9/13 Enrichment Spotlight: Music & Taekwondo Demo

Our class experienced their first music lesson with Miss Lisa this week. We learned that music can be forte  (loud) and piano (soft), plus we made our own music with tambourines!

 

The children also attended the Taekwondo Demo on Monday with Master Barnick. We ran from a bear and practiced our punches and high kicks. So much fun!


A peek into Tae Kwon Do | Session 3

This is the group from the second trial day. Each class has a chance to come and try a Tae Kwon Do class. These instructors were awesome substitutes while Master Barnick was recovering from surgery.

Session three begins!

At the start of each class the students warm up with some exercise. Time for some jumping jacks!
Here the class is running some warm up drills.

 

Running over the ladder. This activity requires each student to wait their turn patiently, get some exercise while running over the ladder and following the specific instructions on how to go through the ladder.

 

This young martial artist is practicing his punching.
Our girl ninjas are great punchers!
Our most seasoned Tae Kwon Do student practices her punching with Master Turley.
This student is practicing his punching and balance.

 

This young Ninja is working on his balance while blocking the sword.
This little Ninja is practicing his punching while balancing. Check out the cool golden paddle!

 

This is the bubble wrap game. The students first practice walking across the bubble wrap so carefully that no bubbles are popped. Then, each student gets to stomp as hard as they can to try and pop as many bubbles as they can while their instructor gives them a count down. You and your kids can learn these techniques on this https://trifudojo.com.au/ professional dojo. 
Practicing forms.

 

 

Get ready to push that ball away!

 

Here, this student is practicing punching the ball away from him back to the instructor.

Belt Testing!

This student is about to break her board!

 

Time for a belt upgrade!

 

Congrats To all our Tae Kwon Do students! Session 3 is a wrap!


A Peak into Science | February

Welcome to Science in the month of February! Mr. John worked with us on some very exciting new science experiments.

At the beginning of each science experiment, Mr. John has us come up with our own hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. Mr. John always tells us that it never matters if our hypothesis is right or wrong, because scientists sometimes are wrong too. We can be just like scientists and learn what works and what doesn’t work.

Don’t forget to check your student’s science paper in their folder every Thursday to see what their hypothesis was for that week’s experiment!

 

 

Density

“the mass in a specified volume”

 

Question of the week: What will happen when we mix oil, water, and alka seltzer?

Materials needed:

  • Water
  • Oil
  • Alka seltzer
  • Funnel
  • Bottle
  • Food coloring

Our data: When Mr. John mixed the oil, water, alka seltzer, and food coloring together, the food coloring floated as if it were a lava lamp.

But why did the food coloring float?………SCIENCE!

 

The oil stays above the water because the oil is lighter than the water or, more specifically, less dense than water. The oil and water do not mix because of something called “intermolecular polarity.” Molecular polarity basically means that water molecules are attracted to other water molecules. They get along fine, and can loosely bond together (drops). This is similar to magnets that are attracted to each other. Oil molecules are attracted to other oil molecules, they get along fine as well. But the structures of the two molecules do not allow them to bond together. When Mr. John added the tablet of alka seltzer, it sank to the bottom and started dissolving and creating a gas. As the gas bubbles rose, they took some of the colored water with them. When the blob of water reached the top, the gas escaped and down went the water. Cool, huh? By the way, you can store your “Blobs In A Bottle” with the cap on, and then anytime you want to bring it back to life, just add another tablet.

 

 

 

Chemical Reaction

 

This week Ms. Ashlie filled in for Mr. John, and showed us a fun volcano science experiment!

Question of the week: What will happen when we add baking soda to white vinegar?

Materials needed:

  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Measuring utensils
  • Container
  • Red sparkles/glitter

 

Our data: When Ms. Ashlie added the baking soda to the vinegar, it began to bubble over the side of the container just like a volcano!

But why did the vinegar begin to bubble?…….SCIENCE!

 

Just like in a volcano, the lava starts to build and build until it begins to overflow! We call this a chemical reaction.

 

Thank you, Ms. Ashlie, for such a fun science experiment this week!

 

 

 

Dancing Raisins

“Carbonation”

 

Question of the week: What are the bubbles in the soda? What will happen when we put raisins in a fresh glass of ginger ale?

 

Materials needed:

  • Ginger ale
  • Raisins
  • A glass

 

Our data: When Mr. John dropped several raisins into a glass of ginger ale, the raisins sunk to the bottom. The after a few moments the raisins were covered with bubbles and raised to the top, then fell to the bottom. This repeated for a several minutes.

