Plants, Animals, and Food

It has been another busy week for the spectacular scientists!  The 3rd and 4th grade scientists completed their study of plants and animals.  The 5th grade scientists took the OAA science test, studied the digestive system, and learned how to read and interpret food labels.  Lets' have a few more details about our science adventures...

Third Grade:

The 3rd grade scientists completed their study of plants and animals.  We played several review games to study and prepare for the unit test.  The students worked in small groups to construct answers to essay questions and then presented their answers to the class.  This was a great way for the students to share ideas, review information, and practice essay writing skills.  

Which food preservation process will best preserve apple slices: refrigeration, freezing, sugaring, salting, lemon juice, or corn syrup?  We have made observations and recorded data for this experiment.  The plain apples, apples in lemon juice, sugared apples, salted apples, apples in corn syrup, and refrigerated apples have all lost significant amounts of moisture - they have dehydrated.  The frozen apples have not.  Ask you child to explain why.  We will make our final observations, data collection, and conclusions on Monday.  Stay tuned for the amazing results.

What about the Lima beans?  We have several little Lima bean sprouts!  Some of the seeds still have not germinated.  We will continue to monitor the growth of our little plants.  We hope to have Lima beans by the end of the school year.

Fourth Grade:

The 4th grade scientists completed their study of plants and animals.  To review for the test, the students worked in pairs to create posters of each of the key concepts we studied.  We also created study guides and played review games.  We are learning how to study and how to develop good study skills. 

What happened to the Lima bean, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds?  We have several little plants: some Lima bean, a few pumpkin, and a few sunflower plants.  We hope to have Lima beans by the end of the school year.  Pumpkins and sunflowers will take a bit longer to grow. 

Do plants have feelings?  The 4th grade scientists have been wondering if plants can feel pain and have emotions.  We did a little research.  We used the website www.howstuffworks.com and searched "Do plants have feelings?"  According to a few different studies, plants emit sound waves and scents in times of distress.  This sparked an interesting discussion about how we should treat all living things with respect and kindness.  Check out the article.  It is very interesting! 

Fifth Grade:

The 5th grade scientists have been busy preparing for Tuesday's  OAA science test.  We reviewed many different science concepts and practiced test taking skills.  We spent the rest of the week learning about the digestive system and nutrition.  The students defined and identified the major organs in the digestive system: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.  We discussed the functions of the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder.  We learned that the digestive system is filled with bacteria - some "good" and some "bad"  - and that the stomach contains very powerful acids.

Are you hungry?  What should you eat?  Our bodies need carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  We learned how to read and interpret food labels, how to determine a serving size, and what amounts of macronutrients and micronutirents are recommended for children age 9-13.  The students compared the nutritional information for different snack foods: Gatorade and Jones Soda, Pretzel Thins and Lays potato chips, Nature Valley granola bars and Oreo cookies, Fudge Stripe cookies and Mookie Cookies.  The students collected data for serving size, calories carbohydrates, fats, protein, fiber, and sodium. They compared their data and determined which of the snack foods would be a "better" choice.  We discussed what "better choice" can mean.  A "better choice" isn't just based on calories, fat, carbs, or protein.  A better choice is based on what your body needs.  For example, the Gatorade is high in sodium, but if you have been exercising and sweating a lot you may need to replace sodium.  The pretzels have no fat and are lower in calories, but if you are very hungry and you need a snack that will keep you full for awhile, the fats in the potato chips will keep you full longer.  We talked about the importance of a balanced diet, healthy eating, and enjoying all types of foods.  The following websites have god information about macronutrient and micronutrient RDAs for children ages 9-13:
www.mayoclinic.org  search "nutrition for children ages 9-13"  and  www.howstuffworks.com search "nutrition", "nutrition for children"