Sound and Light Experiements

Sound Experiments

We did many experiments on how sound travels in waves using tuning forks and water and other materials.  After much discussion we then documented our findings in our "Science Notebook" on our iPad -- either writing and illustrating directly onto our iPad using the Bookcreator and Drawing Pad apps or by using pencil, paper, markers and crayons and then uploading a picture of what we had created onto a page in Bookcreator.  Either way it was fun to explore and explain what we had learned!  Here we are at work with our tuning forks:

Eggs Full of Sound

Here we are now, trying to figure out what material is inside the plastic egg merely by listening to it.  We discovered that this was not a simple task and that we often need our eyes to help us know what we are "hearing:"

Experimenting with a "telephone" to see how sound travels through vibrations:

LIGHT Experiments:

Here we are wearing our red goggles, trying to see which colors are most easily seen and why.  Secret messages were placed around the room and we had to try to decipher them by putting together the letters that we were able to see through our goggles (or colored magnifying glass). 

We discovered that the red goggles allow us to only see the darker colors.  We then were able to decipher our secret messages!

We also tested colors to see how they 

changed with our goggles:

It was a reall "eye-opening" experiment!

Below we are trying to determine if there will be a reflection when we shine a flashlight on a mirror and where we will see it:

We discovered that the shiny side of the mirror reflected light but the dull side did not.

Next we tried to hypothesize whether light would go through certain materials.  Sometimes we were surprised by our guesses:

We had a lot of fun exploring and predicting!  By the end of the unit we were able to name many light sources right in our very own classroom.  We drew pictures and labeled these sources of light either on paper or on our iPad.  We then recorded our drawings in our Science Experiment Book created on our iPad which documents all of our science experiments for the year.

Ask your child some questions at home about what he/she learned!

Polar express Pajama Day Fun!

 

Special Guest Comes to Read to FW First Grade!

Today, the first grade had a surprise as Elsa from the story Frozen came in to read a story!  Below are pictures of Elsa reading to the group and the singing "Let It Go" with the group.  It was an exciting start to our day!

Polar Express Pajama Party 

this Friday, December 19th

This Friday we will evoke the mood of Chris Van Alsburg's Polar Express by reading the story to the first grade as they sip on hot chocolate in their pajamas. Please have your child bring their pajamas into school to change into (they will need their street clothes for outside recess). We will serve the children hot chocolate and cookies made in the cafeteria. (If your child has food issues and cannot have the chocolate chip cookies made b our cafeteria staff, please feel free to send a special treat in for them to have at this time).

Learning about the Holidays through Lights

This week we are also switching classrooms in the afternoon to learn about the various holidays celebrated during this festive season. Each day, the children will learn about a different holiday. We will teach the children about Christmas, Hanukkah, Divali, Eid al Fitr and Kwanzaa -- focusing on how each holiday celebrates with light in some way. Ask your child to tell you which holiday they learned about today!