In Science Class . . . Week of 3/8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?