Force and Motion - Stations

On Wednesday, we spent the morning rotating through stations and exploring force and motion activities.  Our stations included bottle rockets, air soccer, ball toss, using fans to move a variety of objects, and using a slingshot to move cars.  Students gained an understanding of how the amount of force can impact the distance something moves.  They also learned that heavier objects take more force (harder to push/pull) and lighter objects take less force (easier to push/pull).

Force and Motion -Introduction

 On Monday, we began our new science unit on Force and Motion.  We are focusing on push and pull, as well as the amount of force needed to move things.  Students were asked to figure out a way to get a box of tools (We substituted blocks.) from the bottom of the play structure to the top to fix a slide.  In case you are not aware, we have a broken slide and the opening is boarded up.  Students were quick to notice that this is a real problem.  They brainstormed, drew, and labeled plans.  Then they tested out a number of their ideas.  Some students worked independently, while others chose to work with a partner.  When it came time to test possible solutions, students often asked their classmates for help pushing or pulling.  They demonstrated creativity, perseverance, and teamwork throughout the activity.  Great job kindergarteners!

How to Catch a Leprechaun

As part of our kindergarten how-to writing unit, kindergarten students drew plans, created leprechaun traps, and wrote: "How to Catch a Leprechaun" books. Their traps were quite creative and original.  Some students decided the leprechauns would climb ladders to enter the structure they built.  Other students thought the leprechaun might get tangled in yarn or slip through a hole covered with green tissue paper. Students added grass, gold, and coins to entice the leprechauns into their traps.  We set our traps before we left on Thursday.  Our room was quite a mess when we arrived Friday morning.  Unfortunately, we didn't catch any leprechauns.  There were gold and green coins in our traps.  We think the mischievous leprechauns might have visited our classroom when we were not there.

Last Snow Motion

Thursday was our last Snow Motion day.  We had great weather and great snow.  Thank you to all our volunteers for their help during Snow Motion.  It was amazing to see the progress children made in such a short amount of time.  They enjoyed every moment on the slopes.