Communication Game Part 2: Can You Build a Structure with a Partner, without using words?

7 May, 2018

We got to keep working on using other forms of communication besides sound in the Maker's Space with Ms. Gillis! With a partner, we creating different signals that had different meanings. We used these signals to work together and build a unique structure without using our voices! We came up with so many wonderful designs. When we discussed our experiment after, we all agreed how different it was using signals instead of voices, and how we created unique structures that we might have not if we used our voices to communicate! Take a look at some of our amazing creations!

We love getting to bring Science in the Maker's Space! Next, we will be wrapping up this unit and creating a fun book to keep to help us remember all we learned about Light, Sounds, and Heat Energy!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Color Communication Game!

3 May, 2018

To put all our new knowledge about Lights and Sounds to the test we got to solve a problem: How Can We Communicate with Someone long distance without using our voices? We decided to use colors that would represent different moves such as: Spin, Twirl, Dance, Sit down, Jump, Hop, Run in Place, Give a Hug, Dab, and many more! We were very creative. Take a look!

Our Warm Up:

Creating Our Own Game:

Then, it was our turn in the Maker's Space! We came up with 4 different signals to use with our partner to help us build a structure without using ANY sounds! It was difficult at first but we got the hang of it pretty quickly.

Now that we are wrapping up our unit on Light, Sounds, and Communication, we are going to start to study animals and offspring again, this time becoming researchers and using technology to create an Explain Everything Exploration!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Can You Match the Sound?

30 Apr, 2018

This week we put our ears to the test as we played a fun game rediscovering the world of SOUNDS! Ms. Gillis put different items in to cups for each student to have their own. Students had to listen to the sound their cups made, without being able to see the item, and try to find the person who had the same item in their cup, all by listening to the sounds! Students knew that only one other student had the same item as them, so they explored and had to listen to all the sounds, collaborate, and come to an agreement if their cups were a match!

and

We loved this activity and getting to explore our senses. Next up, we will use all our new knowledge about lights and sound to see if we can solve a problem: Communicating with someone long distance, without using a telephone and without being able to hear them talk! Let's see if we can put on our Engineering hats and figure this one out!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque: When to use each!

23 Apr, 2018

For this experiment, each group was put to the test to discover and decide what category each material belonged to! First, we got a bag full of materials to share with our table. We started out by putting the materials in to the correct category. They were either: Transparent, Translucent, or Opaque. Then, we had a class discussion to test the material and see if we were correct! We had a lot fun using cooperation and collaboration to be successful with this experiment.

Then we had a great discussion about when to use each. Students determined that if we wanted to let light in, the plastic wrap or sheet projector was our best bet out of the materials we had! Then, we decided that if we want to let light in, but make sure people can't see in, we could use bubble wrap to solve our problem. Last, if we wanted to make sure NO light came in we decided to use the construction paper or the paper bag for the best results. We love getting to explore the world around us!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Jump back in to the S.T.R.E.A.M.!

12 Apr, 2018

As we returned to the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab after Spring Break we jumped in to the world of Light! We have been discussing Light Energy and how light can only be seen with the eye! It can't be felt (what we feel is heat coming off of the energy, we don't feel the light itself), we can't smell it, and we can't touch it. We explored this idea by trying to discover if we can see in the dark! We realized we can't see without light. We know some animals have adapted and developed traits that help them see at night though (from our Animal Traits unit!). We love connecting what we have learned with what we are exploring!

We also learned we can classify Light in to 3 different categories: Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque!

We discovered that TRANSPARENT means ALL light passes through.

We discovered that TRANSLUCENT means SOME light passes through.

and finally...

We discovered that OPAQUE means NO light passes through.

Then, we got to create our own version of Stain Glass Windows using Tissue Paper and Glad Press N' Seal. Take a look:

and

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Have A Great Spring Break!

23 Mar, 2018

Since our Parent/Teacher Conference Week is next week, we will not have any more Enrichment Wheels until we return from Spring Break!

