Pillar Falls

Pillar Falls Elementary

Wow last week was a week full of aquifer, erosion, canal safety, and irrigation.  Stormy Hopple with the Twin Falls Canal Company was here teaching our 2nd through 5th graders all week! 

 A few 3rd graders were able to help Stormy with his presentation about how our aquifer works. It was amazing how it cleans the water and makes it safe to use. When Stormy told us that the water coming out of the rocks by Hagerman was from the civil war time...blow our minds! He put red food coloring into the water system and by the time he was done it was all gone!

Just look at all the fun 5th grade had as they explored erosion!

First they had to describe their sand when it was all flat and smooth. Then they had to decide what land forms to make in the sand--that was tough for some.  Next came setting up the cup with water in it. Then the fun really started. They watched as the water eroded their soil away. 

3rd graders have been learning about food chains/food webs. They have learned the vocabulary we will be using---carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, prey, predator, consumer, producer,  and decomposer. Here they are creating food chain using cards that tell them what the animal eats and what eats that animal. They have to read very carefully. They are beginning to find out that top predators eat a lot!

First grade has been studying matter---solids and liquids so far. They have investigated characteristics that we can see and feel to tell them apart. Then they investigated what makes them solids---properties of solids. They have had a lot of fun. They even made a foldable with those properties to take home to share with their families.

Does clay pour?

Recording what they discovered

2nd grade is learning about matter. this week we are investigating solids. Asking questions like: Can I get my finger through it without making a hole?  Can I pour it?  Does it have weight? Does it take up space?  Can I see it?   Ask them what we found out.

3rd grade is learning about resources, renewable and nonrenewable and conservation of resources.
This week we made a web  connecting all of the information we have about resources. Then we participated in an activity to help us understand renewable and nonrenewable and a little better about why we need to think about conservation.

Kindergarten has been learning about living and nonliving. There are 5 things we can check to see if something has or does----breathing, growing, eating/drinking, moving, and reproducing. We have actions to help us remember, ask them to show you. This week we investigated gummy worms and earth worms----eeeeewwweeee! The fun part was having to stretch the earth worm out to measure it!

Scientific Method  Scientific Method  Scientific Method

We were learning what we need to record when we are preparing for an experiment. We need to have a list of things we need--supplies---and a step by step set of directions to follow.

Classes all came up with materials list and a procedure to do their experiment.

All classes, but Mrs. Osborn's, are learning about scientific method. We are all learning the same vocabulary and learning what each step is and its purpose.  

4th and 5th are beginning to create their interactive notebooks. Hopefully these are useful for them and class.  2nd and 3rd grades are creating a giant foldable to collect information about the scientific method, which they will bring home at the end of the unit.

2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th all wrote descriptions about the step and drew pictures to help us remember.

1st grade read what each step is and drew pictures to help us remember.

One class of 3rd graders each quarter will get to build and program Lego EV3 robots.  This will give them and opportunity to work on team work, following directions, programming (coding), and engineering skills. 

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