Science Fair

The third Parcial at Santa Clara is dedicated to the Science Fair. For all eight weeks or so we worked out booties off in first grade learning about matter and the scientific method for the Fair.

First grade did several experiments on changing states of matter and freezing/melting, before our grand finale Science Fair experiment. We looked at how liquids change to solids by making ice cream together. Pretty rico if you ask me.

After studying all of this for weeks, my kids were so excited to finally see how our experiment would work. We’d spent so long setting up the question, guess, and materials, it was time to experiment.

Unfortunately since I left for a week, we were quite a bit behind my intended schedule so I didn’t exactly have time for us to experiment altogether with ice cream making. So I intended to do a demonstration and then follow-up when we had time with a day to make and eat ice cream together.

So last Thursday, I brought in the materials and did a superb demonstration of our experiment. We walked through the steps and made ice cream. I’ve never seen such excited, enthralled, and joyful faces. They watched ice cream, every kids dream, being made before their eyes, and as I held it up to show them. PUCHICA. I dropped it. Their adorable, excited faces in a split second turned to looks of pure shock and horror, as did mine. All the ice cream, gone on the floor. Bwahaahahaha. Honestly, it was like out of a movie. It was there and then just gone…all of it.

Friday was the actual Science Fair though, and I discovered that we would be presenting early on in the day so I would have time to spend of the rest of the day making ice cream. They deserved it, after I dropped it.

For my kiddos first and only English presentation this year, they did a fabulous job. Most importantly, I think they got it too J The judges came by and I had kids present all the parts of the scientific method. They did a fabulous job putting together the board (well Miss Laura and I did the gluing, but they wrote and drew it all). And they were absolutely fabulous at their English speaking. I was so moved and impressed with them. They were talking and reading and pointing to pictures on the board. The judges answered questions and they raised their hands to answer them. It was so great. I just loved seeing them speaking English, participating, and being so excited about something.

So proud.

Section A

Section A.

The judges

The best part was afterwards, however, THE ICE CREAM MAKING. I got smart this time (after a very hectic, messy ice cream run w/my padres and 2^nd grade last year) and I premade all the bags with ice/salt and milk/sugar/vanilla. I also did double recipes in a bag and partnered them up so that when they got tired/cold shaking, they could switch. MUCHO MEJOR. I got a little nervous because of course the day was sweltering hot, so it took awhile and the ice was melting real fast, but it worked! And the kids loved it. Almost all of them really loved the ice cream and ate it all. I had an absolute blast doing it with them. They were so well behaved too. I mean they were crazy, obvi they were eating ice cream, but they were so good too. They cleaned up and even wanted to help mop and sweep. Some even said thank you. My 2^nd class began to chat my name at the end of the day. Jaja. It was so fun. After all the late nights (there were many this past week) and the hard work at school, it was awesome to have a day like this with the kiddos to celebrate our hard work.

Eating and loving life.

First grade's favorite step of the experiment: 3. Shake.