It was great fun introducing first grade’s matter unit with exploding pumpkins. We added two liquids (1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar) and a solid (1 T of baking soda wrapped in half of a tissue) to make carbon dioxide gas. The Glad quart-sized bags filled quickly and most of them exploded! Before we began this investigation, we reviewed the Scientific Method and hypothesized what might happen when we mixed these chemicals. We gathered around tables as each set of lab partners completed the experiment. Click here to learn more. Try this at home and change some variables – more or less water, baking soda, or vinegar, cold water, various brands or sizes of bags, and then analyze your results.

Then we tried to catch the gas another way. I filled a balloon with baking soda, attached it to the rim of a water bottle, and turned it upside down. The baking soda fell into the vinegar inside the bottle. The balloon immediately filled with CO2. Click here to learn more.

This bag didn’t explode, how long will it stay inflated?

Safety first! We liked wearing goggles, and thought we looked a little like bugs!

Fourth grade biologists went for a walk around the KR property to investigate the ecosystems around campus. Before we left, we observed our millipedes, Billy and Jilly.

On our walk, Mrs. Price’s class discovered snails crawling all over the fall decorations in front of school. We placed them in the ecosystems that we created last week. (See previous post.)

After seeing some photos online, I wondered if it really was possible to grow cornstalks just by placing an ear of corn in water.

Caught this spider wrapping up its prey.

Fourth grade biologists created forest floor ecosystems in collaborative teams. The biotic and abiotic factors in the ecosystem are interdependent. There is a community of pill bugs, beetles, and worms living in the ecosystems, each with its own niche. Students had the choice of grass seeds and two types of ground cover to add to the ecosystem. Other available materials included organic soil, sticks, decaying pieces of wood, leaf litter, pine cones, gravel, and pebbles. We designed our ecosystems on dry erase boards before we went “shopping” for supplies. They decided as a team how much water to add, where to place the ecosystem in their homeroom, and a name for their ecosystem. Their assignment is to maintain the ecosystems, so that the populations of organisms thrive. Click here to learn more about ecosystems.

Do you see something camouflaged on the stone?

It’s a praying mantis!

Second grade scientists joined me on a nature hike to complete their plant unit. We identified seeds and nuts on the great variety of plant life around campus. We found moss and mushrooms in moist places and lichen going on trees. These botanists discovered berries on bushes, goldenrod near the pond, and vines around trees. We saw both deciduous and evergreen trees and noted the differences in the needles and leaves. We also observed cones on several conifers and the differences in bark texture. On some trees, we spotted tree roots that were exposed and holes in trees which could be animal homes. Differentiating between saplings and weeds is tricky, but we practiced by looking at examples of both. We are truly blessed to attend school on such beautiful grounds!

Both classes found some other surprises too. Who lives here?