Ms. Jenkins' Science Blog at Emerson

In Science Class . . . Week of 1/23 and 1/31

2012-02-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

This week and last, we've been exploring new mineral properties. We found that calcite, a mineral, reacts with acids to form a chemical reaction that results in bubbles. Last week, we tested several rocks for calcite by putting the rocks in vinegar. Two rock types - marble and limestone- bubbled. Last Thursday and Tuesday this week, we examined some new minerals and discussed the properties of magnetism, luster, cleavage, and streak color. We filled out a mineral property table and compared it to a table of known mineral properties.
Key Questions:

What rocks contained calcite? How did you know?
What knew properties did you learn about? (Magnetism. Luster = metallic or nonmetallic. Cleavage = mineral breaks apart with flat surfaces. Streak color - color of the streak of mineral pieces when a mineral is rubbed against a tile). Why did you study this? (It helps us understand how geologists identify a mineral and also helps with our table-reading skills.) FYI, the new minerals were hematite, pyrite or Fool's Gold, galena and magnetite.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Feb 2, we will be presenting our science fair projects to the little kids (K-3) during normal science times. Both 4/5th grade students and the little kids are SUPER excited about this! It's been an epic adventure for the 4/5s and me, and I'm thrilled about the enthusiasm for science and sharing our learning. Please make sure your students have their boards complete by the beginning of the day and send them with enough materials to do a couple demos if you are able. The science fair for all Emerson families will be tomorrow night at 6:30 pm at the Cafetorium. If you are able to help out at around 6 pm (moving projects, organizing kids and materials, setting up tables, etc) please contact me at caitlinjenkins@berkeley.net or leave a message with Sonia. I hope to see you all there! The kids are so proud of their projects, and they look great so far.

In Science Class . . .. Weeks of 1/3 and 1/9

2012-01-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Last week, we examined the mineral property of hardness. Student experimented and found that "harder" minerals can scratch softer ones. We scratched four minerals with our fingernail, an aluminum nail, and a paper clip. The hardest mineral, quartz, could not be scratched by any of the tools, while gypsum, the softest, could be scratched by all three tools. We then discussed the Mohs Hardness Scale, which ranks minerals on a scale of 1-10 based on their hardness. Gypsum was a "2" while quartz was a "7." Often times, gemstones like emeralds, rubies, etc are high up on the hardness scale. Diamonds are a "10."

What minerals were softer? How did you know?
What mineral was the hardest?
As we look at the hardness scale, can a "3" scratch a "5" mineral? What about the other way around?

This week, we will be looking at one of the properties of calcite. Calcite is a fairly common mineral found in many rocks. Geologists can test for the presence of calcite by putting a rock in acid. If calcite is present, a chemical reaction will occur, producing bubbles. This week, we will test a number of rocks - marble, sandstone, limestone and basalt - for the presence of the mineral calcite. We also will be discussing uses of these rocks in construction of many recognizable buildings, such as the Washington Monument and CA Capitol Building.

Which rocks contained calcite? How did you know? (Marble and limestone)
What is marble used for? Why is this a concern when considering that rain is slightly acidic? (Marble is a common building material. When acidic rain hits buildings, those buildings are slight weathered due to the calcite's reaction with the acid to form carbon dioxide.)

Note: We are moving forward with the Science Fair, which will be on February 2nd. If you have questions, need supplies or presentation boards, please let me know at caitlinjenkins@berkeley.net or give me a call at Emerson on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 12/5

2011-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

This week, we'll begin talking about the Emerson Science Fair! Students will be able to work alone or in pairs to investigate a topic. Projects will be presented to the little kids during the day on Feb 2 and in the evening that same day. I will be available Tuesday afternoons after school in January for additional help. A packet of information will be coming home in English and Spanish this week. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. This is our first Science Fair since I've been at Emerson, so I suspect it will be a learning experience for all of us : )

In Science Class . . . Week of 12/5

2011-12-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

This week in science, we acted like geologists and broke apart our fake rocks to see what "minerals" were inside. The students were able to identify several different ingredients, including red and green gravel, shells and some gray material. We then used water to see if we could separate the gray material. Key Questions:

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? (Minerals are the ingredients of rocks and are just one type of substance, while rocks are made of many types of minerals.)
What types of "minerals" did you find in the "mock rock" Ms Jenkins made? (Most groups will find red and green gravel, shells, and gray material that we separated with water)
What do geologists do? (They study rocks and make observations about the shape, size, texture, color, shininess, mass.)
How are rocks and minerals used by humans? (We use them in various mixtures for roads, houses, jewelry, etc)

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/28

2011-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, we went over our most recent quiz and got our notebooks set up for our new unit. If you or your child is not happy with their quiz grade, they are welcome to study at home and retake it on Thursday or Tuesday. Just let me know!

