You should have received the project outline for our science unit tonight. I'm off for the rest of the week to attend a family matter, but wanted to ensure I sent it out with enough time to spare for December 11th. I know this time of year can be very busy.
This is a project to be done at home that will be presented to the class. You are welcome to guide and assist your child as needed. They will be marked on their own understanding of the energy processes involved during their presentation.
All students will present their toy, their findings, and information. They should practice presenting their project at home. Some ideas to consider are Movement energy transforming into light energy; wind energy transforming into movement energy; or chemical energy (batteries) transforming into movement. We will be covering a variety of energy sources and transformations in class as the unit progresses as well.
We began yesterday by asking some of our big questions. (I'll be adding to this post when I can download the pictures from my phone at home)
This week, we've been reading books about kids who are engaged in science.
Yesterday, we talked about 11 Experiments that Failed, which outlined the scientific process and showed that it's all about asking the right kinds of questions and using information you already have to help you predict outcomes. Students brainstormed their own energy questions and did a reading response about why they think some of the experiments in the book failed. I'll post some pictures of them later.
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| A sample of the kind of experiments that failed |
Today, we read Rosie Revere, Engineer all about being resilient in the face of failure--because mistakes are part of getting to success. I'll add some pictures of their responses too.
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| The right attitude makes all the difference |
Students were excited to see the resemblance between this Rosie and the poster on our wall.
I think they're also excited about their toy ideas. I had Luke show me his airplane in day care as a possible idea to pursue and Elliot was asking about how to show streetlights turning on at night as part of his toy.
Sincerely,
Lisa Goegan
