The First Grade has returned from space and is currently grounded while studying soil.  Students predicted what they would find in soil and then investigated soil sample from the outdoor classroom to see if their predictions were correct.  Next, they learned about the three main components of soil: sand, clay, and humus.  They made observations about how each component looks, smells, sounds, and feels.  Finally, they have been testing what happens when these components are put in water and shaken up.  Do they all react the same way?  Can we use this information to help us conclude what components are more plentiful in an unknown soil sample?  These are some of the questions that the First Grade now knows the answers to.

The Second Grade recently completed their study of the rainforest biome.  They have since moved onto studying the tundra biome.  After learning about where tundras are located, the students learned about the different layers of earth in these regions.  Our study focused primarily on permafrost.  They conducted an experiment to compare frozen soil and room temperature soil.  Additionally, they ate “tundra”.  An example, tundra was made to help the students better visualize what the layers of earth look like.  Everyone enjoyed the whipped cream, crushed cookie, and Jello creation.  Finally, students observed some of the types of plants that grow in the tundra and experimented with some of these plant adaptations.  It has been a busy, but yummy few weeks!

The Third Grade has been studying crystals and fossils.  We investigated what the rocks on the RWS campus are made of and we found some geodes.  Students grew their own “crystal” using ammonia, laundry bluing, salt, and water.  They were quite beautiful.  Additionally, they have learned about the different types of fossils and the ways that they form.  Finally, students made their own cast type fossils and their own mold type fossils. 

The Fourth/Fifth Grade has been busy learning about friction and simple machines.  They have carried out several labs to help them better understand friction and how it can be manipulated with changes in pressure and texture.  To help the Fourth/Fifth Grade get their creative juices flowing, they have been given free rein to design an experiment to increase or decrease the speed/traveling distance of a toy car.  They have had some really creative ideas.  They tested their designs and analyzed their data to see which ideas created the least amount of friction.  Everyone was excited to see the results of this lab!  Next, they moved on to learning about the six main simple machines and got to work on creating their own simple machine.  They will be carrying out several experiments in the coming weeks to help them understand how each machine works.

The Sixth Grade has completed their lab reports which focused on whether dominant or recessive traits are found more in a sample population and if all traits are inherited or if some are learned.  Each student collected and studied their own data, then completed a formal lab report.  This is a multi-draft process in which each student will write three drafts.