First grade and kindergarten chemists investigated matter. Lab partners at four tables poured two liquids (1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar) into a quart size Ziploc bag. Then I folded a tablespoon of solid baking soda inside a small piece of Kleenex, dropped the Kleenex into the bag of liquids, and quickly sealed the bag. Immediately, we watched the bag inflate as a chemical reaction occurred, and the bags filled up with carbon dioxide gas. There was so much force on the bags, some of them exploded! (In Mrs. Sacca’s class, all of them burst!)

In first grade, we changed a variable in four of the bags. We placed cold water in one bag, hot water in another, 1/4 cup of water inside one, and omitted water in the last bag. The bag with hot water exploded quickly because heat speeds up a reaction, and the bag without water seemed to explode with greater force. That surprised us! Repeat this experiment at home and change some more variables.

Click here and here to watch fun videos about matter.

Then we tried the experiment a different way. I poured 3 T of vinegar into a bottle and 3 T of baking soda inside a balloon. I turned the balloon upside down and the baking soda fell into the bottle. What blew up the balloon? Click here to learn more. Try this at home! Send me a picture.

Third grade geologists created landforms which are topographical features on the earth’s surface. As we went through the landforms on my Activpanel, we formed them with kinetic sand. Kinetic sand is 98% real sand and 2% non-toxic polymer. It is a fun sensory experience as well because the sand flows through your hands and is easy to mold. Watch for landforms as you travel.

Click here and click here and click here to watch videos about landforms.

Click here to play landform games.

Fourth grade scientists have been studying sound. We flattened the end of a straw with our teeth, and then cut it like a reed. As we blew into the straw, sound was produced with vibrations. Next, we gradually cut the end of the straw, and as we did the pitch changed. So much fun!

Click here to learn more.

Just ten days ago, PreK botanists cut off the tops of carrots and placed them in water.

In just a couple of days, the greens began to regrow and little roots came off the side of the carrots. Why do you think the carrot greens are taller in one bowl?

Our carrot seeds have also sprouted.
Do you know where the seeds are found on a carrot plant?

Jabba basks in the sun, while he watches your scientists work.

This investigation with my kindergarten scientists is one of my favorites because it turns their thinking upside down. It makes them stop and ponder which is the beginning of all great science.

We began by discussing the question, “Why do some things sink and others float?” Most of my kindergarten students agreed that big, heavy things sink and little, light objects float.

And then this happened . . . The big pumpkin, pie pumpkin, and gourd pumpkins floated, but the little candy pumpkin sank. Hmmmm. Why? Our discussion led us to consider what the inside of the pumpkins look like and how that might affect whether they sink or float. I introduced the concept of density. Inside the large pumpkin, there is a lot of space, but inside the candy pumpkin, the sugar molecules are packed together. This activity will be the basis of other sink and float investigations in the coming months.

New vocabulary: hypothesis and density

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We discovered that sometimes results match our hypotheses and at other times, our hypotheses and results don’t match. Learning occurs both times. Repeating an experiment gives validity to your conclusions, so try this again at home. Cut open the pumpkins and look inside.

During fourth grade’s sound lab, I demonstrated how my phone’s speaker could be amplified by placing the phone in a cup, as well as how to construct a DIY speaker for a phone. This scientist went home and made her own!

Does the size or material of the cups impact the volume and quality of sound? Does the length or material of the tube change your results?