But why did the raisins bubble up to the top and then fall back down to the bottom?….SCIENCE!

 

The raisins are heavier than the ginger ale. Then the carbonated bubbles attach themselves to the raisins. When enough bubbles attach themselves to the raisins the raisins become “lighter” than the ginger ale. The carbonated bubbles lift the raisins to the top. When the bubbles reach the surface the bubbles break dropping the raisins to the bottom again.

 

 

 

“Gluep”

Polymers

 

Question of the week: What will happen if we mix Borax, Elmer’s glue, and water?

Materials needed:

  • Borax
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Water
  • A bag
  • Container
  • Food coloring

 

Our data: When Mr. John mixed the ingredients together, it became silly putty.

   

But why did the ingredients turn into silly putty?……..SCIENCE!

 

Borax is the compound that is responsible for hooking the glue’s molecules together to form the putty-like material. There are several different methods for making this putty-like material. Some recipes call for liquid starch instead of Borax soap. Either way, when you make this homemade silly putty you are learning about some of the properties of polymers.

 

 

We had so much fun in science this month! Thank you, Mr. John!


A Peek Into Art | February

With Ms. Dayna

Students have been using their understandings of the elements of shape to start making shapes!
We have explored this through drawing, cutting, and painting.

You may notice in the hallways some paintings the students have made. They worked on these for two weeks! They were asked to choose between cool colors and warm colors the first week and then were able to choose the opposite the following. Some students were able to use the colors vibrantly and apply them side by side while others became absorbed in the process of spreading the paint all over their paper. Both experiences are wonderful for students to be allowed to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the out come as much as I did.


A peek into Music | February

Music by Sergie Prokofiev

According to a recent post on Gadgets Page, Prokofiev was commissioned by the Director of the Central Children’s Theatre in Moscow,  Natayla Sats, to write a musical symphony for Children so that they could learn the sounds of different instruments from an Orchestra. The Story teaches the listeners, vigilance, resourcefulness and bravery.

Synopsis: A young boy named Peter disobeys his grandfather and climbs over their garden wall. Peter encounters a wolf, and is then helped by his friends, a bird, a duck and a cat. They are able to capture the wolf and take him to a zoo.

Both Peter and your children learn a lesson in listening, team work and friendship through the beautiful Orchestra musical instruments and pictures in the story telling of Peter and the Wolf.

Peter and the Wolf and explains how each character in the story is represented by an instrument in the symphony orchestra.

Ms. Lisa reviewed which instruments represented the entrance of each character into the story. She introduced the kettle drum, French horn, Clarinet, Oboe. She even brushed up on the basics of How to Play Congas. Each character has their own song which is played by one particular instrument. When Ms. Lisa plays each character’s music, the children can pretend to play that instrument, or move around like that character for some music and movement.

Each class began with a puppet singing hello to each student. Pork Chop was one of the greeting puppets this month.
Ali the Alligator also took a turn leading the “Hello song”.

 

Pork chop singing to the Talmadge campus children.

This week Ms. Lisa also began teaching the students to the black keys of the keyboard. Each child had a chance to play their own melody with the black keys.

 

 

 


A Peek into Science | 2/18 and 2/25 | Tallmadge Campus

Crumpled Bottle: We mixed water with calcium oxide (CaO) making calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2. The Ca(OH)2 produced a lot of heat making the bottle crumple.

Electricity: An elementary student placed a battery on one side of a strip of aluminum foil. Then she held the metal base of a light bulb to the other end of the battery. She then touched the metal base of the light bulb with the other side of the aluminum foil making the light bulb light up.

 


A Peek Into Art Class-January

With Ms. Dayna

In art classes students have been learning about the elements of shape, the basics needed to make any shape:
Dots, circles, straight lines, curve lines and angled lines.

We’ve done a variety of exercises to help students identify and create these elements.
We’ve played with noodles and the lines they can make; we’ve used markers and scissors and glue to explore their forms and practice skills; and now students are combining these elements in there own way with paints.


Next month we will be working at putting these elements together to make geometric shapes and organic shapes and create textures. We will even attempt to look at objects around us and try to recreate them on paper!


A Peak Into Science

Welcome to the first month of science in 2019! Mr. John worked with us on some very exciting new science experiments.

At the beginning of each science experiment, Mr. John has us come up with our own hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. Mr. John always tells us that it never matters if our hypothesis is right or wrong, because scientists sometimes are wrong too. We can be just like scientists and learn what works and what doesn’t work.

Don’t forget to check your student’s science paper in their folder every Thursday to see what their hypothesis was for that week’s experiment!

