We went on a (somewhat) winter hike last week with quarks. We hopped, we slid, we jogged and then raced some. Students utilized a fallen tree as nature’s balance beam, and they also came across a mound and got busy
Nature Study: Cooperation
The previous week we talked about natural selection, and this past week we discussed a strategy that often arises out of natural selection: cooperation! First I lined them up on a clothesline and asked them to — while keeping their
Nature Study: Natural Selection
On Thursday we talked over camouflage and natural selection from the perspective of both predator and prey. For the first exercise, everyone got a paper bag and stuffed it with leaves, then we threw them in a pile and sorted
Nature Study: Rivers
Today we dove into rivers! We opened with an activity drawn from here, adapted for the younger crowd… We joined hands and made ourselves into a simple, winding river. We talked about the ways in which rivers move (and some silly
Nature Study: Trees of Thatcher Woods
This week we got into the trees of Thatcher Woods. We talked about forest surveys, and how we can analyze trees and forests from a few different perspectives. While we waited for everyone to arrive, we philosophized: if I have
Art: Wax Resist Painting
Today’s art class for Neutrons, Electrons, and Quarks focused on wax resist painting with watercolors. We used Spirals by Louise Bourgeois as our inspiration and attempted to execute a similar technique. We used tape to create a grid (or other negative space)
Nature Study: Why Seasons?
In our first lesson of the year, we tried to answer the tricky question of why there are seasons. We started by modeling the solar system using this nifty NASA activity. I showed them the Sun and asked them to guess how big the Earth
Gym: Relays and Climbing
Neutrons, Electrons, and Muons led our warm-ups today and enjoyed a running and mirror activity. They then competed in relays with pool noodles between their feet. Lots and lots of laughs! Quarks enjoyed their climbing spot together. It’s so fascinating
Math/Science: Grasshoppers
Today we were learning about mini beasts. So, I picked grasshoppers bc I love making them move like the animal we’re learning about 🤣. We started with a life cycle paper plate project to build on our pond discussion from 2
Nature Study: Pond Journey
Waaay back in January, Kyle had the wonderful idea to spend both morning sessions over at the pond. And today, that’s exactly what we did! I first read Kate Messner’s Over and Under the Pond, while the group folded simple 8-page books (below)