Students have been so busy learning new science in all of the classes at RWS! Here is a snapshot of what everyone has been up to…
JK
- read Timothy Tornado, Underwater Utley, Vinnie Volcano, and Watery William from the "Quirkles" book series
- created a tornado in a bottle and compared the density of salt water and fresh water by trying to float an egg in each
- created a volcano using a chemical reaction
- studied the water cycle by creating a mini water cycle and using visual organizers
SK
- studied the different types of celestial objects in space
- compared and contrasted the difference between planets and stars
- understood what constellations are and went inside the stardome to identify and draw constellations
1ST
- identified differences between pushes and pulls and different object that move by push or pull
- built a catapult to demonstrate a machine using both pushes and pulls
- experimented with inclined planes and whether they make work easier
- did a cross curricular project on the Statue of Liberty to find out why she is green and how we could clean her
2ND
- used the information they learned at the St. Louis Zoo and their research to create an iMovie about their assigned biome and animal
- understood how to narrow down all of your information to make an aesthetically pleasing, factually correct video
3RD
- continued study of land and water interactions
- experimented with how slope and adding plants to a landscape changes the direction and flow of water
- as a culminating project, created landscapes in their stream tables that will keep a city safe from a flood
4TH
- experimented with computer coding using the "Scratch" computer program
- used their coding skills to create computer programs with different assigned constraints with the themes "All About Me", "Build-A-Band", "Orange Square, Purple Circle", and showcased their animation skills with the program "It's Alive"
5TH
- identified what friction is and some ways to increase and decrease it
- experimented with friction in everyday life
- designed and carried out an experiment to either increase or decrease friction
6TH
- took a quiz over magnetism
- started unit on chemistry
- investigated different states of matter
- learned that parts of an atom
5TH GRADE HEALTH
- studied the male and female reproductive systems
6TH GRADE HEALTH
- started unit on genetics
- understood genotypes, phenotypes, recessive and dominant traits, alleles, homozygous and heterozygous gene pairs, and learned how to use a punnett square to predict offspring
GARDEN NEWS
Second Grade students planted the seeds they winterized. Eddie Jones, our liaison from Litzsinger, came to class and helped us with this process. The seeds are currently growing inside. Hopefully they will grow into the plants we will plant in our new native prairie habitat. Additionally, they set cardboard on the grass in the area that we will be growing our native prairie habitat. The cardboard will slowly and organically kill the grass in this area and prepare it for the planting of our habitat in the fall of 2016.
As always, we continue to have a "Sustainability Star of the Week." Please encourage your children to be good citizens of our Earth. They can do this by treating our Earth as they would a member of their family. It is my hope that they are all reducing, reusing, recycling, and rotting (composting) when away from the science lab. Every little bit helps!
KIM BRECKENRIDGE SCIENCE SPECIALIST