FUN WITH SCIENCE

Students completed more experiments in Science this week when they explored Mixtures and Solutions and Identified White Powders.

White Powder Experiment 
Students were given Borax, Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, and Cornstarch to make observations about them. They used their senses of sight and touch to make observations and recorded properties such as granule size, texture, and color. They also used comparisons such as salt if finer than sugar. Then they recorded observations of reactions or changes to the powders when water, iodine, and vinegar were added to them. The students were then given the same powders but this time they were not identified. They had to use their observations to determine which substance was which.

Mixtures and Solutions
A candy mix and lemonade, what a fun and tasty way to learn about mixtures and solutions! The students were given a plastic baggie full of pretzels, goldfish, candies, and marshmallows. Then they were asked to separate the mixture into two different ways. They were also given 3 different types of lemonade: one was diluted, one was concentrated, and one was just right. Of course they had to taste test them to make observations!:)

ONOMATOPOEIA ART
In Reading the students completed posters using Onomatopoeia.

This Week In Review

We have had a busy week! Science experiments about matter, Spelling with shaving cream, acting out idioms in Reading, and lining up decimals in Math!  We even took our MAP tests in Reading and Math and Mr. Hoyt, the new Superintendent of USD #389 came to visit the whole 5th grade.

Reading - Idioms are common phrases that don't mean what they actually say. Confusing right? It's like the phrase, "It's raining cats and dogs." There aren't really cats and dogs falling from the sky; that just means that it is raining really hard. My reading students acted out idioms for part of our Figurative Language Unit.  

Click on the video below and try to guess which idiom they are acting out. 

Spelling - Who says making a mess is just for the younger grades? In Spelling one activity my class did this week was to write their words in shaving cream to practice. They had a great time learning! They would like to do this every week, but I'm not sure I would like to clean up the mess every week.

Click on the picture above to see a video of me teaching the students while they practice their spelling words.

Math this week was spent learning about decimal place value and how to write a numbers in fraction, decimal, and word form. In one activity, students used cards to make numbers from word form.

Science this week was spent learning about matter and how the particles in a liquid, solid, and a gas are different from each other. Students used chocolate candy melts to observe a liquid and solid form and discuss how the particles in a liquid and a solid are different.

Visit from the Superintendent - Mr. Hoyt shared a little bit about himself with the 5th grade students and then they had the opportunity to ask him a few questions.