Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Science Stuff

In science, we've been working on life cycles and food chains.  Here are a couple of my favorites.

The kids have been creating their own food chain with a sun, animals, and plants.   I plan on attaching the pieces with clear fishing line and hanging them from the ceiling during our upcoming open house.  



Today we focused on the life cycle of a frog, and the students did a great job with drawing and labeling each stage.  





We also have a "mystery egg" with an oviparous animal inside.  My kiddos are waiting in anticipation to see what's inside.  
I snagged this from Dollar Tree.  They had all sorts of them.  I only got a few of them, and I really need to hurry back to get some for next year!  

Friday, January 14, 2011

Scientists in the Making


Here are some memorable moments from science day! The kids had an amazing time, and it made me love teaching science even more!

This was our schedule.  Mrs. Wilson, our 1st grade rep for the science vertical team, organized our activities and schedule.  She did a fabulous job!


Mrs. Marsh taught a lesson about seasons and weather.  The students discussed what each season looks like and how the winter changes.  


Ms. Reeves taught a lesson about air.  She read a book and led the students in a discussion about the properties of air.   She conducted a science investigation with a small tub of water, a cup, and a towel.  When you press the cup down to the bottom of the tub quickly, the water does not enter the cup because the air pressure blocks the moisture.  However, when you turn the cup to the side, the air escapes and the towel becomes saturated.





Mrs. Wilson taught a lesson about magnets.   The students discussed the properties of magnets and how the opposite poles attract each other.  The students conducted an investigation and tested various items to see if they were attracted to the magnets.



Sometimes science can be messy!  
Mrs. Ferguson taught a lesson about liquids using rubbing alcohol, food coloring, glitter, and oil. The students predicted whether or not the liquids would mix.  They also investigated whether or not the alcohol or the oil would rise to the top.





I conducted an investigation with the students about the water cycle. We made snow using snow powder and water.  

Each teacher was able to keep a large bag of snow powder to use with literature connections.  The students will also get to take a small bag home with them.

  

Here are some of the responses from my students' science investigation journals.  I enjoyed reading their responses and hearing them share reflections about what they learned.










Thursday, January 13, 2011

Science Rocks!

Today is science day for our whole school!  I made this investigation journal for our first graders to record their thoughts as they participate in the activities and experiments.
Science Investigation Journal

Monday, January 10, 2011

Water, Water, Everywhere



Last week we studied about water, its uses, and its locations on Earth.  Here are a couple of activities we did...water is not always the most exciting topic, but I really tried to make the learning as meaningful and fun as possible!




I began by asking students, "Who wants a drink?"  I gave them two choices, a nice fresh bottle of unopened water and some "dark green-murky" water.   When they saw the "dark green" water, some of them said they would be willing to take a drink (mostly boys-the girls were mortified)!  However, it was decided that if anyone saw this kind of water coming from their faucet at home-they would get their parents assistance at once!









We wrote an acrostic poem about "water."  The students used individual marker boards as we completed shared writing together.  








We also created our own simulation of a pond or stream running into a river.  We used soil with tiny rocks and got rid of that "green murky" water.  

Also included were lots of books, a discovery streaming video about the uses of water, and a KWHL chart.






Below is a document that I created with some water activities for young learners.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Dollar Deals...

This week Dollar Tree is featuring stocking stuffers as the "item(s) of the week."  


I picked up several items that could be used for science in the upcoming weeks:  


snow powder


"kid friendly" magnifying glasses




super growing crystals

I plan to use these items to review states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) and as we learn about crystals, rocks, and soil.




 
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