This week in the lab...
we candled the eggs again, and it looks like there is only one (maybe two) embryos that are still developing. We're going to keep our fingers crossed that we'll have at least one little hatchling on Tuesday! If not, Miss Phillips will order more fertilized eggs, and we'll try it again.
Kindergartners were introduced to a new part of the computer this week...the keyboard! Students began learning about home-row, and tried their luck at locating various letters on the keyboard. Students worked on the first stage of Dance Mat Typing, and Miss Phillips was blown away with how many students were able to pass the entire stage in their first try! She's never seen so many fast kindergartner typers before! Great job, kindergartners! Instead of doing an experiment in science lab this week, Miss Phillips made arrangements for the Helen Woodward Animal Center's AniMobile to visit the kindergartners at Casita! The AniMobile is a 32' learning center on wheels, complete with animals! The children had a blast. Check out the kindergarten page in the Photo Gallery to see pictures of the event!
First graders continued to learn about weather conditions, and appropriate fabrics to wear in each. This week, we did an experiment to find out which fabric was the most water-resistant: cotton, polyester, nylon, or wool. Students placed a piece of each type of fabric over a cup, secured it with a rubber band, and then poured 1/2 cup of water over each fabric. After testing the fabrics, students compared the cups to see which fabric allowed more/less water to seep through. Students learned that the nylon fabric was the most water-resistant, and therefore the best fabric to wear in the rain! Students also learned that while wool can keep you very warm, it is the least water-resistant fabric that we tested, and therefore should not be worn in the rain. During technology time, first graders continued to work on their Animal Adaptations PowerPoint.
Second graders learned about the life cycle of a chicken this week, which was fitting since next week the eggs are supposed to hatch (fingers-crossed!). We learned the following parts of the egg: eggshell, membrane, albumen (egg white), yolk, germinal spot, chalaza, and air sac. Students also dissected an egg to find each part and examine it up close. Then, students watched a video which explained the process of how eggs get from the farm to the grocery store, and all the steps they have to go through! At the end of class, we candled the eggs in the incubator and compared them to the unfertilized eggs we used during the experiment. We noticed that several of the embryos never began to grow, a few began growing but for some reason have stopped developing, and a couple eggs seem to be developing as normal. During technology time, second graders continued to work on their Interactive Inference games.
This week, only the Monday STEM Academy met. Since Miss Phillips was absent last week, we finished building and testing our aluminum boats. Our winning boats from the penny boat competitions were: Rose and Alyssa from the Monday STEM class which held 300 pennies, and Gisele and Briana from the Thursday STEM class, which held 138 pennies. Congratulations to our winners! Since there is no school on Monday due to President's Weekend, I invited the Monday STEM class to help me with a project on Friday after school. Mrs. Gilot, a parent of a STEM student, is creating a scaled model of the solar system on the playground! She asked if the STEM Academy and I could help her, so Friday afterschool we'll be paining the planets. It should be very exciting!
I hope you all have a safe, and fun-filled 4-day weekend. I'm of to San Francisco to visit my sister! She recently moved to S.F. because she got a nursing job at San Francisco General Hospital. I'm so proud of her! While I'm up there, I will be getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the Academy of Science Museum from one of my good childhood friends who works there...I can't wait! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures so I can show the students next week.
Well, that's what is happen
we candled the eggs again, and it looks like there is only one (maybe two) embryos that are still developing. We're going to keep our fingers crossed that we'll have at least one little hatchling on Tuesday! If not, Miss Phillips will order more fertilized eggs, and we'll try it again.
Kindergartners were introduced to a new part of the computer this week...the keyboard! Students began learning about home-row, and tried their luck at locating various letters on the keyboard. Students worked on the first stage of Dance Mat Typing, and Miss Phillips was blown away with how many students were able to pass the entire stage in their first try! She's never seen so many fast kindergartner typers before! Great job, kindergartners! Instead of doing an experiment in science lab this week, Miss Phillips made arrangements for the Helen Woodward Animal Center's AniMobile to visit the kindergartners at Casita! The AniMobile is a 32' learning center on wheels, complete with animals! The children had a blast. Check out the kindergarten page in the Photo Gallery to see pictures of the event!
First graders continued to learn about weather conditions, and appropriate fabrics to wear in each. This week, we did an experiment to find out which fabric was the most water-resistant: cotton, polyester, nylon, or wool. Students placed a piece of each type of fabric over a cup, secured it with a rubber band, and then poured 1/2 cup of water over each fabric. After testing the fabrics, students compared the cups to see which fabric allowed more/less water to seep through. Students learned that the nylon fabric was the most water-resistant, and therefore the best fabric to wear in the rain! Students also learned that while wool can keep you very warm, it is the least water-resistant fabric that we tested, and therefore should not be worn in the rain. During technology time, first graders continued to work on their Animal Adaptations PowerPoint.
Second graders learned about the life cycle of a chicken this week, which was fitting since next week the eggs are supposed to hatch (fingers-crossed!). We learned the following parts of the egg: eggshell, membrane, albumen (egg white), yolk, germinal spot, chalaza, and air sac. Students also dissected an egg to find each part and examine it up close. Then, students watched a video which explained the process of how eggs get from the farm to the grocery store, and all the steps they have to go through! At the end of class, we candled the eggs in the incubator and compared them to the unfertilized eggs we used during the experiment. We noticed that several of the embryos never began to grow, a few began growing but for some reason have stopped developing, and a couple eggs seem to be developing as normal. During technology time, second graders continued to work on their Interactive Inference games.
This week, only the Monday STEM Academy met. Since Miss Phillips was absent last week, we finished building and testing our aluminum boats. Our winning boats from the penny boat competitions were: Rose and Alyssa from the Monday STEM class which held 300 pennies, and Gisele and Briana from the Thursday STEM class, which held 138 pennies. Congratulations to our winners! Since there is no school on Monday due to President's Weekend, I invited the Monday STEM class to help me with a project on Friday after school. Mrs. Gilot, a parent of a STEM student, is creating a scaled model of the solar system on the playground! She asked if the STEM Academy and I could help her, so Friday afterschool we'll be paining the planets. It should be very exciting!
I hope you all have a safe, and fun-filled 4-day weekend. I'm of to San Francisco to visit my sister! She recently moved to S.F. because she got a nursing job at San Francisco General Hospital. I'm so proud of her! While I'm up there, I will be getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the Academy of Science Museum from one of my good childhood friends who works there...I can't wait! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures so I can show the students next week.
Well, that's what is happen