Electricity, Reflection, Light, Sound, Motion, and chemicals

We conducted a lot of experiments and activities with these items.

This handout was for a lab we did called "Sheep in a Jeep." This was a really fun lab! We read the book, Sheep in a Jeep, and then we used toy cars and beanie babies to measure the difference in travel with different indpendent variables (height of inlined plane, weight of beanie baby, etc.)

Notes taken for electricity:

• Made a short circuit
• DC-direct current-batteries with positive and negative
• AC-alternating current-positive, negative and neutral
• Series circuit
• Current-flow of electrons
• Positive
• Negative
• Neutral
• Voltage
• Current
• Circuit
• Switch
• Parallel
• Series
• Amperage
• 220 vs. 110 volts
• Ac/dc

A handout Mr. Martin gave us through BlackBoard:

From the current that is generated by hydroelectric dams and power stations to lightning, electricity is an amazing and awe-inspiring force. In order to gain a basic understanding of how electricity works, there are a number of safe experiments with static electricity that kids can do themselves. Static electricity involves no flow of current, so there is no danger of electrocution. At most, a tiny charge will be felt or hair will stand up, but that is part of the fun.

4 Easy and Safe Electricity Experiments *** Experimenting with static electricity is a great way to learn the fundamentals of electrical charges and their reactions to each other. Since it involves no current, there is absolutely no danger with this kind of experimentation. Kids can have fun and learn about electricity this way.

Static Electric Balloon *** All of these safe experiments are very simple and require little more than one or two tools. The first is known as the sticking static electric balloon. Blow up a balloon and tie off the end to seal it. Now rub the balloon vigorously against your sweater or something woolly. You can rub it against your head as well. Hold the balloon against the sweater and see how it sticks. This happens because rubbing it against the sweater charges the balloon. The balloon is charged one way while the sweater has the opposite charge. Opposites attract, so the balloon sticks to the sweater.

Bend in the Water *** Another neat static electricity trick is called "Bend in the Water". All you will need is a comb, your head of hair and running tap water. Run the comb through your hair a dozen times to charge it. Turn the tap water on lightly. Hold the charged comb close to but not touching the water. Watch how the comb pulls the water towards it. Because the comb is charged and the water is not, the comb attracts it.

Resistance *** Another fun experiment with balloons is called resistance. Blow up two balloons and tie them to separate pieces of string cut to the same length. Hang them from a door frame by taping the loose end of the strings to the frame. Make sure the balloons are just touching each other. Stand on a chair and rub the balloons against your sweater or your head an equal number of times and let them drop towards one another. See how they suddenly repel one another. They resist touching the other like similarly charged magnets. Because they have been identically charged on your sweater or head, the balloons now have the same charge and repel each other.

Floating Paper *** One last static electricity trick is to cut up small pieces of tissue paper and lay them on a table or desk. Run a comb through your hair a dozen times and hold it over the paper. Like the water, the paper will be attracted to the charged comb and seem to float in the air. That is why this is called the floating paper experiment.

These are just a few of the safe science experiments kids can do at home or at school. Static electricity experiments teach kids about electrical charges, plus they are fun to do. Amaze your children with these experiments and others like them and you just might encourage a lifelong love of scientific experimentation.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/safe-electricity-experiments-for-kids#ixzz2sBja9Ly9

For light, we worked a lot with reflection, Mr. Martin gave us light reflectors that we put different shaped mirrors in front of to reflect light (convex, concave, etc.) We also worked with mixing different colors of light to make different colors.

We also conducted an experiment where we used play dough and clear straws to mix different liquids and figure out which ones were the heaviest to lightest.

Car Temperature Assignment

This assignment would be a neat one to implement in the classroom because it gets students thinking about the world around them scientifically. Recording the temperature in your car helps you see how certain variables can affect the temperature!

Assignment Outline:

Car Temperature Science

Testable Question: How hot does the inside of a car get if parked in the sun with the
windows up on a hot, sunny day?

Connections to ALCOS:
• K.2 Identify the sun as Earth’s source of light and heat.
• K.9 Identify seasons of the year….seasonal changes.
• 1.1 Select appropriate tools and technological resources needed to gather, analyze,
and interpret data.
• 1.8 Recognize daily changes in weather….instruments used….recording data.
• 2.3 Recognize that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object.
• 2.10 Identify the impact of weather on…..and society.
• 3.3 Describe ways energy from the sun is used.
• 3.14 Describe the position of Earth, the moon, and the sun during the course of a
day or month.
• 4.3 Recognize how light interacts with transparent, translucent, and opaque
materials.
• 5.4 Describe forms of energy, including…heat, light…..solar energy……transfer
of energy…..
• 6.8 Describe how Earth’s rotation, axial tilt, and distance from the equator cause
variations in the heating and cooling of various locations on Earth.

Procedures:
• Obtain two thermometers from the instructor. One thermometer should have an
attached string so that it can hang from your rear view mirror.
• Make a concerted effort to park your vehicle in sunny locations during the
investigation period. Each time you park your car, hang one thermometer from the
rear view mirror (air temperature) and place the other thermometer on your dash
(surface temperature).
• As we are seeking maximum temperatures, check your thermometers and record
the air and surface temperatures during those days/times when your car is in direct
sunlight.
• WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING, PLACE THE THERMOMETERS IN A SECURE
LOCATION WHERE THEY WILL NOT SLIDE ON SURFACES OR
OTHERWISE BE DAMGED. The glove box is normally a good location.
• Obtain temperature measurements on at least four different hot, sunny days.
• In addition to the temperature measurements, test at least one “does it get hot
enough to” question and record your results. Be sure to do this on a hot, sunny
day.

