I use to do peek at my week, but wow is life busy...so busy I get my lessons done, get supplies for 6 science preps, and we are full speed ahead! I am sure glad last year I did that. I can look back and get some ideas, find my links and videos and more. So....I figure, I better post a peek so that I can once again get back on track to showing what I do each week in my science school yard!
Kinders- We are learning about the stars. We start with a great online book from We Give Books called Starry Sky. I made constellations from Full of Great Ideas Blog. As I read, I had the constellation cards shining on the ceiling when we saw it in the book. The kinders actually remembered them!
Our project consisted of giving each one a piece of black paper, 6-7 pieces of popcorn, and a piece of chalk. They tossed the popcorn on the paper, picked up a piece, ate it, then placed a star in its place. Then the kids were able to see a constellation. When everyone was done, I played a virtual camp fire, they got a story stick to pass and share their pictures. We finished with a five little astronauts song.
First Graders- Are working on balance once again. I created a pack that took the picture books I could find, the FOSS lesson concepts, but added a fun circus theme to it. There are a ton of great balancing videos that kiddos love to watch as well. Balance: Science Circus Fun is a great way to teach balance, add math, reading, writing, and more to your FOSS balance and motion kit and then some!
2nd graders-Are all about the Non-Newtonian Fluids. We once again used our What's The Matter? Pack to supplement mixtures and solutions. Last week, Oobleck, this week...toothpaste!
3rd grade- My middle children are finishing up on the water cycle. We are working with ice cubes. We used ice cubes to learn the three phases of matter. Here is a great time lapse I showed as they worked on the phases of the ice cube sheet...this fun 15 second you tube video Life Cycle of An Ice Cube. This sheet is from my FOSS Water Extensions Pack.
Then onto the team activity. They got 20 minutes to include the parts of the digestive system and then share it with the class. It was a great way to remember it!
5th grade- We are working on Chemical Reactions. The kids loved theses reactions and could remember examples pretty easily after watching this...
We then did this great penny polishing activity that had the kids reacting, too! Did you know that ketchup is a great polisher? Who knew...We also used BTB to test a color change in water as we blew into it and tested for acids and bases. We always do a ticket out the door...this one was 5 examples of chemical reactions and what does BTB indicate. They got it!
Using BTB...showed a color change from blue, to green, to yellow!
BTB showed cola to be an acid... and it cleans pennies!
Time for Peek at My Week hosted by Mrs. Laffin's Laughings. K=Kinders will learn the five senses... we will focus on learning all five (through song, and focus on sight this week). Using the smartboard document helped focus on the review...The 5 Senses Smartboard Activity
using SMARTBOARD exchange. For each sense I had an activity. For example: smell we passed around a scented candle to guess the smell and then vote if we liked it or not. For sight I put 8 items on a tray of various colors and shapes and we looked at them and then I covered the tray. I also revealed pictures for them to make the sound of what they saw. We made the sound of drums, frogs, baby chicks, a phone, and fire truck. After that, I passed around objects for the kiddos to feel. I passed around dear antlers, a teddy bear, pumpkins, a ball, and a cucumber. We wrote down descriptive words to share. Last, but not least we tried cucumbers from our school garden. We talked about how they tasted. We made a graph to show if we liked it, didn't care for it, or were not sure.
1st=Students will be introduced to the five vertebrate. We will learn what a mammal is and compare us to other mammals. I started my lessons with what would happen if all the baby animals got out of their cages away from their mothers? We described what the mother would look like it it was: a panda bear, a bat, a snake, a turtle, a frog, and a flamingo. We then made a chart to classify them. Hair or fur, shell (which is a type of scale), scales, moist skin, wings, and feathers. Even though bats have wings, they have fur, so we put it with the panda. I read the book,
I challenged them to think about how they look like their family members and how we could fit into one of the groups we listed before. We made the connection that we are mammals which was really hard for some to grasp. We drew our favorite animals and played a riddle game after listing the 5 vertebrate along with other clues. We then hung up the pictures under our categories to start making connections. We finished by playing the Animal Characteristics Game that we will play each week until our unit is done.
