Science Bee

5th Graders studying for the science bee can download the current questions from the link below.  Then, click on the PowerPoint that says Science standards chemistry and body.pptx

Science Bee Information

Home Science: Tablecloth Trick

Home Science

Experiment: Magician’s Tablecloth Trick

Concept: Object’s stay at rest unless a strong enough force acts on the object (from Newton’s 1^st Law of Motion)

Materials: Plastic bowl, piece of material, or cloth without sewn edges.

Procedure: Hang the material off the edge of the table a few inches.  Put the plastic bowl on the cloth.  Pull DOWN (not sideways) quickly.  Be amazed!

Above and Beyond:  Although there is friction between the tablecloth and the bowl, it is not enough to move the object sideways (if you are fast and pull down), thus the bowl stays at rest!  Try this with a cup, bowl and maybe a spoon, but ask your parents first.

Watch one of my favorite scientists do this trick!

Bubble Solutions Experiment

1st Graders learn about the experimental process using bubbles!

We learned a little bit about how scientist set up their experiments while blowing bubbles.   What could be more fun?

First, we talked about how scientists have a QUESTION they want to answer.

Next, we discovered that scientists need  to
GATHER BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE.

They do this by: 

• observations
• reading what other scientist write
• talking to experts

Using all of the knowledge they gathered, scientist make a PREDICTION

Then, we explored how scientists set up an EXPERIMENT and pay special attention to the conditions.

• Constants:  trying to keep everything the same except what they are testing
• Variable: the one thing that is different. 

All bubble solutions had soap and water.  However, we added corn syrup to B and Glycerine to C.

We conducted many TRIALS using the same conditions (and our classmates) and recorded our DATA on the white board.

We found that solution C lasted the longest most often, even though we predicted B would.

We made a CONCLUSION  and talked about other ways we could change this experiment.

Want to learn more about bubbles?  Check out this video of one of my favorite scientists, Steve Spangler!

Chicken Leg Dissection

Mrs. Marker made a video of the class body projects.  Check it out!

Chicken Surgery

Today 5th Graders became "Chicken Surgeons"  This name seemed to put students in the right frame of mind as we cut muscle off bone!  Who wants to hear their surgeon yell, "EWWW! I am not touching that body!"

I am thankful that the cafeteria is serving chicken tomorrow, rather than today.  You may want to pack a lunch for tomorrow!

The chicken leg is a great model to illustrate how our own legs work.

We were amazed to actually see the tendons which connect the muscle to the bone!

The white tendon looks kind of like a rubber band and
attaches muscle to bone.

The hinge joint reminded us of a door hinge, as well as our arm paper fastener joint!  We also saw muscle pairs at work!

We were able to see the hinge joint (middle) and the ball and socket hip joint (ball on the left)

Brave students checked out the bone marrow and were surprised to learn that inside the bone is where blood cells are made!

We were amazed to learn blood cells are made inside our bones!

All in all, our chicken surgeons weren't chicken and  successfully dissected their chicken leg.  In "surgery"  they learned more about how our own body works.

Muscle Power

5th Graders explored muscles outside their body today!

We learned that muscles operate in teams to move our bones.  The brain sends a signal for one muscle to contract (shorten) and at the same time quits sending signals to its teammate (causing it to relax or extend.)

This image from http://www.dynamicscience.com shows the biceps (the inside muscle) contracting while the opposite triceps muscle is relaxed (or extended.)  It also shows that when the triceps contracts the biceps is relaxes.

We built our own arm and labeled the muscles (balloons) and bones (tubes.)  We even gave it a hinge joint (brads) to bend.  Instead of using nerve signals, however, we had to do the bending with our real arms!

Nice pink contracted biceps, and blue extended triceps!

Extended biceps, contracted triceps!

Can you label this diagram with the following words?

• Biceps
• Triceps
• Humerus
• Radius
• Ulna
• Tendon
• Carpels
• Phalange
• Hinge Joint

Mineral Identification

Friedrich Mohs wanted to figure out a way to identify minerals based on their ability to be scratched.  He chose nine common minerals (and diamonds) to create Mohs' Hardness Scale.  He gave each of them a number based how hard (easily scratched) they were compared to the others. 

#1 Talc can be scratched by the other 9 minerals in his scale. 
 #10 Diamond can not be scratched by any of the other nine.   

 He then carried these minerals with him in the field as tools to help him see how hard other minerals or rocks were.

Today, we did some testing of our own.  Using the property of hardness and some tools we took all nine minerals (the science lab can't afford diamonds...) and found out their hardness.  It was hard, but worth it!

This mineral (fluorite) scratches a penny and has a hardness of 4.

Everyone was able to identify these minerals using only the property of hardness!

See if you can use your knowledge to escape castle walls made from minerals using your knowledge of the hardness scale!  Notice the penny has the incorrect hardness on this scale, and we also learned that minerals of the same hardness don't scratch each other.  

http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/EarthMaterials/activities/mohsdrill.html

After we solved our hardness problem, we looked at other properties (in addition to hardness) such as color, cleavage, streak, luster, reaction to acid, and even whether the mineral is magnetic.

Mica breaks off in sheets.

Magnetite is magnetic!

Pyrite is gold, but leaves a greenish black streak.

Don't always believe that one type of mineral always looks the same.   Look at these samples.  All of them are calcite!

We can show these are calcite using hardness and reaction to vinegar.

For the academic in you, check out this slide show from Scholastic StudyJams.  Maybe even quiz yourself!

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/rocks-minerals-landforms/minerals.htm