Ms. Cherene's Science Stuff

5th grade

2012-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

This week we will test our knowledge of mixtures and solutions.

4th grade

2012-01-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

This week we will be learning about the force of attraction and distance.

Separating a Dry Mixture-5th grade

2012-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

This week the students will make a dry mixture of gravel, salt, and powder that they will then figure out how to separate. They will need to write up a plan and test it.

More Magnetic Properties-4th grade

2012-01-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

This week we will learn about induced magnetism and temporary magnets.

Magnets and Materials-4th grade

2012-01-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

This week we will be learning about how magnets interact with different kinds of materials. We will discover that magnets don't stick to just any metal but to iron and steel. We will also learn about the north and south poles of a magnet.

Separating a Salt Solution-5th grade

2012-01-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

This week in the 5th grade we will learn the difference between a mixture and a solution and how we can separate a salt water solution.

Happy New Year

2012-01-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

We are starting the new year off with new units of study! In the fourth grade we are going to study magnetism and electricity. While in the fifth grade we will be learning about chemistry. Look for the introduction letter with a reading list attached on Wednesday, January 11th in the weekly folder.

Science Fair-Thursday, May 26

2011-05-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Science Fair is set up and ready for everybody to come take a look! Come learn about ice skating, fire, cats, buoyancy, dogs, eyes, and much more.

Tonight the students may

1) do nothing more...the hard work is done

2) stand by their projects (for as long as they want) and answer questions as people learn about all the wonderful science they did

3) take center stage (first come first served) in the library and present their projects to everyone

Please leave the projects at school. I will send them home next week. See you tonight.

Need More Challenge? Write an Abstract.

2011-05-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

If your child is interested in more challenge I would like to invite them to include an abstract in their report. An abstract is optional, however it will challenge their thinking and give them practice if they are to ever enter a science fair contest.

The following info is from Sciencebuddies.org

An abstract is an abbreviated version of your science fair project final report. For most science fairs it is limited to a maximum of 250 words. The science fair project abstract appears at the beginning of the report as well as on your display board.
Almost all scientists and engineers agree that an abstract should have the following five pieces:

Introduction. This is where you describe the purpose for doing your science fair project or invention. Why should anyone care about the work you did? You have to tell them why. Did you explain something that should cause people to change the way they go about their daily business? If you made an invention or developed a new procedure how is it better, faster, or cheaper than what is already out there? Motivate the reader to finish the abstract and read the entire paper or display board.
Problem Statement. Identify the problem you solved or the hypothesis you investigated.
Procedures. What was your approach for investigating the problem? Don't go into detail about materials unless they were critical to your success. Do describe the most important variables if you have room.
Results. What answer did you obtain? Be specific and use numbers to describe your results. Do not use vague terms like "most" or "some."
Conclusions. State what your science fair project or invention contributes to the area you worked in. Did you meet your objectives? For an engineering project state whether you met your design criteria.

Things to Avoid

Avoid jargon or any technical terms that most readers won't understand.
Avoid abbreviations or acronyms that are not commonly understood unless you describe what they mean.
Abstracts do not have a bibliography or citations.
Abstracts do not contain tables or graphs.
For most science fairs, the abstract must focus on the previous 12 months' research (or less), and give only minimal reference to any earlier work.
If you are working with a scientist or mentor, your abstract should only include procedures done by you, and you should not put acknowledgements to anyone in your abstract.

Why Is an Abstract Important?

Your science fair project abstract lets people quickly determine if they want to read the entire report. Consequently, at least ten times as many people will read your abstract as any other part of your work. It's like an advertisement for what you've done. If you want judges and the public to be excited about your science fair project, then write an exciting, engaging abstract!
Since an abstract is so short, each section is usually only one or two sentences long. Consequently, every word is important to conveying your message. If a word is boring or vague, refer to a thesaurus and find a better one! If a word is not adding something important, cut it! But, even with the abstract's brief length, don't be afraid to reinforce a key point by stating it in more than one way or referring to it in more than one section.

