In the lab, our Kindergarten students have been learning that pushes and pulls are forces, and can be used to make things move, including toy cars on ramps. As they push cars up and down ramps, and try different ways of getting the cars to go fast, they might feel like they are playing, but in this case, they learn through play. First graders got to go into the StarLab, a portable planetarium system we share with several other districts. They also reported to the “Astronaut Training Center,” which looks a lot like the Science Lab :), so they could do training exercises just like Oradell’s own astronaut Wally Schirra. Second graders are finishing their study of Matter by modeling how matter is made of tiny particles that can be rearranged, using small blocks. Third grade has begun a Forces unit by comparing balanced and unbalanced forces on pulleys and scales. Fourth graders are making waves using water, string and giant slinkies, showing how energy travels. Fifth grade is starting to study Space by experimenting with gravity, and comparing the forces of gravity in different parts of our solar system. Do you know how high you could jump on the moon? Ask a fifth grader! Sixth graders are studying the always-popular chemical reactions. No, we’re not blowing things up, but we are making and revealing invisible ink.