Creating Catapults

This is another engaging after school activity that we used in our Force and Motion science club.  It would be easy to add to your existing curriculum; especially if you teach the FOSS Variables kit. 

In the Variables Kit, there are four problems for students to explore and test variable - pendulums, penny boats, planes and flippers.  Flippers are really catapults that you can change the height of the object's trajectory path by changing the length of the flipper. 


Another great FREE game from FOSS is the Blasto Game. This goes right along with the idea of changing variables to further your flight. It is an interactive computer game that the kids will LOVE...

To follow up this activity, we had the students design and create their own catapults - using simple materials:

•  a paper bowl
•  1 or 2 plastic spoons
•  1 or 2 rubber bands
• 12- 16  inches of tape
•  3-4 straws
• 3-4 Popsicle sticks
• mini marshmallows (the ammunition)

 

 

 

 

 

And off course...we had to write about our designs with a diagram to show how they worked!

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Chocoalate...Sink and Float

What's better than chocolate?  not much!

Here's another experiment brought to you by Candy Experiments. 

Most candy sinks in water, because sugar is denser than water. 
But some candy floats. Why?

This experiment is so easy...all you need is some leftover chocolate candy and water.  Drop the candy in the clear glass and observe what happens. 



Here's what Loralee at Candy experiments says is happening:

"Some kinds of candy, such as Kit Kats, 3 Musketeers, and marshmallows have air trapped inside. This makes them float.  "

I have created another recording sheet to go along with this experiment!  Hope you can use it!

 

 

M&M and Skittles...experiment

Last fall I stumbled across a great website devoted to Candy Experiments.  This website has the motherload of great experiments using candy.  Many of them have links to a YouTube video that shows how to do it, too.  I have emailed the webmaster and asked permission to use their experiments and create some follow up sheets for the classroom.  I can't wait to use them in my classroom!

What happens when you put Skittles or M&M's in water? Do they float or sink??  This one is a very easy and inexpensive one.  Have students bring in left over Halloween Candy or buy it on sale. 

All you need to do is drop the candy in the water and watch what happens....

The white letters on M&Ms and Skittles are printed with edible ink that doesn't dissolve in water. When the rest of the candy shell dissolves, the letters peel off and float. Some of the letters break into pieces, but a few should survive intact.

It's pretty cool to see the floating letters in the water.  I recommend this for older kids  because they need to be patient to see the actual letters...and close observation too.

 

To grab your FREE follow up worksheet click here!

 

 

 

Acid Candy Test...repost and updated!

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought NOW would be a great time to blog about some Candy Science activities.  Here is the famous ACID CANDY TEST...




  I orginially found this activity on the web and modified it to meet the needs of a classroom of 4th graders.

To do this test, you need clear cups, wonka candy, water and baking soda. You will put the candy in the water and then add a tsp of baking soda. If there is citric acid in the candy, it will bubble. Fun huh?

I bought a huge pack of Wonka candy.... with Nerds, BottleCaps, Sweet Tarts and Laffy Taffy in it. We were able to see a reaction with all of the candy types except for the banana flavored Laffy Taffy. I wonder if it wasn't sour enough?


The reason for the reaction? Sour candy is made with citric acid from fruits like lime/lemons. When you mix the candy diluted in water with baking soda, it emits a gas. It only emits the gas if it encounters an acid.

We made a lot of observations - we noticed that a lot of the food coloring from the candy was diluted in the water. We noticed that the baking soda sunk and made clumps on the candy. We noticed many bubbles. Nerds made the most bubbles.

Here is how I set up the materials. I put the baking soda in the bowl with three spoons. I had a measuring cup with water in it and clear glasses. I also put the collection of candy on the tray. For listening purposes, we stated the directions one at a time:
1. Get a clear cup
2. Pick your candy
3. Pour the water in (you may want an adult to do this)
4. Put in a spoonful of baking soda.
5. Watch and Observe


After it was completed, we graphed our results according to the candies chosen. In this rotation, all the candies had a reaction.

For the Updated Blog I have added a printable that you can use in your classroom...


Click here to get your FREE printable...


Hope you will enjoy it too!

Science Centers

Okay, now we have our essential student supplies and teacher materials.  Now what??? Let's start thinking about centers.

There are many ways to incorporate centers or stations into your classroom. 

•     Rotations - where you set out five or six stations and the students rotate from station to station in one class period.  Many people incorporate this into the day on Fridays as a great way to end the week.  I like to do this occasionally throughout the year!

• Stationary Spot - I have a Science Spot in my classroom where I put out a center for students to go to during "free time" - like after school bus call, in the morning during "check in" or if they finish work early.  The activities that I include have a structured page with background/content information as well as step by step directions.  

What should they look like? 

       No matter which structure you use for your centers ther are a few things that will help make these centers successful. 

1. Trays or Tubs to contain materials is essential! 
2. Task cards - with visual/written directions of what to do.
3. Recording sheet - to record and reflect what you learned.

If you decide to "grade" or assess the work that they do make sure you include a rubric!

To get a FREE example of a Science Spot that I use at the beginning of the year with beach artifacts click here.

Bears! Hibernation...

