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.

Vertebrate vs. Invertebrate

Today we started class by asking the kids if they remembered what classifying means. We talked about how classifying is when you separate things into groups and then we separated some photos into groups of animals and plants.

Next, we introduced today's topic by talking about bones. We talked about the bones in our body, and unveiled a skeleton to let the kids explore. We talked about how our cranium protects our brain and our ribs protect our heart and lungs. The kids noted that our stomach does not have any bones or protection. After a close look at the skeleton we did the skeleton dance.

Then we extended our learning by talking about animals that have skeletons and looked at pictures of animal skeletons on a light table. We introduced the word vertebrate - an animal that has a backbone, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

We also talked about animals that do not have a backbone, invertebrates, such as jellyfish, sea stars, worms, and insects. The kids had so much fun with the envelope hide and seek game last week we decided to repeat it. This week there were 4 pictures in the hidden envelopes: 3 pictures of vertebrates and 1 picture of an invertebrate. The kids had to identify the invertebrate. 

Our STEAM Challenge this week was to explore how a backbone gives us structure and support. The kids built animals out of play dough and then tried to stack blocks on their back. The play dough was too soft and we only were able to stack about 3 blocks before their animals collapsed. Then we gave everyone a popsicle stick to act as backbone and had them build another animal. This time we were able to stack almost 20 blocks before their creatures toppled.  

We finished the day with a relay where each kid pulled a toy animal out of a bag and had to race to the wall and select the correct skeleton for the animal they selected. The kids were fast. Pictures are found below. 

Classification - Plant vs. Animal

Today in the STEAM Lab we talked about a big word called classification. We explained that classification is when scientists group things together that are similar. Two major classifications of living things are plants and animals.

We then let the kids explore our mystery bags. In one mystery bag we had a plant and in the other mystery bag we had a plastic toy animal. We asked the kids how animals are alike and how plants are alike. We also had a treasure hunt set up around the room. The kids found hidden envelopes that contained a picture of a plant or an animal and had to classify them on the plants and animals collage.

The rest of the class we spent talking about plants. We explored the seeds or four different types of plants and made a take home collage. We also talked about how seeds can travel on the wind and we blew milkweed seeds around the room. We put a seed in a bag, which can be taped to the window, and should sprout within the next few days so the kids can see the roots, stem, and leaves form.

We finished the day with our 1st STEAM Challenge. The kids were asked to build a tree (a plant) out of blocks that could hold at least five birds (an animal). The kids did an awesome job on this challenge. There were all different kinds of birdhouses built.

Next week we will be focusing on animals.

Pictures of the day are below.

Living or Nonliving

Preschool Steam: Biology Beginnings was held today! Since biology is the study of living things our first lesson focused on how to tell the difference between living and nonliving things. Here is what we did:

We examined some bugs in critter keepers - a spider, two cockroaches, and lots of crickets. We also looked at some National Geographic books about animals as we waited for everyone to arrive.

We introduced the mystery bag where we used our senses other than sight to guess what is inside. Today we had 2 mystery bags: one bag contained a living flower and the other bag a nonliving silk flower. We talked about the differences between the living and nonliving flowers.

We watched a quick Sesame Street video that taught us how to determine if something is living or not. The conclusion was if something eats, breathes, and grows it is living. We played a game and learned a song to reinforce these concepts.

Then it was time to start experimenting! First, we studied gummy worms. We measured them with paperclips and identified their colors. The gummy worms didn't move though and weren't much fun to play with so we sprinkled baking powder on them and dropped them into vinegar that really got them moving, but they still weren't living things.

Next we studied real earthworms. We again measured them and identified their color. These real worms moved a lot! They were fun to watch. Everyone named their worm and made a home for their worm.

Pictures from the day are below. Enjoy!