This blog was originally used to update with science projects and activities. For the upcoming school year, I plan on using it as a newsletter to parents and also including more of what we are doing in the classroom everyday.

Making Rocks and Fossils

This week we are continuing our study on Rocks.  We did two lab activities.  We made Model Rocks and made our own Fossils!

Model Rocks

To make a model rock we added a spoonful of sand, a spoonful of gravel, and a spoonful of glue into a cup and mixed.  Then the students put the glob on wax paper and when it dries, they will have their own homemade rock!

Making Fossils

To make a fossil the students flattened out a piece of clay.  I gave them a shell or a plastic dinosaur bone to press into the clay.  They pulled the piece out and filled the indention with white glue.  When it dried, we peeled the glue off and they had a fossil mold!

Since we have learned about different rocks and minerals and how they are formed, we played a game.  I have a True or False book about Rocks and Minerals.  We divided into groups and kept score.  The class loved it!  This is the book below and it went along very well with everything we have been studying!

Minerals and Rocks

The past few weeks our class has been studying Rocks and Minerals.  First we learned three ways scientists determine what type of mineral it is:  color from the outside, color it makes when given a streak test, and the hardness of the mineral.

We did a Hardness Lab first.  The students made three columns labeled Fingernail, Penny, and Steel Nail.  They used all three ways to scrape each mineral to determine if it could be scratched.  They learned there were a few minerals that were very fragile and scraped off easily with their fingernail, but there were also ones that were extremely hard and even a steel nail could not scrape through it!

The next day we did a Streak Test Lab.  Each student was able to make a streak across a piece of tile and record what color the mineral left behind.  We had lots of fun with both labs.

This past week we learned the three types of rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.  They sang a Rock Cycle song to the tune of "We Will Rock You!"  We will definitely try to sing that song again this next week as we will learn about Fossils.  Stay tuned!!!

Science: Investigating Soils

This week in Science we are learning all about soil.  We are learning the different layers of soil and then we will compare the soils sand, silt, and clay.  I used our textbook to help me as I made these two activities for my class to complete.

Soil Horizons

Soils form in layers.  It is a mixture of many different things.  Soil is made up of water, air, humus, and tiny pieces of rock.  This worksheet helps students learn and visualize the 3 layers of soil.  They are topsoil. subsoil, and bedrock.  After they define these, they will draw to show what is contained in each layer.

Investigate Soils Lab Activity

Materials needed:  lab sheet, plates, sand, soil, clay, and hand lens

Students will observe sand, silt, and clay.  They will describe how each soil looks and how they feel.  Then they will use a hand lens or magnifying glass and draw the different sizes of grains on their lab sheet.

This activity helps the students to be able to compare and contrast these three soils.

They loved being scientists!!

Chewin' Up Multiplication Facts!

This year my class is Chewin' Up Multiplication Facts!  We started passing off multiplication facts at the end of September.  Our goal is to have mastered all multiplication facts to 12 before Christmas Break.  My original idea was to have Skittles in my candy machine and each student gets a handful of skittles after they pass each fact off.  Well, my candy machine ended up unloading about 20 Skittles at a time, and that just wasn't going to work.  The current plan is that when they have passed off through the 9's facts, they will not only be rewarded with a popcorn and movie party, but also their own pack of skittles!  

We are keeping track of our progress.  First, we want to show off to everyone in the hall how we are doing on our multiplication facts.  Since my theme in my classroom is zebra, I made our huge gumball machine and decorated it with some zebra stripes.

I cut out and laminated different color circles and wrote numbers on them to represent which multiplication fact was mastered.  When a student passes off a fact, we add that number fact gumball onto our class gumball machine.  Look how well we are doing so far!!

Then I wanted each student to have their own visual to see how well they are doing.  I printed off a gumball machine picture that I found online, blew it up a little, and printed it on cardstock.  I let each student decorate their own how they liked and we put them on our classroom door.  When they pass off a multiplication fact, I give them a colored circle sticker to add to their personal gumball machine.

The students love visuals and to be able to see how they are doing each week.  Keep Chewin' up those facts!!

I am Thankful Turkeys

Today my class made these I am Thankful Turkeys.  After cutting out the pieces, they wrote I am Thankful on the turkey's belly.  Then on each feather, they wrote something they are thankful for. I was proud of what they wrote:  Peace, God, Christ, Family, Friends, Food, and yes, even SCHOOL!!  I am thankful for such a wonderful class!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Peanut Festival Poster Contest Winner!!

We are so proud of a member of our class who won First Place in the Peanut Festival Poster Contest!  She did an awesome job on her poster and we love to brag on her and all of our classmates who work hard on everything they do!  Great job!