  There is something about black bears that makes me happy.  Maybe it is the many hours spent reading Blueberries for Sal as a child with my Grandmother and Mom...Maybe it is the story of the Three Bears (although I think they were Grizzlies) or the Little Bear I Can Read stories...



I created another Science Center for exploring the effects of Cold Temperatures and how body coverings can help keep animals warm.  This one I "tweaked" from National Geographic's Inquiry book (comes with their new science text book). 

This science center is a great one because it allows for students to choose which type of covering they would like to test!

Unfortunately, I have had some trouble with my PDF changeover.   I used a font that changed when converting to PDF and for some reason, I can't fix it!  Please feel free to copy it and change it if you like!

You can get it for FREE here...

Looking for a way to blast off into the new school year?

Looking for a way to kick off the year and teach students how to use observational skills along with concepts such as variables and inquiry projects? 

Several years ago, my colleague and I created a unit that was based on the great Steve Spangler's You Tube videos involving diet coke and mentos. 

I mean...what great fun! 

My son and I first tried it several years ago in the back yard, then we did it for a birthday party for 7 year olds, and then I decided...I gotta do this in the classroom.

So, we decided to tie it into a unit on introducing scientific investigations. Many teachers like to do this at the beginning of the year as a way to introduce science vocabulary words and observation techniques. 

My students loved it!  Check out my blogs about the experience from last year by looking at the side posting labels.  You can see what it looked like in action. It is such a big hit it is now my student's #1 favorite activity (three years in a row!) as well as my #1 seller on TPT.

Click here to see more about this great investigation!   Enjoy!

Raccoon Center

Raccoons have a great sense of touch.  They have finger like digits that allow them to use their paws like hands.  They also have an operable thumb!  Isn't that cool? 

I have created this center today that you can use to connect the racoon's sense of touch to your sense of touch.

The only materials you need are from nature.  I recommend collecting a few items such as an apple, a leaf, bark, a pine cone, some plastic bugs (if you want), a trash wrapper, and maybe a rock.

Put the items in a paper bag at the center. 

Students will need to feel the items in the bag and try to identify what they are and then infer what the raccoon might use it for.

I hope you will like this!

Can you make a feather model?

Making models is a skill that is used by real scientists...and is a skill that teachers should be encouraging our students to use.  The next great engineers are sitting in our classrooms everyday!

With this science center, students can create a feather model which they can easily compare to the real thing.

 You will take a feather and trace around the edges.  Cut it out and tape it to a straw.  Next, try to cut out the filaments along the sides.

When you are finished, you will measure and compare length, mass and some other tests.  The reflection piece also allows you to think about why the real feather is better for the birds!


Download this resource here for FREE.
Enjoy!

What purposes can feathers serve?

Have you ever really thought about feathers?  What purpose do they serve for the animals that need them?  What purpose do humans use feather for? 

Two words come to mind - warmth and protection. (Well and a slight thought about Grandma's feather bed...also a great use of feathers!)

This science center involves comparing two types of feathers: Flight feathers vs. Downy feathers.



Both feathers serve a purpose...but they are also different enough that you can easily compare them.  Using a Box and T chart to list and compare what the students notice.  You can even provide man-made synthetic materials to observe and compare material that people use for warmth and protection in coats.

This is a science center that you can use to compare downy to flight feathers using man-made materials as well as feathers.  You can download it for free here.

Investigating Feathers

In keeping with my owl and eagle theme...here is another Science Center that you can download for FREE...investigating flight feathers.

With this center is a task card that explains what to do when they investigate. It gives background information as well as some tasks to try with the feathers.  You will need to have a collection of feathers ...either some you found (and cleaned!) or some you purchase.

Next is a sheet that students can record observations, measurements and reflections in a guided approach.

Enjoy!

Owl Pellets - an investigation!

Do you like to investigate owl pellets?  It is always one of my favorite activities!! For those of you who may not know what they are, let me explain.  Owls eat their prey whole - and then spit back up the bones in a fur ball.  You can purchase these lovely pellets and find out what they ate for dinner.
  It is a great hands-on activity to teach in a "real way" the idea of a food web or food chain.

For those of you who are squeamish...oh yes, I know you are out there!  You can also do this on-line.  There is a great website called KidWings.  This website shows owl pellets from a variety of owls...including, the barred owl. At this site, you can get teacher resources to include information about owls, bone charts, and photographs.  There is even a video that explains how to have a successful pellet investigation.

I have created a Science Center using Owl Pellets for the upper grades.  In it you will start with a focus question, some back ground information, data charts and a reflection piece. 

You can download this for FREE on my TPT store site.

Bottle Cap Murals

I have to take some time to share with you the latest project at my school.  My art teacher, the fabulous Mrs. Mamon, had students collect and sort bottle caps over the past year as part of a school wide recycling campaign.  I never knew how many colors of bottle caps there were!

Then this fall as part of an enrichment day, she had students in 2nd and 3rd grade help glue on the bottle caps in a bottle cap mural (which were later screwed in with a drill by various volunteers).  

The effect was much like an impressionist painting.  From close up, all you can see are dots....but step back a little further.... and you see a flower....

a caterpillar...a leaf...a bee...a butterfly...

and finally a garden...