In Science Class . . . Week of 12/14

5th Grade: The 5th graders and I are moving forward with our study of the earth's key processes. This week, the students observed an experiment with evaporation (in a closed container vs. open) and then designed their own experiment that studied how different air temperatures in the classroom affect evaporation rates. We also did a special project that involved a supersaturated soluation of Borax and water. They'll be bringing home the finished project on Friday! Key questions: Where does evaporation happen? How do we see it on a daily basis? What cup of water did your group predict will have the highest evaporation rate? Why?

4th Grade: 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

Sorry for the delay in getting this up!

5th Grade: This week, the 5th graders continued with their study of the solar system. They organized the bodies of our solar system by different properties, including size, temperature and composition. We will begin to focus on the natural systems of our own planet this week, beginning with weather and evaporation. Key questions: What did you learn about our solar system? Why does the earth stay in orbit around the sun? Why does the moon stay in orbit around the earth? What makes the sun different than the other bodies of our solar system? What were your predictions about the evaporation experiment with wet paper towels?

IMPORTANT NOTE to 5th grade families: Please have your student bring in a glass jar for a special project that we will do on Wednesday of next week! Thanks!

4th Grade: The fourth graders 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

5th Grade: Prior to starting our earth science unit, we are taking some time to do some fun experiments. On Wednesday, we will mix Diet Coke and Mentos, which will create 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 will record observations and come 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?


4th Grade: This week, the 4th graders will be making and experimenting with "oobleck," a water-cornstarch mixture. Not only is this stuff really fun to play with, but it's an interesting example of a solid-liquid mixture that behaves in unpredictable ways. From what I understand, it also mirrors the way that quicksand behaves, making it somewhat relevant to our earth science unit! Questions to ask your students: How did the oobleck feel? What happened when you ran your fingers through it? What happened when you took a ball of it in your hand and squeezed it? What happened when you hit it really hard? Why are these observations so surprising? The students will also be taking home a little baggie of oobleck, so they can show it to you! Ms. Lee's class will be working on this on Wednesday, and Ms Govil's class on Thursday.

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/23

5th Grade: This week we'll be completing our unit test on "Mixtures and Solutions." Good luck to everyone! After the break, we'll be starting our earth science unit, entitled "Water Planet."

4th Grade: This week, we'll be completing our unit test on "Magnetism and Electricity." Good luck, students! We'll also be  watching a video about volcanoes in preparation for our next unit on earth science, entitled "Solid Earth." Key questions you can ask your students: What is a volcano? How does it work? What are the names of the three layers of the earth? Why do we find volcanoes in certain areas and not in others?

I also am adding a new website I found that has fun at-home science experiments. So, just in case you have some extra time over the break, enjoy with science! Students, check with your parents before working on anything : )

Here's the link. I am also adding it to the links on the left side of the page.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

In Science Class . . . . Week of 11/16

5th grade: This week, the 5th graders will be finishing up their periodic table posters, and presenting them to the class. I've seen some very creative presentations in the works, and I look foward to the finished product! After wrapping up the periodic table, we will be working on a study guide for the unit test on Mixtures and Solutions. This test will be on Monday, November 23, just before Thanksgiving break. The study guide we will be working on in class will be very similar to the test, and will go home this week to allow students to review over the weekend if they would like.

4th grade: The 4th graders will be working on a study guide this week to help them prepare for the unit test on Magnetism and Electricity on Monday, November 23. The study guide is very similar to the test, so hopefully this will cause a little less anxiety for those students who have been stressed about science assessments in the past! The study guide will go home with students on Wednesday for Ms. Lee's class, and Friday for Ms. Govil's class.  We also played a couple rounds of science Jeopardy on Monday, which was exciting!

If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to email me at caitlin_jenkins@berkeley.k12.ca.us.
I'd love any suggestions about the blog, and I am going to try to start posting science-related community events. If you know of any upcoming ones, please let me know. Thanks!

In Science Class . . . Week of 11/9

5th Grade: The students took a quiz last week on chemical reactions, which we have been studying as part of our Mixtures and Solutions unit of the FOSS curriculum. This week, we will be working in class on studying the Periodic Table more in depth. The students will be working in groups to study one particular group on the Periodic Table and create a poster to share with their classmates. If you would like additional information, there are some great links regarding the Periodic Table posted on the left side of the page.

4th Grade: The students took a quiz last week on electromagnets and circuits as part of our Electricity and Magnetism FOSS unit. This coming week, we will be experimenting with conductors and insulators, as well as investigating the workings of the telegraph.