Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Lower Elementary Newsletter - April 17, 2015


4/17/15

Dear RiverRun Families,

            This week we saw how land heats faster than water and cools faster than water.  Two jars were filled, one with water and one with sand.  Thermometers were placed in both.  We took them outside and measured the temperatures as they rose, close to every five minutes over time.  We did this again another day and then brought both the jars in to room temperature and watched them cool; taking readings about every five minutes again.  The children learned how to read a thermometer in both Fahrenheit and Celsius.   It seemed funny to the children that 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which we normally see as a pleasant temperature is called 21 degrees in Celsius.   

            Since we have been looking a lot at numbers it seems like the right time to explore how numbers came to be (another of the Great Lessons).  We all agree that numbers are important and that we use them every day. The children found many ways even prehistoric man used the language of numbers to communicate things like how many animals a hunter brought back or how long until the fruit on the trees come back.  We then jumped far ahead in time and talked about the Sumerians and how they recorded numbers using a pointed stick and clay.  Using clay and sticks the children copied the symbols (cuneiform) the Sumerians used.    

            The Physical Education trip to Flight was a lot of fun.  Mark, Tonya, Rachel, Heidi and Stephanie jumped around with the kids.  The rest of the adult’s walked around and monitored the action.  Thank you to all the parents who drove. 

Dates to Remember:

May 7&8 - Authors’ Tea
May 25 -  No School
May 29-30  - Lake Taghkanic Field/camping trip
 
 
 
 

                                                                     
 
 

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