Pumpkins

For our final STEAM class we decided to center our activities around pumpkins since it is fall and the middle of harvesting season. We talked about how pumpkins are living things because they eat, and breath, and grow. We classified the pumpkins as plants because they start from a seed and grow leaves. We showed the kids the inside of a pumpkin and let them look and play with the seeds that we had previously scooped out and put in plastic bags. We then talked about the shapes of pumpkins. They come in all different sizes. We measured the height  and width of pumpkins with ribbons and weighed pumpkins on a scale. 

We asked the kids if they have ever picked pumpkins from a pumpkin patch. We then had them attempt to pick up pumpkins (pom poms) using different tools (a straw, a clothespin, or popsicle sticks). We talked about which tool was easiest to use, which tool would pick the patch the fastest, etc.

Next, we did a felt board story of 5 little pumpkins sitting on the gate. We asked the kids to make a gate out of materials (clothespins and popsicle sticks) to hold 5 pumpkins (yogurt caps). We scaled up the activity and had them build a gate with cups and cardboard to hold real pumpkins as well.  

Our final STEAM challenge was based on the book The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis. The kids had to design a pumpkin bed to stop a pumpkin that was rolling down the ramp before it crashed into the wall. We started with a fake pumpkin and then moved to a real pumpkin. Then we used the big 23 pound pumpkin that we had weighed earlier in the day. We noted it was harder to stop the bigger pumpkin than the smaller one because it rolled with more momentum. The kids came up with all sorts of pumpkin beds.

We had a great time teaching your kids and hope they loved this introduction to biology. We look forward to our new session - chemistry, which will start after the holidays. You can sign up at the Pat Bereskin Art Gallery or online www.bereskinartgallery.com/classes/. Thanks.

Habitats and Adaptations

Today in Biology STEAM class we talked about Habitats. Habitats are where something lives. We talked about 5 different kinds of habitats: forest, ocean, pond, farm, and arctic. Hidden in envelopes around the room were animals that lived in each of these habitats. The kids had to find the envelopes and classify the animals into the appropriate habitat.

Next, we used a globe to show the kids where we live. We talked about our habitat. We asked them how they dress in the summer and how they dress in the winter. We asked them to think about what animals do to keep cool or warm in their habitat since they can't put on coats and don't wear shorts. We introduced the word adaptation and then gave clues about the animal we were going to study for the day. Penguins!

We watched a video about penguins that explained how they have adapted to live in a really cold climate. The video highlighted that their feather are waterproof, they have a layer of blubber, and they have tightly packed feathers to help them survive the cold. We then completed an activity to reinforce each of these concepts.

First, we gave the kids bags of oil and water to play with and explained that they don't mix. Then the kids used crayons to color a penguin. We explained that the crayons have an oil in them like penguin feathers that repel water. After they colored their picture they sprayed water on it and watched the water bead up and roll off the paper rather than soak in and get soggy.

Next, we had a bucket of ice water. The kids tried to hold their hand in the bucket, but they would get too cold. Then we had them put on a blubber glove (shortening in a plastic bag). With the blubber glove on their hand the kids could leave their hand in the ice water "forever."

Finally, we learned that on every square centimeter of a penguin's body they have 9 feathers. We measured out this small space in play dough and had the kids count out 9 feathers and try to fit them in the play dough. It was a lot to cram into a small area.

For a movement activity, we talked about how penguin move around by hopping, waddling, swimming, and sliding. We had waddling and hopping races around the room with balloons held between our legs.

Our wrap up activity was creating penguin poppers. We shot pom poms into the air and at targets. Next week will be out last lesson in Biology. We will start the new session Chemistry after the holiday break.

Life Cycles

We began the day with a review game. There were picture cards on the table of all sorts of things. We asked the kids to find one nonliving thing, one plant, one invertebrate, and one vertebrate. The kids did great recognizing each of the groups we had previously studied.

Next we met on the rug to introduce the topic: life cycles. We talked about how people grow from babies to adults, but even as babies we look the same as adults. We have eyes, ears, noses, arm legs, they are just smaller. The we talked about how some animals go through big changes as they grow. They look completely different in the first stages of their life compared to when they are adults. The two animals we focused on today were frogs and butterflies.

First, we read a book about the frog life cycle called ribbit by Jorey Hurley and watched a video that showed a frog in various stages of the life cycle. Hidden around the room were pictures of the 5 stages of a frog's life cycle. They found the picture and had to put them in the right order. We played with plastic hopping frogs and acted like frogs ourselves trying to jump over a pretend river.

Second, we read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and watched a video of butterflies in various stages of their life cycle. Some kids commented that they have watched this life cycle in an enclosure at preschool or home. The kids completed an art project with noodles to show each of the stages of a butterfly. Then we got active again, using toilet paper we wrapped up all the kids in a chrysalis and had them emerge as butterflies. We used ribbons as wings and fluttered around the room and played Simon Says where we had to flap our wings fast, slow, high, low etc.

Pictures for the day are below.