How to Meet the Word Limit

Most authors agree that it is harder to write a short description of something than a long one. Here's a tip: for your first draft, don't be overly concerned about the length. Just make sure you include all the key information. Then take your draft and start crossing our words, phrases, and sentences that are less important than others. Look for places where you can combine sentences in ways that shorten the total length. Put it aside for a while, then come back and re-read your draft. With a fresh eye, you'll probably find new places to cut. Before you know it you will have a tightly written abstract.

Sample

Sample science fair project abstract.

Experimenting

2011-04-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

This week you should continue or start your experiment. Take PICTURES!!!!

On Monday, May 9th the second rough draft is due. In this draft you need to include your title page, table of contents, research paper, hypothesis, materials and procedures, any results (data) and observations up until now (you don't have to be done with your experiment if it is a long term one such as plants), conclusions (if you are done), acknowledgments and bibliography.

Question Words

2011-04-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

A good way to help you identify what is important in your reading is by making a list of questions you want to answer.

Who does this help?
What happens if water is added?
Where was this first discovered?
When should I start to grow the plants?
Why do we have fingernails?
How can I make an assembly line move faster?

As you find the answers to your questions write them down so that you can refer to them as you write your background research. Have fun.

Research Paper

2011-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Now that you have your sources of information about your topic it is time to read them! Take notes on the most interesting and important parts and turn those notes into your background research paper. Your rough draft is due Monday April 25th. I am looking forward to reading the papers and giving you feedback. If you have a computer I recommend that you (or your grown up) type your report it will make it easier in the long run. Have fun.

Science Fair

2011-04-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Science Fair preparation is in full swing! As students turn in their science fair topic proposals I will give them a science fair board. By next week the students should find at least three sources of written information and turn in the bibliography worksheet so that in class we can learn how to write a bibliography. Have fun!

The Elements Song

2011-03-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

If a 5th grader can learn The Elements Song and perform it for the class after Spring break they will earn extra credit! If you search The Elements Song you will find many for versions of this great song. Have fun!

Pill Bugs

2011-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Fourth graders will be studying isopods after spring break so......please get out in the dirt and bring some pill bugs/roly polys to school when you return! Enjoy your vacation.

Science Fair

2011-03-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is just heads up that the Science Fair is just around the corner. The students will be getting their packets at the end of March. They will receive a calendar and info on how to complete each step. All 4th and 5th graders must complete a project. I love this time of year because the students get to study something they really like and they learn a ton.

Bill Nye The Science Guy on Chemical Reactions (Full Clip)

2011-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Chemical Reactions

2011-03-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

The fifth graders are working on chemical reactions. It is very fun to see and feel the changes! We are learning about how atoms move and recombine to make new substances.

Electromagnets

2011-03-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

The forth grade is working with (or about to be working with) electromagnets. They are discovering ways to make them stronger and we will move into building a telegraph!

Cool the Earth

2011-02-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are our golden coupon collection days. If you are able to pledge to do any one of the actions in the golden coupon book (that was passed out in class) please fill out the back of it and send it to school with your student. I will collect them after school on the Plaza. Cragmont has a goal of 500 actions. Every bit of saved carbon helps to Cool the Earth.

Erosion

2011-01-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Landform Haikus

2010-12-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some poems written and performed by Mr. Munda's students. They got to choose the content based on what they liked best about landforms.

4th and 5th grade up dates

2010-12-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

4th grade
We are starting our magnetism and electricity unit. Do you have any magents that you want to share?
You should be getting the last tests from the Solid Earth unit this week. After the break you will get back their graded journals.

5th grade
We are starting out Mixtures and Solutions unit.
You should be getting the last tests from the Water Planet unit back this week. After the break you will get back their graded journals.

Happy Holidays, I hope you enjoy the vacation. If you do anything science orientated and take pictures I would love to post them with a short description!

