Thank you for the science materials! Today the children were thrilled to see our caterpillars growing! Since it is Earth Day, it seemed like the perfect time to launch life science building upon our previous knowledge. Thank you for making it possible!

Today we discussed the 4 R's of taking care of the Earth with a focus on the 4th since that is what children do best. What is the 4th R? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, . . .    Repurpose! With the love of the Maker approach to exploring science, they are repurposing things every day at school. We discussed how they turned plastic bottles into ladybug habitats last week and items around the house into clothing. After recess, a friend even presented me with a wire bracelet (yes - a wire from a deconstructed computer :J)  that was a terrific example of repurposing items. We will build on that discussion tomorrow, sort items into the four categories, then repurpose the egg cartons you sent in to become our inquiry science investigation labs.

(linked to our prefixes and roots:  re=again)

How? Each child will design and plant in each section of the egg carton, note the variables that are changed (your child's choice), then observe and investigate the results to make conclusions.

Our inquiry investigation question will be:

How do variations of soil amount, light, or water affect plant growth?

No hints or suggestions please. :)

Their materials from which to choose will include: popcorn kernels, lima beans, food coloring, and potting soil.

Thank you all so much for the materials to make this inquiry possible. :)

Every class is required to visit the book fair to make a wish list. Today it was our turn. There should be a green slip of paper with your child's list of books in the backpack. The highlight was when child after child came up to share a science book that "I needed.". with such enthusiasm! Some even used the scientific language of chemistry as they cited parts of the books. Of course, that put a huge smile on my face the whole time! :) Many children made connections to our study of biographies and important people who have changed the world. 

Today we concluded our challenge based learning community outreach project combining character education with technology. The children were disappointed it was ending. They were amazing! You can feel so proud of your child for changing the community in a positive way already. :) We discussed the concept of and phrase "pay it forward"and how their positive impact will impact the lives of everyone their lab partner now goes on to teach or help. We ended by presenting them with a special screencast. :)

Your child also had music and Jiji Lab this morning.

Happy Earth Day! Your child was encouraged to pick up trash and help the Earth, so feel free to make this connection at home. :)