Mrs. Hamilton, Science, 1st Grade

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Hamilton's Science Update 5-20-24

Our Junior Scientists are showing their green thumbs as we finish up our Plant Life Science unit. They are excited to show you all of their hard work on May 30th during our Open House.
 
This week we will investigate the needs of plants throughout their life cycle. Junior Scientists will make their own stages plant from collections they are able to gather during our science walks.
 
We are having fun with science!

Hamilton's Science Update 5-13-24

Hi Families,

We are having lots of fun learning about plants and 'unearthing' new information about the environment around us. As we enjoy Westgate's Earth Week, this week in Science our class will focus on pollination, how plant seeds are scattered, and the importance of weather. At the end of the week, our Junior Scientists will make pinwheels to further our hands-on investigations and witness seed dispersal.

Enjoy the breeze of science πŸ™‚

Hamilton's Science Update 5-6-24

Hi Families,

We are having lots of fun learning about plants and 'unearthing' new information about the environment around us. As we enjoy Westgate's Earth Week, we will focus on pollination, how plant seeds are scattered, and the importance of weather. At the end of the week, our Junior Scientists will make pinwheels to further our hands-on investigations and witness seed dispersal.

Enjoy the breeze of science πŸ™‚

Hamilton's Science Update 4-29

Hi families,
 
This week our students will return to their Junior Scientist hats and learning about Life Sciences. To prepare for our field trip on Thursday, May 2nd, our Junior Scientists will continue the timelines they have already begun in Social Studies and create a classroom botanical garden.
 
We will be instilling lots of green thumbs this week!

Hamilton's Science Update 4-8-24

Hi Families,

This week will be an amazing time as we return from Spring Break and have an opportunity to view the solar eclipse. These wonderful events of science in our everyday lives allow us to review past lessons and expand our current curriculum. We will end the week with a hands-on activity as we take glimpse of our science unit for this quarter.

 

Hamilton's Science Update 3-18-24

Hi Families,
 
We have amazing Junior Scientists who are becoming detailed Junior Entomologists during our science unit on insects. Hopefully they have been singing our insect song and teaching you all about insect structure.
 
This week we will conclude our studies regarding the benefits of insects and the vast amount of biomimicry creations we use in our daily lives. Prior to jumping into Spring Break, our Junior Scientists will research grasshopper legs and make one of their own.
 
We are off to a week of jumping in science fun!
 

Hamilton's Science Update 3-11-24

Ah, the wonderful change of seasons allows for amazing science investigations. For the next two weeks, our Junior Scientists will learn about insects; who they are, their structure, and why we need them as a part of our ecosystem. This week we will begin recording our inspections in our insect journal and discuss the different insects we find in our lessons.

Our vocabulary will include

  • herbivore
  • carnivore
  • thorax
  • abdomen 

We will have an infestation of science fun this week! 

 

Hamilton's Science Update 3-4-24

Hi Families,

This week in science we are planning to play with our newly developed life science knowledge. We will review a few of the animals we studied and find ways to benefit from their strengths. Students will design their own science projects by mimicking nature.

This week's vocabulary includes:

  • biomimicry
  • earing aids
  • suction
  • turbines

We are off to a week of engineering fun!

 

Hamilton's Science 2-26-24

Last week our Junior Scientists focused on their animal trait investigations and moving from a big idea to small details when researching our classroom animal. Students learned about the length, weight, and special features of an alligator. It was fun to see them team up and complete these adventures as a team. Great work Junior Scientists!

Due to our limited time at school when coming back from our long holiday weekend and having a field trip, this week we will conclude our study on structure and function. Our Junior Scientist will then discuss how these traits assist with survival and caring for offspring. Finally, we will look into cold vs. warm blooded animals and begin to consider insects.  Oh, what a week of science fun... and lots of hints for our next project.

This week's vocabulary includes:

  • offspring
  • parents
  • survive
  • needs
  • communication
  • cold-blooded
  • warm-blooded

Students will complete their alligator science journals and dioramas. Our questions this week include: Why are different animal parts needed? How do parents teach offspring to survive? What are the differences between cold and warm-blooded animals?

Another week of science fun!

 

Hamilton's Science Update 2-20-24

Hi Families,
 
We have truly had lots of fun during the start of our Life Science unit. Our Junior Scientists are connecting to the foundations of Life Science, conducting research, and building with these newly developed skills. Ah, the special moments of teaching.
 
This week our Junior Scientists will begin to investigate animal traits. This will lead into continued research on our classroom animal, the alligator, and additional work on their dioramas.
 
We are off to a week of getting our hands dirty with science fun.
 

Hamilton's Science Update 2-12-24

Hi Families,

Our Junior Scientists are showing their amazing research skills as they learn about animal qualities, and investigate to find answers for our animal journals.

This week we will look into habitats. For example, a biome is a very large area with one particular type of climate. It has animals and plants with features that allow them to live there. An ecosystem includes all the living and non-living things that work together in an environment. These types of habitats are specific places where an animal lives; and we will research where our classroom animal, the alligator, lives and why.

We are off to another week of science investigations!

 

Hamilton's Science Update 2-5-24

Hi Families,

 

We have begun an interesting unit on Animal Life Science. Last week our classes voted to focus our investigations on Alligators as we consider the various aspects of Life Science.

 

This week we will begin to build from what we learned about the needs of the living (vs. non-living). Students will be challenged to consider how and why animals eat certain foods.

This week's vocabulary includes:

food

hunger

survive

pray

preditor

meat

needs

Students will begin their Animal Journals and collect research on alligators. Our questions this week include: Is an alligator prey or predator? What does an alligator do to survive? How are its needs met?

We are off to a full week of science investigation!

Hamilton's Science Update 1-29-24

It's science time!!!

This week we will begin our Life Science unit for Quarter 3, which will focus on animals (warm-blooded, cold-blooded, leading to insects). Students will explore the idea of what life cycles include and begin to consider the process of biomimicry.

This week's vocabulary includes:

  • living
  • non-living
  • nutrients
  • reproduce
  • food

Students will be asked to consider the meaning of each term and to locate examples in our community.

We are off to a week of science fun!!!

Hamilton's Science Update 12-11-23

Hi families,

This week we will complete our Earth Science unit and play with the moon growing like a 'D' and closing into a 'C' when it is moving from Full Moon to New Moon. We will also continue our lesson of patterns and investigate the planets in our solar system to see what they have in common and why they are different.

It is fun to play with scienceπŸ™‚

 

Hamilton's Science Update 12-4-23

Hi families,

I hope everyone enjoyed hearing about the Earth's orbit around the sun, and the moon's orbit around Earth. Personally, I think our highlight last week was making our own telescope lens to see small stars.

Hopefully your Junior Scientists told you all about it.

This week we will watch the moon's orbit around Earth, make our own moon phase calendar, and play with moon phases to learn about a beautiful pattern in our sky. When the moon is growing like a 'D' it is moving from the New Moon to Full Moon. When the moon is closing into a 'C' it is moving from Full Moon to New Moon. 

Science is fun! πŸ™‚