2nd= Students will learn about air through bubble experiments and answer the question, "How do we know air is there." We used the FOSS unit and the scientific process to prove that Air is there, Air is matter, Air takes up space, and Air can be captured. Kids love water. Kids love amazing discoveries. Kids don't always like to write and reflect. We are working on that one.
3rd= Students will demonstrate the use of the metric system to measure length, weight, and volume.
Students in third grade have not measured too much so far. When I asked them to recall what tool I would use to measure my weight, three out of the four classes replied, "a ruler." I was worried. However, after setting up stations for volume, mass, and length it got a bit better. Here is a freebie for you to use that I made to remind them of tools to use... We used this Measurement Flip Book to help us write down the definitions and tools inside the book.
We then completed stations that I placed on the smartboard. Here are some of the ideas: length and weight of the scissors and marker at your table. The length and weight of the block at your table. Show me the following volumes with your syringe: 17 ml, and 35 ml. We finished up with this free worksheet I found on line at math salamanders
4th= Students will answer the question, "what objects are attracted to magnets" and determine a pattern. Students will be introduced to new vocabulary that coincides with answering the question. We used the FOSS lesson to help us go through the scientific process. We finished up with our vocabulary reflections in our science notebooks: discoveries, observations, and vocabulary.
5th=Students will learn the difference between dependent, independent, and controlled variables through experimentation and demonstration. I started off by asking them what is a variable. No one knew. I then proceeded to have them follow the directions to make a paper airplane. I continued to use the words variable and control in context as kids struggled with the directions. When we were all finished I once again asked what a variable and control is. They got it. I defined the three types. Then I asked the students how can we change the airplane? We had to remember only change one thing and then test it. We practiced on my model airplane and found we could determine a dependent variable, an independent variable, and the controls. I showed them a power point of pictures of pendulums. I asked what they had in common and to define pendulum. I showed them a bird bobber, swing set, perpetual motion balls, a hypnotist's necklace, and a grandfather clock. I told them they were now in clock repair school because time flies when your having fun in science. My clock was going way to fast and I needed help fixing it. We first had to build a control which was this week. We build our controlled pendulum and then tested it. We all got the same results. Wallah, a control. We wrote in our science notebooks once again to wrap up.
Take a look at my littles building...measuring...and sharing!
Well, another year has successfully started! I am excited about the new and endless possiblilities with my new Encore staff members. We have to PLC with our "specialists" in music, PE, art, science, and library and we have two new ladies that joined our team! How exciting to get to plan new events and share ideas! Here is a peek at my week thanks to Mrs. Laffin's Laughings...
This week in Kindergarten...
Kindergarten in the garden...being scientists!
I am teaching what is science. Really, they do not know. The are so little. We read the book and then went outside in the school garden to observe and be scientists with hand lenses. We shared what we could learn on our chart. With only 30 minutes it goes by quickly.
1st graders...
Are learning what a scientist is. We read Everyone Is A Scientist and shared the power point from Kindergarten, Kindergarten which is a great first start. We also made a web to show what scientists could learn, went out in
the garden to investigate, and then finished with a picture of what we would want to study as a scientist. Next week, being zoologists.
Firsties finding animals in the garden...animal unit to follow next week...
2nd graders...
We started off with learning about air with our FOSS unit so we started talking about science is all around us even if we can't see it. We discussed what scientists do to learn...by asking questions, forming a hypothesis (I think), conducting experiments, making observations, and then coming to a conclusion. We used the FOSS air bags to test how air takes up space and air moves things. We finished off with a balloon send off.
Air is matter. Air takes up space. Air moves things.
3rd graders...
We started off our year with measurement so that they will be ready for our Earth Materials unit. We started off with a smartboard presentation on measurement in customary standard unit. Then, we worked on why scientists use the metric system. We practiced using a ruler and measuring in cm. We finished off with a sheet from the Science Penguin that shares how scientists use tools that keep them safe, help them observe, and help them measure. We followed that sheet with a decimeter scavenger hunt in our garden.
4th and 5th graders...