Our new unit is on earth science. On Thursday, we'll be examining some fake and real rocks and discussing what sort of information geologists collect. Students will be working with the measuring tape and balances to collect data on the circumference, mass and diameter of their rocks.

What sorts of information do geologists collect when when they study rocks? (They look at the size, shape, texture, location, color, luster, etc. They also will weigh and measure the rocks)
What did your rock look like? What did you notice about your rock? (Most of the fake rocks are gray with red and blue "minerals.")
What tools did you use to collect information? (We used a measuring tape for circumference and diameter. The unit of measurement being centimeters. For the mass, we used a balance and took the mass in grams.)

In Science Class . . . . Week of 11/14

2011-11-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

This week, the students examined packaging of common food items to try and figure out what atoms the food is made of. They found that most food contains lots of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which are the common building blocks of carbohydrates, fats, proteins. It's important for students to understand that most living things (including the food we eat) is primarily made up nonmetals.

Next week, on Tuesday, we will be taking a quiz on mixtures, solutions, chemical reactions, periodic table, etc. On Thursday, students will complete a study guide that has all the required information. This will go home and students can study at home. The quiz will also be open-notebook so students can use their notebook as a resource, too.

After Thanksgiving break, we will be starting our Earth Science unit that includes rocks, minerals, and landforms.

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/31

2011-11-04T15:43:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!! The 4th and 5th graders have been continuing our exploration of chemical reactions. On Tuesday, we observed how a reaction between calcium chloride, baking soda and water caused the production of a gas. We mixed the reactants in a zip lock bag so that the bag expanded when the reaction took place. We even had a couple popped bags!! This reaction produced a precipitate (solid), too, which was a white powder. On Thursday, we examined the periodic table, discussed atoms, and looked at two key properties of metals - heat and electricity conduction. We watched butter melt on various metals in a hot water to see how well they conducted electricity, and we put them between open wires of a circuit to see if they conducted electricity. We found that all metals, including alloys, did and wood and plastic did not.

What do all metals have in common? (Solid - except mercury- on earth, able to be flattened, can conduct heat and electricity, strong)
What is evidence of a chemical reaction? (Color change, gas production, heat change)
What is happening to the atoms in a chemical reaction? (They are re-arranging)

Note: Because of conferences next week, we will be doing vocab and review work. Investigations will continue the week of 11/14.

PLEASE: If you have any old food or household packages or bags (that aren't gross) that have the ingredients listed on them, send them in with your student for class on 11/15. Anything would be great - chip bags, cereal boxes, bread bags, toothpaste boxes, soda cans, etc. We'll be looking for elements on the package. Cereals are especially fun since there are often minerals added for nutritional value like iron, zinc etc. Thanks!

Bay Area Science Festival Starting Soon!

2011-10-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone,

For the first time, there will be area-wide science festival that has a number of free programs for families and adults from Oct 29-November 5. This is a coordinated effort between a ton of organizations! I'm really excited about it, and I hope to see of you out there as well. Here's the link to the website:

http://www.bayareascience.org/

Go Science Education!
Ms. Jenkins

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/24

2011-10-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

This week, 4/5 students will be continuing their study of chemical reactions. Last week, we learned that chemical reactions occur when two or more substances mix together and their atoms rearrange into new configurations (producing new substances). This week, we will look more closely at the combination of calcium chloride, water and baking soda and use a indicator (red cabbage juice) that will react to create a number of color changes. On Thursday, I'll be at a science training, so students will be watching a Bill Nye video on chemical reactions with the substitute.

What kind of evidence tells you that a chemical reaction has taken place? (production of gas, color change, temperature change)
What are some examples of fast chemical reactions? (Anything burning is a chemical reaction)
What are some examples of changes that are not chemical reactions? (Phase changes, like melting or boiling)

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/10

2011-10-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

This week in science, we have been looking at chemical reactions! During a chemical reaction, a mixture of chemicals changes to produce new substances. We did several chemical reactions on Thursday and observed changes. The evidence we saw of a chemical reaction included a color change, a temperature change and/or production of a gas (bubbles). (A common chemical reaction that produces a gas is mixing baking soda and vinegar. )

Key questions:

What happens in a chemical reaction? (The atoms rearrange to form something new).
What are common pieces of evidence for chemical reactions? (Change in color, change in temperature, bubbles)

Next week, we'll look at the molecular changes that occur in chemical reactions.

