Category Archives: science
The Plant Life Cycle
Lower Elementary students have been studying plants this month. All grades have been talking about the anatomical structure of a flower, and had an opportunity to dissect one and identify its parts. First and second graders have been growing plants, … Continue reading
Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, Montessori method, science, sensorial, Uncategorized
Electromagnets
In Physical Science, students created electromagnets by wrapping copper wire around an iron nail or bolt. Different numbers of coils, as well as different voltages, affected the strength of our magnets, as you can see from the photos! We also … Continue reading
Posted in field trip, High School, McGuffey, Montessori method, science, sensorial, Uncategorized
Celebration of Learning
The Upper Unit students were proud to welcome their families to this year’s Celebration of Learning. They cleaned the whole classroom, arranged flowers, decorated the board, and created work plans so that their families could sample their Upper Unit work. … Continue reading
Aeroponic Garden
High school students have been learning from and experimenting with an indoor, aeroponic garden this semester. We have been monitoring how long it takes for different kinds of seeds to germinate and then produce enough yield for a harvest. We … Continue reading
Posted in community, cooking, gratitude, High School, McGuffey, Montessori method, practical life, science, sensorial, Uncategorized
Boris the Mantis
Our students discovered a visitor living on a plant that recently came into our classroom. Watching and learning about this beautiful mantis became a daily practice. The students even put democracy into action to choose a name.
The Nature of Energy and Chemical Reactions
Students in Physical Science have been exploring the nature of energy and different types of chemical reactions. In Chemistry, we learned how physical and chemical properties can be used to identify substances. We distinguished among different metal salts by the … Continue reading
Posted in chemistry, High School, Montessori method, science, Uncategorized
Monarch Butterflies
Several classrooms have been raising monarch butterflies from eggs found in our community. Following the life cycle is a fantastic way to kick off the new school year! Once a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, we tag it as part … Continue reading
Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, science, social studies
Third Graders Visit Glen Helen
Lower Elementary students who will be bridging to the Upper Unit visited Glen Helen for the day recently and had a great time. The weather was beautifully warm and sunny; we saw the Glen at its spring best. We were … Continue reading
Posted in field trip, Lower Elementary, McGuffey, outside, science
Vertebrates and Invertebrates
The Primary began a year of animal studies by talking about vertebrates and invertebrates. We began our discussion by reviewing the science topic from last week: Alive and Not Alive. We then learned that vertebrates have backbones that support their … Continue reading
Science and Social Studies in a mixed grade classroom
Since McGuffey has mixed-age classes, we often get asked how we teach subjects to a wide range of ages and abilities. In subjects such as language and math, children have an individualized curriculum. However, in science and social studies, we … Continue reading
Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, science, social studies
