Second Graders Begin Study on Oceans!

Second graders participated in their first "chalk talk" after studying our solar system's planets. A "chalk talk" is a method of communicating where students have a silent conversation with classmates through writing. It's a wonderful way to visualize thinking!

 

 

The Great Ice Melt!



When beginning the discussion about the water cycle, students experimented with melting an ice cube. Students chose from materials such as felt, a popsicle stick, and aluminum foil to help them in their efforts!

 



 

What did we learn? Foil is an excellent conductor while felt is an insulator.

 

What surprised us? Insulators can keep "trap" cold, too! Several of the children chose felt because they thought the cloth would warm the ice like our clothes do for us, but they found out their ice cubes stayed intact much longer than the foil-covered cubes (23 minutes longer, actually!).

 

We looked at how heat moves and how conduction and insulation work for and against that process.

 

Which method worked the best to melt the ice cubes? Friction!

Or more specifically, stomping on the ice cube to crush it into little pieces (increasing the surface area!) and squashing it against the concrete. The kids loved it.

 

Here, a student feels the difference in temperature with an ice cube wrapped in foil and an ice cube wrapped in felt.

 



 

After experimenting with ice and learning about heat, students met with partners to brainstorm ways to keep Frosty the Snowman from melting. Some of the kids' solutions? Creating a giant, insulated hamster ball, making a freezer-house, and taking Frosty to Mt. Everest for the summer.