Snow Studies

It’s not always a white December in Southborough, but this year our kindergartners got the best of both worlds, learning all about snow in the classroom while a frosty glaze of white blanketed the campus outside.

First, the class began with a hands-on exploration of the mathematical properties of snowflakes. As students created paper snowflakes, kindergarten teacher Taylor MacPherson introduced the concept of symmetry and helped students understand why snowflakes share the same number of vertices (points). They folded paper into squares and then triangles, and then made intentional cuts. They observed that, when unfolded, their snowflakes revealed beautifully balanced, perfectly symmetrical designs.

Together, the class read the book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, which is based on the true story of American meteorologist and pioneering photographer of snowflakes, Wilson Bentley. Bentley discovered that while snowflakes share hexagonal symmetry, no two snowflakes are identical.

The class also explored science through a snowstorm-in-a-jar experiment. Students layered baby oil, water, and white paint in a clear jar, then added Alka-Seltzer tablets and watched as bubbles carried the “snow” swirling through the liquid. As they observed the dramatic snowstorm effect, students noticed that the liquids formed distinct layers rather than mixing. This led to a thoughtful discussion about density and why some substances float while others sink.

This snow study serves as a natural bridge to the class’s upcoming exploration of the Arctic in January. Building on what they’ve learned, students will investigate the Arctic climate and examine how animals adapt and construct habitats to survive in extreme conditions. After studying polar bears, their adaptations and environment, students will apply their knowledge by designing and building their own polar bear habitats, blending science, problem-solving, and creativity in a single project.