In Science Class - late October/early November

 In class, we've been working on series and parallel circuits using multiple lightbulbs and d-cells.   We soon will begin some exploration of electromagnets, examining  how the number of winds of the wire of an electromagnet affects it's strength. We'll also discuss the uses of electromagnets in engineering many of the gadgets we use every day!

• What are the differences between parallel and series circuits? (Parallel circuits allow for multiple pathways of electricity, which results in more electricity going towards the bulb or motor. Series circuits require that multiple bulbs/motors share a pathway, which means the bulbs are dimmer or the motors go slower. For reference, the bulbs in your house are on a parallel circuit - they can be bright at the same time, and if one goes out, they don't all go out! By comparison, those old Christmas lights are on a series circuit where if one bulb goes out, none of them work. )
• What is an electromagnet? (One can induce magnetism in an iron object by wrapping a wire around it and hooking it up to a electricity source. We used a iron needle-like thing hooked to a battery to pick up washers.)
• What is the advantage of an electromagnet? What are they used for in every day life? (Electromagnets can be turned on and off, unlike permanent magnets. They are used in everything from doorbells to junk yards to many electronics.)

On another note, quizzes will be going home early next week. If you have any questions about my grading system or report cards, PLEASE let me know. I know having multiple teachers is a transition for you and your kids - I want to make sure kids feel supported and prepared to be advocates for their own learning as they approach middle school and have even more teachers, grading systems, etc.

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.)

In Science Class . . . Week of 2/6

The science fair was great! So wonderful to see the 4/5s teaching the little kids during the day, and I was amazed by number of Emerson families present for the evening event. Thank you to all of you out there who spent a lot of time helping your students. I think will be the beginning of a really special Emerson tradition! Thanks to the 4/5 teacher team, Ms. Hodge, and the PTA for their support, too!

This week, students reviewed mineral properties with Ms Peggy on Tuesday. (I was in Big Basin with the BAM 5th graders that I also teach.) On Thursday, we examined pink granite and tried to identify the minerals present using our mineral property tables - feldspar, quartz, mica, hornblende.

Next week, students will be taking a quiz reviewing rocks, mineral properties, etc. A study guide will go home Tuesday. Students will be able to use their notebook, as with other previous quizzes. If you have questions, please let me know! Thanks!

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

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

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!