Ice Day

Happy TGIF teacher friends!  Today was another exciting and hands on learning day in kindergarten. 

Ice Day was a huge hit and went along with our Wood and Paper unit in FOSS!  I brought in ice cubes from home, chili flakes (for students to see if something that burns our tongues also melts ice), ice cream salt, table salt, and food coloring.  We started the lesson describing what we already know about ice.  Then we brainstormed some questions.  Finally, I let the kids go at it!  Yes, the control freak in me struggles with lessons such as this (let's just be honest) buuuuuuuuut I know it is good for me to let go and let crazy AND it is good for my students to roll up their sleeves and dive in to science.  

When the experiment was under way students loved observing the cracks in the ice.  They were surprised when salt melted through making holes.  Students made the connection that just because something burns our taste-buds and is spicy doesn't mean it will melt ice.  They rubbed their hands on the ice to make it melt faster.  The conversations at each table was rich with vocabulary, inquiry, and observation discussions.  At the end of the lesson I surprised students with a popsicle treat and I surprised parents by sending home students with very stained food coloring hands.  oooooops! 

              

                                                                                Hard at work journaling his ice discoveries.  Love               the pencil on the ear.  Very scientifically serious! 

Students recorded ice discoveries in their FOSS journals.  I took dictation to make sure all my kindy cuties got every juicy thought down on paper.  Students were very excited to share all they had learned!

We finished Topic 14 in enVision Math!  Hip Hip Hooray!  To wrap up the lesson students made telling time badges (can be found here).  They headed home excited to help change the clocks.  

With the help of my mom the March quilt was finally stapled up.  Such a cheery quilt for March!