Washington Elementary's Science Blog

Have a fun filled and educational summer!!!

2011-06-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

As the last week of this school year is upon us, I wanted to congratulate all students on an amazing school year!!! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did this year exploring, learning, and understanding the wonders of science. Take some time to sleep in and relax and keep that brain engaged. 5th graders-congratulations and I can't wait to hear about all your success in junior high and 4th graders-see you next year!

~Miss Klim =)

Washington's Science Night Pictures

2011-05-15T16:49:00.001-07:00

WashingtonScience's photostream on Flickr.

Here is a link to pictures from our Science Night on April 21, 2011!! Please take a look and send me an email if you have any pictures you would like to add. Thank you again to everyone that made the night successful!
Miss Klim
linsay_klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Science the week of April 25-29

2011-04-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: We are continuing to use our circuit bases with electromagnets this week. We will also learn how telegraphs work and create our own telegraph using the circuit bases.

5th graders- Science state testing review: This week we are focusing on the earth science unit in 4th grade. We will also spend the week before testing using the computers to review what we have learned this year by visiting links on the blog.

Science the week of April 18-April 22

2011-04-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

SCIENCE NIGHT
THURSDAY APRIL 21!!!
Come by the auditorium from 6-8pm on Thursday to dissect a frog, use a microscope, watch a chemical reaction, play with an electromagnet, and more!!!
I hope to see everyone there!!

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: We are continuing to use our circuit bases this week. We are integrating electromagnets into our lessons this week, learning how electromagnets bring electricity and magnetism together.

5th graders- Science state testing review: This week we are focusing on the life science unit in 4th grade. We will review vocabulary and experiments about food webs, habitats, and ecosystems.

SCIENCE FAIR PREPARATION TIME!!!

2011-04-13T14:44:00.001-07:00

We will be offering Science Fair preparation time for all students to come get questions answered and provide any materials needed.
Stop by Bungalow#8 during the following times:

Monday April 18: 2:30pm-4pm

Wednesday April 20: 1:30pm-4pm

Thursday April 21: 1:00pm-5pm

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you are able to volunteer during any of the above times and hope to see you there!!

Linsay Klim =)
4th and 5th grade Science
Washington and LeConte Elementary
Berkeley Unified School District

Science the week of April 11-April 15

2011-04-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: This week we are running motors using our circuit bases. We will continue to learn about the flow of electricity to light lightbulbs and run a motor. We will also start learning about series and parallel circuits

5th graders- Science state testing review: This week we are focusing on the physical science unit in 4th grade. We will review vocabulary and experiments about magnets, electricity, and electromagnets.

Science the week of Mar 28-April 1

2011-03-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: This week we are starting to learn the basics of electricity. We will learn how to use wires and a battery to light a lightbulb. Students will be introduced to our circuit bases, a great safety tool we can use while connecting all electricity materials.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: We are spending the week working on the laptops to learn more about the periodic table of elements, chemical reactions, atoms and molecules. We will be visiting many websites listed on the blog.

Science the week of Mar 14-18

2011-03-15T13:54:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: This week we are spending time continuing to learn about magnets and their unique properties. We are learning about what types of metals are considered magnetic and how to create a temporary magnet. Students are also reviewing the scientific method for our upcoming science fair.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: This week we are learning about a chemical reaction. We are making observations about what we can see happening that would suggest a chemical reaction has taken place. Students are also reviewing the scientific method for our upcoming science fair.

Science the week of Feb 28-March 4

2011-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Environments: This week we will take our unit test on Environments. Please remind your students of the upcoming test. Here is the Schedule:

Bail Friday Mar 4
Cobeen Wednesday March 2

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: We are starting our first full week focusing on our new unit, mixtures and solutions. This week we will be learning what a mixture is and what a solution is. We will also be learning different techniques we can use to separate the mixtures and solutions that we have made.

Science the week of Feb 7-11

2011-02-07T11:47:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Environments: This week we are continuing to take care of our terrariums. This week we will add 2 new animals to our habitat and make observations about what happens to our plants and current animals when we add our new residents.

