Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Filed under: 4th Grade

Take Home Challenge #2: HCES Pigeon Watch

In the wild, all members of a species usually look similar. Robins, for example, all have gray backs and red-orange breasts. All crows are black. But the pigeons we see around the world are a different story. They show remarkable color variation, just like cats and dogs. Why? They are all descended from the blue-bar Rock Pigeon (see “color morphs” page).  For hundreds of years humans bred pigeons just for their colors, homing instincts, or racing abilities. 400 years ago many of these special breeds escaped into the wild and became the ancestors of the pigeon flocks that we see today.

Wild pigeons adapted to life in cities, in parks, on beaches, and on farms, and their populations continued to have individuals of many different colors. 

Click here to download:
Pigeon_Poster_Take_Home_Challenge_2.pdf (6.68 MB)
(download)
Take home challenges are completely optional and we invite anyone to participate.  Anyone who completes all of the challenges this year will receive a special science prize.  The challenges can be found hanging on the science room door!

 

Black Swallowtail Emerges!

In November, a 4th grade student brought a chrysalis into science.  He identified it as a black swallowtail.  We put the chrysalis into a butterfly tent and waited and waited and waited.  Typically a black swallowtail spends 9-11 days in the chrysalis, so after more than 1 month we had given up hope.  THEN...this morning as Ms. Stearns and I were teaching the 3rd grade, we noticed a beautiful black butterfly fluttering around the tent...It's a BOY...WOW!  It's too cold to release it outside, so we are working to create a habitat in the classroom.  If anyone wants to donate a small plant of fennel, carrot, or parsley, please bring it to the science room ASAP.

 

http://www.butterflygardeningandconservation.com/butterfly/st/black.php

 

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Take Home Challenge

Just a reminder that the Take Home Challenge is due tomorrow.  Each child should bring his or her display board to the science room at some point during the day tomorrow, November 4th.  I am so excited to see all of the cool experiments that have been going on for the last month!!!

Halloween Science

For a special Halloween science class, the 4th and 6th grade students made a bubbling witch's brew of water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and alka seltzer tablets.  The project gave us a great forum to talk about density of liquids AND have some fun too!  Here's a video to get a better sense of the project. 

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?

 

 

Metric Challenge

Today in class, 4L completed a Metric Challenge!  The students had to use their knowledge of the metric system, along with science dictionaries and their own notes to answer the questions.

Try your hand at some of these challenges...

1. Amount of space an object takes up ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

2. Mass/Volume ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

3. Metric unit for weight ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

4. Amount of matter in an object ___ ___ ___ ___

5. The name of the "bubble" (in a graduated cylinder) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Check back for the answers on Wednesday (after 4RJ gives it a try)!!!