Fall Fun!

It's been such a busy fall that blogging has fallen a little bit behind. I'm going to play catch-up here and post a lot of different pictures from the fun we've had. First up ... playing in the fall leaves! I loved watching them build the pile and negotiate the order in which they'd all jump. They were so, so good!!

We spent November learning about Native Americans and the English pilgrims who came to America. We played some games they would have played and even made a toy they would have used!

This pilgrim game was similar to "pick up sticks" except the students earned beans depending on the combination of sticks that landed upright.

We conducted a "sink or float" experiment using fall items like apples, acorns, and pine cones. Because we'd previously tested an apple's buoyancy during our apple unit, we were able to discuss how scientists use previous data to predict results.

We learned how to measure the height of an object.

We honed our fine motor skills by making beaded Native American necklaces.

 

And finally, Mrs. Shepard gave us a great lesson about the light of Jesus in our hearts!!

Believe it or not, December is even busier!  Whew!

Batty for bats!

Last month, one of our favorite science units was all about bats. Not only did we study their anatomy, their features, and their habitats, but we did some hands-on fun too! Our week culminated in us making two types of folded paper bats and then testing them to see how far they flew.

While both bats were made of paper, one featured the bulb of a pipette that had been trimmed for length. Each child was given a plastic straw, which they inserted into the open end of the pipette bulb. This bat got a head start when we blew air into our straws, sending them flying!

The highlight of bat week was going over to the main building in our school and testing our bats by hurling them over the balcony! (It's the only time they're allowed to throw things over the balcony -- what fun!)

After our tests, we headed outside to play with our bats for a while. The students loved racing up and down the field while holding their bats, watching the wings flap in the wind. They also had fun flying them off of playground structures.

 

The day of our bat testing also happened to be the day of the HVCS Fall Family Fun Night. We helped one of the parent volunteers and were rewarded by getting to play with some of the new toys!