Summer's Almost Here

The weather doesn't feel like it, but the empty classrooms sure tell the story. Summer vacation has arrived. We were very lucky with the weather on Tuesday that we could get the garden planted with our pumpkin and sunflower seedlings. The 3rd graders and the JK students teamed up once more to plant the seedlings they started from seeds two weeks ago. The seeds sprouted very quickly inside the greenhouse, and we had beautiful, healthy seedlings to plant in the great soil that Mr. Jacobs (7th grade science) had rototilled up for us. There was just the right amount of moisture in the soil, and we planted almost 120 containers of pumpkin seedlings, and about 10 sunflowers. Let's hope that conditions remain favorable for the rest of the summer and that we have a gigantic harvest next fall. Stop by the pumpkin patch any time you are on campus this summer and check it out. There will be updates posted throughout the summer, too, so you can check the progress. Have a great summer, everyone!

Seed Planting Fun

It was a very busy day in the lab on Tuesday, May 21st. The JK students and the 3rd grade students teamed up to plant pumpkin seeds (and a few sunflowers, too). We talked about what a seed needs to germinate, and decided that the USM greenhouse would be the best place to keep our little planters. The seed containers were made out of toilet paper rolls and a small piece of tape. The JK students recently did a big recycling project and understood the concept of reusing materials. They also knew that the containers would "decompose" in the soil once they were planted in the garden. I think the 3rd graders were very impressed with the knowledge the JK students had. After the seeds were planted, the trays of planters were carefully moved to the greenhouse, where each child got a chance to explore. They noticed how warm it was in there, and I explained how the shade, windows, and watering system worked. They also got a chance to observe the hydroponics tanks, and were amazed that plants don't actually need soil to grow. The children are looking forward to the garden planting day on May 31st. Wish us luck that the rain will subside so we can prepare the garden.

More Signs of Spring

First graders are getting up close and personal with a slimy, squirmy, squishy creature in the science lab. Those are their terms, by the way. I just call it the "Earthworm". Students started making observations of the worms, making notes in their science journals about things they noticed were on the worm,or not on the worm. They also noticed how the worm moved, by "scrunching" and stretching, one end moving, and then the other end catching up. What was really fun about this first lab was the fact the first graders helped the JK students learn about the worms, too. The first graders became the teachers and taught the JK students how to hold the worm, how to know which end was the head, and which was the tail, and many other facts about the worms. The JK students took notes and made observations right along with their 1st grade friends. It was exciting to see how grown up our 1st grade friends really felt. Both myself and their teacher were very proud of them. Today the 1st graders designed a way to test the worm's response to wet or dry conditions. Next week, they will try to test for response to light or dark, and warm or cold. Our first graders have really grown up and are now using the scientific method (even if they don't realize it yet). Good job, first grade!

Signs of Spring

The JK students finally got to see some signs of spring on their nature walk last week.We heard birds chirping and singing,saw earthworms crawling on top of the damp ground, observed tree buds in all different stages of opening, noticed purple flowers in full bloom, and many other signs of spring. The spring rains had subsided enough that we could walk on the trail and observe many different kinds of animal tracks. We even found lots of rabbit fur in a pile. We also noticed some signs of erosion that the torrential rains had caused, and even found turkey tracks in the soft mud. There was also a pair of mallard ducks leisurely swimming in the roadside ditch. Please check out the individual teachers' blogs for pictures. I was so busy with everything the children were finding that I forgot to take pictures. The 4th graders finished their poster boards and presented their findings at the Science Fair on Wednesday, May 1st. The students were most impressive with the knowledge of their topic of investigation and did a beautiful job presenting it to their teachers, parents, and friends. Great job, 4th graders! The 2nd graders went to Camp Minikani on May 2nd and 3rd. Guess what? It rained almost the entire time except for the 1st morning. But the children and their parents were real troopers and had a marvelous time despite the weather conditions. The campers made clay pots, flower prints, UV bead bracelets, a wigwam, went on a nature hike, and played games. A good time was had by all, and it is hard to believe that another camp season is completed. Where did this year go? My 1st grade friends will be finishing up their year of science with an earthworm study. They will make observations of their earthworm, and then design several experiments to test the worm's reaction to light, dark, wet, and dry. Students will also be looking for adaptations that the worm uses to survive.

S.T.E.M. Family Night a Success!