Santorini, Greece

2010-11-29T20:07:00.001-08:00

One of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth in the last few thousand years helped create this caldera ( the "cooking pot" shaped collapsed earth) on the Greek island of Santorini. Volcanoes are examples of "fast" changes to the earth!

Mt. Vesuvius

2010-11-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii Italy is a volcano that erupted on August 24 A.D. 79 blanketing the town in 10 feet of ash! The people were "frozen" in time.

Chasing the Sun

2010-10-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

In the 5th grade we are chasing the Sun! We need heat and shadows to test the uneven heating of the Earth and it is now raining!!!! The minute the sun comes out we will be on the patio with water, soil and thermometers. In the meantime we are learning about condensation and air pressure.

Layers of the Earth in School

2010-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Next week the 4th grade will be leaning about the layers of the Earth and building play dough models. The video below is fun and since it is on YouTube I can't show it at school so please show it your kids.

Layers of the Earth

2010-10-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Newspaper vs internet

2010-10-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dear 5th grade Families,

I have a soft spot for the newspaper but if you don't get one at your home please feel free to use any other resource you have such as, the Internet, to have your students look up the weather and become familiar with what a weather map looks like and the type of information you can find on one. Try weather.com. We are studying how surface area affects the rate of water evaporation. We will soon be studying the uneven heating of soil vs. water.

Acid Tests

2010-10-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

All the 4th grade rooms smell like vinegar and have beautiful calcite crystals in them! You can test any rock you find for calcite, just pour some vinegar on it and look for bubbles! If your test is inconclusive ask your student what to do next. Next week we will be studying granite. Keep those rock collections coming, we love them.

4th Grade Happenings

2010-10-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

The students are continuing to bring in their rock collections. It is very fun for all the kids to see the collections and what they mean to their classmates. If your student hasn't started a collection yet please remember that found rocks are great and you do not need to buy any thing. When your student has at least 12 rocks they should bring in the collection to share.

We learned about mineral hardness and how to test the minerals using simple tools, ask your student how to do it. The 4th graders will be taking their first test this week and you should receive them back through the classroom teacher next week. We are moving on to the "acid test". We will be using vinegar to test for calcite. You could do this at home with any old rock, all the students will know how to do this by the end of the week.

What the 5th grade is up to...

2010-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

We are just finishing with space (planets and such) and moving into how the sun really makes our weather. They took their first test and you should be getting that back very soon through the classroom teacher. If you haven't started yet, please find a way for your student to read the weather page in the paper. It will help support what we are learning in class.

California Coastal Clean-Up

2010-09-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

SHORE CLEAN UPS
International Shoreline Clean-Ups'
26th year! This Clean-up date is Sept 25th, 2010

We have been cleaning the coast for a long time and would be great if we saw you at 9:00 a.m. behind Seabreeze Market at the corner of University and Frontage Rd.
Last year Cragmont won a prize for the largest turn out of after school participants!

2010-2011 School Year

2010-09-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Cragmont Families,

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year. This is a brief description of what we are studying now and what we plan to study for the rest of the year.

In the fourth grade we have started off the year studying “Solid Earth”. We will be looking at rocks and minerals as well as slow and fast changes to the earth such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and erosion. Each fourth-grader is charged with developing a rock collection. The rocks can be found on the street, at the park, in the backyard, or at school. There is no need to purchase rocks, although that's okay also.

For the rest of the year our units of study will be “Magnetism and Electricity”, followed by “Environments” and lastly, my favorite time of the year, the science fair.

In the fifth grade we have started off the year studying "The Water Planet". We are looking at the solar system and how the sun affects weather on planet Earth. If you get the newspaper it would be great if your student could read the weather page to help support the learning in the classroom. Our next units of study will be "Mixtures and Solutions" and “Vascular Systems”. The end of the year will bring us to the science fair and our health unit.

