Save the Snakes
3/30/2019
This week, we had a quick, but fun, study about the sun and its energy. It's always exciting to learn about the sun at this time of year as we celebrate longer days. After learning a bit about the sun, students brought in items that they use to protect themselves from the sun. We studied all of the items to see how they protect us, which led to the conclusion that each item helps block the sun in some way. Next, students were tasked to invent something that would protect a UV sensitive snake from the sun's rays. They applied what they learned by studying the objects they brought in to create something that would block the sun from their snake. If they successfully blocked the sun, the beads of their snake would remain white. If not, the beads would change colors. A few of the main things students learned during this experiment were perseverance and critical thinking. There was a lot of trial and error as students attempted to bring their invention plans to life. At PNA, we encourage students to seek answers, not to have them. Rather than providing answers, teachers encourage students to explore, investigate, hypothesize and test, and this is no different in kindergarten. This teaches both perseverance and critical thinking (and keeps our students curious, asking questions rather than trying to have all the answers). In my mind, these are some of the most invaluable things we give our students. As we tested the different inventions, students realized that those creating shade did not block enough UV rays to protect the snakes. Students then had to think of a different way to use their invention to save their snake. It was smiles all around as we enjoyed the sunshine and seeing the snakes change color in the sunlight.
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
April 2021
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