5th graders- Living Systems: We are spending our last week on the unit working on our study guide for the Living Systems unit test. Students will be using their Science notebooks, textbooks, and each other to help them answer questions on the study guide. I will also be giving them the answers, so they can correct the study guide and take it home to study with all the correct answers. As of now, LeConte students will take the test on Tuesday Feb 15 and Washington students will take the test on Wednesday Feb 16

Science the week of Jan 10-14

2011-01-10T12:01:00.001-08:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Environments: This week we are planting in our terrariums and revisiting our water schedule. We are deciding if we should change how much we water depending on what our soil looks like. If plants are already growing by the end of the week, we will be using our terrarium maps to decide which of the 5 plants we planted they are.

5th graders- Living Systems: This week we are focusing on the similarities and differences between plant cells and human cells. Students are going to be able to design their own experiments using celery to look at how plants move nutrients through their system.

Science the week of Dec 13-17

2010-12-13T15:02:00.001-08:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Environments: We are spending our last week learning about food chains and food webs. We will be working on a food web poster this week, where we combine all the new vocabulary we have learned over the past few weeks including producer, consumer, omnivore, etc. onto one diagram.

5th graders- Living Systems: We are continuing our learning about circulatory systems from last week. We are also learning about the digestive system this week. We will spend time on the computers at interactive websites where we can see how our circulatory and digestion systems work.

Science the week of Dec 6-10

2010-12-06T20:11:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Environments: We are continuing our lesson on food chains and food webs this week. We will learn the definitions of herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore, spend some time on the computers viewing interactive food webs, and start on a food web poster project.

5th graders- Living Systems: We are starting our new unit, Living Systems this week. We are learning about cells and similarities and differences we have with other multicellular organisms. We are also starting to learn about the circulatory system, which we will continue next week.

Science the week of Nov 29-Dec 3

2010-11-29T10:05:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Environments: We are starting our new unit this week called Environments. This week we are learning about an ecosystem and how animals and plants need each other to survive. We are also starting to learn about food chains and good webs.

5th graders- Water Planet: This week we are continuing to study for our Water Planet unit test. Washington students will take the test on Wednesday. LeConte students will take the test next week on Tuesday.

Upcoming 5th grade Science Test

2010-11-22T11:57:00.000-08:00

5th graders will take their unit test on our Water Planet unit next week.

Study guides go home Monday Nov 22
Test is on Wednesday December 1

Please make sure you are reviewing your study guide for at least 20 minutes each day! Remember, if you know all the information on the study guide, you will do VERY WELL on the test.

Upcoming 4th Grade Test on November 22

2010-11-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are spending this week preparing for our upcoming test on Solid Earth by working on a study guide. Students will take the study guide home on Wednesday November 17 to prepare for the test next week. Please make sure students are reviewing their study guide every night for at least 20 minutes. The testing schedule is listed below

4th grade test schedule:
Ms. Bail and Mr. Cobeen's classes:
Monday November 22

Science the Week of Oct 25- Oct 29

2010-10-25T15:20:00.001-07:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are learning how weathering and erosion can affect rocks on our planet. We will also be learning about how changes in the rocks can change the topography.

5th graders- Water Planet: This week we are learning about pressure in the atmosphere and how that pressure is related to changes in the weather. We will also be starting to learn what weather is and important weather vocabulary.

Science the Week of Oct 18- Oct 22

2010-10-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are finishing up our lesson about the rock cycle by playing the rock cycle game. We will start learning about how weathering and erosion affects rocks.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are spending the week learning how the sun heats our planet and the drastic temperature change we can see whither in the shade or in the sun.

Science the Week of Oct 4- Oct 8

2010-10-04T14:53:00.001-07:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Solid Earth: This week we are using the minerals property table we learned about last week to help us identify new minerals. We are completing hardness tests, scratch tests, and looking at the color and luster to help us identify each new mineral.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are learning all about water! We are first learning about how much and what kind of water is on our planet and we will then learn all about the water cycle and see how water is moved throughout the planet. We will be using the wireless cart to visit interactive water cycle websites on this blog.

Science the Week of Sept 27-Oct 1

2010-09-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: This week we are learning how to identify minerals using the mineral properties table and how rocks are made of many minerals. We will use different tools to help us learn each category on the mineral properties table.

