Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

X-Ray Challenge

2nd grade students have been learning that one of the first ways that scientists organize all the animals on Earth is into two categories: vertebrates and invertebrates.  Students have been investigating x-rays of vertebrates, looking for the vertebrae as well as other clues that could lead to the identity of the animal.  

Here are a sampling of some of the x-rays.

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States of Matter

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Today in 4th grade science, we discussed the five states of matter: Bose-Einstein Condensate, solid, liquid, gas and plasma. Ask your student about his or her three-part venn diagram of solids, liquids, gases that we find in our lives. Listen to 4G's verbal interpretation of the venn diagram.

Simple Screws

3rd graders learned that a screw is actually an inclined plane wrapped around a shaft.  Student used a screw driver to screw two different screws into a piece of wood.  Ask your student what the difference is between a coarse thread screw and a fine thread screw.  Which one has a longer inclined plane wrapped around it?  Which one should require less effort to screw in?

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Oobleck

This week, 4th graders are investigating whether oobleck (the combination of 1 1/2 cups cornstarch and 1 cup water) has the properties of a liquid or a solid.  Ask your 4th grader to tell you about the 9 tests they conducted with the oobleck. 

Take a look at this video of a person running on oobleck (in slow motion).  What do you think...liquid or solid?

 

 

Earth Science Poetry

As a sneak peak of what is to come in the semester,5th graders read and scientifically interpreted poems about a variety of earth science topics.  They will give their creative interpretations of these poems next week at our Earth Science Poetry Jam.  Tune in next week for a sampling of the performances.  

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6th Graders are Introduced to Mrs. Nerg

Ask your 6th grader what "Mrs. Nerg" stands for.  **Hint...hint...it has to do with the characteristics of living things.  See the answer below.

Answer: movement, respiration, sensitivity, nutrition, excretion, reproduction, and growth.

It's hard to imagine that all living things respond to stimuli.  Below is a video of plants responding to the light in their environment...phototropism.