We started off with discussing the scientific process and what that would look like now that they are "big" kids at school. We practiced the process by teams working together to save Fred. I got this great idea from Smart Chick on Teachers Pay Teachers. The kids love this! As they finish up they work on the sheet that is included and then the scientific process science notebook sheet. Great start to the new school year!
Saving Fred! Working as a team! Learning the Scientific Process!
Fred just might be saved!
It has been a great first week so far. Now, if it could stop raining so we can get outside tomorrow...life would be perfect!
I have been away for two weeks! Yikes...longest time ever! I had a good excuse...I have been a busy bee! I just wrapped up our Plantapalooza event which brought over 140 people into our school to learn about container gardening and then they got to make and take their own container gardens home. One problem though...it poured during our event. No garden scavenger hunt...not to many filled containers. We gave them garden greens a garden buck I made in my plant unit. They can come to school any time to claim their container and soil. We had amazing door prizes and every family went home with a prize and two free tomato plants donated by Majestic Farms out of Hatley. This was a great family night, but it has consumed me. The garden is growing and the plants are going in...that has also taken up a ton of time...our garden club ended last week...one week to early to actually plant the plants in the ground. We are going to plan B...5th graders will be using simple machines to plant the plants next week. Clever plan.
Last week's plans...real quick recap...
Oh...My... Gosh...is your week as busy as mine? Crazy busy that is all I can say. I am not getting home until after 8:30 each night. I go from school to after school, to games, meetings...I can't keep up with it. I am a day late and a dollar short. I should have shared my week yesterday. Forgive me. I went to bed by 9 last night. Worn out...
Kinders are growing plants in a glove to watch seeds grow. We read the book Plants and Seeds. It's short and sweet. We then wrote what we learned about plants and seeds on a flower pattern.
Different sized seeds in each finger! Kinders growing!
Firsties are learning about the difference between moths and butterflies. We used the A-Z book Butterflies and Moths and then showed the video:
We made symmetrical butterflies by painting the FOSS butterfly pattern on one side. We then played the butterfly game I made which is similar to the cootie game we played as kids! Remember that game? Fun times!
2nd graders- worked on planting tubers...yes potatoes. We started off listing how we like our potatoes...fried...roasted...chips...you get the picture. We followed it up with a great resource I use Grow Your Own Potatoes. Great activities...videoes...I printed up the posters for the kids to see and then went through them. I also read the book Potatoes.
We then went out to plant the tubers. They love the FOSS lesson in a real garden...skip the cup.
Third grade- Strike up the band! We shared our instruments, made some music by playing Yankee Doodle and We Will Rock You. We then filled out a sheet showing how our instrument showed volume, vibration, pitch, and how it relates to sound. Sound good? Then we watched a short video to wrap up our sound unit before the big test. Who doesn't love Ms. Frizzle?
Fourth graders- We are working on our research project. The students are making a picture book for 2nd and third graders to read about a planet. They picked a table and I assigned a planet to each group. They will then be able to use that research information to make a group project to teach their class as well. Check out our blog for kids to see our links:
Fifth graders- working on simple machines. We are using the FOSS lessons to teach pulleys now. We took a quick quiz to see what they are retaining. We used the FOSS lessons as a bit of a competition though. Each group assigned their team 1-4. I picked out of a hat a pulley and then I picked a number. That person had to make the pulley picked without help..just a diagram. Then, the team could help them after one minute of time. The diagram reading was perfect. I gave winning teams a mint...they taught the other groups and then we did the activity in FOSS. Perfect way to get them actively engaged.
It is now time to figure out next week's lessons for tomorrow. That is how far behind I am. Oh, well. Time flies when your having fun!
Here is the fun video showing honey bee pollination... then on to amazing footage of the birds and the bees...
2nd graders-
We are planting today, but first we are learning about the difference between vegetables and fruits. We are also observing different seeds and leaves to determine the parent and child and their characteristics. We are creating a veggie survey for the kids to take and then making veggie posters to encourage others to eat their veggies! We will also be learning about photosynthesis by doing some activities in our garden packet and by watching a quick video...
