News

Science And M&Ms: A Fascinating Combination

When one thinks of the scientific process, M&M candies don’t typically come to mind. But step inside Donna Cumbee's first grade classroom, and you'll quickly learn the connection.

Our first grade students have been busy studying the scientific inquiry process. They have discussed what it means to make an observation, ask questions to form a hypothesis, make a prediction, test the prediction, and then use their findings to adjust their original predictions. 

Last Friday they put their skills to the test when Mrs. Cumbee posed the question, “What will happen to an M&M when you put it in a cup of water?” and “What will happen to the M?” (Fun fact: the iconic M on top of the candies are actually printed on edible sheets of glue!)

Students paired up and dropped their M&M’s in small plastic containers filled with water. As they watched the candy sink to the bottom, Mrs. Cumbee told them to observe what the M&M would do. After several minutes they noticed the water starting to change color. “Now watch,” Mrs. Cumbee directed. “Watch the M, it’s going to float to the top.” Thirty-two pairs of eyes stayed glued to the vessels, waiting for the M to float. Several minutes later a student excitedly called out, “Our M is floating!” 

The children raced towards the table, eager to see the floating M before rushing back to their desks to see if theirs had floated to the top. With each passing minute another table would excitedly call out that theirs had floated to the top, filling the room with exclamations of “Wow”s!” and “Oh’s!” 

The excitement was contagious and certainly made science come to life for these young students!

Eagle Bucks Store Supports Reading & Math Skills!

The Shop is open! The Eagle Bucks store was open for business last week as each of the third grade classes took turns being able to shop for trinkets with the “money” they earned from reading!

“They earn one cent for every minute they read per quarter,” said third grade teacher Heather Olson. “This is the store where they can spend the money. It is also part of a math lesson on adding and subtracting decimals.

PCA parents donate small trinkets such as Rubix cubes, pens and pencils, and squishy stress relievers for the students to purchase, and then help to run the store.

Students come up a handful at a time with their clipboards and pencils in hand. Each student is given a “check” for how much money they have earned from their reading. They are also given a sheet of paper where they put their total amount at the top and as they choose the items they wish to purchase, deduct that amount from their total until they have no more money left or don’t wish to spend any more (as balances can be rolled over into the next quarter).

"The Eagle Bucks store motivates students to read during their free time,” Olson explained.  “They get excited about making purchases each quarter at the store…and also practice important math skills about money in the process."