Sound Waves

Our next science unit of study investigates the properties of sound and light waves.  Students will use the scientific method to conduct experiments to answer questions about different kinds of waves.  Our first experiment had students asking, "Can sound make materials vibrate?"  The children topped a cup with cling wrap and salt, and brainstormed ways they could make the salt move by only using sound.  We worked together to fill out the following chart before and after the experiment:

What do scientists do?

1. Ask a question	Can sound make materials vibrate?
2. Form a hypothesis	We think that clapping, hitting the ground, the radio, our voice, and the bell will make the salt vibrate.
3. Test
4. Record
5. Make a conclusion	The salt vibrated when we used the radio and our voice. The bell worked for some people.  Clapping and hitting the ground only worked for some people.

We recorded our results too. Ask your child to tell you more!

Four Winds

Plate, needle, column, stellar dendrite.  Did you know that these are names of snow crystals? Today Sophie and Nathan used puppetry to teach us that tiny specks of dust, salt, pollen, or dirt are the start of every snowflake. After the children learned some of the names of the snow crystals and how they are made, they used photographs of actual snow crystals to sort them by design.  We also had fun cutting a six sided paper snowflake, and observing actual crystals with our hand lenses. Thankfully we had real snow to study!

Where in the World?

Where in the world have you traveled to?  Somewhere in Vermont?  Another state?  Another country?   For an optional homework project, the first graders chose a favorite place they have been and presented a map and additional information about the place to the class.  One student presented on Washington DC.  I asked him about some of the places he labeled on the map.  He said, "Roosevelt Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument."  The "ice cream place" was another location he visited in DC.  He had three different shops labeled on the map because they stopped for ice cream at each one!  Another student created a book with a map of Boston.  I asked her about some of the places she highlighted from her trip.  "The Children's Museum had a climbing thing that had mats in the air held up by ropes.  You had to find out how to get to the top and back down again."  She also visited the science museum.   "In front there was a giant T-Rex," she said.  One student visited Pensacola, Florida and visited two museums and the Gulfarium.  At the Gulfarium he saw, "dolphins, parrots, and fish.  We saw a dolphin show where it jumped through a hula hoop," he said.  The class had a lot of fun learning about different places to visit!