After learning about the unique characteristics of California's four regions, students crafted salt dough maps, labeling them with the names of the Native American tribes they researched. They then created brochures on Canva to highlight their findings. 

Students used the Depth and Complexity icons to analyze the book, The Scarecrow. They demonstrated how Scarecrow’s character changed over time by creating flow maps. Then, they had a chance to paint Scarcrow using watercolors. 

The students explored the Scientific Method using pumpkins. Curious to see if pumpkins would float in water, they made a prediction, or hypothesis, guessing, “If we place a pumpkin in water, it will float.” After conducting the experiment and observing closely, they confirmed that their hypothesis was correct. Pumpkins float because they contain a lot of empty space. In addition to learning about circumference, the students discovered that a larger pumpkin doesn’t necessarily have the most seeds. 

We used Makey Makey to demonstrate a plant's different structures and their functions. 

Our class had the chance to witness the entire life cycle of a monarch butterfly firsthand! We observed from the moment the butterfly laid an egg, watched as it grew through five different instars, and finally saw it form a chrysalis and emerge as a beautiful monarch butterfly.