Cardboard Arcade

It is time for our simple machines unit! We love the cardboard arcade. Each year, our school has a carnival as a fund raiser...and now it is an annual event that our 5th graders host a carnival arcade to see which game gets the most votes and customers so that game can be played at our school carnival. There are some wonderful games that are being created!

Building...Diagramming...and planning!

Each lever system is different and unique! A great engineering project!

Some of the cardboard arcade games were build like this...

While other arcade games were built like this...either way...the kids love to build marshmallow catapults and tie it into our cardboard arcade simple machines unit!

 We also tie in our FOSS levers and pulleys kits! We learn about the three levers: class 1,2, and 3. We then create a marshmallow catapult to use in a cardboard arcade game that the kids make in less than 15 minutes. A quick...fun connection!

Here is our quick quiz I give after all the fun! Here is a copy for you!

Here is the packet I made for our simple machines...FOSS levers and pulleys....Cardboard Arcade Simple Machines Unit on TPT. Check out the video link for our inspiration!

FOSS Morse Code Connections

This week in 3rd grade science, we are working with sound discrimination. We are learning that sounds can be identified by their characteristics. To make connections, we are suppose to use the items in our bags and our sound chambers to associate the sound with a letter. What better way to connect history in science! No student so far knew what morse code was. We watched a small video...I am sharing it here...

Then, we looked at dashes and dots... We projected this image on our smartboard and had the kids write their names.  Here is the Morse Code Link we used. Next, the FOSS connection lesson... This is a great way to make FOSS fun and connect it with other subjects.

Currently April and Break

Currently...it is spring break! It could have not come too soon. Everyone was getting a bit ornery and tired! My hubby took his baseball team down to Disney for some baseball and fun in the sun. The rest of the family has been hanging out at home. When the hubby's away the kids will play! That usually also means we paint or redo a room. We painted my daughter's room...ran out of paint...went back for more...they are out of our paint due to a bogo sale this weekend. Don't despair...we redid the bathroom. No more fish and bright kid colors...we went yellow, tan, and white. Not finished quite yet...otherwise I would show you:) Currently though...I am linking up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade to share with you what is going on Currently!

Listening... to 8 hours of Outlander. It was on my bucket list to do a show marathon. I LOVE this show! Good timing...it starts up again this weekend! I never liked scotch before this...ha

Loving... just being able to sit around and relax...which is something I don't do much of! Kids have had sleepovers...went to the indoor water park...painted rooms...went with the flow...loving not having to worry about preparing big meals...sorry hubby...

Thinking... I wanted to do so much over break...but when you lounge around and watch TV for a change...things on the list stay on the list. I am thinking...it is okay every once in a while! Mama needs a break too!

Wanting... everyone around my table at Easter. We chose to have dinner on Saturday evening...right before the Wisconsin Badger game...Go Badgers! Then our older kiddos can share a dinner with their boyfriends' families, too. I am at the point that I don't care the date...I just want my family around me! 

Needing...to finish up a space pack that I am working on for my 4th graders that I can use for 5th grade, too!  I am almost done...just need motivation. 

Egg-planation of My Blog Name:  After 20 years in the regular classroom, I had an opportunity to teach K-5 science...something new! This change needed me to rethink everything about how to teach science and what I heard from so many teachers was how they hated teaching science. It was too much prep or they didn't know the information...lots of excuses, so how do we make science fun? I wanted to motivate myself by creating a blog and making products for myself and others to make it something that everyone could do. So...something catchy and where kids like to "play"...so the Science School Yard was created! 

Happy Easter! 

Science Makes Me Hoppy!

I am on VACATION! But before we finished up science last week...we worked on a few science stations that made the kiddos pretty HOPPY! We made Easter eggs with coffee filters...

The kiddos made designs on coffee filters...

They got to spray them...then we made sayings on notecards how Our Teachers Are EGG-cellent. I love that teachers are egg-cellent because they are pretty! Those cuties. It takes about an hour to dry...but they are cute in a little nest. I will share next week when I get back! I was out of there quick on Friday...break started!

Now...onto our Egg-stra fun sound discrimination station! I made nests out of crumpled paper...put the matching eggs in a nest and the littles loved trying to find the pairs...open them up...and check their answers. Even the kinders could write down the matches...I was so proud.

Look at them working together and having fun learning!

Just a closer look at the sheet and a little checking to see if they were right! They loved it!

