11/30/2007

Step into the Primary School Science Lab on any given day and you are likely to find Viewpoint’s youngest scientists engaged in discovering, exploring, experimenting, predicting, and working cooperatively with their lab partners. Under the guidance of Primary School Science Teacher, Lisa Kessler, and Assistant Science Teacher, Eric Wibbels, the students are introduced to various disciplines of science through hands-on activities, group discussions, field trips, guest lectures, and multimedia presentations

This fall, the Kindergarten classes have focused their studies on their senses and anatomy; First Graders have explored how objects sink and float, dinosaurs and fossils, and nutrition; and the Second Grade classes have learned about geology and meteorology. If by chance, you walk into an empty classroom, you may find the students out exploring the campus, working in the ECOLET, Viewpoint’s outdoor classroom, or out on a field trip.

In October the First Grade Paleontologists visited the Los Angeles Natural History Museum and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Outreach Program educated all of Primary School about the ocean environment and some of its inhabitants. The Kindergarteners visited the Leonis Adobe Museum in November where they learned about life on an 1880’s ranch.

In the coming month the Kindergarteners will be completing the anatomy unit by making anatomy t-shirts that highlight some of the major body systems and, just in time for cold and flu season, they will start discussing hygiene and germs. The First Grade classes will continue their study of nutrition and digestion in anticipation of all those holiday goodies and Second Grade classes will explore weather as the seasons change from fall to winter.