3rd graders- We are wrapping up our sound unit by taking our test. Then we are learning about onomatopoeia in our writing, creating sound poems. I used this presentation to start off this sound lesson from ...I Love 2 Teach blog...here is a little onomatopoeia game to play ... and
Here is the sheet I will give the kids to have them make a class book. Onomatopoeia Sheet. We also spent time making a study guide for us to take home reviewing what we learned from FOSS sound lessons.
4th graders-We are continuing to work on research and creating our books and projects.
5th graders- We are headed to the garden to use the 6 simple machines in action. I am working on creating stations that will have the groups have to see the difference in using the machine and not using the machine...making our job easier will surely show through. The kids are excited.
Tuesday...prep day...first day of my new lessons...here we go. At our last in service we took a peek at our writing scores and oh man...we need to rock and roll in science. My goal is to really work the reflection and writing component in each grade level. I have worked hard on the vocabulary piece, but one thing we discussed for our olders is to continue to use our science reflection questions as great short answers. For our littles, we must continue to ask them to use their writing to show what they know. Any great writing ideas for a science classroom teachers that only see kids one hour a week?
Kinders-
This week, we will be learning about what can hurt and help plants. We will be using The Tiny Seed as our book focus...we will use our writing to answer the question "what helps plants...what helps you?"
Firsties-
Our first graders will be focusing on life cycles and mealworms. We will read a quick book on mealworms...not before we take a quick quiz. We will use our observation and writing skills to show what we know.
Seconds-
We will be focusing on Wisconsin fast seeds and our kindergarten pumpkins. We will watch time lapse photography and writing about the similarities and differences between fast plants and annuals.
Wisconsin Fast Plants
Versus.... typical annuals... like the pumpkin...
Thirds-
We will be using an engineering activity to help us understand how to send sound through a solid. They will be using an engineering lesson based on "telephone" which I am adding to my new packet on sound ready by the end of the week...I need it by the end of the week, so I guess I need it done. (procrastinator, oops). We will be using other sheets to review the process we take to figure out how to communicate with our best friend next door, after being grounded, with no electronics...problem solving 101.
Fourths-
We will be working on understanding the solar system along with the planets. We will be reading Postcards From Pluto. Each person will be picking out of the hat to determine what planet they need to write a postcard about and then that will turn into their group for planet research and presentations. We will have a cloze reading lesson and then each group will get books to help them create their own postcard to share next week.
Fifths-
We will continue the lever lessons from FOSS. We are working on setting up an experiment and following directions. Side note... I am giving them a rubric and reflection sheet to fill out on our cardboard arcade. They will self assess and then share with their groups what they think they should get. We will also be using an activity out of my packet that has students picking a card with a major invention. They must illustrate and explain that invention as it was in the past, how it is now, and what it could look like in the future.
So now that there was a holiday and an in-service day my days are all mesSeD up. Today, is a day five and it is Tuesday. Yikes. That means that Wednesday is the first day of my week. I have to hunker down now that there has been a break in the organization of my week being Monday day 1...Friday day 5... Now, this is the way it will be until the end of the school year. BooHoo. While I am really not focused I have to tell you guys that this weekend we went to see our daughter in college. Very traumatic stay at our hotel. A fight broke out right in front of my hotel door at 11:40. I called the desk they told the men to disband. He left. More men joined and it got hairy and scary. Called again. They left. It became really quiet and we all slept. No noise until breakfast and no food. The hotel clerk was dealing with the men that returned from the hospital. The men left and 4 of them were shot. One died. They returned very upset and angry. We didn't worry about food. We went back to the room to pack up, but then the guys were outside our room talking about the shooting. OMG. Happy Easter. We got out alright, but it was SCARY! Called the hotel customer service to share the story. Figure that the only person working at the desk did alright considering, but I was pretty hungry.
I spent the day organizing and planning for the week ahead. I think I've got it.
Kinders- will listen tot he story It's Pumpkin Time.
We then will use the sequence cards to put our pumpkin plant in order from seed to pumpkin. I used the cards and sheets from Preschool Printables. We then will plant pumpkin seeds and put them in our grow lab. We will finish off our time with a sequence activity...putting pumpkin pictures in order for our kinder "garden".
