Dear Branch Families,
Did you know? Pinecones can predict the weather. Ask your Brancher.
What a fun and fast-paced month it has been! April has been full of science experiments, art, reading, and writing- all circling one thing…the WEATHER! That’s right, our Branchers became little meteorologists this month. These Branchers continue to amaze us with their brightness, attentiveness, and capability!
We started the month by learning about CLOUDS. We discussed and discovered what clouds were made of and how they work, but most importantly, according to the Branchers, , they were fascinated with the names of the four most common clouds. You may have heard your Brancher discussing these different types of clouds, as we have. These clouds would be the Cirrus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, and Stratus clouds. We learned that when you look up at the sky and see white fluffy happy cotton ball clouds, you are looking at a Cumulus cloud. On the other side of the spectrum, if we see a dark and stormy cloud, we are looking at a Cumulonimbus cloud…run for cover because there will soon be a thunderstorm! The highest clouds we see are Cirrus, which are light, feathery, wispy, and often cold clouds. The lowest clouds are our Stratus clouds, also known as fog. These clouds blanket the ground with their density. Listening to each Brancher pronounce and stretch out each cloud type as they expand their vocabulary has been so fun.
We can’t learn about clouds without knowing about the WATER CYCLE. So, off to work, we explore this critical series of events. We investigated: Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation with the help of a few informative books, videos, and, of course, songs! To get our imaginations going and incorporate some visual aspects, we, as a whole group, created our own ‘Water Cycle’ in a bag. Using a Ziplock bag and some permanent markers, the Branchers assisted a teacher as she made an ocean landscape. We had water, sunshine, clouds, and even trees. Once the bag was decorated accordingly, we discussed the water cycle steps and incorporated them into our landscape. The Branchers discovered that water evaporates when the sun heats water, creating water vapor. Water vapor rises high into the sky and condenses to form clouds. Once the clouds become too full of vapor, they release the water, and it begins to rain, and the cycle begins again. Once the bag and our discussion were over, we filled it with water and hung it in the window to witness the science for ourselves! By the end of the first day, the Branchers noticed condensation building up through the inside of the bag and watched in awe as the water trickled down the inside.
Another tremendous visual activity we did was the ‘Rain Cloud’ in a jar. This activity was great at showing the kids how it rains, and was pretty simple too! We only needed a jar, H20, shaving cream, and a bit of blue food coloring. Start by filling the jar with warm water and topping it with a shaving cream cloud. Then add a few drops of food coloring and imagine it as water vapor. Once the vapor in the cloud became too heavy, it traveled through it and began to ‘rain’ through the water. This would be a great activity to do at home as well; have your Brancher assist and or lead the demonstration!
That wasn’t the only thing we did in a jar this month. We also created a…’ Tornado’ in a jar! Using H20 and glitter, we could replicate an actual tornado (“Tormato” according to the Branchers). We used our imaginations to pretend that the glitter was dirt and dust that flies and swirls through the air during a tornado. Place a stir stick into the water and make quick circular motions, causing the glitter to form the ‘eye of the storm’. Simple science = amazing results!
The month wouldn’t have been complete without making beautiful and impressive art. Using cotton balls, the Branchers were able to create replicas of a few of the clouds we discussed throughout the month. Not only was this activity fun, but it also helped them further their understanding of clouds and solidified their knowledge.
One of our other favorite art projects was our ‘Textured Lightning Storm’. Each Brancher painted out a dark, stormy night sky using black and silver liquid watercolors. They then pinched and sprinkled salt all over the wet surface to create a textured appearance to the paper. To add a little flair, the Branchers added cotton balls and sprayed them with black-colored water to make a Cumulonimbus cloud. No lightning storm would be complete without a lightning bolt, so that’s what we added. The final product was electrifyingly awesome!
As you can see, we’ve had a busy month, and it will only get busier in May! You know what they say…”April s
Showers bring May flowers!” Get your green thumb on…The Brancher’s are gardening!
-Ms. Heather & Ms. Gracen
