Science & Social Studies

This week we are concluding our study of matter with a visit from High Touch High Tech! Take a peek at the High Touch website to see a preview of what we’ll do in class on Monday.

 

If you click on the link that says, “Kids Try it During Class” you will get to explore different games and science experiments you could try at home. Be sure to ask an adult before you try any of these fascinating experiments and leave a comment to let me know how they turned out.

Our next topic in Social Studies and Science will be a unit on Landforms.  We will learn about many different types of landforms like: volcanoes, islands, valleys, hills, plateaus, and more.

Click on this image to explore some landform links and games. What types of landforms have you traveled to?

 

More Science Experiments

During the last few weeks we have experimented with three different states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Which experiment was your favorite and why?

Was it working together to devise a plan in The Melting Race?

Could it be our coffee filter chromatography experiment?

Did you try this one at home with your families? Follow these simple directions and you can recreate our demonstration. http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/black_magic.html 

Maybe you enjoyed the Alka Seltzer experiment or comparing hot and cold liquids. No matter which experience you liked best, the important part would be, what did you learn?

How can you change a solid into a liquid?

How can you change a liquid into a gas?

What state of matter has it’s own shape?

What questions do you still have about matter?

Happy learning, exploring, and investigating Team 21A scientists!

What’s the matter? Science demonstration

In our very short week back from winter vacation, students participated in a science demonstration to mix a solid with a liquid. We used 4 out of our 5 senses to record and observe what we noticed.

First we observed a white chalky tablet. We discovered it was Alka Seltzer.

Next, we observed a clear liquid. We discovered it was plain old tap water.

Third, we dropped the Alka Seltzer tablet into the water and voila, magic!

Students loved looking, listening, touching, and smelling the reaction.

How could you have changed this demonstration? What other solids would dissolve in a liquid?

Camp Read A Lot

Team 21A celebrated the day before winter break with  Camp Read A Lot. First, we transformed our classroom into a campsite complete with a virtual fireplace. We moved all of our desks out of the way and “set up camp” on the floor. Throughout the day, students celebrated reading by performing in reader’s theaters, reading poetry, participating in a math book buffet, and flashlight reading. We also created bookmarks and crystal snowflakes to top off our wintry celebration.

Check out our classroom’s transformation and some unique activities that kicked off term 2.