5th graders- Water Planet: We will finish learning about evaporation and move onto condensation. We will also make a math connection while learning about surface area and how surface area can change the evaporation rate.

Science The Week of Sept 20-24

2010-09-21T13:04:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We will finish up our scratch test with minerals and identify them using the minerals property table and the information we have gained from the scratch test. We will then use vinegar to test if a particular mineral is found in several different rocks

5th graders- Water Planet: We are wrapping up our lesson about the solar system and starting a new lesson about evaporation. Students will learn what evaporation is and will get the opportunity to see it first hand in our own evaporation experiment.

Don't forget!

Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday September 25, 2010

This is a great yearly event that helps keep our beautiful beaches clean and prevents pollution from entering our waters and hurting marine life and our marine ecosystem.
Events will be taking place all over the bay area.

Here is Berkeley there is a cleanup at Shorebird Park Nature Center. Please register first, so staff will know how many supplies to bring. You can register at www.cityofberkeley.info/marina

For more information about Coastal Cleanup Day, please check out there website at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

*My Science students receive extra credit for attending!!*

Coastal Cleanup Day

2010-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday September 25, 2010

This is a great yearly event that helps keep our beautiful beaches clean and prevents pollution from entering our waters and hurting marine life and our marine ecosystem.
Events will be taking place all over the bay area.

Here is Berkeley there is a cleanup at Shorebird Park Nature Center. Please register first, so staff will know how many supplies to bring. You can register at www.cityofberkeley.info/marina

For more information about Coastal Cleanup Day, please check out there website at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

*My Science students receive extra credit for attending!!*

Science The Week of Sept 13-17

2010-09-13T11:42:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are continuing to learn about making observations and use important observation tools that we will use throughout the year. We will also start to learn about minerals, including the different types of minerals and how they form rocks.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are continuing to learn about the solar system and how we classify the different planets. We will also spend some time learning what gravity is and how it works. We will end the week starting a new investigation where we will learn about evaporation.

Science The Week of Sept 7-10

2010-09-07T17:56:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We will spend the week learning about our new unit, Solid Earth. We are starting the unit by learning about rocks and why rocks are so important to our planet. We are also gaining important observation skills that we will use throughout the year.

5th graders- Water Planet: We will spend the week learning about our new unit, Water Planet. We are beginning this unit by learning about the solar system. This week we will learn that there are more than just planets in our solar system and about what makes the solar system unique.

Welcome to the Washington Science Blog!

2010-09-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Students and Families!

Welcome to the Washington Science Blog for the 2010-2011 school year. Please take a moment to become familiar with this blog and bookmark this page! I update this page weekly with information about what we are working on in class, upcoming tests, and any Science related community events, so please check it often.

Your student should have brought home a letter from me with information about what your student will be studying in Science this year and other important information. If you did not receive a copy, please let me know and I will send you a new copy.

Please help our class stay healthy and running all year round by donating any of the following items. I can take these items ANY time during the year, especially experiment materials.

• Kleenex tissue
• Spiral notebooks or composition books
• Pencils
• Hand disinfecting wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Dry erase markers
• Paper towels
• Printer ink cartridges
• Printer paper

Experiment Materials
• Borax
• Film Canisters
• Modeling clay
• Soil
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Posterboard
• Elmer’s Glue (liquid)

Please contact me at anytime. You can reach me at linsay_klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us Lets have an amazing and educational school year!!

Miss Klim =)

Science The Week of May 24-28

2010-05-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

4th and 5th graders- We are starting our in class Science projects this week. Students will spend class time working on either a poster, powerpoint presentation, or an experiment that they have chosen. Students will present their projects in class on June 4 and June 7.

Science The Week of April 19-April 23

2010-04-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Environments: We are continuing to take care of our plants we planted last week in our terrariums. We will continue to make observations about the growth we see and compare the different plants.

5th graders- STAR test prep: We are starting to prepare our 5th graders for the STAR test in Science that they will take in May. They will be tested on material they learned in 4th grade along with material they learned this year. This week we will do some review on the Earth and Life Science from the 4th and 5th grade curriculum. Topics include minerals, the rock cycle, and food webs.

