Sunshine Scoop

Sunshine scientists have been learning about bears. We painted bear dens and used them as a prop for a math game which taught the concepts: less than, more than, and equal to. Graphing came into play as students graphed their favorite bear.  Polar bears took the lead! We used the excitement over polar bears as a springboard to explore cold regions; using sugar cubes we designed and constructed an igloo.

Our junior scientists took part in an experiment which illustrated the importance of blubber for animals living in extremely cold climates.  They coated gallon sized plastic bags with shortening and then plunged them into ice cold water.  This hands-on activity showed them how blubber “shortening” resists the water and keeps the cold from reaching the animals skin. The highlight of our science curricula was exploring the terms: liquid and solid.  We created beautiful magenta crystals made from Epsom salts. The results were really “cool”.

Going forward we will be culminating our bear unit and delve into spring activities.  Indoor planting will get us started, while we wait for the climate to be right for transplanting our seedlings into our outdoor gardens.

Starburst Happenings

Starburst kicked off March with a fun week celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday!  The silly tones of his books brought out an abundance of laughter from the children.  They were inspired to create their own silly stories, including what they thought would happen if, “Thing One and Thing Two” came to school.  The children have been spontaneously generating lists of rhyming words, the sillier the better!  We decorated our classroom with Truffala trees and paintings of  “Things One and  Thing Two”. The children also recreated an art mural inspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, depicting them looking out the window “on that cold, cold wet day”.

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We’ve enjoyed being detectives in search of signs of spring on campus.  We’ve been delighted to find buds on trees and shrubs, robins looking for worms, green shoots poking up from the earth, and, of course, mud! We also planted zucchini seeds in preparation for transplanting them into Peggy’s Garden.  Our spring inspired art includes: clouds with rainbow streamers and handprint daffodils, which sit atop beaded stems.

We are looking forward to expanding our rhyming exploration to include alliteration and playing with beginning, middle and ending sounds in words.  Next, off campus field trips to community destinations such as: Pierce Park for picnicking, play and ponding and deCordova Museum & Sculpture Park, for art influences and inspiration, are some of our favorite spring adventures!