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/3

2011-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

This week, we'll be continuing to learn about saturation. For each solid that is mixed with water, there is a point in which the water cannot hold any more of the solid. This point differs based on what the solid is. Last week, we saturated a salt solution. Today, we'll be working with Epsom salt. Both dissolve in water, but have different amounts before reaching saturation. On Thursday, we'll identify a mystery substance based on its saturation point.
Key questions:

What is saturation? How did you know that your solution was saturated? (No more solid could dissolve no matter how hard we shook the bottle of water and the solid remained visible.)
How did Epsom salt's saturation point differ from regular salt? (About 14 grams of salt saturate 50 ml of water, but 48 grams of Epsom salt are needed to saturate the same amount of water. Therefore, Epsom salt has a higher solubility than regular salt.)
What was the mystery substance? How did you identify it?

In Science Class . . . . Week of 9/26

2011-09-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

This week, we'll be studying phases of matter and saturation. The key experiment will be looking at how much salt can dissolve in 50 ml of water. When the solution is saturated, no more solid (salt) will dissolve and it will remain visible.
Key questions:

What is a solution? (A mixture where the solid can dissolve in liquid, like salt in water.)
How did you know your solution was saturated? (The salt couldn't dissolve any more and we could see it at the bottom of the bottle.)
How did you find out how much salt was dissolved in the solution? (We filtered out the salt chunks and weighed the solution, and then subtracted 50 grams for the 50 ml of water.)

In Science Class . . .Week 9/19

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

This week, we'll be continuing with separating mixtures. Students will make a dry mixture of powder, salt and gravel and come up with a plan to separate them using the tools we've used. Next week, we'll start work on saturating solutions by seeing how much salt can dissolve in 50 ml of water.
Key questions:

What was your plan for separating the dry mixture? (Most groups will add water, then used the screen to separate out the gravel, the filter to separate out the powder and then evaporation to separate the salt and water at the end.
Did it work? What would you change in the future?

In Science Class . . . Week of 9/12

2011-09-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

This week, the 4th and 5th graders are working on putting together mixtures and then separating them using filters, screens and evaporation. Last week we mixed gravel and water, powder and water, and salt and water. The screen and filter were able to separate the gravel mixture and the powder mixture, but the salt dissolved in the water and passed through both. We will use evaporation to get rid of the water, leaving behind salt crystals. On Thursday, we'll investigate how to determine the mass of salt in water without measuring the salt directly on a balance.
Key questions to ask your student:

What is a mixture and what are some examples? (Any two or more substances put together. Examples are infinite! )
What is a solution? (A special type of mixture where the solid dissolves, like salt in water.)
What tools can we use to separate mixtures and solutions? (Screen, filters, evaporation)
How did you find the mass of the salt on Thursday?

Welcome to 4th and 5th Grade Science!

2011-09-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, friends, it's that time of year again! Welcome to my blog about all of our fabulous explorations in science class. On this blog, I'll post our weekly topics and some key questions you can ask your student to review material and extend thinking. I'll also try to add some links to science -related community events.

A welcome letter from me will go home with Thursday folders next week , but feel free to contact me if you have questions. I will also be at Back to School Night. My new BUSD email is caitlinjenkins@berkeley.net.

Here's what we've been up to in class:

In the first week of class, we did a fun activity that tested our sense of smell. I put common items in containers covered with a paper towel. Students smelled and reported what they thought was in the cup. The idea was to have some fun on the first day, and to also introduce some key parts of the scientific method - focus question, data collection, conclusion.

Since then, we've been working on getting our science notebooks set up. I have a grand vision for them this year - they now are more organized, have sentence starters to help kids and a work habits self reflection section.

Our first activity for our physical science unit was yesterday. Students conducted observations of some solids (gravel, powder, salt) and then mixed them with water to create a mixture. We then attempted to separate these three mixtures using a screen and a coffee filter. We had success with two of the mixtures, but weren't able to separate the salt and water. We'll work on this on Friday and next week!

