Second trimester 2014-2015

This will be a fun trimester for Peregrine elementary students. Take a look at what the kids are studying in science classes.

The owls are studying physical sciences this trimester. Although the standards are focused on pushes and pulls (forces and motion), I started the trimester introducing the kids to the concept of programing.  Peregrine is starting to integrate more technology into its program, and the kindergarteners had fun playing introductory programing games on the ipads (Kodable). They also had to write codes to help someone else do something  - stack cups in a certain pattern or find a hidden treasure. This week we are going to start talking about forces, and do a lot of hands on activities to explore pushes and pulls.

The magpies are studying physical sciences this trimester. We started with waves -focused on sound waves. The kids made string phones and played with slinkies. We talked about sound (what makes sound and how sound travels) and briefly discussed how we can hear. Our next topic will be light, and we will also talk about the states of matter. Towards the end of the trimester, first and second graders will start their technology/programming study. 

The hawks are studying life sciences. We started the trimester by making a connection between the Earth science unit that they finished before the break and our next topic. We talked about animals shaping the landscape – examples included otters and humans, and we focused on examples in California. The kids also watched an episode of the PBS documentary Becoming California (http://www.calegacy.org/becoming-california/). Now we are studying vernal pools. The kids are excited to learn more about vernal pools and were excited to start our own pools by the classroom (I was able to get some vernal pool soil with Jamie Kneite, a Biology Professor at Sac State).  : )    

The crows are studying chemistry. We started by talking about matter and taking a closer look at the physical states of matter. We then discussed the difference between physical and chemical changes. There were a lot of hands on activities – including dry ice demonstrations and baking soda and vinegar reaction. The kids will also learn about atoms, the periodic table of elements, molecules and reactions.

All classes will be designing parts of the garden/outside area in “garden” classes. The owls and crows will work together as “landscape architecture design teams” to develop a Mediterranean themed area by the stage. The magpies will be responsible for the school’s vegetable garden, and the hawks will develop a California native area. In addition to these projects, the crows will continue their nutrition study and the hawks will start a health/nutrition unit.   

If you have any questions or comments about science and/or “garden” classes at Peregrine school email me at fonseca.carolina9@gmail.com