Week in Review

Once again, the weather in Illinois has proven to be indecisive. We had hoped to get outside more this week when the temperatures started to rise, but the swamp that is our playground and the rain kept us indoors.  Despite being cooped up, we made the most of our short week!

This week we continued our study of winter (even if the weather didn't feel winter-like) by exploring what animals do when it gets cold. We discussed hibernation, migration, and adaptation and made a list of what animals live in our area. We then decided which of the three behaviors the animals in our area exhibited when winter weather starts.

The students worked in pairs to determine which animal they had, what characteristics/behaviors it exhibited in winter, and then which behavior applied to the animal. The classes also had the chance to participate in an experiment/exploration with animal adaptation.

We discussed in class that one way in which animals adapt to stay in cold climates for winter is to eat more and develop a thicker layer of fat under their skin. The students then had a chance to place their hands in icy water to see what it would feel like without a layer of insulation. They then slipped their had into a "mitten" that was made from layering shortening between ziploc bags to simulate the insulating layer of fat animals develop. Their hands went back into the ice water so they could feel the difference insulation made.  It was a fun experiment and the students were very surprised at what difference there was between the two!

feeling the icy, cold water

trying again with our "insulation"

A last minute activity on Friday let to a new art experience. When students were done practicing their name writing in shaving cream and playing with it, we used the shaving cream to make marbled paper. We spread the shaving cream into a rectangle, added drops of liquid watercolor, swirled them around with a pencil tip, then lay the paper on top and pressed down gently. Once we pulled it off and rinsed, the students were able to see the results.

playing in shaving cream after name writing practice

pressing down the paper for marbling

the finished product

Next week we will be exploring the books of Laura Numeroff. She is most famous for her "If You Give a..." series.