Submitted by Julie Pugkhem
This fall in science, the youngest children in the lower school have been busy gathering knowledge through their senses. Out on Mr. Rocky’s Field, the preschool 3 children have been exploring and developing an appreciation for nature. Using their senses of touch and sight, they delight in picking their perfect treasure to bring back to class with them. Maybe it is a smooth, small rock or maybe it is a bright, red maple leaf that just fell from a tree.
In preschool 4, the children have been experimenting with mixtures of basic household ingredients. Scrunching their noses at the smell of vinegar, they learned that a terrific reaction occurs when it is mixed with baking soda! Even more exciting was watching that volcano-like reaction occur in an apple!
Using a recipe that the children helped to write, Kindergarteners created their own baking soda and vinegar experiment. They rolled baking soda “snowballs” and observed the reaction that occurred when vinegar was carefully dropped onto their balls of baking soda.
What better way for the children to learn about and experience their five senses than to create their own sensory bin! Both preschool 4 and Kindergarten helped to make a bin full of rainbow rice. The children mixed uncooked rice and liquid watercolor together in plastic bags to create the vividly colored sensory material. The children were eager to dig their hands into the beautiful rice. This experience offered so many opportunities for the children to use descriptive language about what they were sensing while playing with the rice.
In first grade, the children have been carefully building fairy houses. The book Fairy Houses, by Tracy Kane, inspired the children with ideas for building these special houses for fairies to come and visit. With wonder and excitement, the first graders have searched with purpose for special natural materials to use in their constructions. It has been a feat of engineering and architecture to build houses using only these natural materials. Nevertheless, the children have successfully built special structures with roofs and decoration for the fairies and other small creatures to enjoy. Along with strengthening their building skills, the first graders have also been building an appreciation for all that nature has to offer. As well, they have worked cooperatively in groups, practicing their negotiation skills with classmates. For the children, these fairy houses are a work in progress. They understand that sometimes the weather or an animal may cause the destruction of their fairy houses. The care that they have shown in creating these unique houses is special and delightful to watch.