What to Submit:
• Brief description of your vehicle, including features that could impact result.
• Data tables of your air temperature and surface temperature results (two tables).
The data table should include date/time information for each temperature


Here are my results!

Day	Time	Thermometer hanging in rearview mirror	Thermometer under driver’s seat
2/25 Parked in the sun	3:04 pm	94	46
2/26 Parked in the sun Cold day	10:00 am	48	40
2/27 Parked in the sun	1:45 pm	89	42
2/28 Parked in the sun Fairly cold day	3:03 pm	89	52
3/1 Parked in the sun	1:10 pm	92	54
3/2 Parked in the sun	3:30 pm	98	60
3/3 Parked in the sun Cold and cloudy	12:40 pm	40	40

·         Vehicle: White car with tan leather seats. Tan interior walls.

·         The two different temperatures measured were very different. I believe the reason for this was that the thermometer in the rearview window of the car was constantly exposed to the sun. The light from the sun heated the thermometer up substantially more than the thermometer under the seat (which stayed very cool.) However, the few times I measured the thermometer when the sun was not shining, both thermometers were about the same if not exactly the same.

·         Two testable questions:

o   Why is the thermometer hotter in hanging in the rearview mirror than the thermometer under the seat?

o   Is that thermometer always hotter than the thermometer under the seat?

·         It is hot enough to:

o    Melt butter

o   Melt chocolate

·         There could be student’s discussions about heat safety using the car temp project and how to prevent dangerous car heat situations. (i.e. don’t sit in a hot car for too long, don’t leave animals in the car, and don’t leave food or perishables in the car.)

Science Apps

One of our assignments during this semester was to find 5 science apps that would be appropriate to use in a classroom. I enjoyed this assignment because I think apps are a fun way for kids to extend their understanding on a certain topic. Here are the ones I found.

Science Apps

http://www.gosoftworks.com/GoSkyWatch/GoSkyWatch.html

GoSkyWatch

This app helps you explore space from you seat with accurate orientation held at any angle to look what space items are there. This is a really neat app because it gives you a "telescope" into space. Along with showing what space holds at any angle, this app gives you tons of information about the things in space such as constellations, planets, stars, etc. This app would be a great resource for a space unit in school and it's under the standard: (ALEX) Science: Grade 4:)

10.) Describe components of our solar system.

•  Defining comets, asteroids, and meteors

http://hudsonalpha.org/education/digitaleducation/icell

iCell

This app focuses on studying different cells through 3d structures. Since cells are unable to be dissected in a classroom, this app offers students an accurate portrayal of what a cell is composed of. This app would be great as a resource for a group project or class lesson. A standard that would go with this is (ALEX) Science: Grade 4:)

6.) Classify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates and as endotherms or ectotherms.

•  Describing the organization of cells into tissues, organs, and organ system

http://www.inaturalist.org/

iNaturalist

This app is probably the neatest one out of all the apps I discovered. It could kind of be described as a "social media for exploring science." This app allows users to post their scientific observations and finds (animals, bug, plants, ets.) online for every other user to see. There is a map given so users can navigate to any particular place to see what scientific observations are being made there. This would be a perfect unit-long project that students can participate in. The standard that could go along with this is (ALEX) Science: Grade 5:)

9.) Describe the relationship of populations within a habitat to various communities and ecosystems.

http://tinybop.com/products

Tinybop

I love this app! This app definitely makes exploring the human body fun and exciting. The users have the freedom to explore any part of the body, receiving lots of information and viewing all of the systems of the body. This app would be very helpful in a unit about the body (possibly used in a center.) The standard that could go along with this is (ALEX) Science: Grade 3:)

6.) Identify structures and functions of the muscular and skeletal systems of the human body.

http://gamecollage.com/apps/bobo-explores-light/

BoBo Explores Light

This app is so fun! There are tons of different types of light to explore, what light can do and how light is used. This ap would be an exciting way to open or close a lesson on a particular type of light. It could be an ongoing opener r closer for science lessons through the year. The standard that could go along with this is (ALEX) Science: Grade 4:)

3.) Recognize how light interacts with transparent, translucent, and opaque materials.

Magnetic Expirement

During the semester, we worked a lot with magnets. My favorite activity was when Mr. Martin gave us a Zip-Loc baggies of items that we were supposed to identify as magnetic or not magnetic. There ended up even being a trick object in the baggy (an aluminum foil ball that was filled with iron ore.)

A handout Mr. Martin gave us through BlackBoard: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k89ezejr242heyz/what%20do%20magnets%20attract%20pdf%20%283%29.pdf

The 5 E's of Science

Near the begging of the semester, Mr. Martin went over the 5 E's of science with us. The 5 E's are a good way to outline any science lesson plan. I will keep these in ind when creating all my future science lesson plans.

First Lesson Plan in Field Experience: Fossils

My first lesson plan in my field experience was on fossils. It went well, however my next set of science lessons were definitely an improvement in my ability to teach science.

 Here is a link to my fossils lesson plan!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k48e8p5rnopkcpe/Fossil%20Lesson%20Plan.docx

Science Unit: Nutrition

My science unit consists of five days of nutrition Lesson Plans. Here they are! :)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o2tx4kymvelhdj7/E7AOJz5QIZ