February
10
An Unusual Scene
Watching flurries fall from my window all day. It was fun to see the students outside during our “snowstorm”. Several classes tried to catch snowflakes on black paper.
Click here to watch the ducks in the snow.
February
9
Vet Visit
February
4
Cichlids
After reviewing the characteristics of fish, third grade biologists learned about the cichlids that live in the hallway aquarium. Cichlids are freshwater fish from Lake Malawi in Africa. The fish like to hide in crevices and caves in their rocky habitat. African cichlids are known for their beautiful patterns and array of colors that are not typical to most freshwater fish. Males are territorial and the largest, most colorful males are the dominant fish in the tank. The females are mouth brooders. They incubate their eggs in their mouths for three weeks. They are easy to breed and we often have young fish in this tank.
January
29
Blubber
There are many animals in the Arctic that have a thick layer of fat (blubber) to help them survive the frigid temperatures. The blubber acts as an insulator. Kindergarten scientists investigated how blubber works. They placed one hand in icy water with just a Ziploc bag to protect their hand. In the other bag was a layer of Crisco shortening (blubber). When they plunged the insulated hand in the water, it remained warm.
January
26
Centripetal Force
I told my fourth grade astronomers that when I think of space, I think of force, motion, energy, and balance. Centripetal force is the force that keeps an object moving in a circular path. Satellites in orbit around a planet is an example of this force, but there are many examples in everyday life. We performed several investigations to see this force in action. Friction and gravity were also at play.
January
26
Snowflakes
My daughter lives in Detroit. She captured this snowflake as it hit her car window. All snowflakes, which are made from ice crystals, have six sides. Each snowflake is unique.
Scientists of all ages will enjoy cutting their own snowflakes on this fun site: Click here.
January
25
Evaporation
January
20
Penguins
When I plan science units for each grade level, I use a multi-disciplinary approach. Science is integrated with the other subject areas, includng art, music, social studies, reading, writing, technology, and math. Kindergarten and Pre-First classes have been studying Antarctica. After reading Tacky the penguin stories, the children had a Tacky Day and dressed like characters from the story. Tacky is a penguin that doesn’t follow the crowd!
January
6
Engineers
Engineers use science and math to design solutions to problems. First grade engineers were given 30 toothpicks and marshmallows and then I asked them to design the tallest tower possible that could stand on its own. We looked at photos of real towers for inspiration. Before we started, the children also reviewed solid shapes. I asked them to determine which shapes were the strongest as they worked. This was a challenging task with great opportunities for problem solving.
December
7
Children’s Museum of Atlanta
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is reopening after a major renovation.
Click here to visit the Museum’s site.
