Thursday, January 6, 2011

January Newsletter


Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter vacation.  Below is a short description of what the students will be up to during the month of January.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten scientists are starting a new unit called “Exploring Properties.”  In this unit, the students will observe and describe different kinds of wood, looking at size, shape, texture, weight, color and where the wood came from.  After comparing and contrasting the wood, the students will then do different experiments with the samples, including placing them in water to see if they sink or float.
First Grade
First Grade scientists are beginning a new unit on the three states of matter: liquids, solids and gases.  The students will do different experiments in order to observe and describe the properties of the three states of matter.  During the month of January the students will be examining solids.  They will observe, describe and sort solids by their physical properties.  The students will also explore how solid materials are used in the construction of different buildings and structures.  Are some solids better for construction than others?
Second Grade
Second Grade scientists are beginning a new unit about forces and motion.  In this unit, the students will examine different forces that affect the balance and motion of objects, such as gravity, air resistance and friction.  They will begin the unit by exploring the concept of balance.  The children will use different shapes and weights to examine counterbalance, counterweight and stability.  The students will then use what they have learned in order to find way to balance a pencil on its point!        

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