All I can say is,
Oh, my goodness!!
We are learning so much already! Here are the highlights:
Kindergarten 
We are learning about keeping our teeth healthy! First, we will learn all about our teeth; brusing, flossing, eating the right foods, and seeing the dentist. Next we will be brushing DINOSAUR TEETH! - For real!!
First Grade
In first grade we are learning about Weather and Water!
We will learn what weather is, some instuments that are used to measure the weather, and why it is important to pay attention to the weather - ask them about it! We will also make some of our own weather instruments to use to chart our weather. Clouds are discussed, observed, illustrated and juicy words descibe them. We will also learn to read thermometers (THANKS Room Mom for making our thermometers!).
Then will investigate water and how it is related to our weather. We will learn to identify types of precipitation, talk about water and the 3 forms of matter, and observe and record water changes like evaporation!
Second Grade:
In second grade we are learning all about matter! We will investigate the 3 forms of matter and the chages between those forms. Investigating physical properties will help us to investigate the differences in the 3 states of matter. We will discuss and observe dissolving solids in liquids and what happens when the evaporate!
In the third lab we will be observing the changes in our surroundings. We will discuss, investigate, and observe what's going on right outside the science door here at Murdock to show that things in nature change! We will identify and record evidence that animals, humas, plants, and weather are changing our planet.
I have also taking Nature Walks with some of the classes doing an activity called "camera". We pair up and 1 person gets to be the photographer and the other is the camera. Then we switch and go to the benches to draw our "pictures". It is a great way to teach the children to find the amazing detail all around us! Try it at home!
Third Grade
In third grade we have been learning all about Rocks & Minerals. Some characteristics are the same and some are different.We are also learning that physical properties are things we can observe and measure as we learn that hardness, color, mass, and streak are ways that we can sort and classify rocks and minerals. We played "Mother Nature" and made our own igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary "cookie rocks" that Mr Jonasson our cafe manager baked for us. After reading the book, Everybody Needs a Rock, we went on our own rock hunt and then measured and recorded the physical properties of our rocks!
Fourth Grade
We started the year learning all about states of matter through investigating water. Then we moved on to the water cycle and weather. We discussed the conditions necessary to create clouds and made one right here in the lab! Next we learned about our 5 weather tools, the thermometer, anemometer, barometer, wind vane, and rain guage. We even constructed our own anememoters and barometers to use to measure and record the weather at Murdock. We also leaned about the weather symbols used on weather maps. Then we had tons of fun putting all this to work as we starred in and filmed our own weather forecasts! We hope to learn editting in Movie Maker when we work with the "raw" footage in our new technology lab. I cannot wait to see the playback!
Fifth Grade
We got down and dirty these nine weeks as we learned about the constructive & destructive forces that shape the surface features on our planet. We investigated glaciers, made volcanoes virtually errupt, watched Krakatoa errupt and talked about the environmental, social, and economic impact of the next erruption. We created plate tectonic movements and formed fudgy mountains! We brought out the stream tables and watched the water carve out riverbeds and form deltas. We also observed the importance and impact that wetlands have on our landscape. In the sand dune exercise, we noticed how wind can erode and deposit sand to create dunes. Then we learned that we can use technology to influence all these processes using, jetties, sea walls, artificial reefs, dredging, countour plowing, terracing, wind breaks, vegetation, dams, and levees. Each event constructive or destructive is preceeded by the other as the earth recycles its materials. And using technology always has positive and negative aspects that need to be considered before their use. Yes, its a lot - a lot of fun!!
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