Firsties- will be be learning about insects in station format (okay tried this with the first group...will rethink stations for them they didn't focus at all) I will start off with a review using pictures of bugs. What makes them insects. We will then sing the song Head, Thorax, Abdomen losing a line each time and replacing it with buzzing. We will continue onto stations having students make a ladybug with sequence of the life cycle on the back. They will use bug info cards to research a bug and answer questions and then onto a game "what do you know about bugs?" I will show you when I bring my camera tomorrow. We will finish up with bug or not games. I show pictures and they must tell me insect or not.
Seconds- will be learning about the parts of the plant. I have different plants for them to observe. They will do some activities to draw and label and also some matching words to vocabulary from my Plant Unit.
We will finish up with an art project tracing a hand and adding to the parts of a plant bulletin board. Green for stems, brown roots, yellow flower, green leaves...labels and all.
3rd- will be using the FOSS kit to understand about vibration. They will do a quick quiz first, then sound through air, liquid, and solids. We will use the projectable sound book from reading a-z. Then we will do the tuning fork activity, sound through air activity, and sound through water. We will finish with the understanding of how sound travels best through a solid.
4th- will be working on moon stations. We are using several lessons that I am working on from other sites. Station 1...making a model out of oreos. Station 2...reading comprehension from k12Reader. Station 3... We will finish with a flip book to make and take from Science Notebook Chick on TPT.
5th- Cardboard arcade is ready to go. I will play the games...check for 2 or more simple machines, then a quick quiz. We will finish with the FOSS lesson on intro to levers. I can't wait to post pictures of our arcade in use.
It has a busy week in the Science School Yard. It is Farm to School Garden time and three new FOSS kits are starting this next week. Busy...busy... I am linking up with my blogger buds at
This week in the School Yard: Kinders- What are seeds? We are starting with a poster entitled...Seeds with the words CAN, ARE, HAVE, NEED. Our kinders don't seem to know much about seeds. They say that seeds have stems and flowers. That my cuties is a plant. I then hand out the variety of seeds I have that we plant in our school garden. Our garden is cleaned out and ready to go! We then go back to the poster where we now add what we know about seeds. I read the story The Garden We Grow. Or kinders will be planting a kinder"garden" starting next week. They are growing a pumpkin patch for next fall where they will be able to see how they grow and the plants grow too. It takes time to get big doesn't it. I read the story and add in our kinder"garden" after each page...until we pick the pumpkins...in first grade. They love it. I get to practice on one class before the start of next week. It went well.
Firsties- are using the FOSS kit insects, but before we get our meal worms and painted ladies, we need to know what an insect is. We read the book Do You Know about Insects? But before we read it, we add to a poster what we know and our misconceptions...then we learn from the book and add what we learned. As I read I sing the song head, thorax, abdomen to head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Cute stuff. We also chant, egg, larva, pupa, adult. Yea! They remember then! We then make an insect, but remember what everyone of our insects must have when we make it. We build a bug and add it to our board. We finish with a bug hunt outside.
2nd graders- Plants! I love this unit. It sure helps when we grow our own garden at school. I am using our Plant Unit that I made with two other science teachers to incorporate NGSS and FOSS. Plants: A Comprehensive Unit. I will start with building a greenhouse. We want to also know what plants need. We will use the story A Seed Is Sleepy to learn about seeds first. We will be opening up a seed and taking a look inside. I will add a sheet next week that I am adding to the unit.
3rd graders- Sound is the name of the game. We learned about the difference between pitch and volume. We will be reviewing with a quick quiz to check for understanding. We will continue by watching Study Jams Sound. The new words we will add vibration, frequency, decibels, hertz, and echo. Quick quiz time again. Students then will do stations that deal with vibrations, decibels, and frequency. Slinky model and sound waves and pitch.... long gong.... tuning fork in water. We will wrap up with all the words while showing the amplifier.
4th graders- we will continue to learn about the solar system. We are finishing up on what we learned about the Earth, Sun, and Moon. We are working on fact building with stations. We are using a matching activity from the Science Penguin, then a quick quiz to see what they remember.
