Plumb Beach Clean Up Preparation

Third Graders use dichotomous sorting to sort through things found at a beach in preparation for next week's trip.  After playing guess my rule with a partner; they were asked to sort by this rule:  Found in Nature.  They were told to put all of the Nature materials away. Then they were asked to sort the not found in nature by this rule:  Is it recyclable?

Found in nature?  Yes/No

Can you guess this rule?

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Outdoor green recess had to be cancelled due to rain.  (Valerie and Marisol took kids to collect puddle water earlier!)  Lucky the green studio was free for indoor green recess.

Kids have been testing sinkers and floaters during work time back in their classrooms.  This time we asked students to change a sinker into a floater...or a floater into a sinker.

We usually do this later in the year. We noticed that rubber banding things together was a little more difficult.

But the kids' focus seemed similar.  This sinker rock now floats? 

Or are the cup floaters sinking?

This student put a sinking rock together with two cork floaters.

Students will be trying out other ideas back in the classroom during work time.

For Every Season...

Small Groups of First Graders Work with Johanna During Work/Choice Time

Adding compost.

Harvesting peppers.

Planting early fall crops of radishes, lettuce, and arugula.

Can't wait to eat some produce!

WOW: BNS is in the Top Ten..

Top Ten Greenest Schools

Thanks to the staff, teachers, students,and  families for whom a sustainable world  is at the heart of the BNS mission.  The dream endures.

Getting Wet and Dirty: Green Recess with Kindergarteners

As part of Kindergarten's water study, Johanna will lead a green recess filled with the wet stuff. Each K class will have recess with Johanna once a week.  Here are pictures from the first one this year.

Some kids used water to help the farm plants grow.

Some opted to draw with chalk and use brushes dipped in water to change their drawings.

Others got really dirty...How did this happen?

It all started with some soil, digging tools, and some water...

Clean up was almost as much fun as making the mess.  Water!

Thanks to Valerie for the amazing photos.

Fencing

This beautiful vine beautifies a fence at BNS.  Neighbors have been collecting seeds to start their own cypress vine.

Astronomy...A Fifth Grade Maya Lab

Students draw a line to show the length and angle of their shadow.

Students noticed that as time passed the shadows changed.  it no longer bisected their shadow. Could they create a way to tell time using those shadows?  Using found materials they tried to do just that.

At the end of this lab, students realized that shadows change...but what is causing this change?  Is it the sun or the earth that is moving?  During the second part of the lab, students will use models to try to understand what makes day and night and seasons.