Growing a Pea Plant

During the first quarter, the 5th graders covered a science unit on plant life. As part of their studies, they planted a snap pea seed and have spent the past couple of months tending to it and watching it grow. The circled area in the picture below shows the first pea pod sprouting one of the plants:

If this sample is representative of the group, we have some future gardeners on our hands!

Volcanoes

The 7th and 8th grade science classes have been working on a unit in earth sciences. They studied volcanos, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. To apply their studies in a hands-on way, the students built model volcanoes. Once the models were complete, they made them erupt using the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar.

Earth science meets chemistry for an experiment that rocks!

Kindergarten Studies Fall

In kindergarten, Mrs. Kresyman and her students are learning about fall in nature. They are looking around them for signs of fall, like the changing leaves. Last week, they made their own fall-colored leaves and decorated them with glitter so they can glisten like the fall leaves in sunlight!

Third grade botanists

Ms. Schweiss's third grade students are exploring topics in science this quarter. They've begun learning about living organisms and have worked to define their characteristics. To put their lesson into practice, they planted their own seeds. The students make regular observations of their plants, noting how they respond to their environment.

Exploring the Earth's Matter

Ms. Schweiss' 4th graders have been learning about what is inside of the earth in Science. They learned what makes up the inside of the earth. They ended their studies by making a cross-section of the earth using play dough.

7th/8th Grade Trip to SLU

The 7th and 8th Grade students have been studying the brain for the past few weeks.  They learned about the anatomy and functions of the different areas of the brain.  They also made brain hats to help understand the area and functions.

We saw a video of a sheep brain dissection.  The students then went to SLU to dissect a sheep brain to learn more.

After the trip to SLU they will then compare the similarities and differences between a sheep brain and human brain.  They will also looking at diseases of the brain and abnormalities as well as how to keep our brains as healthy as possible.  The students are also finding science current events regarding the brain as well.

5th grade boats

Mrs. Siekerman's 5th graders are tackling a STEM project. They are working on designing and building a boat with a rubber bad propeller.

After careful construction, they put their boat in water to test its buoyancy. They found some success but also saw ways in which they could improve upon their design. They want to make changes and launch a second trial!

Preschool Garden

The OLS preschoolers are hard at work learning about spring. While studying this season of new life, they read stories about seeds and learned how plants grow. Now they are putting their lesson to work by trying to grow their own seeds. These aspiring gardeners are hoping to see the fruits of their labors before the end of the school year!

1st and 4th graders STEM activity

The first and fourth graders recently paired up for a STEM activity. 

Their challenge was to create an alternative use for the Edward Jones Dome since the Rams left.  There were many creative ideas such as a bakery, homeless shelter, and animal hospital. 

Raku Firing

 

Our 6th, 7th and 8th graders made geometric solids in math and science classes.  We found the surface area and volume. We then glazed them and fired them in a raku kiln.  What a fun day!

Spring has arrived!

The kindergarten class at OLS has been busy celebrating the arrival of spring.  The first order of business was to wake up Midnight, the class bear that went into hibernation for the winter.  Last fall, all the kindergartners brought in their own stuffed animals, talked about hibernation, and bid farewell to Midnight for the winter months. Earlier this month it was time to wake up Midnight! Follow this link to hear their song and watch them wake the hibernating bear.

In addition to hibernation, the kindergartners learned about spring gardens.  After reading a book about gardens, each student made a spring garden collage out of recycled materials.

Energy Transfer

Science is fun at  OLS!   The 7th grade students are studying energy transformations in the "Energy Lab."

OLS Robotics

The OLS robotics team spent 8 weeks working on a model of a recycling plant. They named their team the Dumpster Divers and worked hard to create a working model based on research they had gathered on the recycling process. At the end of their season, they presented their model to family and friends.

Special thanks to Mr. Tom Skillman for moderating and organizing and to Lydie Drake, a Rosati-Kain student who guided the team in their efforts.

Sam the Scientist

Sam the scientist from the Science Center taught the students about sound waves and how sound is made. They heard many instruments, including unusual ones like a singing stick. Sam also explained concepts like the Doppler effect and gave demonstrations to bring the ideas to life. The students loved Sam's visit to OLS!

3rd grade science

In science, Mrs. Gantner's 3rd graders are studying the moon.

They conducted an experiment to learn how moon craters were formed. The students dropped marbles into flour from varying heights to replicate the impacts that created imperfections in the moon's surface.

Will it Float?

Over the last few weeks, the 1st and 4th graders have worked together on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) project. They were given the task of building an object that could float, but first learned some key terms, including gravity, surface area, density, and buoyancy.  Equipped with these facts, they paired up and started designing their floating device.   Each team included a 4th grader and a 1st grader.  

Last Thursday, they put their plans into action! Using donations of recyclable items from home, the teams implemented their designs. Once they were satisfied with the product, they put it to the test. If the object could float, they added small critters to see how much weight it could bear. If it didn't float, they returned to their station, made adjustments, and tried it again.

Egg Drop

In science, the fifth graders have been exploring the scientific method. To deepen their understanding of the process, Ms. Siekerman challenged her students to participate in an egg drop. Each student had to develop a design that would protect their egg when dropped from the third floor to the second floor.

Cheering for their classmates and waiting to see the next egg fall.

After planning, sketching, and creating their designs, they put their plans into action. Plastic floor protectors in place, they sent their eggs sailing! The students enjoyed testing their theories and seeing which designs survived the fall.

Do you think this egg survived its journey?

Building Structures

For Mrs. Mongan's 1st graders, hands-on learning is a way of life. Recently, her class tried their hands at building structures. Given an array of parts, the students brainstormed, sketched ideas, and put their imaginations to work. They designed and built unique structures, learning the value of teamwork in the process.

Student Reporter News: Dissecting an Eye

Last week, our 7th and 8th graders had the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to science. Two of our 7th graders report on their experience:

"On Tuesday, the Our Lady of Sorrows 7th grade took a field trip to SLU to dissect a pig eye. They cut out many parts of the eye and pointed them out. After three hours of hard work, they learned so many new things about the eye, including how the pupil works and how we see. One of the 7th graders said that dissecting the eye was one of the best field trips they had ever taken. This just shows how fun dissection can be if you are just interested." -- Andrei C.

"On Tuesday, we went to SLU to dissect a pig eye. Last week, Mrs. Garbo's daughter, an eye doctor, came in and talked about the eye to prepare us for the field trip. This helped me know what the speaker at SLU was talking about. It was really cool to see everything that is in an eye. At first, I was grossed out, but then I wasn't after a while. It was really fun, and I would like to do it again." -- Grace C.

All About the Eye

The 7th and 8th grade science classes are learning about the eye. On Monday, Dr. Amy Garbo visited OLS and presented a hands-on lesson to our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. She taught the students about the anatomy of the eye, common diseases of the eye, and how to care for one's eyes.

Dr. Garbo began her lesson by assigning each student a partner. One member of each pair was blindfolded and the other was instructed to lead. The students then exchanged roles so each could experience what it would be like to perform basic tasks without the sense of sight.

Though Dr. Garbo's visit is over, the lesson on eyes continues! The junior high students will travel to Saint Louis University next week to dissect a pig eye.