This December, students in 4th-7th grade participated in a three-day science class focused on electromagnets. The students were given a reading prior to the lesson that asked them to consider what an electromagnet might be. Next, students were given the materials to create their own electromagnet and were asked to explore how they could use Read More >>
Electromagnets
This December, students in 4th-7th grade participated in a three-day science class focused on electromagnets. The students were given a reading prior to the lesson that asked them to consider what an electromagnet might be. Next, students were given the materials to create their own electromagnet and were asked to explore how they could use Read More >>
James Pass Arboretum
Ten of our oldest students visited James Pass Arboretum to observe and draw one of its majestic specimens. Tim Regin, longtime advocate for the arboretum, met with us sharing the history of the arboretum and its trees. Each student was assigned a different tree. In advance they had to research the tree determining if it Read More >>
Experimental Design
At the beginning of the year, we started a unit on Experimental Design. Students had to “Save Fred” a gummy worm from drowning by only using paper clips. Students had to write down their procedure and then decide if they had done the procedure in the best way possible. They compared with peers and discussed Read More >>
Worms
This fall and spring our K-2s have been learning about Earthworms. We began by digging for real worms outside. We found some. We observed their behavior and drew them. We learned about what worms need to survive, their external features,their internal body parts, and their importance in our ecosystems. We have drawn and colored representations Read More >>
Electricity
At the end of the year the students started learning about electricity. They were challenged to figure out how to light a lightbulb when given only a lightbulb, battery and one wire. In the process they learned about complete circuits, and the important parts of a battery and bulb. After lighting the bulb they were Read More >>
Space
This spring, students in grades 2-6 participated in learning about space in their science class. In a mixed age group, we discussed what the word “astronomy” means and then had students share what they knew about astronomy. We started the unit by talking about early astronomers and their discoveries/ models. Students created a timeline of Read More >>
Egg Drop
How egg-citing!? Over the past three weeks, students have been working on blueprinting, designing, and editing a device to protect an egg from high fall. The egg drop challenge has been an exciting activity for students to work in collaboration or independently with free access to materials. There were a few scrambles along the way, Read More >>
Chicken Life Cycle
We received fertilized eggs from Farmer Jenn, along with an incubator. We talked about the difference between fertilized and unfertilized eggs. We discussed what made egg shells different colors and what makes an eggshell so strong (you can’t break it by squeezing it in your hand) but also fragile at the same time. We broke Read More >>
Seven Minutes of Terror
This spring the three seventh graders participated in a class called Seven Minutes of Terror. The launch window for the Mars 2020 mission opened July 17 and closed Aug. 5, when Earth and Mars are in the proper positions in the solar system to enable a direct interplanetary journey. The rover was scheduled to land Read More >>