8th grade

Using iPads and the app Popplet.
Creating curriculum mapping to organize concepts and information regarding the study of matter and the atom.

4th Grade

After doing a lab growing seeds " in ash" and "not in ash", the 4th grade planted their final results.
Maybe we will get lucky and grow a radish or two!

8th grade

Experimenting with Antoine Lavoisier's Law of Conservation of Mass

5th grade

A Sticky Situation

Making glue from fat free milk, vinegar and baking soda.

                                                 Is this a physical or chemical change??

Following the procedure and working as a team.

Table Five

7th grade

Will the cells in the limp and withered vegetable slices be affected by soaking in a plain water or salt water solution?

5th Grade

Identifying a chemical vs. physical change.

6th Grade

As we learn about Pangaea and theory of Continental Drift, the students were inspired and created art from the tracings of various continents, areas of continents or countries.

2nd grade

Learning about seeds.
Checking out the seed coat, cotyledons and plant embryo.

4th Grade

More pics of exploration :)

Animal helpers

Check out one of our cool bearded dragons. These animals love fresh lettuce and live crickets. Feel free to donate to their food supply!

4th grade

Exploring the layers of the Earth. Students looked at hardboiled eggs and compared to real interior of the earth.

5th Grade

So fun learning about the structure and subatomic parts of an atom: protons, neutrons, electrons.
AND! They modeled proper atomic number and chemical symbol use by creating clay models with toothpicks and different colored clay, students assembled models of various atoms.

More examples of 7th grade work!

What makes life LIFE. 

More creativity!

Creativity with Tinker Toys

A lot of times we will use Tinker toys or Legos or Toobs to create something tangible as we learn a concept.
For example, the 7th grade used Tinkertoys to create something living.
Check out what they came up with!

8th grade learning about Density

Learning about Earth's interior

After the students used clay to make mini-volcanoes, we will discuss the variety in their results and how important it is to keep in mind that not all volcanoes look the same. Volcanoes will form differently based on many reasons.
Tuesday we used baking soda and vinegar and "erupted" the volcanoes. The students observed the different results based on the "flow" of the baking soda/vinegar lava.

What are key components to living things?

The 7th grade is studying Biology. In this, we learn what constitutes LIFE, what are the essentials NEEDS of living organisms which will lead us into the basic unit of life - the CELL

Welcome to the Science Blog

Welcome to our Science Blog -I am very excited for this school year to begin and to share with you the labs, projects and work done by our awesome students!

Science is one of those classes that can seem so difficult because there are terms and concepts that can almost feel like one is learning a new language. However, I TRULY believe that there is a scientist in all of us. I welcome the challenges of working with the curious and inquisitive minds of students. Therein lies the "scientist"! 

There are ALWAYS so many pictures and videos to post and I will do my best to keep up. The students are doing labs or presentations or projects everyday and I do take a lot of pictures. I am always very proud of the things they do as they explore and discover concepts in the world around them.

There will also be many times I reach out through this blog for various items the lab needs. Running a lab on less than a shoestring budget is not easy. Equipment can break and materials get used up in the course of a school year.  I am currently in need of vinegar, wax paper, and tracing paper for upcoming labs. And can usually use a hand in building and making things for a lab. :)

Also, I LOVE to have guest lectors and welcome parents to come and assist in labs, there are many times I could use a hand - please contact me if you are interested in helping or want to present!

We also have lab animals in which the care, cleaning and feeding of these animals can also keep the cost of lab a little high. However, the students love the animals and it is important to have pets in the classroom, they enrich the learning experience. AND, a recently purchased Hovabator will excite the students as we incubate Bearded Dragon eggs!

Our menagerie of animals include: a turtle, two bearded dragons, an aquarium of fish and two mice .  The animals require aquarium filters, bedding, fresh vegetables, live crickets and other pet food specific to the animal. Any help towards keeping our mini zoo going is welcome. Also, please see me if you are interested in donating an animal. We currently have an empty tank and are in a quandry as to what fun animal to learn about in our lab.

Thank you for your time, please continue to email me with any concerns or ideas. Sometimes you may be aware of a fieldtrip opportunity or a program that you think sounds interesting for our students. PLEASE share them with me. 

I am open to any new endeavor to supplement our future scientists' creativity and curiosity.

Have a great day and remember...

Science is EVERYWHERE!!!!