Scientific Method to Matter

This week in Science we have been learning about the Scientific Method and States of Matter. Thursday the students were put into teams to complete a Scientific Method Sort that included examples of each step. They needed to put the steps in sequence with their examples.

Click on the picture to see one team work out the steps.

Friday we started our unit on the 3 States of Matter. Students watched a short video and then worked with their teams to demonstrate solid, liquid, and gas.

SOLID

LIQUID

GAS

Your student has a homework project this weekend to create a model that shows solid, liquid, and gas. They will need to glue items on to the paper that was provided. Have a great weekend!

Chemilum-a-what?

Chemilum-a-what?

Chemiluminescence is not just a big word. Ask your student what reaction occurs when they use a glow stick. Most of them will be able to tell you chemiluminescence. Not only a big word, but also a really cool one that we learned in Science today! Chemiluminescence is when substances are mixed to create an emission of light.

You might also want to ask them what bioluminescense is. We only talked about it briefly but if they answer something about lightening bugs lighting up, they are correct!

We used the Glow Stick experiment to help discuss the Scientific Method and making observations. .Your student made observations about a glow stick, then predicted what they thought would happen we they bent the stick, and then recorded their observations again. They were challenged with using 4 of their 5 senses to make observations. Lastly the students made a hypothesis on how they think a glow stick works. We then watched a video clip that dissects a glow stick and explains the chemical reaction (Chemiluminescence) that takes place.

The Scientific Method
State the Problem
Form a Hypothesis
Observations
Materials/Procedures
Results/Data
Conclusion/Report Results

Learning by Experience

Killer Whale in the Galapagos Island - Summer 2016 Photo by Michele White

Today I started my science lesson in the classroom and read aloud facts about whales to my students. Most of the time they were listening but I knew I was losing some of them as I read. It was a long passage with a lot of information, even I got distracted and I was the one reading it. Then I had them use fact cards and highlight the coolest facts about the whales that they could find. Next they worked with their teams and each student got 10 seconds to share their coolest facts. The students had picked some pretty spectacular facts like: A male Narwhal has a 3-10 foot long tooth or tusk. . A Killer Whale is actually in the dolphin family. The Blue Whale eats 3 tons of food per day.

None of the students were impressed with the size of the whales. When I asked them about the size they said it wasn't a big deal. This is where the real learning begins.........

The students are all types of learners. Some of them learn by hearing me read the facts aloud and were able to comprehend and remember most of the information while others were able to learn with the fact cards and sharing with their teams. I knew what what capture all of their attention and make a bigger impact on them so I took them outside.

We learn, all of us, by experience. Since we live in Kansas, most of the students have never seen a marine animal up close. Unfortunately, I couldn't make that happen for them, but I could take them outside and have them walk. We went outside and walked steps to approximate the size of a Dolphin, Great White Shark, Killer Whale, Humpback Whale, and lastly a Blue Whale. The kids were really excited after walking out a Great White and a Killer Whale; they could eat us whole!!! The kids couldn't wait to walk out the next animal after each one they turned and looked back in awe. The Blue Whale was last, did you know that a Blue Whale can be as long as 110 feet? Have you ever walked that out to see how big that really is? Try it! You will be amazed at how enormous these amazing creatures are.

At the end of my lesson the kids all decided that the coolest fact they learned today was that a Blue Whale can be around 110 feet long. When they first read the fact in the classroom, they didn't understand what that truly meant. My goal this year is to help these 5th grade students learn by experience.

Mrs. Burden's 2016 Fifth Grade Class

Mrs. Burden

Cole A

Cody B

Trayton B

Reese B

Makayla B

Tyler B

Annaliese C

Aletha C

Sylvie F

Paiton G

Dayne G

Skylar G

Brilee M

Erika M

Katie M

Blake R

Callum T

Jillian W

South America Summer Adventure

Hello Students!

I had an amazing journey to South America this summer! Thank you for encouraging me and giving me the inspiration to apply for the grant from Rural Schools and Community Trust. Thanks to you and the grant, I was able to experience so many unique experiences to bring back and share with you. For the first part of my journey,  I traveled to Quito, Ecuador and then on to the Galapagos Islands. I stayed on a boat for 5 days and snorkeled with sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, sting rays, and more! We hiked through the islands that were formed from volcanoes; some of them are actual volcanoes. Next, I went on to Cusco, Peru and explored the ruins of Machu Picchu. The engineering and architecture from this ancient civilization is incredible! The bus ride up and down the mountain was the scariest part of my whole trip! Lastly, I flew to Coca, Ecuador and took a boat through the Amazon Rainforest. I was able to meet the native Kichwa people and see seven different species of monkey on our hikes. These are just a few of the amazing sights I experienced! I cannot wait to share the rest of my experience with you!