An EPIC Plant Unit

My favorite unit of study each spring is about plants. It's so engaging and fun for the kids, plus it always comes with great weather! But, by March each year, I'm always trying to STOP spending money on my classroom because by spring I've spent an unmentionable amount of money on books, supplies, treats, alternative seating options, makers supplies, etc. Which is why I really, really love epic! I may be late to the party, but I just discovered the website.

Have you heard of epic! yet? Epic! is a kids' eBook subscription that offers thousands of books, AND teachers can sign up for a FREE account. I think the absolute best part is that you can save collections of books for your units of study like the collection of plants books that I started for our current science unit.

Utilizing epic! has saved me time traveling to the public library and money because I didn't place an Amazon order!!! 

Here are a few other pics of our learning about plants. We made seed bags with Lima beans and popcorn kernels. Our goal is to prove that no matter which way the seed is turned the roots will always grow down and the stem will always grow toward the sun. I stapled straws near the top of the bags to hold the seeds. 

We used silk flowers from The Dollar Tree to make diagrams of plant parts. We added illustrations to show what plants need to survive (air, water, sunlight, soil).

For a cross-curricular activity, we combined our letter writing and plant units, and wrote a letter to a magic seed. This student wants his seed to grow into a popcorn tree that makes butter out of rain water!

Personally, I wanted a hamburger tree. Ha!

We also planted Gladiolus bulbs, another Dollar Tree find. We picked bulbs from a bowl and made predictions about what color flowers would bloom this summer. 

Here's to growing season!

Seeds and Pants, and Plants and Seeds: A Science Class Recap

We've been learning about plants in science class. Last week we focused on the parts of a plant and this week we learned about the life cycle of a plant and seeds.

We examined a lima bean and recorded our observations.

We also checked out a BrainPop Jr on the life cycle of plants. My firsties love BrainPop. 

I secretly think they love it for the quizzes, more than the video. They are obsessed with the quizzes. They cheer for the quiz and for every answer they get right. Their preffered method for taking the quiz is writing on their desks with dry erase markers. But, I digress...

If you are looking for a good book about seeds and how they travel, check this one out. 

The next day, we observed what happened to some seeds that had soaked in wet paper towels for a few days. The kids opened up the seeds and most were amazed by the embryo. 

Next, we made a prediction about what would happen if we planted seeds right side up and upside down. 

Yep, the prediction is wrong. But we are completing a gravitropism experiment to learn if our prediction is correct or not. 

My fabulous partner teacher told me about this little experiment. The kids place damp paper towels inside of baggies. Then place some seeds on top of the staples I put in their baggie. We used popcorn kernels and lima beans. One of each kind of seed is right side up and the other is updside down. We are going to use droppers to moisten our paper towels daily and we will record our observation in our science journal. 

And, our campus has a raised garden on the playground. First grade is trying to grow some cucumbers. I hope some firsties have green thumbs, because I wanna make a cucumer salad ;-)

I'm off to shop for a car. I can't stand car shopping. Wish me luck!

Ten Pins for Science & Social Studies

Hey friends,

Lemme start off by saying that if you missed yesterday's post; it was a doozy, about my encounter with a wasp and the hospitalization that followed. You'll wanna check it out if you've got wasps in your area so you know the signs to look for...as in get me to the hospital NOW signs :-(

Now for the good stuff! I am linking up with Ashley at Just Reed again for her Ten Pin Linky Party. This week's theme is Science & Social Studies. Some of these science and social studies pins will be more appropriate for upper elementary or middle school than my future firsties. 

Here we go...

1. This website is full of experiments to do with kids - It's even got a "preschool science" section! science-sparks.com

2. Cloud Dough - (the stuff at hands on museums) 8 cups flour & 1 cup baby oil. It feels like flour as you run your fingers through it, but it's moldable. A wonderful sensory activity for children. I'm positive this stuff has lots of uses...moon craters, 3-D shapes, etc... jugglingwithkids.com

3. Nine apps for young scientists! playfullearning.net

4. Edible DNA :-) Edible science is the best kind! When I taught fifth grade science, kids went crazy for out Roots, Leaves, and Stems Feast, sugar cube sink holes, chocolate cake mudslides, and boiled egg earth layers. teach.genetics.utah.edu

5. Hello! No social studies class is complete without at least one salt dough map :-) Great for teaching elevation and physical features. kidworldcitizen.org

6. Flip flap books and foldables were great for 5th and 6th grade. This one is from a second grade classroom.  simplyskilledinsecond.blogspot.com

7. Food chain stacking cups from eisforexplore.blogspot.com.

8. More edible science. I don't know the source of this one. 

9. Too cute! Spring Time Science with Seeds from rainbowswithinreach.blogspot.com.

10. Weather: Fill the cup with water. Put shaving cream on top for a cloud. Explain that when clouds get really heavy with water, it rains! Then put blue food coloring on top of the cloud, and watch it rain. Kids love experiments! I don't know the source of this pin either. 

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon :-)