Hooray!! Today marks the first day of spring! Suddenly the weather is warmer, the trees and flowers are blooming, and no more snow will fall. Wait... today is cold and rainy and the flowers and trees look like they are still asleep. So, what does the first day of spring mean? Today is the vernal equinox. To find out amazing facts about the vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer and winter solstices, check out www.brainpop.com/science. Click on "Free Movies" and scroll to "Equinox and Solstice". There are a few other featured free science movies on Brain Pop - all excellent and worth viewing.
3rd Grade Science:
Which food preservation process is best for apple slices? The third grade scientists have concluded that freezing is the best way to preserve apple slices. The frozen slices did not dehydrate, maintained their color, and still looked appetizing. Check out our full explanation in this week's Dateline.
What is a simple machine? A simple machine has few or no moving parts, requires only one applied force, and makes work easier. The students defined, identified and tested levers, wheels-and axles, and wheels-on-axles. A lever is a bar that pivots on a fixed point. The fixed point on a lever is called a fulcrum. The load, what is to be moved, is on one end of the lever. Force is applied to the other end to move the object. The students built model seesaws from rulers, pencils, folded paper, and books. They tested different amounts of load and force to balance the lever. It was a tricky task! We learned that wheel-and-axle works differently from a wheel-on-axle. For example, the handlebars of a bicycle contain a wheel-and-axle that uses the force of your hands and arms to steer the bicycle. The bicycle's wheels spin around the axle, which acts as an axis on a spindle, while the handlebar turns with an axle that is fixed. We discussed what would happen if you couldn't use handlebars to turn your bike or a steering wheel to turn the wheels of your car. We giggled as we imagined having to get off the bike or out of the car to move each wheel in the direction you'd like to go.
Extra Credit Science Activity: Go on a simple machines scavenger hunt! Make a list of all of the levers, wheel-and-axle and wheel-on-axle simple machines you find in your environment.
4th Grade Science:
We have started a new science plan: SCIENCE STATIONS. The students are given a series of 4 science stations to complete within 2 class periods. These stations integrate reading, math, writing, and technology skills. The students work through each station and complete the tasks at their own pace. Bonus activities are available for those who complete all of the centers ahead of schedule. The students are really enjoying this new plan. They have produced excellent work, are developing stronger independent and small group working skills, and have expressed great satisfaction in being able to work at their own pace and take responsibility for their work.
Science station work this week included:
1. Identifying and interpreting the Big Idea and Essential Questions for Unit 4
2. New vocabulary: ecosystem, community, population, habitat, niche, producer, consumer, decomposer
3. Identifying and explaining parts of an ecosystem
4. Researching how walruses and giraffes meet their needs within their ecosystems
5. Identifying, comparing and contrasting communities and populations
6. Creating bar graphs to compare the populations of zebras, moles, and jackal berry trees before and after a fire
7. Identifying and describing the different human and non-human populations within our school
8. Researching the climate, populations, and communities in an African savanna
We discussed that the scientific definitions for population and community are different from the social studies definitions for population and community.
Extra Credit Science Activity: Create a travel brochure for the African savanna. Include a description of a community of organisms found in the savanna, find or draw pictures of the animals and plants that make up the different populations found in the community. Add descriptive captions that describe how each population interacts with the other populations in the community.
5th Grade Science:
How do our bodies digest food, remove wastes, and send messages? The fifth grade scientists studied the digestive, excretory, and endocrine systems. They defined and identified the major organs of the digestive and excretory system. We discussed how the body produced many different types of waste products: ammonia - which gets converted to urea and urine, solid waste, carbon dioxide, and sweat. Yes, there were "gross out" moments as we studied these systems. Science is sometimes gross. The students learned how the pituitary gland produces hormones to tell other glands what to do, the thyroid produces hormones to let the body use energy, and the adrenal glands produce hormones to prepare the body to "fight" or "flee". We conducted an experiment to determine how the body stays cool. We discussed that the ability to sweat is critical to maintaining a safe body temperature. The body can't function safely or well too much above or too far below 98.6 degrees F. We tested the affects of cool air on thermometers wrapped in dry paper towels, water soaked paper towels, and alcohol soaked paper towels. We have collected our data and will publish our amazing findings in next week's blog.
Extra Credit Science Activity: Research the functions of the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder. Why is it possible for someone to live without a gall bladder, but not without a liver? Research common diseases of the liver and pancreas - what causes these diseases and what cures/treatments are available? Research the kidneys: Humans have two, but are able to live with just one - how is that possible? Research common kidney diseases, treatments/cures. Research the foods people should consume to keep their bodies healthy. Explain why some foods are healthier than others.
Write a scary story about a person who experiences a severe fright. Include as much detail as possible about what happens inside the body when a person is extremely frightened. ( Don't make the story too scary, please. I'm a big 'fraidy-cat!)
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