Washington GT Magnet Elementary School

K-2 Electives

Science

AFRICAN SAFARI
Information about African animals and their habitats will be explored. Students will be made aware of man's responsibility to save the animals.

ANIMALS, ANIMALS
Students will study domesticated and wild animals through books, songs, films, and hands-on activities. The animal habitats of home, farm, zoo, and natural environments will be the focus in this course.

CREEPY CREATURES
The largest group of creatures in the animal kingdom crawl, creep, and fly. They are insects. Some insects live in colonies, have specific jobs, and communicate with one another. Some insect actions tell temperature, and not all insects are "bugs". In this course students learn interesting facts about insects.

GREEN THUMB, THE
This course will provide opportunities for students to experiment with growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Terraria will be constructed, and final projects will be exhibited.

IT’S FOR THE BIRDS
This inquiry based science course will introduce primary students to birds and their characteristics, habits, life cycles and role in the environment. Students will be involved in hands on activities designed to help them identify bird characteristics compared with those of other creatures, identify and classify different types of birds, and build an understanding of a bird’s life cycle and the roles birds play in their environment. Students will develop their own questions about birds and throughout the course of the elective discover the answers by participating in learning experiences such as experiments, journal keeping, reading, and first hand observation as well as creating a welcoming habitat for birds on their school grounds.

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY
In this course the students will learn, through many exciting experiments, about simple scientific phenomena, such as physical and chemical changes; states of matter--solids, liquids, and gases; and the cause and effect of heat. Students will also learn how ice cream and soap are made.

MAMMALS OF THE SEA
This course will familiarize students with seals, sea lions, manatees, dolphins, sea otters, and of course, whales. Students will study the fascinating habits and habitats of these interesting creatures.

NATURE AND ECOLOGY AG
Students will examine natural and man-made environments and will observe some environmental changes that have occurred due to technology and pollution. In this course, emphasis will be placed on the need for an ecological balance in nature.

NIGHT CREATURES
The evening is quiet as the daytime animals are snuggling down for a good night’s sleep. Soon the night is teaming with the sounds of nocturnal animals looking for their prey. In the Night Creatures elective, students will learn about the many nocturnal animals and the variety of habitats in which they live. Students will explore the many adaptations that aid in the survival of these special animals and create and build ways to observe and attract these creatures to the world around them.

PETS GALORE
This course will focus on pets at home and in the classroom. Students will become aware of the development of pets and the process of selecting a pet. Proper care and responsibility will be emphasized. Learning will be generated through pet sharing, classroom participation, and hands-on experiences.

SCALES & SKIN
T is for tadpole! S is for snake! Reptile or amphibian? Make no mistake! Come along on an animal adventure as we learn about reptiles and amphibians. We’ll explore habitats, body coverings, movement, appearances, and other interesting facts about these animal groups. We’ll study their life cycles and how they interact with other living things through research, literature-based projects, and hands-on activities. Hop! Crawl! Slither or slide! Don’t miss out on this exciting elective about reptiles and amphibians.

SEASHELLS AND SEA LIFE
This course is a fascinating study of the sea creatures that once inhabited those colorful seashells. Observations, identification, and classification are tools to be utilized in studying these creatures of the deep and their exoskeletons.

WEATHER WATCHERS
Have you always wanted to know how meteorologists predict the weather? In this elective you will learn what makes up our daily and seasonal weather. You will also observe and learn how to measure different types of weather. Through engaging hands-on science and math experiments you will become an amateur meteorologist!

Washington GT Magnet Elementary School
Phone: (919) 856-7960 / Fax: (919) 856-7985