September 2

Fizzy Fun

PreK and Pre-First chemists used pipettes to drop colored vinegar (red, yellow, and blue) onto plates of baking soda. A chemical reaction occurred as the colors mixed. Why did bubbles form? It looked as if mini volcanoes were erupting. Do you see the craters? How did the other colors appear? Click here to watch a fun story about mixing colors. We did not have time to watch this in lab.

Children wore their face coverings when they entered my room. At the lab tables, they removed them. I took photos from over six feet away while I was wearing my face covering and shield.

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September 1

Fish Diagrams

First grade ichthyologists observed fish in conjunction with their living and nonliving unit. Click here to watch fish.

All living things (plants and animals):

  • Move on their own
  • Reproduce (make more of their own kind)
  • Need air, food (energy), and water
  • Grow and change (life cycle)
  • React to changes around them (light, heat, sound)

After a lesson about fish body parts, life cycles, and habitats, each of us had a goldfish to observe up close. Is the fish alive? How do you know? This can be a confusing unit. Children often think water, cell phones, fire, and clouds are living. Is a stick or an apple living? Yes, they are classified as once living.

The ability to meaningfully interpret text features in non-fiction books is an important skill. As we observed our fish, we drew a diagram and added the labels.


When I was cleaning up, I discovered that one of my biologists had drawn a heart on the paper under her fish. I love living things too!

September 1

Pill Bugs (Roly Polies)

Six years ago, I purchased 30 roly polies. They have multiplied over the years, and we continue to use the offspring of those first pill bugs in the science lab for investigations. Look very closely and you will see baby pillbugs. Some of them are very tiny! The female pillbug carries the eggs in a brood pouch under her body.

Click here to learn more about pill bugs which actually aren’t bugs at all!

Category: Science | LEAVE A COMMENT