Science - Hart Magnet Elementary School

Science 3-4

Science is underway in room 140. The students are busy learning how to look at the world with an inquiring mind and a thirst for knowledge. Learning has just begun so check back often to see what we’re up to.

The third graders are learning about the rock cycle and how rocks are formed. The students have participated in a variety of inquiry based activities relating to rocks and minerals. This unit will culminate with a student-created brochure all about igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Rock on students, rock on!

Fourth graders are learning about the water cycle. Where does water come from and where does it go? These are just a few questions that we are going to explore. A mere 1% of the world’s water is actually fresh water that is not frozen. Armed with that staggering statistic, the students will learn why it is important to conserve this precious, natural resource.

The fifth graders have their eyes on the sky! Don’t worry, they’re not being snobby… they’re just looking at the moon. Is the moon waxing or is the moon waning? The students have an easy way to tell. Make sure you stop them and ask them how YOU can become a moon watcher. The students are also learning about the sun, moon, and Earth relationship. It’s an important relationship that gives us night and day, seasons and the phases of the moon. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no “Man on the moon”.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood, please feel free to stop by and see Hart’s scientists in action.

The Five E's and Science Education

At Hart Magnet Elementary School, we are proud to say we have two full time science specialists who strive to create student centered and interest based investigations that pertain to real life issues. All investigations are directly linked to state standards and are designed based on the questions the students are wondering about.

Here at Hart we are building on the inquiry method of teaching science.

The inquiry method is designed to enable learners to come to conceptual understanding of scientific ideas new to them.

The inquiry process is driven by the learner’s curiosity and sustained by his or her sense of ownership of the process. Structure and guidance by a teacher gives shape and direction to curiosity within the context of the teacher’s learning goals for science content, process, and attitudes. Students use Science Notebooks to plan experiments, chart data, and write questions they still have.

The inquiry method uses the 5 E approach which allows learners to build or construct new ideas on top of what they already know. Each of the 5 E’s describes a phase of learning and each phase begins with the letter E.

Engage: An engage activity that will make connections to past learning and mentally engage students in the concept, process, or skill being learned.

Explore: This phase provides students with a base experience where students explore their environment or manipulate materials.

Explain: This phase helps students explain the concepts they have been exploring. They have opportunities to verbalize their understanding and demonstrate new skills. Learners develop a deeper and broader understanding of major concepts, obtain more information, and refine their skills.

Elaborate: This phase extends students understanding and allows them to practice skills and behaviors. Through new experiences, learners develop a deeper understanding of concepts and obtain more information about their area of interest.

Evaluate: The last phase of the 5 E’s encourages learners to asses their understanding and abilities while the teacher also evaluates student learning.

Teachers

Sue Carter
room #140
Vicki Ehren
room #138
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Science K-2

Kindergarten

This year Kindergartener's will become zoologists, animal specialists. We'll be learning a little bit about the world's weather and temperature; where you can find a specific animal habitats; what animals need to survive and how they survive. We will also become experts in grouping animals into their different families: mammals, reptiles, hexapods, birds, and fish.

First Grade

The world of insects will come to life for first graders. They will develop an appreciation and understanding of hexapods as a group and specifically the wonders and life cycle of butterflies, their migration, habitats and their beauty.

Second Grade

Second graders will become experts on plants. As biologists they will explore natures perfect creation- the plant,- its' life cycle, how it contributes to the life cycle of other organisms and the ecology of the planet. From there we will enter the world of nutrition taking with us our botany background to help us understand the balance of life between plants and animals.