If you are available to volunteer during your child's class or any other science class please let me know I would be more than happy to have you!

Science Fair Oral Presentations

2010-05-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

I saw some great projects today! I can' wait for Thursday when the kids can show Cragmont what they have learned. If anyone is interested in doing an oral presentation of their project during the Science Fair please let me know and we will decide on a time slot.

Science Fair Project Due

2010-05-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

The final Science Fair project is due on Monday May 24, 2010. Please bring the display boards upstairs to the science closet off of room 303 and hand in the written paper to your classroom teacher and I will collect them all.

What's New in Class

2010-04-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

In the 4th grade we are on out last bit of Magnetism and Electricity. We will start electromagnets after testing. We will end the year learning about Environments (food webs).

In the 5th we are learning about photosynthesis and we will continue with our biology theme.

Second Dafts Due May 10th.

2010-04-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

This week is for doing experiments (if you haven't already)! All experiments should be finished during the week of May 3rd if not sooner. On May 10th the second draft of the whole report is due.
The 2nd draft includes title page, table of contents, question, research, hypothesis, materials, procedure, results, conclusion, acknowledgments, and bibliography. If your student needs more of a challenge please include an abstract.
I am really enjoying reading the 1st drafts. The students have put in some hard work and should be proud of themselves.

Research Rough Draft Due on Monday April 26

2010-04-23T16:42:00.001-07:00

Hopefully by now your student has read all the books, magazines, internet sites, and articles about their science fair topic that they got at the library. The rough draft that is due on Monday is mostly about this research. The students are not expected to have finished their experiment yet! On Monday I want to see a 5 paragraph paper from the 4th graders and 6 paragraphs from the 5th graders that just address the research they have done. Another way to look at this is I want to read about the background information they used in order to formulate a hypothesis. This is a rough draft and is given credit/no credit for turning it in on time.

Science Fair-April 18, 2010

2010-04-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

This week the students need to bring resources related to their science fair topics (books, magazines...) that they found at the library so that we can learn how to write a proper bibliography.

Monday-Ms. King, Ms. Dugan (5th grade), Ms. Natalie, Ms. Goyen

Tuesday-Ms. Dobson

Friday-Ms.Dugan (4th grade)

They also need to read the books at home so they can start writing up the research that they have found. 4th grade students need to write at least five paragraphs and 5th graders to write at least six paragraphs of information about their topics before they generate their hypotheses. This is an exciting time for science fair projects, when things start to really take shape.

Biology

2010-04-11T15:31:00.001-07:00

The fifth grade has just stated studying biology. We are starting with human body and moving on to plants and photosynthesis. If you received my packet on this unit please spend some time looking it over for games to play, books to read, and projects you can do at home that help to support the science curriculum. In the next week I will send home the chemistry notebooks from the previous unit.
After state testing we will study "Puberty" look for permission slips around the end of May.

2010-04-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is just a friendly reminder that science fair topics in the form of a question are due on Monday April 12. You can find the form to turn in on the 4th page of the science fair packet. I hope your student has had fun figuring out what to study! If anybody is still struggling with this please check out sciencebuddies.com there are many helpful ideas including a science fair topic selection wizard.

Science Fair Parent Info Night

2010-03-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

I hope you can come on March 25, 2010 @6-7pm in the Cragmont library to learn about the Science Fair. If you can't make don't worry. I will post the power-point on the blog so you will have an online reference as well as the hard copy packets the students will bring home next week.

Welcome to Ms. Cherene's Science Stuff

2010-03-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Air Pressure

2009-11-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

This was today's demo on atmospheric pressure. It was a big success! To do this at home all you need is a glass jar, a hard boiled egg, paper and a match. Ask your student to help you out. Let us know how it went.

Ms. Cherene at Cinder Cone at Mt. Lassen National Park part 2

2009-11-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

We woke up at 6am to hike up Cinder Cone Volcano in order to beat the heat. Lassen National Park is great place for vulcanologists and it is currently my favorite national park.