Stay Safe and Keep Exploring!

Ms. Gillis

Building our Instruments!

12 Mar, 2018

Now that we are learning all about Sound and Vibrations, it is time to put that new knowledge to the test by building our own Instruments! First, every student got their own piece of string to explore and see what sounds they could create through vibrations!

We came up with some very creative ideas like: rubbing the string along another piece of string, the table, the chair, and more! We also found that we could hold one end of the string under our foot, and pluck it like a guitar string!

Next, Ms. Gillis showed us how to make "Head Harps". We tied the string together, put it on our head and pulled the string tight with our finger (not tight around our heads), then we plucked the string with our fingers! It was so fun to make the sounds by making the vibrations!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Vibrations and Sounds all Around Us!

5 Mar, 2018

After putting the finishing touches on our Treasure Boxes, we got to dive in to the world of Vibrations and Sounds! Ms. Gillis started by having us think and observe the world around us, and start to think about all the amazing sounds we hear. We had no idea there are so many! We talked about how some sounds are low, and some sounds are high! We even got to hear how some SOUND EFFECTS are made in movies and cartoon! It was so cool!

Then, we got to work together as a class to recreate the sound of this thunderstorm! It was a lot of fun only using our hands and feet to make so much noise!

Then came time to learn about vibrations! We got to see how vibrations are movements that make sound. We took a ruler and held it off the edge of our tables, then gently pushed down on the edge of the ruler to create a "boing" sound. It was so fun to create the sound effects!

We can't wait to explore more and start to build our own instruments to make our own unique sound!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with Kindergarten in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Using Animal Traits to Protect our Treasures

23 Feb, 2018

Our First Graders have been having so much fun learning about Animal Traits! Not only have we learned about what traits are, we have learned how they are inherited and we have been exploring the "Why?" behind each trait!

Now we get to put our new knowledge to a fun test by making our own TREASURE BOX and covering it with different traits animals use to protect themselves! For instance, we have learned how plants like cacti and animals like porcupines and hedgehogs use spikes to protect themselves. We have explored animals who have sharp teeth or claws, animals who have bad smells to scare away predators or big horns, and more! Students are picking all different traits to protect their Treasure Box with! What animal traits would you like to use to protect your treasures?

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with Kindergarten in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Nature: The Natural Engineer!

14 Feb, 2018

As we are learning all about Animal Traits, we are starting to see how human beings have observed the world around them, and have created many amazing things inspired by nature! We call the creation of tools and inventions based off something happening biologically (and in nature of course), BIOMIMICRY! We got to look at a ton of inventions like a plane, velcro, flying suits, flippers, and more, and decide what animal or plant inspired it!

Then, what better to do next then put on our Engineering hats and create a blueprint for our very own Biomimicry Invention based off an animal or plant trait we like! Here are some amazing examples of what our 1st graders came up with:

and

Next, we are planting seeds to see how different they look as they grow and change (a characteristic of all living things), and explore how the sunlight really affects them!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

The Wonderful World of Traits!

9 Feb, 2018

1st Graders are continuing to learn all about Traits! Each student got to think of a trait he/she has, and then they tried to identify where it came from! We came up with a lot of great answers! We also thought that we could get traits from siblings ("My sister has brown eyes, that is where I got my brown eyes from!"), but then we learned that our siblings got that trait from the same person too! So we explored even further and realized we can get traits not just from Mom's and Dad's, but from Grandpas and Grandmas, Uncles and Aunts, and more! We liked getting to explore what unique traits we have in the classroom, and how they are similar to people that are in our family!

Then, we moved on to identifying more unique traits in animals! We focused on traits such as: Hard Scales/Skin, Bad Smell, Spikes on the surface, Sharp Claws, Hard Shell, Horns, and Sharp Teeth. Now that we have identified these traits and found animals that fit in each one (we got to sort out a bunch of pictures as a class and as table groups), we will explore the "Why?" behind each trait! We want to know why certain animals need their sharp claws, or why they have hard shells when other animals in their habitat might not. It is so fun learning about the world around us!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Can you See It?

