Dear Lincoln Families:
It's hard to believe a whole quarter has flown by already. We'd like to fill you in on what's been up in REACH this year so far. For those of you who are new to Lincoln, our REACH program is a hands-on science program designed to supplement and enrich the classroom science curriculum. The REACH program emphasizes the processes and thinking skills involved in science. These are taught in the context of a variety of topics that vary by grade level.
For the first quarter of the year, all classes have been focused on the skill of OBSERVATION. We started by practicing making detailed and careful observations of the famous Indian Walking Stick Insects that live in the REACH room (and now in many of your homes!). After that, we started spending some time outdoors, getting to know each class tree. Students learned to use a field guide to identify their tree, and wrote detailed observations of their tree. These writings were then compiled to make a list of "clues" for each tree, and each class then took on the challenge of using the clues to figure out which tree was which. We called this "Tree Hunt 2001", and it was great fun.
From this, we moved into learning how to use microscopes. After a session on how to effectively use and care for a microscope, each grade level worked on a different type of microscopic drawing. The third graders drew "What is It?" drawings, where the object is to find and draw something as it appears through the lens of the microscope on the cover of a piece of paper, and to draw the whole object under the cover, so that people can try to guess what the object is before looking inside for the answer. Things can definitely look strange and unfamiliar through the lens!
The fourth graders made drawings of the same object as it looks in three different views: with the unaided eye, under 10X magnification, and at 30X. It's interesting to notice how one can see less and less of an object as it is magnified, but in greater and greater detail.
The fifth graders got to search through a tub of pond water from the lagoon at Lake Wingra, to find, observe through the microscope, and draw small living things of all sorts. This was after a short introduction to the work of Anton Leeuwenhoek, an early developer of the microscope- the first human to see the very small creatures that live in water. It's hard to get these sometimes very fast critters in focus, but once we did, we found fabulous things: Hydra, Moss Animals, Daphnia, Blood Worms, Stentor, and many more!
Many of the drawings are currently on display in classrooms around the school. Ask your child about their work - hopefully they'll bring their drawings home at some point.
We've gotten started on new units and will fill you in on these at the end of second quarter. Remember to save any good recyclables such as oatmeal containers, plastic jars with lids - anything you think a science teacher could use. Also, please let us know whenever you have questions, concerns, resources, or ideas. Thanks for sharing your wonderful children with us!
Sincerely, Clare Seguin & Jane Kaldor, Teachers,Lincoln REACH Program
Last update: January 1, 2002
Editor/Publisher:Eileen Potts Dawson epottsdawson@madison.k12.wi.us
Webmaster: webmaster@madison.k12.wi.us
