Last week, scientists created miniature water cycles in our classroom!  Cups of water inside sealed plastic bags were placed in a warm, sunny place.  Students are making daily observations and will draw conclusions this week. 

What have you observed so far? What do you think your mini water cycle will look like next week? Why do you think this? Are you wondering anything now?

To learn more about the water cycle, visit the following link:

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html

Last week, science buddies headed outdoors and observed the world around them. Students used their senses and scientific tools to pay close attention to items in nature. The scientists then recorded their observations in words and drew detailed, scientific illustrations. 

What did you observe? What tools did you use? What did you learn? What are you wondering now?

If you are interested in observing a miniature world without a microscope, visit the following site. With permission from a grown-up, try the One Inch Square Project at home. Complete the recording sheet and bring it to school for a positive point and extra credit in science!

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/forkids/inchsquare/index.html

This week, Science Buddies worked with optical illusions.  We made a flag that created an after-image, and examined pictures of three men walking in a hall and two men standing next to one another.  Can you tell your grown-up what happened with these optical illusions?

Again, let us know what you learned, and liked or disliked about the investigations this week.  If you want to explore more optical illusions, check out the link below:

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/index.htm

First and third grade Olympians dove into three events while competing in the Water Olympics!  During the Great Paper Towel Absorption Race, students observed how quickly H2O was absorbed by different materials.  Cohesion, the action of H2O molecules sticking together, was examined throughout the Amazing Water Race.  Students used toothpicks to navigate water through a maze covered with a waxy surface. Surface tension, the skinlike surface on water, was examined during the Fold and Float competition while students tried to make a piece of aluminum foil sink!

What did you learn during the events?  Which competition was your favorite and why?  What are you wondering now?

Visit the following links if you are interested in conducting some at-home investigations and learning more about the properties of water:

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/floatingpaperclips.html

http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/experiments/wacky.htm