#LetsTalkScience – OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

Let’s Talk Science…. Fat, Fur, and Feathers

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Andréa Black

Yesterday was a very exciting day in Senior Kindergarten!! We had a special guest join us in the Makerspace and lead us in a Let’s Talk Science lab. Farah, a Science student from the University of Ottawa, led us in a discussion about how different animals get ready for winter and the SK students impressed as they showed off what they already knew. They told Farah that many animals adapt to get ready for the cold weather by eating a lot of food or by growing thicker fur or feathers to stay warm. The kids asked great questions and knew a lot of answers to the questions they were asked. Then they experimented with Fat (vegetable shortening in a baggie), Fur (faux, of course!) and Feathers to see which kept their hands the warmest when touching ice. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they tried different combinations to see which would keep their hands warm…. the combo of fat and fur was the clear winner. Thanks to Farah for leading this special, super-fun experience! It has certainly sparked some interest in both classes to explore this theme further….

Speaking of getting ready for winter, now that the colder temperatures are upon us, we thought we should clarify our Outdoor Play plan for the winter months. We will continue having our recess and end of day pick-up on the playground, so please ensure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately. However, if it is colder than -15, with or without the windchill, we will not be venturing outdoors (we will be using the Weather Network to determine the temperature). As with rainy days, if there are no kids or teachers on the playground when you arrive to pick-up, please come to the front door to find your child. While we will strive to get outside as much as possible, we will take advantage of the gym or other indoor physical activities when the weather is not cooperating.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Fridays (from now until early March) – 2:00 pm Dismissal

Thursday, Nov. 23 – Dress Down Day

Friday, Nov. 24 – PD DAY – NO SCHOOL

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science…. Nifty Nests!

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Andréa Black

This morning, Senior Kindergarten participated in our final Let’s Talk Science lab of the year. This time, Farah and Madalina, students from the University of Ottawa, introduced the topic of nests to the kids and we were astounded by their ideas and observations as they discussed what kinds of animals build nests and what materials they use to build them. Then we played a Guess the Nest game and even though some of the questions were really tricky, these super-smart kids got most of them right!! To wrap-up our learning, the kids were tasked with building their own bird’s nest out of the materials they were provided, but with the extra challenge of using a clothespin (to simulate a bird’s beak) instead of their hands. Check out some pictures of the process:

You may have some blossoming birdwatchers on your hands now as Farah and Madalina challenged the kids to look for birds’ nests around their neighbourhoods or to build an outdoor next and see if any creatures make it their home….. If your child finds or builds any nests, please share the photos in the comments!!

I want to send a huge thank you to Farah and Madalina for all of the amazing sessions this year and for inspiring our little scientists!!

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science…. Solids, Liquids and Gases

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Andréa Black

SK spent most of the week inquiring about, observing and experimenting with the States of Matter. We listed different examples of each state and learned their properties through activities and songs; we experimented with mixing more solids and liquids to create gases and documented our observations. We even built a mini snowman and then watched to see how water can actually shift from one state of matter to another (snow, water, water vapour). Below are some of the videos and songs we watched in class to enhance our learning and some pictures as well.

We culminated our learning by participating in another super fun Let’s Talk Science lab with Farah and Madalina from the University of Ottawa AND we got to do our experiments in the OJCS Makerspace!! The kids were introduced to everyday liquids and solids to determine their properties. They used their hands and senses to explore different liquids, like water, oil and corn syrup, and then poured them out to see the differences between them. Then they did a cool experiment where we mixed solids with water to see whether or not they would dissolve and ended with another experiment where we mixed solids (baking powder and sugar) with water to create a gas….. the kids loved experiencing this neat reaction and it sparked some really interesting questions…. make sure to ask your child what they observed and learned in Science this week!!

Move Like Matter Dance:

Matter Chatter Song:

3 States of Matter Song:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Fridays (from now until early March) – 2:00 pm Dismissal

Monday, Feb. 6 – Tu B’Shevat

Thursday, Feb. 16 – OJCS Winter Fun Day

Friday, Feb. 17 – PD Day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, Feb. 20 – Friday, Feb. 24 – Family Day/Reading Week (NO SCHOOL)

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science…. Fat, Fur, and Feathers

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Andréa Black

Today was a very exciting day in Senior Kindergarten. We had special guests join our class and lead us in a Let’s Talk Science lab. Farah and Madalina, Science students from the University of Ottawa, led us in a discussion about how different animals get ready for winter and the SK students are already experts thanks to the many books we have read and the activities we have done in class. They told Farah and Madalina that many animals adapt to get ready for the cold weather by eating a lot of food to gain more fat or by growing thicker fur or feathers to stay warm. The kids asked great questions and knew a lot of answers to the questions they were asked. Then we experimented with Fat (vegetable shortening in a baggie), Fur (faux, of course!) and Feathers to see which kept their hands the warmest when touching ice. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they tried different combinations to see which would keep their hands warm…. the combo of fat and fur was the clear winner. Thanks to Farah and Madalina for leading this special, super-fun experience! We can’t wait to do it again in the winter!

Speaking of getting ready for winter, now that the snow has officially arrived, we thought we should clarify our Outdoor Play plan for the winter months. We will continue having our morning drop-off and recess on the playground, so please ensure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately. However, if it is colder than -18, with or without the windchill, we will not be venturing outdoors (we will be using the Weather Network to determine the temperature if you want to check before leaving the house). As with rainy days, if there are no teachers on the playground after the bell rings at 8:30, please bring your child to the front door for drop-off. While we will strive to get outside as much as possible, we will take advantage of the gym or other indoor physical activities when the weather is not cooperating.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Esti and Sari who turned 5 on November 17th!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Fridays (from now until early March) – 2:00 pm Dismissal

Thursday, Nov. 24 – Dress Down Day supporting the Ottawa Humane Society

Friday, Nov. 25 – PD DAY – NO SCHOOL

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science….. Playful Machines

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Andréa Black

Earlier this week, the SK class once again participated in another super fun Let’s Talk Science virtual lab with Nia and Alex from the University of Ottawa. They taught us about 3 different kinds of simple machines: a wheel & axle, a lever, and an inclined plane. Then they led the kids through the construction of a playground where each structure was one of these machines built out of everyday materials, such as pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they built their merry-go-rounds, teeter-totters and slides and they were so excited to bring their playgrounds home!!

Here’s a really fun video/song from Scratch Garden that we have been watching and listening to to remember the different types of simple machines we learned about:

The Simple Machines Song – Scratch Garden

Don’t forget, next week is Ruach Week at the OJCS. Check out our previous blog post for each day’s theme!

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science….. Fat, Fur and Feathers

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Andréa Black

Yesterday was a very exciting day in Kindergarten. We had special virtual guests join our class and lead us in a Let’s Talk Science virtual lab. Nia and Alex, Science students from the University of Ottawa, led us in a discussion about how different animals get ready for winter and the SK students are already experts thanks to the many books we have read and the activities we have done in class. They told Nia and Alex that many animals adapt to get ready for the cold weather by eating a lot of food to gain more fat or by growing thicker fur or feathers to stay warm. The kids asked great questions and knew a lot of answers to the questions they were asked. Then we experimented with Fat (vegetable shortening in a baggie), Fur (faux, of course!) and Feathers to see which kept their hands the warmest when touching ice. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they tried different combinations to see which would keep their hands warm…. the combo of fat and fur was the clear winner. Thanks to Nia and Alex for leading this special, super-fun experience! We can’t wait to do it again in the winter!