Who can make the most effective floater! Water science comes to a close!

This week we concluded water science.  First we experimented by predicting and testing the buoyancy of classroom objects. Did you know that an orange with a peel can float, but one without a peel cannot float? We also tried to make a ball of clay float by changing its shape.  This was an interesting, but messy experiment day!

Then, we tested all of the information we had learned about density, and how objects absorb or repel water to make our own floaters...the challenge- the create a floater from the objects in a basket that can hold the most weight in tiles!

Then we tested our creations...who's floater would prevail?  Which one would hold the most weight?

And here is the winning boat!  Way to go master engineer! Your floater held 50 tiles - WOW

Here is how we arranged our data!

It was so fun this year to jump right into science concepts...stay tuned for what comes next!

More Water Science

Hi there!
This week we learned more about how water is absorbed into substances, and how substances dissolve in water. 
To test which substances dissolved in water, we shook common things in water, like sugar and salt...
To test objects that dissolved in water, we soaked common objects (cracker, marshmellow, rice for example) overnight in water.
We also tested the absorption rate of polymer beads!  They grew from 3mm to 1 centimeter in 20 minutes...and even larger overnight!

Finally, we mixed oil and water...but they didn't mix!

Oil is lighter than water and repels water too...

Next week...floating and sinking!

Field Day 2018

What a beautiful day to enjoy sports, games, races and friends! Enjoy a few pictures...and thank you to all of the parents who were able to some and help!

Back to school!

Hi everyone! What an amazing few weeks back to school.  We all knew the routines and rules so well that we jumped right into water science to get back into the swing of thinking, reading, writing, drawing and viewing ideas.

Last we we explored properties of water...

Surface tension on a penny

We dropped food coloring into water to see diffusion....then...

Saw surface tension on a sheet of wax paper

rolling water drops

water drops keep their shape

and they roll together

experimenting with volume...

2 cups of water look different in different containers depending upon their size

We tested to see if common objects would absorb or repel water

The properties of water are fascinating!

Last day of first grade 2018

Hi everyone!  Here are some pictures of our wonderful family open house!

Today the students told each other what they learned or liked about first grade - here is what they said.

"My favorite thing was art!" Eva
"I liked learning about insects." Monty
"I liked learning about penguins" Rory
"I liked learning science ideas" Brooklynn
"I liked learning about butterflies." Lila
"I liked learning about farms." Peter
"I liked raising the chicks." Reed
"I liked watching chicks hatch!" Gregory
"I thought watching the chicks hatch was cool - I kept an eye on the humidity." George
"I learned a lot about penguins." Quincy
"The play Pete the Cat was fun!" Porter
"I liked watching Pete the Cat." Jack
"It was fun to go to the farm for a field trip." Obi
"Learning about penguin chicks - they are so cute." Alex
"Learning about rocks was fun." Gracyn
"I liked learning about penguins because there are so many kinds." Tatum
"All the field trips!" Hazel
"Raising chicks." Syri
"Going to the farm." Amelia
"Learning about butterflies." Anna
"Learning more about rocks." Henry
"The farm field trip." Annabelle
"When we raised chicks and mealworms." Sofie

We had a nice day, doing our last favorite choosing time, and watching "Charlotte's Web"  - a movie that reminds us that life is full of special moments, like chicks hatching, butterflies emerging, and a spider's web - ordinary miracles that we all take for granted.
Your children are precious and unique - it has been a privilege to help them learn this year and I look forward to seeing them in the fall!