April 11, 2011 Science News - Plants & Flowers

Deer Park Shore Parents,

This past week in Science, we started to focus on some spring time topics. We talked about flowers and plants as well as some of their parts and the functions of these parts. The children all agreed that water usually comes down: when it rains, when we turn on the faucet or the shower or when we spill something. This is due to gravity. How is it then that the roots and stems of flowers and plants suck water upward from the soil into their leaves and petals? The answer is by capillary action, the action by which water is attracted to the surface of a narrow space causing it to move upward against gravity. We demonstrated capillary action in the classroom by placing freshly cut white carnations in water colored with food coloring. In about a half hour, we saw the color change begin as the water worked its way up the straw- like tubes of the stems. What beautiful red, yellow, green and blue flowers we created! We then experimented by putting those flowers into different colored water. Ask the children what happened then. We also took a piece of celery and placed it in red colored water and were able to observe red dots on the top that showed us where the tubes run up the stalk. The children were then able to experience hands on capillary action by holding a thin piece of paper towel in colored water and watching as the water climbed upward through the air pockets and fibers in the towel. Towards the end of the week we planted some sunflower seeds and are currently watching and waiting for shoots to grow.

This week we began something very exciting...and a first for Park Shore! We set up an incubator and on Wednesday the 13th, we will add eggs and begin the process of hatching chicks!! The children and I are very excited! We examined the incubator, which needs to heat up for a few days, and read the book Where Do Chicks Come From? Each child will chart the progress of the eggs for 21 days until hatching day! We will keep you posted. Spring is a time for new beginnings at Park Shore...with lots of fun and learning mixed in!

Sincerely,