This week in Aspen we traveled to the Arctic and the Antarctic! We bundled up in our Arctic gear and braved the cold as we explored both the North and South Poles ! In doing so, we learned that the Arctic and Antarctic are so cold and frigid because they are far away from the Equator. Aspen learned that the Equator is the imaginary line that hugs our Earth like a belt.The closer we get to the Equator the warmer it gets because the Equator receives the most direct sunlight. The farther away you are from the Equator the less direct sunlight hits the earth surface and it gets colder . We also discovered that each of these super cold places are home to different types of animals. These animals that live in these harsh environments have found ways to adapt to living in such extreme environments. Therefore, the vocabulary terms adaptation, migration, and hibernation were also introduced this week as we learned how these animals manage to survive arctic temperatures. During our exploration of Polar environments, we discovered that many of the animals living in these areas have adapted by having a thick layer of fat called blubber to help keep them warm. During the work period, we listened to relaxing classical music while viewing scenery and wildlife from the Polar Regions, while engaging in cultural activities and Polar science experiments. This week the Aspen children got to experience what it was like to have blubber with our Blubber Experiment. We got to stick our hands into icy water! Our experiment involved placing one of our hands into a bag that was surrounded by Crisco oil (representing blubber). We then placed our other hand into a plastic bag with no Crisco ( blubber). The Aspen students got to see how long each hand could brave the icy cold water while determining which hand was kept warmer. It was decided unanimously through experimentation that the bag with the blubber was warmer! This experiment showed us just how amazing adaptations can be and how well blubber protects these animals! Aspen then spent the week exploring a variety of Cultural activities exploring the Life Cycle Of A Penguin, labeling penguins, and exploring various animal adaptations! Did you know, that Polar animals have rounded bodies with shorter limbs to reduce surface area and retain heat, and some animals have fur on the bottom of their paws to protect them from the cold while helping them to grip icy surfaces easier? Aspen learned this and more! Ask your Polar Explorers what they learned this week.
This week Aspen also had Grandparents Day. The Aspen students got to be teacher for a day and taught their grandparents math, language, cultural, sensorial, and practical life lessons. It was an absolute pleasure to meet your family and the Aspen children truly wowed their grandparents. We would also like to thank you for participating in our book fair encouraging the importance of literacy and learning!
Next week we will be revisiting our lessons involving adaptation, hibernation, and migration while focusing on hibernation! Sunday is Groundhogs Day! Will he see his shadow??


Moveable Alphabet Fun! Building phonetic words using our Sound clues!! A great Sound Detective looks at each clue when sounding out words!!

Mastering the Teens and Tens Board!!

Learning how to tie!!!