After they are done with a quick review...we are working on the concept of cycles around us. Tides, seasons, day and night, and lunar cycles. We are finishing up with this great rap and start of the lunar model using Oreos and this great free download from Balancing Everything.
Fifth graders: Oh, My, Gosh...I am so excited about their cardboard arcade games. We started them this last week for about 10 minutes of supply getting. Some groups are already almost done. These games will be played at our Title 1 night: Hmong Heritage Celebration and 5th Grade Cardboard Arcade. The game with the most tickets gets featured at our school carnival that weekend! When students are done with their game, they are working on the past, present, future lesson in the Cardboard Arcade Simple Machines Unit. I love this unit! We did the scavenger hunt and vocabulary matching. The kids were completely engaged in the activity! They now are understanding simple machines even better!
I am planning for the week we get back from break, but boy is my head not in it. I can't wait for some time off. There is still about three feet of snow, but rain today. So melt, snow, melt! Our big plans...water park...trip to Milwaukee to see relatives...and painting and sewing some things for my daughter for her new apartment. That is the goal. I also want to finish some of my TPT items. I am sure I can get something done on our 3 1/2 hour trip to Milwaukee.
Kindergartners:
We are learning about weather yet, so we are learning about different types of weather that effects them in Wisconsin. We are making headbands that were featured on A Kindergarten Smorgesboard. He has the symbols the students will need to make them. We will then create tornadoes in a bottle and practice what we do in the case of an emergency...tornado drill review. Students will then use the symbols to understand In like a lion out like a lamb on our chart, then share how you can be like a lion and lamb...of course after hearing the book...
We will finish up with a tornado in a bottle demonstration for them to make. For those of you that live in the Midwest...you know that on a given day in fall we can be in our basements or at school huddled in a bathroom due to a tornado warning. We will then review weather that is like a lion and a lamb. Our big idea is how weather can be classified.
First Graders:
We will be finishing up our Balance and Motion Unit this next week. First, we will review with a FOSS lesson, rolling wheels and rolling cups. We will finish with a review test that I was going to post, but in my haste to get out the door for spring break I didn't download it. When the kiddos are done they will be doing a quick friction fun activity by testing how their cars are slowed down at different rates by different surfaces. I shared the sheets on a previous post. We will test counters, steel wool, carpet, and sand paper.
2nd graders:
We will be reviewing the food chain. We will focus on last week's vocabulary: food chain, consumer, producer, omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, as well as what a food chain looks like. Students will be getting a sheet that has them matching vocabulary as well as creating food chains from different ecosystems. They will finish up with the art activity that we wanted to do last week. I guess I planned too much.
3rd graders:
We will be working with sound once again. We will focus on sound through different matter...air, liquid, and solid. Students will determine using FOSS which matter allows sound to be heard best. We will be using the FOSS lessons to create stations for the students to use along with a reflection sheet. The last station will be a helpful sheet from my sound sheets:
4th graders:
We are working on the earth yet. My kiddos really didn't know how seasons are related to how light and dark it gets in Wisconsin as the year progresses. They couldn't answer questions about day and night, let alone rotation and orbit. So, we will be reviewing in the form of stations. I am using several sheets from the Science Penguin, as well as using the ipads and the app The Day and Night World Map. This app allows students to understand the concept of day and night better using this visual aid. They will also create a model using a lamp and a styrofoam ball. We shall see what they can do. Then a little bitty quiz to check for understanding.
5th Graders:
Will be working on their Simple Machine Cardboard Arcade Unit. We will share the best invention ever made. We will then use the scenario cards to build a simple machine that will help build our arcade. They will create a mini version of that machine.
Happy Spring Break...if you are on break, or I hope your break was what you hoped it would be. I have a to do list that is pretty long. We shall see if I can tackle even some of it.
2nd graders-Are all about the Non-Newtonian Fluids. We once again used our What's The Matter? Pack to supplement mixtures and solutions. Last week, Oobleck, this week...toothpaste!
We used the site Kids Health: Digestive System to get information and a fun...quick video...