30 Jan, 2018

This week we are working on one very cool animal trait in particular: CAMOUFLAGE. What is camouflage you ask?

Camouflage is the ability of an animal to blend in with it's surroundings.

We learned all about camouflage and had a great group discussion answering the question, "Why do animals use camouflage?". This is what we came up with:

- "To hide from predators that want to eat them."

-"To make sure predators can't see them if they are looking for them."

-"To hide from prey so they can eat them when they come really close!"

Next, we got to play a fun "I Spy" game in the classroom to find moths hidden on the trees Ms. Gillis made! Take a look and see how many you can find:

Moth are hidden all around!

We then got to put our new knowledge to the test and create our own Moth's to hide around the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab. We first started by picking a place, then we got to coloring and creating a moth that would hide in well with those surroundings. Now the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab is starting to look like it is covered with hidden creatures!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Traits!

25 Jan, 2018

We had a lot of fun discovering the ways bird's use their beaks to pick up food! We used straws bent in half and cups with the sides cut to mimick the shape of a Warbler Bird beak (small and pointed) and a Duck's bill (rounded and flat). Boy was it hard at first to pick up all those different materials! We tried picking up: uncooked macaroni and shell pasta, uncooked beans, and uncooked lentils! We made quite a mess which told us it is definitely not as easy as a bird makes it look!

We all agreed that in the end, we are grateful to have our hands, especially our opposable thumbs.

We started to discuss where we get our traits from too. This is helping us start to recognize the traits that make us, and all animals, unique! Next we will get to start exploring more animals and find out more about what makes them unique. For instance, did you know that chameleon's can move their eyes in separate directions? How about how an Octopus can camouflage itself to hide from predators?

Want an activity to do with your child? Discuss where all their traits/physical features came from! Where did their eye color, hair color, hair texture, nose, and more, come from? It is fun for our students to start to recognize their traits in their family members!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Exploring Animal Traits!

23 Jan, 2018

To kick off our new Unit where we will learn all about the traits we see in Animals, we got to explore a Read-A-long Book and have great group discussions along the way. For instance, we answered the question, "Why are the female ducks brown while the male ducks have green heads?".

We also explored why the baby ducklings follow their mom around! What did we come up with?

- "They follow Mom around to stay safe."

- "They follow Mom around to learn what to do, like swim and fly."

-"They follow Mom around to get food and water and make sure predators don't get them."

We then got to study the behavior of some other animals like: how a Robin feeds her babies, how Opossum Mom's carry their babies on their backs, how the Mother Cat will clean her babies, and how Shrews will hold on to each other's tails to make sure they don't get lost!

Next up, we will start focusing on what traits animals use to survive. For instance, we will answer the question, "Why do Birds have Beaks?" by exploring different kinds of beaks (such as a beak that is pointed like a sparrow or a round bill like a duck) and getting to try them out for ourselves using straws and cups to pick up items like uncooked pasta or beans!

Next, we will continue to explore Animal Traits by learning how the offspring of animals inherit those unique traits (such as eye color and hair color in humans!) from their parents! We will explore how animals use those traits to survive and thrive in their natural habitat!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Model it in the Maker's Space!

16 Jan, 2018

This week we got to go in to the Maker's Space and put all the information we have learned about Patterns in the Sky to the test! Each student was tasked with creating a model of one of the patterns in the sky we have been learning about. It could be the Moon orbiting the Earth, the Earth orbiting the Sun, the Sun rising on one side of the sky (the East) and setting on the other (in the West), the Stars and Constellations we see in the sky at night, and so much more! It was so fun being able to build models using the information we just learned. It also gave us an opportunity to really observe the pattern as it is happening as we built the model and made it move to demonstrate our understanding!

We then got to finish the Unit with an art project where we got to make Constellations to hang in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab windows! We poked holes where the stars in our Constellations are and when we put them up to the light so we get to see the "stars" like we do in the night sky!

