EARTH DAY CELEBRATION- 4/20!

LOWER GRADE SCIENCE MARCH NEWSLETTER

PRE-K-

Pre-k scientists will continue their animal study during the month of March by examining animals that have scales.  The children will look at animals such as fish and lizards to compare and contrast the scales that cover their bodies.  The students will end the month with a dinosaur exploration.  How do scientists know that dinosaurs had scales?  We will explore this question by making imprint fossils!

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten scientists will spend the month of March exploring sea mammals!  We will begin the month by learning what a mammal is.  The children will then explore different sea mammals, such as whales, manatees, seals and sea otters.  We will act out hands-on experiments in order to find the answers to different questions, such as, “how do whales eat?” and “how do seal babies recognize their mothers?”

FIRST GRADE

First grade scientists will continue their exploration of liquids during the month of March.  After observing what happens when you mix water with different substances, the children will explore the water cycle.  What happens to a puddle after a rainstorm?  The students will do different experiments to explore evaporation, condensation and precipitation. 

SECOND GRADE

Second grade scientists will continue their study of forces and motion during the month of March.  The students will observe the effects of gravity and air resistance by building “Twirly Bird” toys.  The students will then take what they have learned about air resistance to design and build toy parachutes.  They will end the month experimenting with rollers, inclined planes and marble tracks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Mixing "Potions"

First grade scientists have been observing solids, liquids and gases.  The children mixed a "potion" in order to examine the properties of different liquids.  They mixed water, food coloring and oil together to find that the oil and water did not mix!  No matter how hard they shook the bottles, the liquids always separated from each other.  In the next couple of weeks the students will be mixing different solids, such as sugar and salt, with water to see what happens.

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

We have been busy in the lower grade science room!  Please read below for short descriptions of our units of study. 

PRE-K

Pre-K scientists are experts on animals with fur and feathers!  We will start the month by examining animals that lay eggs.  After the students become familiar with different animals that lay eggs, they will study animals with scales.  What are scales?  How do animals with scales stay warm?  Students will observe real animals with scales, as well as make puppets to find the answers to some of these questions.

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten scientists have been observing different kinds of wood.  During the month of February the students will continue their observation by using tools, such as balance scales, to measure the wood.  Finally, students will look at how wood is turned into different products such as paper and cardboard.  During this study the students will learn about paper recycling as well!

FIRST GRADE

First grade scientists have been learning about solids, liquids and gases.  During the month of February, the students will be observing different kinds of liquids.  After looking closely at the different properties of liquids, the students will then find what happens when you mix different substances, such as oil and salt, with water. 

SECOND GRADE

Second grade scientists have been learning about forces and motion.  During the month of February the students will examine the different ways in which things move by building different toys.  The children will use discs and straws to build spinning tops, as well as paper and clips to build floating spinners.  While building these toys the students will discuss different forces such as gravity and air resistance.  

GARDEN FUNDRAISER AT SEERSUCKER- JANUARY 11

The new garden beds are built and filled with soil (Thanks to the New York Restoration Project and Leopoldi Hardware)!  It's time to get ready for Spring planting!  Come join us next Wednesday at Seersucker for a garden fundraiser!  $50 for a three course fried chicken dinner (tax/tip/beverage not included).  The proceeds will be used to buy plants and supplies for our new garden on 1st Pl.  For reservations visit www.seersuckerbrooklyn.com.  I hope to see you there! 

December Newsletter

PRE-K

Pre-K students will begin a study of animal body coverings, paying particular attention to feathers, fur and scales.  During the month of December the students will make observations of different animals with fur and how this fur helps the animal during the winter months.  Some animals we will look at will be guinea pigs, polar bears and arctic hares. 

KINDERGARTEN

The children will continue their study of what animals do to prepare for winter during the month of December.  The children will explore the concepts of food gathering and storage, hibernation and migration by learning about different animals such as bats and barn swallows!  The students will watch short video clips, view photographs and then act out the animal’s actions with paper puppets!  The children will also learn about the different threats that these animals are facing, such as White Nose Syndrome in bat populations of New York State. 

FIRST GRADE

First Grade entomologists will spend the month of December comparing and contrasting the body structure of different insects.  The students will locate the head, thorax and abdomen of different kinds of insects in order to become more familiar with those common body parts. The students will then take what they have learned about insect body structure to create their own insect. 

SECOND GRADE

Second Grade geologists will wrap up their study of Earth materials by learning about the rock cycle.  The children will act out the different ways that rocks are formed, by learning about erosion and deposition, as well as the Earth’s tectonic plates.  During this study, the children will become familiar with sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and how each is formed.  

October Newsletter

I can’t believe that it is already October!  I hope to see you all at the Lower Grade Harvest Festival at 3 on Wednesday, October 12 in the small schoolyard!  The children will harvest the produce for our cafeteria, as well as make some other treats, such as lemonade and cucumber mint dip!  Below are short descriptions of what the children will be up to during the month of October!

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Pre-K scientists will continue their study of the five senses during the month of October.  The students will use their sense of hearing to go on a “listening walk,” use their sense of touch to make Oobleck, and use all five of their senses to make and test popcorn!  We will end the month with a pumpkin study.

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten scientists will continue to learn about trees during the month of October.  The students will compare and contrast different types of trees.  They will explore different shaped leaves in order to identify what tree they have come from.  The students will also examine what happens to trees during the fall season.  We will end the month with a pumpkin and squash exploration!

FIRST GRADE

First grade scientists will continue exploring insects.  The students will observe live mealworms in the classroom.  They will become familiar with the life cycle of an insect as they observe the mealworm larva change into a pupa and then an adult beetle.  While making these observations, the students will also become familiar with the structure of an insect body, including the head, abdomen, thorax, antennae and exoskeleton.  Finally, the students will explore what an insect needs to survive. 

SECOND GRADE

Second grade scientists will take what they have learned about rocks and shells during the month of September to begin a more in depth study of rocks.  The students will observe and sort different kinds of rocks.  The students will also act out different experiments, such as rock rubbings and placing the rocks in water, in order to learn about their different properties.