Key questions to ask your 4th/5th grader:

What smells were the hardest for you to identify?
How did you separate the three mixtures?
What are some other mixtures you know?
How is your science group working? What grade did you give yourself on science work habits? (1-4, with 4 being excellent)

In Science Class . . . Weeks of 3/14 and 3/21

2011-03-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks, the students have been further exploring the properties of magnets. We conducted an investigation that examined how increasing the space between magnets decreases the magnetic force. We also have been looking at the earth's magnetic field. We built our own compasses by hanging magnets on a string off of the table, and observed how they all oriented the same way (facing N-S toward the poles of the earth). We also looked at real compasses and discussed why they work, and how they detect the magnetic field of a magnet when it gets close. This week, we used compasses and iron objects to find the location of magnets in a box.

Over the next week, we'll be working on putting together demonstrations of fun experiments we've done in 4/5 science. During the week of 3/28, younger students in grades K-3 will be coming to visit the science room and see our demonstrations and activities. We also will be doing some demonstrations at Math and Science Night on Wednesday, March 30, so mark your calendars!

In Science Class . . . Week of 2/28

2011-02-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! Many apologies for the delay in blogging - it's been a very busy couple weeks with overnight field trips, report cards, etc. Here's what we've been working on:

We just wrapped up our Living Systems Unit and the students took a quiz last week. Many did quite well. These will go home next week. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this.

We've started our last unit of the year, entitled "Magnetism and Electricity." Last week, we experimented with what magnets stick to, and how they interact with each other. Key questions:

What type of objects did your magnet stick to? (Any object with with a lot of iron, including stainless steel objects)
What happens when two magnets are pushed together? (If the opposite poles are facing each other, then the magnets will attract. If like poles are facing each other, such as north and north, or south and south, then the magnets will repel.)
Can the force of magnetism act through other materials? (Yes, unless the material is really thick! Magnets stick to each other through paper and other thin materials, but many of the tables in the science room were too thick for the magnets to attract each other.)
What happens when you stick a paper clip to an iron nail that is touching a magnet? (The iron nail becomes a temporary magnet and will act on the paper clip, making a fun chain of objects! FYI, magnets that stick to the fridge and are always magnets are called permanent magnets. )

Here is a diagram. We used "doughnut" magnets instead of bar magnets, but you get the idea! The iron nail and paper clips become temporary magnets.

In Science Class . . . Week of 1/24

2011-01-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

This week in science, we've continued our learning about how plants make energy (and gain mass) and how other organisms use that energy. We did an experiment with yeast. By giving the yeast sugar (in the form of crumbled up Chips Ahoy cookies), they became active and started cellular respiration. This process produces carbon dioxide as a waste product, which caused our bags of yeast and warm water to puff up! We used a tool to measure that gas produced as well as the amount of gas produced by the control experiment (no cookies), which was zero in most cases.
Key questions to ask your student:

What organisms make their own energy? How can we tell that they are making energy? (Gain mass, grow)
In the experiment with yeast, how did we know that the yeast were burning sugar? (They produced carbon dioxide as a waste product)
Can you think of other organisms that produce carbon dioxide as a waste product of cellular respiration? (Most animals, including humans!)

In Science Class . . . Week of 1/17

2011-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

The 4th and 5th graders have been wrapping up our study of vascular plant systems. We watched a video on plant structure and growth earlier this week, and yesterday, we studied different vein patterns in leaves we found around the school yard. Thanks to the huge wind storm, there were a ton of great options around! Here are some examples:

Palmate:

Pinnate:

Parallel:

Key Questions:

How do vascular plants get water and sugar to cells? (Xylem transports water up from the roots, while phloem transports it downward to other cells. Both xylem and phloem are part of "veins" that we see on leaves.)
What leaf patterns did you see in your leaves that you collected?

In Science Class . . . Week of 1/10

2011-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! Happy New Year! Apologies for not getting this out to you last week. We had a major power outage during the time I normally update the blog! Anyway, here's what we have been working on:

We've just wrapped up our human body systems and have started looking at the ways plants get energy, water and gas to their cells. This week, we've been experimenting on celery. We set up an experiment to see which type of celery uses more water - celery with leaves or celery without leaves. Students also got to put red food coloring in the water so that we could track the flow of water up the stem and into the leaves. Here are some key questions:

What do plant and animal cells have in common? (All need food, water, gas exchange and waste disposal)
How do vascular plants transport water? (There are tubes in vascular plants called xylem that bring water from the bottom up into the leaves. These tubes turned red in our celery experiment due to the red water we used.)
What would be analogous in the human body to xylem in plants? (Probably our circulatory system of veins and arteries, though we obviously have a heart that pumps it around, while plants depend on evaporation out of the leaves to draw water upwards.)
What did you find from your experiment? (Celery with leaves used more water. This is because the evaporation out of the leaves "pulls" water molecules from below. )

Here's a nice cross section photo of what we worked on. This photo also includes some celery where blue food coloring was used. We only used red, but using other colors would be a great at-home project!