The first S.T.E.M. Family Night for the Lower School 4th grade families was a great success. It was held on the evening of April 10, 2013, in the Ells Conference Room. It was rescheduled from the original date of February 27th because of our snow day. Eleven families of 4th grade students, including older and younger siblings, and grandparents accepted the two challenges presented to them. The first challenge was called the "Penny Challenge" in which the participants had to predict how many drops of water they could place on a penny. Each family member accepted the challenge and carefully worked to see who would win. The family member that had the least difference between prediction and actual won a prize. This challenge was just the preliminary for what was to come. The "Tower Challenge" was next. The families again put their heads together and developed a plan to build the tallest, free-standing structure (tower) from a single sheet of copy paper and 30 cm of tape. They were given a practice round, then time to modify and redesign, and then it was the official "challenge". Each team had 20 minutes to complete the challenge. The winning family, the Norman family, built a tower that stood 108cm tall, for at least 10 seconds. The family won a $25 gift card to Applebee's Restaurant. A good time was had by all, and the families all left wanting more activities like this. The Norman family even tried the challenge again at home and created a free-standing tower that reached 146cm. Fantastic! What does S.T.E.M.education do for our children? In today's work world that our students will be entering, they will need a mastery of science, technology, engineering, and math to be successful in a career in any one of these fields. It makes sense that these skills be taught as one, so that our students acquire a deeper understanding of them all. These skills need to be embedded in our math and science lessons daily. By using the engineering design process of: (1)asking what the problem is and what others have done; (2)imaging possible solutions; (3_planning and designing a solution; (4)creating (building) this solution; and (5)improving the solution by testing and revising. This all needs to begin in our PK classes and continue throughout USM. S.T.E.M. generates curiosity, interest and confidence in these topics. Mastering these skills will enable our students to enter our global world proficient and prepared.

Where is Spring?

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of some warm, sunny and dry weather so we can get outside. The garden needs to be readied for our spring planting of pumpkin seeds by JK and 3rd graders. JK is also waiting to discover what has happened on the nature trail in the last few months. April showers do bring May flowers, but it needs to warm up soon. The first graders are still studying the weather (a year-long unit)so this month brings up a lot of questions. What is normal weather? How long will this last? When will the flowers start to bloom? Can we see our shadow on a day like today? Next week the first graders will be up in the lab to explore the water cycle and discover what makes it rain (or snow, or sleet, or hail). Maybe we can do a "sunshine" dance to make the clouds go away. The second graders celebrated their return to school after spring break with a delicious pancake breakfast, featuring our own USM maple syrup. We collected 20 gallons of sap from our 4 maple trees, and that boiled down to 2 quarts of thick, amber brown syrup. It was the best crop yet, and was a fun learning experience for all the second graders. The 3rd graders are finishing up their space travels. Just before break, they studied what happens to astronauts' bones while on long space flights. They designed an experiment to see how bones can be made stronger. They tested their designs using 3"x5" index cards, a little tape, and some gravel. Their bone models supported at least 4-5 reams of paper (about 20-25 pounds of weight). The 3rd graders will finish up their year with a unit on mass and volume. The 4th graders are busily preparing for the annual science fair, which will be held in Mellowes Hall on May 1st. They are very excited about preparing a poster session which they will be able to share with everyone on the 1st. The students are also getting ready for the 4th grade Wisconsin trip, which will bring to life their studies of caves and glaciers. Lastly, on Wednesday night, April 10th, some 4th graders and their families will participate in the first-ever S.T.E.M. Family Night. The families will be given an engineering challenge to be completed together. So, you can see that there are lots of activities going on throughout Lower School science. Stay tuned to this blog to find out more.

Glaciers and Craters

The 4th graders are just completing their study of Earth's Changing Surface. They modeled cave formation and how glaciers build up and tear down the surface. Using clay and mini-glacier models, the students made the glaciers advance and retreat watching the affect of the weight, and sediments in the glacier on the surface below it. The cave formation lesson showed the students how acid erosion wears away the Earth's surface and forms holes below that become caves and caverns. Both of these activities helped the students understand the forces of nature working on the Earth' surface, and also is preparing them for their Wisconsin trip in mid-May. The 3rd grade students have almost completed their mission to Mars. As the young astronauts approached the Martian surface and looked for a safe landing spot, they noticed the surface was marred by many impact craters. They wanted to know what made these craters, so they carried out an investigation. They realized that there are many space rocks, asteroids, meteorites, and other space debris flying around out there, and that the size, shape, and force of the impactor determined the size of the crater. The students are finishing up their mission by investigating what makes a bone strong. This has also tied in with their Phy. Ed. class learning about bones. In the investigation, students are challenged to design a bone that can support the weight of a ream of paper (5 lbs.) and is made from two 3" x 5" index cards and some aquarium gravel. Good luck, astronauts, on completing this challenge!

