Science at Leon Springs

When I first started looking around the classroom for science things, one of the first things I noticed was this thermometer.  It is placed right next to the white board so all students can see it.  It is also a fairly large one so that students can read it and tell what temperature it is in the classroom. 

Next I found this plant the classroom teacher has sitting on the shelf.  I have noticed that she keeps her blinds shut most of the time, so it is nice to have something a little green in there. 

These two pictures are of the science center available this week.  They are learning all about magnifying glasses and how to use them and what they do.  My teacher had different insects present for the students to look at with the magnifying glass to see what all they could find on them. Specifically they were looking for antennae, and different parts on the butterfly that they have been learning about.  In the paper cup to the left covered with paper towels was a live moth a student brought in to share.  By the end of the day, the students were afraid  the moth was going to fly away so they covered it with paper towels and poked breathing holes for it.  The kids really like this center and enjoyed finding the parts of different insects. 

 Also in the science center was this science project they were to complete.  They had to finish this by writing the correct words in the appropriate places and writing a sentence at the bottom of the page.  This went in their super spiral.  The sentence at the bottom reads, "A hand lens makes things look bigger."  I guess now they are teaching them hand lens not magnifying glasses like they did when I was in school.   

In this cage/aquarium was lots of little things.  There was a gecko, grass hoppers, cricket, and a few more insects.  There was grass layed at the bottom with lots of water in the small bottle caps.  This was just placed on a desk so students could walk up at any time and look for these critters in their habitat at any time.  They really liked looking for everyone and making sure no one had escaped. 

I asked a few students what they thought science was, but didn't get a really clear answer from any of them.  They are first graders, and it is the beginning of school, but I am confident that by Winter Break they will have a definition of science.