October 28 - November 1

I can represent, discuss, and compare the life cycles of various plants and animals.
I understand that natural materials come from plants, animals, the land, or the sky and processed materials are made by humans.
I can identify properties of natural and processed materials.

I can take measurements of natural and processed materials. 
I can make observations, collect data, and compare data with others.
(Grade 2 Science)

Our grade two scientists had pumpkin on the brain this week! What a great opportunity to talk about the properties of natural and processed materials. We began our learning by researching where pumpkins grow best in Canada, how they grow, and their life cycle.

Here are some of the facts we learned:

• "Pumpkins grow in BC, Ontario, and Quebec"
• "There are 5 stages in a pumpkin life-cycle."
• "Pumpkins are part of the squash family."
• "Pumpkins are green first then they turn orange."
• "All the parts of a pumpkin are edible, except for the stem."
• "Pumpkin, corn, and beans are called the three sisters because they help each other grow when they are planted together."
• "The lines on the pumpkins are called ribs."

We learned about the word, "properties," and understand it means how we might describe something, like it's characteristics, or its attributes. We spent a lot of time looking closely at several different types of fruits and vegetables to compare their properties to pumpkins. We learned about colour, texture, size, shape, mass, and hardness. We also learned about the different parts of fruits and vegetables: the rind, pulp, core, seeds, and stem, and compared similarities and differences. 

Our scientists learned how to use a measuring tape, make comparisons, and think about adjectives to describe the properties of their fruits and vegetables. After making observations and recording our data, we took some time to carve those pumpkins! Thank you to everyone who donated a pumpkin to our class and for the parents who volunteered to help out!