Maple Sugaring Time

There have been a few days with sunshine and warmer temperatures during the day, and below freezing at night. These are just perfect conditions to tap the maple trees and collect sap. The second graders did that last week, and now are anxiously awaiting the collection bags to fill with that sweet, watery substance called sap. The boiling process will begin this week, so the children can see the sap turn into the dark, brown, thick, sweet substance called "maple syrup". We have collected about 4 gallons of sap already, so Mrs. Z. will start the process of boiling it down before the spring break. The weather did take a slight turn for the worse so the sap is not running as well, but I will collect for several more days. Let's hope the snow stops and the sun comes out to warm up the trees.

February is Almost Over

The crazy weather we have seen this month makes it difficult for young children to understand what the seasons really are. We have had springlike weather, and in 24 hours it has felt like we were transported to the Arctic or even Antarctica. The JK classes experienced this first-hand on their "Winter Nature Hike", Some classes saw beautiful blue skies and, fresh snow, and lots of tracks. It almost got too warm for the way we were dressed. Other classes were postponed because it rained. Then we had slush, and frozen ground, cloudy, overcast skies, but still discovered lots of evidence that animals had been in the area. The second graders have successfully hatched their frog eggs and now have batches of squiggly, squirmy tadpoles to observe.They are also looking forward to maple sugaring time which is fast approaching (calendar-wise). We'll see if winter gives up her hold on everything and the sap begins to run in a few weeks. The third graders have successfully launched their rockets after graduating from Mission Training as astronauts, and are on the long journey to Mars. While on their mission, they will be studying why we have seasons back on Earth, taking a closer look at the moon and its phases, and then examining Mars surface to find a safe place to land. Wish them luck on their expedition. The fourth graders are studying the effects of filter feeders on the turbidity of water, and also how nitrates can pollute our waters. They will also be studying how caves are formed, and the effects of glaciers on land surfaces. After the glaciers, the students will be selecting a science fair topic and preparing a science fair project. The science fair will be held on April 30, 2013, in Mellowes Hall. Please come and take a look at all the great work done by our 4th graders. Last but not least, USM's 1st S.T.E.M. Family Night will be held on Wed. Feb. 27, 2013. We have 12 families registered for a fun night of science, technology, engineering, and math!

Night Hike a Big Success

The first-ever candlelight night hike for the Lower School was a big hit with the 20 families who participated. The temperature was about 15 degrees, no wind, and slightly overcast skies. There was just enough snow cover to make that crunching sound under your boots as you walked. There were 339 luminaries that lit the trail, and many families hiked it several times. Afterwards, everyone gathered in the dining hall by the warm, glowing fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and munching on cookies. The children drew some pictures to share their experience of the night hike. You can see these hanging outside the science lab. There were plans to do a little star and moon gazing, but the cloudy skies hampered the effort. Maybe next year! Make sure you check out video on the USM portal.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back everyone! January's weather is keeping us guessing. Will it snow? How cold will it get? When will this ice ever melt? Let's hope we get a little snow before January 24th, which is the date of the first ever Lower School Candlelight Hike on our nature trail. I hope all the 1st -4th grade families will join us for an evening of hiking on our beautiful nature trail lit by 375 luminaries, followed by fellowship in the dining hall with hot chocolate and cookies, and a drawing for a door prize. Let's make this first-time activity a great success! The first graders are getting close to wrapping up their unit on magnetism. They have discovered that certain objects can act like magnets, only certain kinds of metals are attracted to magnets, and that the poles of magnets have very important properties. The last lab is discovering if magnetism can be blocked. The students have had a lot of fun making magnets float, making toy cars move without touching them,and playing "Magnet Marble Mania". First grade students are also continuing with their weather observations on a daily basis. The second grade is preparing to hatch frog eggs. The eggs should arrive next week, and the students will take care of the eggs, and look for signs of metamorphosis. Our second grade scientists will be caring for these critters until the end of the school year. The 3rd graders are in Astronaut Training now, getting ready to "Take Flight" to Mars. Over the next several weeks, they will go through Mission Training, become engineers and build and design a rocket, launch that rocket with the help of Mission Control, and then explore space as they travel to Mars. Keep tuned in to watch the astronauts' progress throughout their mission. The 4th graders are exploring forces that an change the Earth's surface. They have built river systems, damned them up, and constructed levees, all to see what happens when water changes its course. Next week they will be investigating nitrate pollution, to see where nitrates come from and how they affect our rivers and lakes. Hope to see everyone at the Candlelight Hike Thursday evening, Jan. 24th from 5:30-7:00P.M. on our very own nature trail.