Next, we will be moving on to a new Unit where we get to find out about Animal Life Cycles, and all the patterns we see among adults and their offspring!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

What Stars do you see at Night?

16 Jan, 2018

As we came back from Winter Break last week we dove right back in to learning about Patterns in the Sky. This time we focused on the Stars and answered the question, "Do we see the same stars every night?" The answer is, "No!", we get to see different stars at different times throughout the year!

Then, we began learning about Constellations and the patterns that people have seen in the stars for many years. We also found out that during the Winter where we live we can see Orion the Hunter at night! Tonight, see if you can find Orion the Hunter with your child!

Last, we got to finish with a fun art project where we got to create our own Constellation! We learned how to make the pattern first, and how to turn it in to a Constellation and create whatever we wanted! We have been having so much fun learning about the Patterns in the Sky!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

The Sun and other Stars!

18 Dec, 2017

With Winter Break approaching fast we are having a fun filled week of learning about the Sun and Stars!

First we will explore the how and why behind the Earth orbiting the Sun, and you guessed it! The patterns we see in relation to the Sun and Earth (i.e. Earth's revolution around the Sun takes 365 days = 1 year, the daily pattern we see of the Sun rising in the morning and the Sun setting at night).

Next, the Patterns in the Stars! We will discover when we get to see certain Constellations and why! It is fun learning how so many natural features are connected to each other, and how we have adapted those patterns in to our daily lives!

Have a fun and safe Winter Break!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Up High in the Sky!

11 Dec, 2017

This week we are starting to learn all about the Solar System, especially about the Sun, Moon and the Stars. We started off this unit by asking students, "What are things we ALWAYS see in the sky? Before students answered we discussed how we are looking for objects that are always there, and never come down to the ground (like a plane or a bird). Here is what our creative 1st Graders came up with:

Sun, Moon, Stars, Clouds (we discussed how they dissolve/dissipate and reform but they are always found in the sky!), Planets, Pollution, and Air!

As we learn about the world around us we will be exploring all the patterns we find in the sky. From the length of time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun, the lunar cycle, what stars we see at night and why, and more!

Want something to do with your child(ren) at home? At night, before bed, look up at the stars! Have your child begin to find shapes and patterns in what they see. This will help give them a life experience and visual for when we dive deeper in to what stars and patterns we see seasonally!

Keep Exploring,

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Sprout Houses and Beyond!

5 Dec, 2017

There has been lots to learn during our exploration of plants and our Sprout Houses! We have been learning patience as we wait for our seeds to sprout. We have also been learning that not all experiments work at the same time, or at all! But that is okay because it is part of being a Scientist!

We have been learning about the different parts of a plant and the life cycle of a plant. We also discussed what plants need to grow after watching a time-lapse video of a sunflower growing up high towards the Sun! If only our sprout houses could grow that quickly! We have also been discussing how different plants look at different stages. This helps us see that even the same plant can look different at different stages, just like us as we grow and get bigger!

Next, we will keep checking in with our Sprout Houses as we start to learn about the Solar System. We are going to learn more about the Sun, start to explore the Moon, and see if we can find patterns in the stars!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening with 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

Welcome!

20 Nov, 2017

We are kicking off 1st grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab with a fun Sprout House experiment. We are not only learning about the life cycle of a plant, we are getting to watch it grow right on our windows in the Lab!

What did we do? We took ziploc bags, cotton balls, water, and Verbena (type of flower) seeds and sealed them up. Next, we hung them in the window because what do plants need to survive? Sunlight and water! We sealed the bags so the water wouldn't evaporate and we could create a Green House effect in our bags.

As our plants continue to grow we learn about the water cycle as we start seeing the condensation on our bags. We also learn how to be responsible observers by checking in on our experiment, writing notes, and drawing pictures to help us learn more!

Keep Exploring,

Ms. Gillis

Check this blog out to learn about what is happening in 1st Grade in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Lab throughout the year.

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