I have created a SignUp Genius for supply requests for the STEAM Lab. The supplies on this list is for items for Bubble Bananza.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054AA4AF23A2F58-bubble
I am a little late posting my weekly STEAM Lab update. Have been sick this weekend.
Went to a training yesterday on my new KidSpark equipment, and I look forward to using that in the months to come! I have kits for K-2 and 3-5.
Transitional Kindergarten-First
We continued using the book "What is a Scientist" to go over parts of the job of being a scientist. Here is a video read aloud for that book:https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x360aw0.
It is a very simply written book, but we have been focusing on certain skills for each lesson, and many of them are part of the Next Generation Science Standards. The focus this week was on asking questions and counting exactly. The counting exactly was extended for first grade into analyzing data (yes, I used those words).
Students were asked to come up with questions about water. What do they wonder about? We then wrote down those questions, and then did some water experiments with a pipette to investigate the characteristics of water. I was impressed, because when I asked what was in the pipette (before putting it in the water) many students recognized right away that it wasn't nothing - that there was air in the pipette! I have done this activity many times in the past, and I often get the answer "nothing." Students learned that water and air can't be in the same place at the same time and the the bubbles made in the water was air pushing the water out of the way. We also practiced being able to gently squeeze the pipette in order to have the water come out in drops. I asked them to try to get in as much water as they could and then count how many drops it held. This helped practice counting in addition to learning about water.
For first grade, I had them do this three times, each time coming up to the white board and writing their data under their name. At the end, we analyzed our data to see if there were any patterns or other information we could get by looking at our numbers. We related this to the "scientists count exactly." What ALWAYS happens when I have done this in counting drops, students exaggerate their numbers - so we talked about how important it was to count exactly. We also talked about why some numbers were high and some were low, and they came up with some very good answers - some people had more in their pipette, some squeezed harder, some missed counting if the drops came out fast, etc.
Kinder also experimented with water on wax paper, how it moved, could be split apart and brought back together, and would follow your finger. Shhh...don't say anything to first grade. I will do that part of the activity with them this week. We were too busy with the numbers to get to that part. I failed to get a photo of the questions from Ms. Mann's class unfortunately.
Second
We took another week to work on trying to get ourselves logged in to some sites I will use later this year, and also how to bookmark. We will forego computers this coming week and will do something similar to what TK-1st did this week.
Third-Fifth
Students in 3rd-5th started our Bubble Bonanza curriculum from EIE (Engineering is Elementary). We tested what bubbles could and could not do. This is an introductory lesson that will lead up to some engineering challenges in the weeks to come. We will also be comparing bubble recipes. Our focus was on the "ASK" part of the engineering design process. Students had a sheet of things to test with bubbles and needed to record whether these were things that bubbles can do or can't do in their science notebooks. I don't have as many photos to post for this activity.
Here is a list of supplies that are not necessary but would add to the experience during this unit if you are able to donate:
- dish soap (Dawn works best)
- glycerin
- table cloths (the vinyl with felt backing) - need 6, tables are 70″ long
- cheap but absorbent towels (Smart and Final has some I believe)
- wipes
- twist ties
- pipe cleaners
- flat/casserole foil pans (6)
- paper towel tubes
See the SignUp Genius link above