In Science Class . . . Week of 12/6

2010-12-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

This week, the students have been studying digestion through reading, discussion and a video. Here's a diagram:

Of the structures shown above, students need to know the names and functions of the following:

Teeth: Used for grinding food into smaller bits
Saliva: Made in the mouth and used for wetting food and breaking it down.
Esophogus: Moves food from the mouth to the stomach
Stomach: Contains strong digestive acids for further breaking down food
Small intestine: Most nutrients are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine to the blood stream

For excretion, the students need to know the following structures:
Large intestine (colon): Condenses and dries solid waste
Rectum/anus: Used for excretion of solid waste
Kidneys: Clean blood in preparation for liquid waste excretion
Bladder: Stores liquid waste prior to urination
Lungs: Used to exhale carbon dioxide

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/29

2010-12-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

This week, the students have started a new unit on living systems. They learned about cells and circulation through reading, discussion and video. Here is a diagram of the circulatory system:

The students do not need to know all of the names of the various arteries and veins; it is more important that they understand the main ideas:

What are cells? (Small units found in all living organisms)
What do cells need to survive? (Water, food, gas exchange, waste disposal)
How do many animals, including mammals, get these requirements to the cells? (Through a circulatory system).
What are the key components of human circulatory system? (Blood, heart, arteries, veins and capillaries)
How does the body respond to increased cell needs during exercise? (By increasing breathing and heart rate, the circulatory and respiratory systems can get more oxygen to cells).
Why do your veins appear blue? (They contain blood that has already "given up" it's oxygen to the cells, so the blood itself is blue. When you cut yourself, the blood immediately gets oxygen from the air, so blood from all cuts is red.)
How many chambers does the human heart have? (4. The right two chambers are responsible for pumping deoxygenated blood to the lungs, while the left two chambers are responsible for receiving oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumping it to the body.

Note for Ms. Carter's class: Our CalTeach student, Ashley, taught about digestion this week, so those students will learn about circulation next week! I'll include questions then about digestion. Sorry for the confusion! Ashley is an undergrad at Cal who has been with the class for the last couple weeks, and she chose to teach about digestion, so there is a little scheduling anomaly - I needed to switch digestion and circulation for this class to meet her scheduling needs.

Quiz on Tuesday!

2010-11-19T09:09:00.001-08:00

We're wrapping up our study of earth science, and will be having a quiz on Tuesday, November 23. The students brought home a study guide yesterday that we completed in class. Please take a few moments to review with your student over the weekend. Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/15

2010-11-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

This week, we'll officially begin our study of weather and weather maps. For fun, we'll be using our mobile computer lab to go online to study weather maps. We're using the site, www.weather.com, but there are lots of sites out there! A sample weather map looks like this:

Key questions:

What symbols did you see on the weather maps, and what do they mean? ( H= high air pressure, L= low air pressure, etc)
Why does the California coast have more moderate temperatures than inland? (Because we are near the ocean, and the air over the ocean heats up much more slowly because the ocean itself does not heat up easily).
Where do our storms in Berkeley come from? (Primarily from out over the Pacific Ocean)

Water Cycle

2010-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/1

2010-11-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

This week, we'll be learning about the water cycle. The students have already studied condensation and evaporation, so these concepts should be familiar. We will be reviewing vocabulary and playing a game. Key questions:

What is the water cycle? (The global water-recycling system that includes water in all three states - gas, liquid, and solid)
Where is most of the earth's water? (In the ocean as salt water. Only about 1% of the earth's water is fresh and available to us to drink.)
As a water molecule, where did you "go" in the water cycle game? (Answers were vary - may include ground water, glacier, animal, ocean, clouds, river, lake, etc)

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/25

2010-10-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

This week, we will be working on a study guide and taking a quiz in preparation for the end of the grading period. The students will be getting a study guide and working to complete it on Tuesday, and then they'll be taking a quiz on Thursday. The study guide will go home with them on Tuesday afternoon. The quiz questions will be very similar (hint, hint!) to the study guide questions, so please take a moment on Tuesday or Wednesday night to go over it with your student.
Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/18

2010-10-25T16:55:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay! It was a super busy week, as I attended the CA Education Conference in Sacramento.

