Weeks 32, 33, 34 - Review

We have had a very busy 3 weeks learning about how we can take care of our earth. How what we do matters even if it is a small thing.  Each small act adds up.  We've learned things like water conservation, energy conservation, how to reduce our waste, reuse the materials we have, and to recycle all products that can be, remember to buy things that we need not just want.

Our tomato transfer went well.  We began with the compost in the pot first, then added the tomato plant and finished by topping it up with soil.  We had to water our plants so they didn't dry up.  We learned that plants are able to make their own food by a process called photosynthesis.  The children learned that there are 3 ingredients needed for the plant to process: energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air and nutrients from the soil.

We learned about "cycles" soil, water and life.  We understand that all living things must die and that ends their life cycle.  When the living thing dies it will decay or rot in the soil giving the soil nutrients it needs to grow new life in plants.  The children were also amazed that the water cycle is the only cycle that keeps going round and round and that the water that fell from our sky this week may have been water that was flowing in a river in Africa or on a mountain top in Nepal.

We have also enjoyed learning a new song from Ta'Kaiya Blaney who was just 10 years old when she wrote her first song called Shallow Waters.  She is from British Columbia.  She is concerned about the oil pipelines and what that will do to our earth and specifically the ocean.  We've had some great discussions about this topic as a group.

We did a little science experiment where the children mixed vegetable oil and water.  When the oil was poured into the water it rose to the top.  This made the children think that it would be easy to scoop off the top.  Then they each took a turn to shake the jar and then observe what happened.  This happened 5 times and by the third shake and wait the water became cloudy and opaque.  I asked the children if the water in the ocean ever stopped moving.  They said no because the waves are always moving the water.  This made the illustration for them to understand the impact of oil spills in the ocean and the affect it has on all life.

Please enjoy this song...

Shallow Waters by Ta'Kaiya Blaney

We have also been working on spelling and the children enjoy this so much.

It's hard to believe that there are only 5 more weeks of school left!