Science Donations Needed:
-Celery
If you or someone you know have celery in their garden, I would appreciate being able to use about 12-15 stalks.

Science The Week of April 5-April 9

2010-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

4th graders- Environments: This week we are finishing up our lesson on food webs by creating our own food web using an ocean ecosystem. Each group will be starting their own ecosystem by planting seeds in terrariums and making observations on the different seeds that are planted.

5th graders- STAR test prep: We are starting to prepare our 5th graders for the STAR test in Science that they will take in May. They will be tested on material they learned in 4th grade along with material they learned this year. This week we will do some review on the Physical Science portion of the 4th and 5th grade curriculum.

Science Donations Needed:
-large plastic rectangle containers. Costco and other stores sell lettuce in these types of containers.
-Celery
Both items aren't needed until after spring break, so if you use the plastic containers, if you could please save them for me. If you or someone you know have celery in their garden, I would appreciate being able to use about 12-15 stalks.

Science Donations Needed

2010-03-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Science Families!

I am in need of the following items:

-large plastic rectangle containers. Costco and other stores sell lettuce in these types of containers.

-Celery

Both items aren't needed until after spring break, so if you use the plastic containers, if you could please save them for me. If you or someone you know have celery in their garden, I would appreciate being able to use about 12-15 stalks.

Science The Week of March 8-March 12

2010-03-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are spending this week preparing for our upcoming test on Solid Earth by working on a study guide. Students will take the study guide home to prepare for the test next week. The testing schedule is listed below

4th grade test schedule:

Ms. Bail and Mr. Cobeen's classes:
Wednesday March 17

5th graders- Water Planet: We will be taking the Water Planet unit test this week, below is the schedule. We will also start learning about our new unit Living Systems and what will be covered.

5th grade test schedule:

Ms. CR and Ms. Mitchell's classes:
Wednesday March 10

Washington's Science Night: Washington's Science Night will be on Thursday March 11 from 6-8pm. We will have stations where students can make ice cream, do a cow eye dissection, work with magnets, create electricity, make a chemical reaction and more! Please let all your families know through your newsletter.Volunteers are still needed!!!!

Upcoming 5th grade Science Test

2010-03-01T14:06:00.001-08:00

5th graders will be taking a unit test on "The Water Planet" next week. Here is the schedule

Students will take home their study guides on Wednesday March 3

Students will take their Water Planet unit test on Wednesday March 10

Please help your student prepare for their test using the study guide. Email me if you have any questions or concerns!

Science The Week of March 1-March 5

2010-03-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We will begin the week reviewing the rock cycle and how all the new vocabulary that we have learned relates to the rock cycle. We will end the week by starting our review for The Solid Earth unit test with a study guide.

5th graders- Water Planet: We will spend the week finishing our review of The Water Planet unit in preparation for our test next week.

Washington's Science Night: Washington's Science Night will be on Thursday March 11 from 6-8pm. We will have stations where students can make ice cream, do a cow eye dissection, work with magnets, create electricity, make a chemical reaction and more!

Science The Week of February 22- February 26

2010-02-22T17:59:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: This week we are finishing up our discussion about landforms by defining new landform vocabulary. We will also review the rock cycle by playing a game and connecting the cycle with the new vocab we have learned.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are putting the finishing touches on our lessons about heating the planet and weather maps this week and then we will start reviewing for our unit test on The Water Planet.

Science The Week of February 8- February 11

2010-02-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: This week we will be learning about weathering and erosion from a geological stand point. We will learn how weathering and erosion affects rocks and how it helps rocks go through the rock cycle. We will also look at how acid rain can affect the size and shape of a rock.

5th graders- Water Planet: This week we are studying the affects of pressure on our atmosphere. We are also looking at several types of severe weather including how it is created and how it affects our planet.

