States of Matter - Explore & More

Have you heard of Explore & More Children's Museum in East Aurora? I hope so because it is one of the gems of our area. I remember the start up and the quality programs that were offered even as they began. Now it is an established place with hands on learning activities for children. The price is reasonable and the experience wonderful.

Usually we take the children to the museum each spring. This year we opted for one of the workshops offered by the museum. It was wonderful! AWESOME was a word I heard whispered by the kids as we left the room. Here are some pictures of the workshop.

The topics covered were, matter- what is is, the 3 states of matter, solid-liquid-gas, adding and taking away heat, freezing, melting, evaporation, condensation and sublimation. For teachers looking for a substitute for field trips - these workshops are an option well worth exploring!!

Explore & More - click here to get the official scoop!

Making molecules with gumdrop atoms and toothpick bonds.
Human molecules demonstrating solid, liquid and gas.
How do we turn a solid into a liquid? Add Heat
Does gas really take up space? Making CO2 using baking soda and vinegar.
Using the CO2 to put out the flame.
Creating an implosion by heating and then quickly cooling the gas in a soda can.
Demonstrating sublimation with dry ice.
I'm sure the kids will remember the experience for a long time.
Thank you PTO and Explore & More.

NEW TREES!!

Most of the morning has been spent running to the window, listening to the "digger machines" 5 feet outside our window and waiting for "our tree" to be planted. We are going to name it and take pictures as it grows!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Botanical Gardens

Three second grade classes boarded the buses for the Buffalo Botanical Gardens 20 minutes after retuning from spring break. It was a cold, rainy day outside but inside was a display of colorful, lively spring. What a treat!!

AREA AND PERIMETER EXPERIMENTS IN SECOND GRADE

We started with several "buildings" labeled A-F. The children cut 2 inch pink strips for measuring the perimeter and 4 inch squares for measuring the area of each building. Each group had a basket of strips, a basket of squares, one pencil and one recording sheet.

To make sure the measurements were as close as possible, children were given wider 2 inch strips which they then cut into "toothpick" size strips. I also copied inch graph paper with darker lines to show 4 square inches. Those sheets were copied on different colors for each group so they could keep their materials separate from other groups.

Kids used 2 inch strips to measure the perimeter of each "building".
Counting by 4's to figure out the area in square inches.

Recording the findings.
Recording sheet was simply

Group _____
Building A
Area - ________ square inches

Perimeter - _______inches

Building B
Area - ________ square inches

Perimeter - _______inches

...... through Building F

See more of the action in the Smilebox production below.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sight Sound Smell = Memories

It's September

Isn't it amazing how a quick glance at an image or the faintest smell can trigger a cascade of vivid memories. What do you think of when you see a bushel of apples, or a flat tire, or a pick up basketball game in the street?

Recently, my sister Beth and I were walking near some pine trees. I remarked "That smell!! It reminds me of Camp-of-the-Woods." Her comment was "Everything reminds you of Camp-of-the-Woods."

It's true. Growing up, COW was my favorite place on earth. I can't remember what I did last week but I can still remember the feeling of learning to sail a sunfish when I was 12!! I'm sure the more emotional the memory, the stronger it comes back.

Speaking of memories- are you ready to go back in time? What memories, sights, sounds and smells, do these pictures bring back?
Do they fill you with good feelings or dread?

First Day of Second Grade 2008

Time for a nap!!!!