Last week, the 4th and 5th graders explored the properties of air using syringes, tubing and clips. By pushing the air back and forth, we determined that air is made of matter and does take up space. The students also did a reading that explained how the pressure and density of air changes with elevation.
Key questions:

What happened when you put a clip on the end of the tube and why? (The plunger to the syringe couldn't go in far because the air was trapped.
Why did the plunger of one syringe go out when you pushed the other connecting syringe in? (The air pushed the plunger out when we pushed on the other end.)
Is air pressure higher or lower on the top of a mountain? Why? (The air pressure is lower because the air molecules are spread out more. This is also why it's harder to breathe at elevation.)

In Science Class . . . Week of 10/11

2010-10-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

This week, the students performed an experiment that compared how water and soil respond to the energy from the sun. We took cups of soil and water outside, and recorded temperatures of the materials in the sun every few minutes for 15 minutes, then moved them to the shade and recorded temperatures every few minutes there. This experiment will help students when we begin our study of weather and climate in a few weeks. On Thursday, the students created line graphs of their data, and we discussed independent vs. dependent variables. Key questions:

What did you discover about how soil and water heat? (Soil heats up and cools down much more quickly, while water is a "heat sink," meaning that it takes an ton of energy to warm it up.)
What was the dependent variable in the experiment? (Temperature, because it depends on the time the material was in the sun. )
What variables did we control? (Amount of materials used, time in the sun/shade, type of thermometer used, etc)

In Science Class . . . Week of 9/27

2010-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

In 4/5th grade science this week, we'll be wrapping up our evaporation experiments and graphing our results. Students will practice using syringes and graduated cylinders to measure water volume. Key questions:

How did you measure the volume of the water in the cups? (We used a syringe to put the water into a graduated cylinder.)
Where in the classroom did water evaporate most quickly? (By the window, because the air temperature was higher due to the heater and lots of sunlight.)
Where did it evaporate the slowest? (On the floor, in the cupboard, etc where air temperatures were lower)

In Science Class . . . Week of 9/20

2010-09-20T09:11:00.001-07:00

This week, the students will be focusing more on evaporation and recording data. We will examine our paper towel experiment, and then design an experiment to investigate how different locations in the room affect evaporation. Key questions:

What happened to the scale with the paper towels? (The paper towel with out the lid dried, meaning the water evaporated. The paper towel with the lid did not dry because the water was contained, though there was some condensation on the inside of the cup. The scale tipped toward the side with the lid because it still contained water, whereas the water on the other paper towel had escaped into the atmosphere.)
Where did your group place the cups with water? What predictions did you make? Which cups will have the highest evaporation rates?

In Science Class . . . Week of 9/13

2010-09-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

This week, we wrapped up our solar system section by reviewing key concepts on the planets (see previous post) and watching a video. We have moved on to discussing evaporation as part of our focus on earth processes. The students observed a demonstration that involved putting two wet paper towels on a scale, with one side being covered by a lid. Key questions:

Where do you see evaporation in daily life? (When things "dry up" like laundry, puddles on the sidewalk, hair after a shower, etc)
What did you predict would happen with the scale and the wet paper towels? Would both paper towels dry?

Welcome to Science! Weeks of 8/31 and 9/6

2010-09-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone, and welcome to a new year of science at Emerson! I am very excited to back at Emerson, teaching a subject I love. On this blog, I'll update you on our lessons and topics and include questions you can ask your 4th and 5th grader to reinforce science concepts (and spark conversation)! If you have questions about any of the following or anything related to science education at Emerson, please contact me at caitlin_jenkins@berkeley.k12.ca.us.

To start off the year, the students did a sensory/observation activity last week. I passed around brown paper bags with common household objects in them. Instead of looking in the bag, students had to use their sense of touch and smell to write descriptive words and make a guess as to what the object was. The learning goals were to work on our observation skills, scientific language and to introduce students to the scientific method. Questions to ask your student: What were the objects? How did you know? What words did you use to describe them?

This week, we started investigations in the solar system. Students worked with cards with each of the components of our solar system on them, including comets, planets, satellites, asteroids and the sun. On the back of each of these cards is important information about the object's mass, diameter, composition, distance from sun and temperatures. We worked on organizing them in order from the sun, and next week will work on other sorting skills. We also watched a video and discussed the sun's gravitational pull. Key questions to ask:

What is the order of the planets? (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet.)
What is the difference between the inner and outer planets? (Inner planets are rocky and solid, while outer planets are made of gas.)
What is the largest planet? (Jupiter) The smallest? (Mercury)
What planets have very high surface temperatures? (Those closest to the sun, though Venus is hotter than Mercury because it has an atmosphere that helps it retain heat.)
Why don't the earth and other objects fly off into outer space? (Because of the sun's gravitational pull)
Why do the moon and man-made satellites continue to orbit around the earth? (Because of gravitational pull of the earth.)

