Snow, Sleet, Hail

Snow days this week! This week we look at the properties of snow, sleet and hail. We explain the different climate conditions of each and how all three forms of this frozen water fall from the sky. The children had fun reenacting a snowstorm (cotton balls), sleet (pony beads) and a hail storm (ping pong balls)!

We learn the life story of Wilson Bentley who is famous for 5,000+ pictures of snowflakes. As a young boy he started examining and photographing individual snowflakes and turned that into a life-long scientific study. Most snowflakes are 6-sided (hexagonal). Snowflakes begin with a tiny particle of dust, ash or pollen in the air which is then surrounded by frozen moisture into complex shapes. The children made their own snowflakes and learned Bentley's quote, "No two snowflakes are alike." For a frosty treat, we made snow cones.

Books we Read: Snowflake Bentley (Jacqueline Martin); The Secret Life of a Snowflake (Kenneth Libbrecht)

Next Week: Dinosaur Fossils