It's Spring!!
Wow! We're still going strong and learning lots. Our science unit on the solar system has the class hooked on any and all information we can get our hands on. We started with the moon and learned all about the phases, craters, orbiting, satellites, and more! Many students opted for digital vocabulary work and explained the word 'orbit' on their SeeSaw account. We also sequenced the phases of the moon.
We then moved on to learning many interesting facts about the sun. One thing we learned was that the sun gives 3 gifts: light, heat & food for plants. This led to a discussion about how to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays. We sorted pictures of which things protect our skin from the sun and which items do not, in our interactive science notebooks.
We wondered what happens to animals that don't have skin coverings. Do they get sunburned? We had to find out! We learned a lot about animal adaptations in regards to the the heat and light from the sun. Some animals are pretty good about protecting themselves, but it IS possible for some animals to get sunburned, like pigs and whales!
To explore this more, students made animals out of pipe cleaners and UV sensitive beads. The beads represented animal skin that did not have scales, fur, or feathers. Indoors, the beads were a white/translucent color. But when exposed to light, they changed colors, just like skin turns pink or red with sunburn!
Students found shady parts of the playground protected their animals from the sun and enjoyed watching the beads turn back to normal.
So, what about animals that need shelter? Farm animals, zoo animals, etc. might need the help of a builder or architect to build a shelter for them. Our scholars were tasked with the challenge of creating a structure out of any materials available. Some used boxes, tape, or legos. They made great videos explaining their projects on SeeSaw. We were surprised and excited to see parents responding to their child's video by the time we got back inside! They love reading your comments and hearing from you while we are in class! Keep them coming!!
Have a great spring break, everyone!!! Have fun & don't forget to have your child READ!!