In Science Class . . . Week of 4/19

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

4th/5th Grade: In class this week, we have started observing living organisms! Our isopods ("rolly pollies") and beetles arrived, and we discussed, observed and contrasted their bodies and behaviors. Over the next few lessons we will be observing how they interact with their environments, and which conditions are preferable for them. What did the beetles and isopods look like? How are they different? How are they similar? What sort of environmental conditions do you think are best for them?

We also worked on more terrarium observations. Our plants are big, and we'll be taking them home next week as there isn't a lot of space left in our terrariums. If you have a good container for a few plants, please send it it with your students. A number of students have asked for the "directions" to set up a terrarium at home. They should know - they did it already! Potting soil, seeds of choice, and a lettuce container are perfect to get you started. Water is needed to get soil moist, and then just place in a sunny location. A lid helps to keep the moisture level high until your plants reach the top of the container, and then you must keep an eye on the wetness of the soil. Our plants germinated in just a few days and are now 30 cm high after just three weeks! You can insects and isopods from outdoors if you'd like. Voila, a terrarium!

In Science Class . . .Week of 4/12

2010-04-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

4/5th Grade: This week, we continued with our terrarium observations, working on choosing the right tools to take measurements. The students learned a little about the metric system, and we practiced using centimeters. We did some test prep, and also watched a video about the ways that seeds naturally travel in various environments (marine, forest, stream, etc). Key questions: How did your terrarium change? What environmental factors influenced the growth of your plants? How? How do seeds travel in an ecosystem and what sort of adaptations do they have to help them?

In Science Class . . . Week of 4/5

2010-04-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

This week, we will be setting up our terrariums, which will include soil, water and seeds of radishes, peas and corn. Hopefully we will be seeing sprouts by next week! Keep your fingers crossed! These terrariums are mini-ecosystems and will eventually include beetles and isopods. We will be making observations of changes over the next couple weeks. We also will be starting test prep this week. Our 5th graders will be taking the state test in science in early May, and we'll be looking at released test questions and discussing both content and strategy. Although the 4th graders won't take the test until next year, it's good practice for them as well! Key questions: What were the living and nonliving environmental factors in your terrarium? How did you plant them? What do you predict you will see occur over the next few weeks?

In Science Class . . . Week of 3/22

2010-03-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

This week, the students reviewed the concepts of producers (plants), consumers (animals), decomposers (fungus, bacteria, invertebrates) and non-living environmental factors (rocks, soil, sun, air, water). They further discussed the Monterey Bay ecosystem, and played a game called "Oh, Deer" that emphasized the challenges of competition for resources in an ecosystem. Key questions: What is competition? How does it affect populations? What happened to a population of animals if the resources are decreased?

Reminder: Would love lettuce containers if you have them! We need about 20 to make terrariums to house our plants and insects starting right after Spring Break!

In Science Class . . . Week of 3/15

2010-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

This week, the 4/5th graders will be expanding their knowledge of food webs by examining the Monterey Bay kelp forest ecosystem. They will be using 13 different organisms to construct a complex food web, and , for the first time, the concept of competition will be introduced. Key questions to ask your student: What was the base of the kelp forest ecosystem? What is competition? What species in this ecosystem compete against each other?

Also, a side note: We will be starting with building our own land ecosystems after Spring Break. If you have large lettuce containers at home that you are willing to donate, please send them in with your child! We need them to act as terrariums for our insects and plants! Many thanks!

Also, should you have any questions about your child's science grade, please feel free to contact me at caitlin_jenkins@berkeley.k12.ca.us. Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 3/8

2010-03-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

We are starting a new unit on life science! This week, the students were introduced to the concept of food webs and food chains. Using cards with pictures of plants and animals, the students created food chains and food webs common in a forest ecosystem. They also learned about carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, producers and consumers. Key questions: What is a food chain that you built? What is a food web? How is energy transferred? What is a producer? A consumer? What are the differences between omnivores, carnivores and herbivores? What are some examples of each?