Also, I would like to have a science fair at Washington this year. It will be open to all students in any grade. Please let me know if your interested in helping organize this event by emailing me at linsay_klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Parent Update

2010-01-25T12:10:00.002-08:00

Dear Parents,

Many students have been learning so much and having an enjoyable year in Science. Recently, some students have had a hard time staying focused and on task during Science time. When students choose to not complete the in class assignment, they are missing important science curriculum and activities. Much of the material we cover in Science will continue into Middle School and High School and will give students an advantage by being introduced to these topics beforehand. Science is also included in the 5th grade state testing and covers material from both 4th and 5th grade. I am implementing a new program for students who can not complete the in class assignment due to poor choices in their behavior. Those students will be sent home with a reading assignment and questions that correspond to that day's lesson that they missed. A cover letter will also require your signature. While this reading assignment will be at an appropriate reading level for your student, please feel free to read the article with them. Please contact me with any questions or concerns at Linsay_Klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Also, I would like to have a science fair at Washington this year. It will be open to all students in any grade. Please let me know if your interested in helping organize this event by emailing me at linsay_klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Science The Week of January 25-January 29

2010-01-25T12:10:00.001-08:00

This week in Science:

4th graders- Solid Earth: The Rock Cycle is the focus of our studies this week. Students will learn the 3 different types of rocks; Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic; and what happens to each rock while going through each stage of the cycle. We will also spend some time watching the rock cycle using the computers on our wireless cart.

5th graders- Water Planet: The Water Cycle is the focus of our studies this week. Students will learn how a water molecule moves through the 5 stages in the water cycle. We will learn how water is disturbed on the planet and how we can reuse water. We will also spend some time watching the water cycle using the computers on our wireless cart. If the weather is cooperating, we will learn how the temperature outside affects water and soil temperatures.

Donations needed: In the next few weeks students will need newspaper, 1/2 liter bottles (clear) and vinegar for several experiments. Please leave them at school or contact me if you are able to donate any of these materials linsay_klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Science The Week of January 11-January 15

2010-01-12T15:10:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are spending this week using a mineral properties table to identify several different minerals. We are learning several techniques to help us identify different minerals, including looking at the hardness rating and doing scratch tests.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are focusing out studies this week on the many stages of a liquid, mainly water. We are looking at evaporation by completing an experiment that will be checking on every day this week. We are also looking at how surface area is affected by evaporation and what makes condensation form.

Donations needed: The science class needs the following materials for several upcoming experiments:

-Several bottles of vinegar
-at least 40 1/2 liter water or soda bottles (need to be clear plastic)

Please contact me if you are able to donate any of the above materials. Linsay_Klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Thank you!

Science The Week of January 4-January 8

2010-01-06T10:15:00.001-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are learning more about rocks including make observations about them, measuring them and learning about the minerals that are inside.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are continuing to learn about the solar system and gravity. We are also starting to learn about evaporation and how evaporation affects our planet.

Donations needed: The science class needs the following materials for several upcoming experiments:

-Several bottles of vinegar
-at least 40 1/2 liter water or soda bottles (need to be clear plastic)

Please contact me if you are able to donate any of the above materials. Linsay_Klim@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Thank you!

Science The Week of December 14- December 18

2009-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Solid Earth: We are going to be utilizing technology this week to learn more about rocks and our planet Earth. We will be using our wireless cart to visit the websites listed below, which are fun and informative. We will also have the opportunity to create a fun winter card using epsom salt and evaporation to create crystals.

5th graders- Water Planet: We are going to be utilizing technology this week to learn more about the solar system. We will be using our wireless cart to visit the websites listed below, which are fun and informative. We will also have the opportunity to create a fun winter card using epsom salt and evaporation to create crystals.

Websites for students this week:

All grades:
http://www.fossweb.com

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/

http://geology.usgs.gov/index.htm

http://education.usgs.gov/index.html

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/world

Science Website in Spanish

4th grade:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/change.html

http://volcano.oregonstate.edu

http://ology.amnh.org/earth/

5th grade
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space.html

http://www.badastronomy.com

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/

http://ology.amnh.org/astronomy/index/htm

Science The Week of December 7- December 11

2009-12-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

We are starting our new units!!!!!
4th graders- Solid Earth: We are beginning our new unit about our planet Earth by learning about rocks. We are learning why rocks are important and some of the many different characteristics rocks can have including color, shape, size, and density.

