Weather!

 We have just begun a weather unit due to some extra homeroom time! I thought this would be a fitting unit due to the 6th snow day we just recently had -- it has been a winter to remember!! (or to forget!)

We started by brainstorming about science, since this will be our first science unit of the year. We made science journals and talked about what science is and what a scientist does. As soon as the kiddos heard the word science their ears were listening and eyes were watching. This is a favorite subject of many because it is full of discovery and experimentation.

After discussing science, we jumped right into different types of weather. We brainstormed weather words, talked about the water cycle, sang a water cycle song and watched a short video before creating our own water cycle sentence strips.

To continue the excitement we talked about the "coolest" thing in weather which is the rainbow. We discussed how they form and who can see them. We also talked about if we could catch one, which we figured out you cannot because when you move, the rainbow also moves! WOW! Then we incorporated some similes into our writing and created a rainbow mosaic, which is being displayed proudly in our hallway.

Then we finally started the experiment that they were all waiting for. We started talking about cumulus clouds and how they form cumulonimbus clouds when they fill up with to much water. We took mason jars and filled them with water and I went around to each group and put shaving cream on the top of each jar to represent a cumulus cloud. They observed this cloud and predicted what would happen if they dropped some water (with food coloring) into this cloud to form a cumulonimbus cloud. When their predictions were done they rotated with their group members and put 2 drops of water mixed with food coloring into the clouds. In order for this experiment to work you must put the drops in the same place. Within a few drops I heard some groups exclaim, "It's RAINING…It's RAINING!" This was the most excited I have seen them in a LONG time! For other groups it took way more drops, which brought up a great discussion about a cloud's holding capacity and how some clouds are stronger than others and can hold more water before they let it go.  This was an experiment and a day these kids will never forget. To end the day we each grabbed a cup of water on our way out to the buses and since it was -30 windchill we formed clouds by throwing the water in the air. As expected, after this cloud forming there was a lot of filling up cups with snow to bring on the buses. Kids will be kids! Let's just say it has been  a "partly cloudy" week :-)