In Science Class . . . . Week of 2/15 and 2/22

2010-03-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

The fourth and fifth graders have been continuing their investigations of how water and other natural forces can shape the land. We have been experimenting with sand, clay and water, and watching erosion and deposition take place. The students read about and studied pictures of both erosion and deposition. Key questions: When rock is washed away, what is this process called? How can the rock in the mountains become sand on the beach? Why did the clay move further than the sand in our stream tables? When sand or clay settles to the bottom of a body of water, what is that process called? What is the area of deposition at the mouth of the river called? How were erosion and deposition affected by the "flood" we created in our stream tables?

In Science Class . . . Week of 2/1

2010-02-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in getting posts up, everyone! It's been a busy couple weeks with field trips and such.

We have been working on mineral identification for the past couple weeks, investigating mineral's streak, luster, magnetism, and hardness and putting all this information into a table to help us with identification. This week, prior to our Camp Arroyo trip, we will be learning about the three types of rock - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, and how they can change with various geological conditions. Key questions to ask your students: What are the three types of rock? How are they formed? How can they change over time?

When we return, we'll be starting to work on landforms.

In Science Class . . . Week of 1/4

2010-01-06T12:06:00.001-08:00

The fourth and fifth graders will learn about calcite, a very common mineral. On Tuesday, they tested four rocks (limestone, basalt, marble, sandstone) for calcite by placing them in a weak acid, vinegar. When calcite comes in contact with acid, it reacts to form carbon dioxide bubbles. Later in the week, the students will learn about where calcite is formed, and how rocks (like marble) can be used in buildings. Key questions: How did you know limestone and marble contained calcite? Why can't we see the calcite itself in the rock? What other types of rock contain calcite? How do geologists test for calcite in the field?

In Science Class . . . Week of 12/14

2009-12-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

This week, the students are investigating the properties of various minerals. On Tuesday, we practiced our observation skills by describing minerals based on their color, size, texture, transparency, and mass. On Thursday, we will testing each of the four minerals for hardness, a key property in mineral identification. Our test will include attempting to scratch each mineral with a fingernail, a nail, and a paperclip, then recording results and interpreting data. Key questions to ask students: What were some observations you made about the minerals? Which one was the hardest? The softest? How could you tell?

Have a wonderful break, everyone!

In Science Class . . . Week of 12/7

2009-12-11T10:36:00.001-08:00

The students this week were introduced to the concepts of rocks and minerals. They measured and weighed rocks, practicing using tools and making observations. They then separated the components of rocks (minerals) using a geologist's "pick" and water, making observations about their findings. Key questions: What did you observe about your rock? What were the different "minerals" you found in your rock? How is this similar to what geologists do?

In Science Class . . . . Week of 11/30

2009-12-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

Prior to starting our earth science unit, we are taking some time to do some fun experiments. Today we mixed Diet Coke and Mentos, which created a four foot plus fountain of soda on the yard. I initially thought this was a chemical reaction, but after some research, found that it is generally thought to be a physical reaction. The Mentos candy has tiny pits on it, which promotes the fast formation of gas bubbles on the surface of the candy when it is dropped in. The gas is already present in the soda in smaller formations. Who knew?? The students recorded observations and came up with some scientific questions about how they could futher modify the experiment to understand the process more. Questions to ask your students: What happened when Ms. Jenkins dropped the Mentos in the soda bottle? What did you observe? Were there differences in the two bottles? How did that affect the size of the fountain?

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/23

2009-11-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

This week we'll be completing our unit test on "Mixtures and Solutions." Good luck to everyone! I also am adding a new website I found that has fun at-home science experiments. So, just in case you have some extra time over the break, enjoy with science! Students, check with your parents before working on anything : )

Here's the link. I am also adding it to the links on the right side of the page.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/16

2009-11-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

This week, the 4/5th graders will be finishing up their periodic table posters, and presenting them to the class. I've seen some very creative presentations in the works, and I look foward to the finished product! After wrapping up the periodic table, we will be working on a study guide for the unit test on Mixtures and Solutions. This test will be on Tuesday, November 24, just before Thanksgiving break. The study guide we will be working on in class will be very similar to the test, and will go home this week to allow students to review over the weekend if they would like.

If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to email me at caitlin_jenkins@berkeley.k12.ca.us.
I'd love any suggestions about the blog, and I am going to try to start posting science-related community events. If you know of any upcoming ones, please let me know. Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/9

2009-11-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

The students took a quiz last week on chemical reactions, which we have been studying as part of our Mixtures and Solutions unit of the FOSS curriculum. This week, we will be working in class on studying the Periodic Table more in depth. The students will be working in groups to study one particular group on the Periodic Table and create a poster to share with their classmates. If you would like additional information, there are some great links regarding the Periodic Table posted on the right side of the page.