Many exciting things have been going on in the science lab. The students will continue to explore exciting units of study. The goals for the units are outlined below. I want to thank all of the families who donated paper towels, tissues, and baby wipes.  It can get really messy in the lab. Donations are always welcome and appreciated. As always, students are welcome to borrow books from the science lab. It is important for the students to return them each week during their science period. The students enjoy the Mystery Science website. The short videos are aligned with the New York State Science Standards. If you sign up with your email address, you can have access to Mystery Science for free for one year. Thank you for your ongoing support.

The students will be engaged in the following units of study.

Kindergarten– Pushes and Pulls– The students will take on the role of pinball machine engineers. Some new words that the students are learning are force, push, and pull. We are using tactual and kinesthetic activities to better understand pushes and pulls.

Sunlight and Weather- Students take on the role of weather scientists to help explain why playgrounds at different schools are warmer during recess time. Students will figure out how sunlight causes changes in the temperatures of different surfaces. Kindergarten students will also be part of a fun butterfly growing experience.

First Grade–Light and Sound– The students will take on the role of light and sound engineers for a puppet show company. The students are learning about shadows. They are performing tasks that allow them to block light and create shadows of their own.

Spinning Earth- As sky scientists, students analyze the sun and other objects in the sky to make sense of the cycle of daytime and nighttime.

Second Grade– Properties of Materials– The students will take on the role of glue engineers to create a glue mixture that will be good for their school to use. We have been busy creating mixtures and sticky tests.

Changing Landforms- Students play the role of geologists and work to figure out why a cliff changes over time.

Third Grade– Inheritance and Traits- Students play the role of wildlife biologists and study wolf packs. They study inherited traits and why a pack of wolves share certain traits. The students are using digital devices to study and sort traits. They are really enjoying this unit of study.

Environments and Survival- Students take on the role of biomimicry engineers and figure out how the traits of grove snails affect their survival in different environments. After this unit, the students will also work to deepen their understanding of the water cycle.

Fourth Grade– The fourth grade students will work to deepen their understanding of science topics and structures that will help them while taking the New York State Science Assessment. Classroom teachers will be using past exams to help students feel comfortable with the structure of the test. I will be preparing the students for the hands-on portion by conducting various labs each week.

Earth’s Features- Students take on the role of geologists to help explain how and when a particular fossil formed and how it got to its current location.

The fourth graders will be taking the Performance Assessment during the week of May 22^nd and May 31^st. Each class will be scheduled on a different day and students will be tested in small groups. They will conduct three experiments and fill out a lab booklet. The written assessment will take place for all fourth graders on Monday, June 3, 2019. A schedule for the Performance Assessment will be sent ASAP. The details will be emailed home to all fourth grade families.

Fifth Grade-  The Earth System- As water resource engineers, students learn about the Earth system to figure out what is causing a water shortage. They will design possible solutions and test them out.

Thank you to all of the students who took the time to create a beautiful science project and share during science class. It was so nice to see such enthusiasm among the students. Congratulations to the graduates and best wishes in Middle School.