 

Air Pressure

“Stuck Like Glue”

Question of the week: What will happen if we light a piece of paper on fire inside a glass, turn it upside down, and place it on a plate?

Materials needed to complete this activity at home:

  • Paper towels
  • A plate
  • A piece of paper (the size of a sticky note)
  • A lighter
  • A glass cup

Our data: When Mr. John lifted the glass, the plate was stuck to it and also lifted.

But why did the plate get stuck to the glass? SCIENCE!

When the piece of paper inside of the overturned jar is lit, the air inside the jar heated, causing it to expand. When the flaming paper is extinguished, the air inside the jar cools and contracts, leaving a void of air within the jar. We created an imperfect vacuum!

 

Absorption

“To take something in”

Question of the week: What will happen if we pour water in a container containing paper towels and another container containing Sodium Polyacrylate (the stuff in diapers)? Which will hold more water, paper towels or Sodium Polyacrylate?

Materials needed:

  • 2 containers
  • paper towels
  • Sodium Polyacrylate (a diaper)
  • A pitcher full of water

Our data: When Mr. John poured water into the container with the paper towels, the paper towels absorbed some water, and some of the water spilled out of the container. When Mr. John poured water into the container with the Sodium Polyacrylate, it absorbed all of the water, and none of the water spilled out of the container.

 

But why did the Sodium Polyacrylate hold more water than the paper towels? SCIENCE

The Sodium Polyacrylate holds more water than the paper towels, therefore it is more absorbent.

 

Surface Tension

“A property of a liquid keeping an object from going into the luquid”

Question of the week: What will happen if we put a crumpled piece of paper in a glass of plain water and a crumpled piece of paper in a glass with dish soap?

Materials needed:

  • Water
  • Soap
  • 2 containers
  • paper

Our data: When Mr. John dropped a crumpled piece of paper into the glass with plain water, it floated. When Mr. John dropped the crumpled piece of paper in the glass with dish soap and water, it sank.

But why did the piece of paper float in the glass with plain water and sink in the glass with dish soap and water? SCIENCE

Water molecules are strongly attracted to each other and this gives water a high surface tension. The surface of water is strong enough to hold up light-weight objects such as paper. Dish soap mixes with water molecules, lowers the surface tension, the hydrogen bonds are weakened or destroyed and the paper sinks. The paper in the glass floats because the hydrogen bonds are intact.

 

Buoyancy

“A force in a liquid pushing against an object in the liquid”

Question of the week: What will happen if we put a peeled orange and an unpeeled orange in water?

Materials needed:

  • An orange
  • A peeled orange
  • A container
  • Water

 

Our data: When Mr. John dropped the oranges in the water, the orange with the peel on floated and the orange without the peel sank.

 

But why did the unpeeled orange float and the peeled orange sink? SCIENCE

The unpeeled orange may be heavier, BUT there is air trapped by the peel making the orange float. The peeled orange has no air so it sinks.

We had so much fun in science this month! Thank you, Mr. John!


A Peek into Music Class | January

Take a peek into what our music class has been learning…

We had new friends join music this session!
Let’s hear those beautiful voices!

 

Fun with rhythm sticks.

This session, Ms. Lisa introduced a really fun method to teach the class the sounds that different instruments make using story pages. Each character that the children meet in the story have their own sound or music. The class loved this musical method of storytelling!

The class listened to the sounds for each instrument in the story.

 

 

Here comes the big bad wolf!

 

Singing along with Ms. Lisa and adding movements to the song.

I can’t wait to see what fun instruments we will get to use and what music and movements we will learn next session!


A Peek into Science | 1/7 and 1/14 | Tallmadge Campus

Tin Dendrite Experiment

First we prepared a tin chloride SnCl2 solution.

The solution did not coat the surface of the petri dish. To make the solution distribute evenly we needed to decrease the surface tension. We did this by adding 3 drops of liquid soap.

We then placed the electrodes into the solution and connected the electrodes to their source of electric current (batteries).

The students were then able to observe the tin ions Sn2+ near the negatively charged electrode (the black one) transform into metal tin Sn0. The tin gradually formed a long dendrite-shaped crystals throughout the solution.

To sum it up we grew a dendrite from a colorless salt solution.

 

 

Tin hedgehog

First we prepare a tin chloride SnCl2 solution.

Then we submerged a piece of  zinc  in the tin salt solution.

As soon as we submerged the zinc we observed the zinc start to dissolve into the solution, while the tin precipitated on the surface of the zinc pellet forming what looked like needles.

To sum it up we took a zinc pellet and transformed into a prickly hedgehog.