Onto the activity that was a blast...but whoa...a bit messy.We learned to do this one outside in our school garden...We made bird nests out of natural products in the garden...and realized that birds are AMAZING animals. We looked at real nests and the ones in our garden. We tried to build them to hold 2-3 Cadbury Eggs. We set our nests in the trees for the birds to use if they wanted. The kiddos were proud of their creations...as the kids got older though they were harder on themselves for not building a "solid" nest. We connected engineering with what other animals can do that people have tried to copy...planes... gecko feet...shark skin...Biomimicry is a great connection for this lesson to show how we can learn from animals!  Here is the link I used and some fine looking bird nests...

Biomimicry Connections

Look at our indoor nests...do this activity outside:)

Might not actually works for real bird eggs, but they were proud of how they turned out...

After really looking closely at real bird nests...we realized how much we can learn from nature!

The final nests were placed in trees in our garden...we shall see if any bird uses their nests!

The great thing about these activities is that they allow for great thematic science connections...these activities and more can all be found in my Easter Science Pack...Hop on over to ...Easter Science Stations on TPT

Garden Nests: Engineering for Easter

I just can't wait anymore to use our school garden. Even if you don't have a school garden, you can gather some great items outside for your students to do this engineering project. I have two classes the day before spring break...I was wondering about what I could do with both kindergarten and 1st graders from my Easter pack...I added three new activities today! I am really excited about using it! Take a look...

I added chromatography eggs, an engineering next building activity, and a writing activity! Here are my littles in action!

Easter Egg Sound Discrimination Activity...

Teachers are Egg-cellent art project...

Building a nest for our Cadbury Eggs...great for outside connections! We started inside...made a mess...took it outside...and

A nest fit for a Cadbury Egg! Bird nests are hard to build, but the kiddos loved getting outside and using natural garden goodies!

Happy Easter!

Long Time...No Post...

Spring break can't come too soon my friends...one more week! I have been so busy trying to create some new lessons and units to go with upcoming FOSS units...testing my kiddos...report cards needed to be done Friday...my daughter was in town on her spring break (making little time to update blogs if I hardly get to see her...one has to use their time wisely!) last volleyball tournament in Milwaukee, taking us away from work at home...and now it is track, softball, and baseball season. Yikes!

But...now it is time for you! Updating, sharing, and freebies! Here is what I have been doing this week...
Kinders got to build leprechaun traps...I showed them the squirrel trap that I had out in our school garden...gotta catch that little bugger!

Firsties got to finish up their "Toy" unit otherwise known as Balance and Motion...I like the title toys better...so do the kids! We shared toys that slid, rolled, turned, and bounced! Here is their sheet...a freebie for you!

                        Toys That Rock and Roll FREEBIE Sheet

2nd graders have spent the last two weeks on a new unit I am in the process of making using the 2nd grade NGSS science standards. They seem to love it...they are learning about biomes, making topographical maps, and planning a trip for spring break. It seems to be great timing for them...and makes it fun to get ideas of things that are out there to do and what we can do in our own hometown!

3rd graders just went to a WEDing this last week! A fun spin on teaching weathering...erosion...and deposition! That new pack is coming soon too.

 4th graders are finishing up on their human body unit. I used my Cardiovascular System Heart Healthy Science Stations Pack for two weeks, followed up by teaching the kids how to read labels on food packages! Here is a great site figuring out food labels at Kids Health!

5th graders have been working on engineering projects and their final mixtures and solution test! We made a chair for our bear and a tower with index cards. It was a nice break from a kit. Can't wait to start our new units next week...right before break to get them excited about coming back for quarter 4.  Sorry...I had more pictures, but I left my other camera at school. My bad. Have a great weekend!

The Sunday Scoop

My oldest baby is back in the nest...and I am so excited to see her again. Wow...time flies when you look back on your time with your kids and I have another one flying off...my little birdies are getting so big! To celebrate...we went ice fishing???!!? Yes, this winter hater went ice fishing to do something with as many of my sweet children. It was cold. It was windy. We didn't catch any fish. BUT...I did enjoy just being outside with my family...even if I was a bit cold. However...the sun is out and the snow is suppose to start melting as warmer weather hits us this week!

Those three birds of a feather that teach together over at Teaching Trio are hosting their weekly Sunday Scoop! So here it is...

CICO...btw...stands for Check In...Check Out...my little boy...(I help two specifically)...but one is going backwards...boy little guy! He seems to want "prizes" from school store and not really focusing on making good choices on his own. That connection isn't there. He is the cutest thing though...I have to get creative on how to reteach him and get him to care again. I am sure we can get him there...it takes time. 

On another note...I am at a new milestone...I have an even number of followers! I am up to 60 friends! I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel!  I really am so excited that others want to see what I do in my science classroom. If you want to check out instagram...go to mrsheinrichsscienceclass  and my weekly pictures are there for my families. My son was just looking at them and saying he wished he was in my class! I didn't even pay him to say that. 

Happy Sunday!