The 4 Winds Topic this month was Seeds, focusing on their life cycle, which included how they get dispersed. Prior to the class, the third and fourth graders watched a video about seeds and how they develop and travel. They recorded information in their science journals, and discussed their learning. Some students also dissected flowers to try to identify the parts.
The class started with an introduction, and review of their prior knowledge, then moved into the slide show. We met Benjy Bear and Sally Squirrel, conversing with three different seeds - Mitch Milkweed, Claire Cranberry and Bertie Burdock. Several students participated in the puppet show, which was focused on the different ways that seeds travel.
Outside, students in one class tried to move a milkweed seed across part of the parking lot without touching it. This was quite challenging, as they seemed to have a mind of their own! Time was spent walking the Nature Trail and looking around the playground, trying to find different types of seeds. Students collected samples, and tried to identify how the seeds would be dispersed - wind, water and/or animal activity. (Due to the weather, the other class experimented inside with their milkweed seeds.) They examined pictures on cards from the different categories, noting similarities and differences. The class ended with a closing circle and a delicious fruit snack (with seeds!)
This week the third and fourth graders began doing lessons from the new district wide science program, Project Lead the Way. Project Lead the Way is a nation-wide curriculum that is designed to give students hands-on opportunities and empower design ideas to situations in technology and engineering. In the first unit our students are exploring the forces involved in flight and will eventually be designing gliders. They began by learning about balanced and unbalanced forces by creating a teeter-totter with a ruler. They also spent time on an iPad app, Aero!, trying to keep a bird in flight by balancing the forces of gravity, weight, drag and lift. Many students exclaimed that they were sure we had made a mistake letting them use the app because it was so fun! We are looking forward to discovering all that we can learn and do with our new science program!