5th graders- Water Planet: The beginning of our new unit focuses on learning about the solar system. We will spend this week learning about the different characteristics of each planet, learn where the planets are located, and what similarities and differences the planets have with each other.

Science Test this week!!

2009-11-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

Remember students, this is the week when you will be tested on the units we have been working on since school started. For 4th graders that unit is Magnetism and Electricity and for 5th graders it is Mixtures and Solutions. Remember to review your study guide and you will do great!!!

All students will be tested on Wednesday December 2, 2009!

Upcoming Test!!!

2009-11-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

4th and 5th graders- We are spending the week of Thanksgiving reviewing for our unit tests. The 4th graders will take a test on Magnetism and Electricity and 5th graders will be take a test on Mixtures and Solutions. All students have received a study guide, which we have reviewed and corrected in class. Students should take this study guide home the week of Thanksgiving and should study it to prepare for their test. Each topic covered on the study guide will be on the test. Classes will take their test on the following days:

Tuesday Dec 1: LeConte: Ms. Blanchard and Ms. Woodard
Wednesday Dec 2: Washington: Mr. Cobeen, Ms. Bail, Ms. CR, and Ms. Mitchell
Thursday Dec 3: LeConte: Ms. Citrin and Mr. Argueta

FREE Science Activity on Saturday Nov 21 at UC Berkeley!

2009-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

4th and 5th graders at local elementary schools are invited to UC
Berkeley for Science Saturdays with the Society of Women Engineers.
SWE Science Saturdays will be a two hour fun engineering project and
lesson. The event is free to attend and students can keep the project they
make. Spaces are limited and given to those who RSVP first!

November 21st 10 am - 12 pm
Materials Science Engineerng
Bouncy Balls
Mix ingredients and test until you have the perfect bouncy ball.
25 Seats Available.
To RSVP contact Charlene Braski
crbraski@berkeley.edu

Science The Week of November 9-November 13

2009-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity:We are starting to wrap up our unit on Magnetism and Electricity. We will spending the next two weeks reviewing concepts we have learned, including using a magnet, how a compass works, working with a closed circuit, electromagnetism, and more. We will be working on a study guide to get us prepared for our upcoming Science test on Magnetism and Electricity.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions:We are starting to wrap up our unit on Mixtures and Solutions. We will spending the next two weeks reviewing concepts we have learned, including creating a mixture, the difference between a mixture and a solution, creating a chemical reaction, learning about atoms, and learning about the periodic table of elements and more. We will be working on a study guide to get us prepared for our upcoming Science test on Mixtures and Solutions.

This Week in Science November 2-November 5

2009-11-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: We will start the week with a quiz on Electromagnets. We will then start our last investigation in Magnetism and Electricity, which is focusing on Telegraphs. We will learn the history of telegraphs and find out how we can build our own telegraph in class.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: We are going to spend the week finishing our posters about the different families on the periodic table of elements. Each group will also do a small presentation to the class showing what they have learned about their family.

In two weeks the 5th graders will be looking at the chemical makeup of different food items. I need empty boxes for the students to read the ingredients list. The following is a list of product boxes that will be helpful:
-Sport drinks
-cereal boxes
-multivitamins
-energy bars
-condiments
-chips
-toothpaste

Science The Week of October 26-October 30

2009-10-26T08:49:00.001-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: We are continuing to focus on electromagnetism. Students are learning how many times the wire is wrapped around the rivet can affect its strength. They are also using their prediction skills to decide what other factors will affect the strength of an electromagnet.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: This week we are going to spend time focusing on the periodic table of elements. We are going to learn about the different families, atomic numbers, and examples of different elements. We are also going to make posters showing the different families.

Science The Week of October 19-October 23

2009-10-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

4th graders- Magnetism and Electricity: We are continuing to look at circuits, including series circuits and parallel circuits. Students will learn why a string of lights won't work when just one lightbulb is burnt out. We are going to start learning about the connection between electricity and magnetism with electromagnetism.

5th graders- Mixtures and Solutions: We are continuing to learn more about chemical formulas, elements and the periodic table. We are also starting to learn about how reactants come together to form a product in a chemical equation and how reactants and products can be in different states of matter.