In Science Class . . . Mid - October

Here’s the update on what we’ve been doing in class.

Mid October . . .

This week, the fourth and fifth graders worked together to identify conductors and insulators by putting a variety of materials between the wires and seeing if the circuit was complete (by whether a motor ran or not). They discovered that metals conduct electricity, including iron, steel, copper, aluminum. We also discussed how electricity can be converted into light, heat, motion and sound.

Questions to discuss during dinner:

·       What materials were conductors, meaning they could carry electricity? How did you know the electricity was flowing?

·       What materials are insulators? How did you find out?

NOTE: On Thursday, October 18, the kids will be working on a study guide in class and will bring it home. Please help your child review. Their quiz will be on Tuesday, October 22 and will cover material up until this point. Please contact me if you have any questions!

Early October . . .

We wrapped up our exploration of magnetism by creating a hanging compass and detecting magnetic fields of magnets inside boxes. Last week, we lit a bulb using just a battery and wires. We also examined how electricity flows in a circle and requires no spaces in wiring. We were able to turn our bulbs on and off using a switch.

•  How did our hanging magnets detect the magnetic field of the earth? How were iron filings and a real compass helpful for detecting the magnetic field of magnets in a closed box?
• How did you get the light bulb to go on? What did you find out about the wiring?
• How does a switch work? What is the difference between an open and closed circuit?

Welcome back!

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another fabulous year of 4/5 science! I'll be sending home a letter this week with more information about the science program at Emerson, but in the meantime, here's a brief update of what we have been working on. If you have any questions, please email me at caitlinjenkins@berkeley.net. Thanks!

The fourth and fifth graders have been investigating the properties of magnets. We discovered that magnets are attracted to iron and steel, and attract and repel each other based on the orientation of their poles. Today, we measured how the magnetic force between magnets decreases with distance. We'll follow up this activity with graphing to help us with our conclusion and then work on detecting the magnetic field of the earth.
Questions to ask your budding scientist:

• What objects are magnets attracted to?
• How does the orientation of the poles affect the magnets' behavior?
• As the magnets became further apart, how was the magnetic force between them affected? 
• What happened to the magnet when we attached a string to it and hung it from our tables? Why?

In Science Class . . . Week of 4/9 and 4/16

Last week, students set up terrariums with soil, water, and seeds from various plants. Most of the seeds have since germinated and are looking great! The seedlings range from 1 to about 12 cm tall. We discussed the biotic and abiotic environmental factors that can influence plant growth, such as light, temperature, soil, water, insects, other plants, etc. We've also been focusing on measurement in the metric system, using our rulers to find the height of the seedlings in centimeters. This week, we continued our terrarium observations and also started to look at live beetles and isopods (aka "rolly pollies"). In the coming weeks, we'll be studying environmental preference and tolerance.

• What factors could influence plant growth?
• What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors? (Biotic factors are living, while "abiotic" means nonliving)
• What do plants need to survive?
  
• What did you notice about your beetles and isopods?

In Science Class . . . Week of 3/19

This week in science, the 4th and 5th graders will be wrapping up their exploration of erosion and deposition (and our whole Earth Science unit, for that matter). Study guides will go home on Thursday, and students will have a quiz on Tuesday, March 27. Topics included will be erosion, deposition, and the rock cycle. Please see previous posts for information and review questions!

in Science Class . . . Weeks of 3/5 and 3/12

4th Grade: Last week, students learned about the process of weathering, where earth materials are broken down into tiny pieces. We weathered pieces of granite by shaking them in a jar, producing smoother rocks and some sand. We also discussed other weathering forces, such as wind, water, waves, tree roots, ice, etc.

This week, the students will learn about the process of erosion. We will discuss formation of valleys such as the Grand Canyon, and use containers of clay and sand to view erosion occurring with water. Later this week, we will focus on the process of deposition, where materials that have been eroded land elsewhere.

• How did you weather your granite? Was it what you expected? Where can this process be replicated in nature?
  
• What is erosion? Where can erosion be observed? (Erosion is the process of earth materials being moved elsewhere. It can be observed on a huge scale when looking at the Grand Canyon, and on a small scale after the rain washes away soil from a garden or yard.)
• What is deposition? (It is the process of earth materials landing elsewhere, such as in a delta).

5th Grade: Last week, 5th graders made models of atmospheric gas molecules using Dots candy and toothpicks (a huge hit!) This was part of our introduction to our atmosphere, as well as a review of key components of our physical science unit (atoms, molecules, chemical formulas). Students also experimented with syringes and tubing, showing that air takes up space, moves, and can be compressed or expanded with a lot of effort!

This week, we'll be discussing atmospheric conditions, aka weather.

in Science Class . . . Weeks of 3/5 and 3/14

Last week, students learned about the process of erosion. We discussed formation of valleys such as the Grand Canyon, and used containers of clay and sand to view erosion occurring with water. Students also reviewed the rock cycle. This week, we will focus on the process of deposition, where materials that have been eroded land elsewhere.

• What is erosion? Where can erosion be observed? (Erosion is the process of earth materials being moved elsewhere. It can be observed on a huge scale when looking at the Grand Canyon, and on a small scale after the rain washes away soil from a garden or yard.)
• What is deposition? (It is the process of earth materials landing elsewhere, such as in a delta).
  

In Science Class . . . Week of 2/27

This week, the students have been studying the structure of the earth and the types of rocks (and how they form). We took some notes, discussed and played a game to reinforce vocabulary. Next week, we'll be moving on to weathering and erosion.
Key questions to ask:

• What are they layers of the earth? (Core, mantle, crust)
• What are the three types of rocks and how are they formed? (Igneous rock is rocked formed from the cooling of the mantle. Sedimentary rock is rock formed when bits of other rock are pressed together. Metamorphic rock is rock formed from heat and pressure.)
• What processes are important in the rock cycle? (Weathering, melting, heat and pressure are important ways that rocks can, over a long time, be changed into a different type of rock.)