- Enjoy science together as a family and encourage science as a hobby:
- Take it outside. Watch what’s happening around you, and have your child keep track of things like the temperature or the time the sun sets.
- Get Active. Activities like cooking, working in the garden, hiking, and doing chores around the house encourage students' creativity and problem solving ability.
- Be Curious. Join your children in learning new things about science and technology. Take advantage of not knowing all the answers to your children’s questions and embrace opportunities to learn together!
- Read and explore with your children:
- You don’t need to have all the answers. When your child asks you "why," use books, apps, videos, and other resources, to find out more about a topic! Help them read and discover more.
- Explore the library at OPS or in town. Librarians can help you find books about topics your students may be interested in.
- Encourage your children to ask questions and pursue answers:
- Chat and Chew. Ask questions and engage in conversation during mealtime around things they have observed.
- Ask 3. Three basic questions can help lead children to a better understanding of the world: What do you see? How does it work? Why do you think _________?
- I spy… Use the trip between school and home to develop students’ observation skills.
These suggestions are adapted from this document. Here are some other ideas for science in the kitchen, critical thinking skills, and activities to do at home.
What have our students been learning lately in the OPS Science Lab?
Kindergarteners have been making algorithms (sets of instructions). This is the first step in learning how to write computer programs. We make it age-appropriate by using arrows to show which way a cartoon character needs to move to get to a goal. We’re also using magnets to show how forces can push and pull things. First graders are learning the parts of plants and the jobs they do. Second graders designed and built earthquake-proof structures, and are making models of the earth out of balloons that show the oceans and continents. Third graders are finding patterns in forces using balances and pendulums. Fourth graders made waves with water, string, and an online wave simulator. Fifth graders started their Space unit by experimenting with gravity and the rotation of the earth. Sixth graders used chemistry to make messages in invisible ink (with baking soda and grape juice concentrate) and are using data from https://tuvalabs.com about elements to create and analyze graphs.
Here are some recent pictures of our young scientists at work in the Lab: