| The first grade classes have been learning about Sound. Mrs. Joy
introduced the Frame of the Discipline for Physics. The students remembered
from the introductory unit that Physicists work with movement. The classes
learned that sound travels over the air in waves. Vibration is created when
an object moves. The first graders listened to sound effects and tried to
identify the sound they heard from memory. They also viewed a United
Streaming video to see a camera placed next to the larynx. The students were
able to see the vocal cords vibrate to creat the vowel sounds.The following
week, the classes came to the Science Lab to create their own sound
instruments. In the lab, they listened to tuning forks that were large and
small to determine which one created a high pitch and which created a low
pitch. Ask your first grader to tell you the difference. While in the lab,
the students made guitars, harps, drums, and shakers from household objects
such as cans, rubber bands, and bowls. The instruments created alot of sound!
The classes are now learning about Economics. Mrs. Joy read the
story, "Bunny Money" by Rosemary Wells. Each student received their own
wallet filled with bunny money worth $15.00. As the story was read aloud,
the students removed and "spent" their money. This lesson illustrated the
Economic terms goods and services since the main characters were consuming
both in the story. This lesson also had a math connection because the
students were asked to subtract the money as it was being used.
Starting in May, the classes are forming Green Teams. We will be
exploring the problem of pollution and waste in our enviroment. The teams
will learn about the problem through a Problem Based Learning model. The
classess will be able to use the watershed management diaroma from the
science lab. The teams will also being taking a Eco-Walk around the school
to make sure eco-friendly pracices are taking place at John B. Dey. Classes
will have a chance to impact their enviroment and be good stewards of the
land.
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