweight, would help us to balance the crayfish in other ways.

"If you put the clothespins even, it will balance."

Once you get the hang of it, balancing is fun!

I balanced it on the nose!

Walking and balancing.

Trying to figure out how to balance the crayfish on the side.

Crayfish everywhere!

2nd graders agreed when using the clothespins as counterbalance, you could balance the crayfish in so many different ways.

1st Grade Builds With Solids

First grade has been investigating solids.  They have learned that solids keep their shape and can be described by properties: flexible, rigid, opaque, transparent, smooth, rough, hard and soft.   

For this investigation, 1st graders became engineers.  The classes knew a lot about engineering and agreed that engineers build things.  We also found out that engineers need to know about the properties of solids in order to choose the appropriate materials for each object being built.

The challenge...building a tower with our 7 solids (fabric, wire, tube, triangle, screw, wooden block and craft stick), foil, 2 cups, 2 cardboard squares, a straw and a rubber band.  Oh, and no tape, scissors or glue!

A very stable tower!

Measuring the tower just as it starts to fall!

Trying to use all the solids for the tower.

Working together.

After building the tower, it's time to draw it.

My tower won't fall over.

It get's frustrating when your tower falls.

How tall is my tower?

Working together you get double the supplies!

A Surprise in the Classroom!

Fiona, our pipadae aquatic frog, laid eggs for the first time in five years this week!  It was such a surprise!

Eggs everywhere!  Even on the plastic plant!

I spoke with the company that I get my frogs from, and they said, don't get too excited (as if that was possible!), they are tricky to hatch.  She told me to separate the frogs from the eggs so they won't be tempted to eat the eggs (which look a lot like the food I feed them).  She also told me, if the eggs hatch, it's usually takes around 36-48 hours.  The first day, the eggs looked like a period.  The second day the eggs looks like a comma.

Will they hatch? 

On the third day....they hatched!  Around 100 little tadpoles are hanging out in the habitat.

Once the tadpole hatches, it hangs around for a bit before
exploring the habitat.

I was worried that over the weekend, the tadpoles wouldn't survive.  I was so amazed when I came in on Monday!  I had so many eyes looking up at me! They seem to be doing well and double in size every two days.

These tadpoles are especially interesting for the classes as their skin is transparent.
When they get big enough, you can even see the tadpoles heart!