Day 153 - BECC Cub Cadets Get A Visit From The Burlington Science Center

This post first appeared on the Cub Cadets Classroom Blog

Wendy from the Burlington Science Center visited us with three animals yesterday to explain how animals use their senses. We learned how snakes, rabbits, and alligators use their senses to help them explore their environment.

Thanks Wendy!!

Day 70 - Instant Snow Holiday Experiment! - Burlington Science Center Staff

This post first appeared on the Science Center Blog

Mrs. Pavlicek, Mr. Musselman, and Mrs. Hogan would like to wish you and your family a merry holiday break! We will see you in 2018 with even more great science experiments and activities.

Please enjoy your “Instant Snow” experiment, which was delivered to all elementary level students. Teachers can send each student home with the materials to perform the experiment or complete the activity as a class at school! Please be sure to watch our video in your classroom or at home to investigate your instant snow experiment.

Day 42 - Gleeful To Have A Gecko - Mrs. Hoyt - Pine Glen Kinderagrten

This post first appeared on Mrs. Hoyt's Blog

Room 103 welcomed Ms. P back to visit with us today!  She arrived with a gecko!

Earlier this year Ms. P visited and gave us a tarantula so we could have a pet animal visitor.   When it was time for Ms. P to take Tornado the tarantula back we were disappointed.  So, we decided to write Ms. P some persuasive letters asking her to bring another pet.  We were very convincing and conveyed to her that we understood living these has special needs and that we were prepared to properly care for whatever she brought!

Ms. Ryan helped students ask for a guinea pig.

Ms. Miliano and students wrote about a gecko and Mrs. Hoyt and friends wrote asking for a corn snake.

Like the owls we learned about yesterday, Bonnie, the gecko is also nocturnal!

Ms. P was a supportive and encouraging teacher........she invited each of us to hold Bonnie.

Bonnie loved us and snuggled right into everyone's laps!

We promised to take good care of Bonnie and provide for all her needs.   Students will help Mrs. Hoyt and Ms. Miliano to ensure that she has food (mealworms and crickets), water and shelter!

Day 157 - The Reservoir - Mrs. Cyr - Memorial School Grade 3

This post originally appeared on Mrs. Cyr's Blog

 

We had a great day at the Mill Pond Reservoir today! Thanks to Mr. M., Ms. P. and Mrs. H. for teaching us all about the FIELD, FOREST and VERNAL POOL!

It sure was hot but we made it! ;)

Day 99 - Science Center Presents New Science Standards Implementation Plan to MA Education Leaders

This post first appeared on the Burlington Science Center Blog

Miss Pavlicek and Mr. Musselman had the recent honor of presenting at the Cambridge College Science Colloquium.  Following the adoption of new state science, technology, and engineering standards, Miss. P and Mr. Musselman were charged with sharing how the Science Center and several Burlington elementary school faculty members are working together to implement changes to their science classroom instruction.

Miss Pavlicek shared how the Science Center has been facilitating professional development to interested faculty through after school short courses and Science Center / classroom teacher partnerships to makeover current curriculum to better meet the new expectations put forth by the standards. Mr. Musselman shared about how the Science Center has plotted curriculum implementation that rolls out new curriculum over several years, improving over time through elementary teacher feedback and work over the summer with elementary faculty. He also shared some of the many resources the Science Center has drawn from and curriculum collaboration networks both he and Miss Pavlicek have been participating in.

Miss P. and Mr. Musselman’s slides can be seen above. Stay tuned for a link from BCATV (who were kind enough to film the event) as soon as it is published.

Day 71 - Burlington Science Center's Annual Holiday Experiment (Video)

This post first appeared on the Burlington Science Center Blog

The Science Center gives a holiday experiment to every student K-5 in Burlington. This year we present the “Balancing Peace Bird!” Here is a video we made to introduce it to our students! 

Day 87 - Chick Show With Ms. Pavlicek - Ms. Farmer - Francis Wyman First Grade

This post first appeared on Ms. Farmer's Blog

Ms. P came in today for her annual Chick Show.  The show comes before we get an incubator with eggs in our classroom! The show began with Mrs. Ski's reading class doing reader's theater on how to care for chicks:

Then Ms. P began her show on the chicks:

Ms. P asks the age old question, "Which came first the chicken or the egg?

Introducing "The one, the only...chicken egg!" (the star of the show).

Ms. P demonstrates how strong an egg actually is by having a student and a teacher try to break the shell by squeezing them with their hands. The shape of the eggshell protects the egg from breaking when we squeeze it. That's why we have to crack it on it's side

Next, Ms. P used models to show the different sizes of eggs (from hummingbird to elephant egg).

Here is a crane egg with spots to help camouflage the egg from predators. 

Ms P. then showed us the parts of the egg. 

We did a chicken dance for a movement break. 

We discussed the difference between fertilized and non-fertilized egg. 

Then a first-grader acted as a mother hen and laid a nest full of eggs.

She pretended to lay on the eggs for 21 days to keep the eggs warm.

We learned about the inside of the incubator and how it works.

We talked about the comb and waddle on the chickens right before...

We met the Rhode Island Ren hen and...

Mr. Rooster!

It was a great show and we learned a lot about chick development and how to take care of our chicks once they are born!  Thanks Ms. P!