Science   My goal for the science program for MNS is to present science to the children in the context of learning about the world around them.  I believe in a hands-on approach as much as possible.  Science can be easily integrated into a child's daily life, and although they will not always grasp the terminology or concepts the first time it is presented, my hope is that they will develop an interest and curiosity that will encourage them to explore these ideas further as they grow older.  I try to present my program according to the National Science Content Standards for K-4 including physical science, life science, earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, the history and nature of science, and most importantly, science as inquiry.  Above all, I hope that each child leaves the year with enthusiasm, excitement, and enjoyment for the world of science.  Some of the areas covered during the year will include trees, fall, the sun and light, germs, magnets, air, light and sound, crystals, volcanoes, temperature, the earth, the ocean, pollution and the water cycle.  There are additional rotating programs on colors, molds, absorption, worms, teeth, and mixtures.  I end each year with a six-week unit on animal families, habitats, and the life cycle. Barb Casper - Science Teacher

Although most of the Halloween candy is probably gone, here is a fun little project to do with your children using marshmallows.  Hope your children are enjoying science.  There will be lots more science carts, experiments and observations coming after the holidays!           In the microwave, an ordinary marshmallow will puff up until it’s enormous! CAUTION Kids, please don’t try this without the help of an adult. What Do I Need? . • marshmallows Did You Know? Ancient Egyptians made a puffy white treat out of honey and the dried, carrot-shaped root of the marsh mallow plant, which grows in fields and swamps. Today we still call these candies marshmallows, but now they’re made with sugar and gelatin. Marsh mallow root is still used to make some kinds of glue.  • paper plates or paper towels •  microwave oven •  toothpicks (if you want) • food coloring (if you want)     What Do I Do?   1. Put two marshmallows on a paper plate or paper towel. Tip DON’T microwave a marshmallow for more than 2 minutes. It will just turn dark brown and make a stinky, sticky mess. Share & Discuss How big did your marshmallows get? Measure them and send us a photo of your marshmallow!   2. Put the plate in the microwave. Set the timer for 1 minute (60 seconds) on high.   3. Stand back and watch through the window of the microwave. After about 20 seconds, you’ll see the marshmallows start to puff up. They’ll grow to about four times their original size!   4. When the microwave turns off, take the plate out and put it on the counter.   5. Wait a few seconds, then pull one marshmallow off. Is the marshmallow hollow inside? Is the inside the same color as the outside? When you eat it, is it soft or crunchy?   6. Leave the other marshmallow on the plate and watch it for a minute. When it shrinks back down, you can pull it with your fingers and make it into whatever shape you want. It will stay in that shape and get hard and crunchy. You can eat it, too.     What’s Going On? . Marshmallows are mostly sugar and water wrapped around a bunch of air bubbles. When you cook marshmallows in your microwave oven, several things happen at once. The microwave makes the water molecules vibrate very quickly—which makes the water heat up. The hot water warms the sugar, which softens a little. The hot water also warms the air bubbles. When you warm air in a closed container, the gas molecules move around faster and push harder against the walls of the container. As the air in the bubbles warms up, the air molecules bounce around faster and faster and push harder against the bubble walls. Since the sugar walls are warm and soft, the bubbles expand, and the marshmallow puffs up. If it puffs up too much, some air bubbles burst, and the marshmallow deflates like a popped balloon. When you take the marshmallow out of the microwave and it cools off, the bubbles shrink and the sugar hardens again. When the microwave marshmallow cools, it’s dry and crunchy. We think that’s because some of the water in the marshmallow evaporates when the marshmallow is hot. If you cook your marshmallow for too long, it turns brown or black inside. That happens when the sugar gets so hot that it starts to burn. (See caramelizing sugar.)