Ms. Cherene at Cinder Cone at Mt. Lassen

2009-11-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

Ms. Cherene at Mt. Lassen

2009-11-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

Snow in July! Crazy! Can you see the "butterfly event"?

What's New in 5th Grade

2009-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Our weather studies are moving along at a 100 knots an hour and we are keeping pace! We are learning about the uneven heating of the earth and how that is important to our weather patterns.
Ms. King's and Mr. Munda's classes are working on weather report podcasts, hope to post those soon.

What's New in 4th grade

2009-10-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

The fourth grade is still studying rocks and now is a good time to bring in rock collections to share with the class. We have seen some great rocks!
We are going to build play-dough models of the earth. Is there anybody who can make or buy play-dough in 4 colors?

Welcome to 2009 -- 2010 school year

2009-09-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

In both the fourth and fifth grades we are off to a cooperative start. We did some team building exercises so the students could practice working together solving problems. We are going to jump right in with science content this week.
In the fourth grade we are going to begin studying the layers of the Earth,rocks, and minerals. If your student doesn't already have a rock collection now is a great time to begin. Found rocks are the best.
In the fifth grade we are starting off with space. We will learn about the solar system and how the sun affects the weather here on planet Earth. If you get a newspaper now is a great time to have your student read the weather page.

Science Fair Night 2009

2009-06-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

New photos have been added to the slide show! Watch for your science fair project.

Pollinators

2009-05-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

4th grade pollinator link for in class project.
http://www.fws.gov/Pollinators/

5th grade survey

2009-05-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

5th graders Please answer the questions. Click on the link.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4qtn6ZG13sCpM2qEwZchOg_3d_3d

The Science Fair is here!

2009-05-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

The library looks great! The projects are beautiful and informative. Please come by this week or next to have a look. During Open House some of the students (it is optional) are going present their work, that is always a lot of fun. If you want to present your project and have not yet signed up just let me know on Thursday morning. Way to go young scientists, I am proud of you all.

Science Fair Finale

2009-05-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is the last week to work on your science fair projects. The whole thing is due on May 11. This week you should finish up your experiment if you have not done that yet, turn in your second draft so I can give you feedback if you have not done that yet, and lastly work on your display board.
In class we made a "mock up" of the boards and every child should have brought home their design. The title goes in the middle, from there you start on the left side. Put each section in order down the left side moving to the middle and finally to the right side. Usually the research (optional on board), question, hypothesis, materials and procedures are on the left. The data, charts, graphs, photos, observations go in the middle. The right side is what didn't fit so far,the conclusion, and the acknowledgments (optional).
There is room for artistic expression but you are telling the story of the experiment so be careful that the order makes sense. Each section does have a heading for example QUESTION: Why does bread mold? Feel free to use color matting under the sections, or to add that extra touch to make it fun. If you want to orally present your project on May 14 at the fair I will have a sign up sheet in class. You may bring your experiment if you want to but be aware that hundreds of people will be touching it and it might get broken or stolen.
HAVE FUN!

2009-04-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a simply site on how to write a bibliography. Remember that you need at least three sources of information and one must be something other than the internet.
http://www.santacruzpl.org/kids/bibs/homework/rptbib.html

Science Fair Week 4

2009-04-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

There is nothing to turn in this week. If you have not yet done your experiment now is the time. Please take pictures as you go along so that you can put them on your display.
By the end of next week (April 27-May 1)the second draft of the report is due. This draft is much more complete than the first one. The report needs to include at least your research, what question you are trying to answer, hypothesis, materials, procedure and bibliography. If you are done with your experiment you need to also include your data, analysis, conclusion, and acknowledgments.
Next week in class we will go over how to make your display board. Have fun!

Real Organs!

2009-04-15T18:29:00.001-07:00

2009-04-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Science Fair week 3

2009-04-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

This week students need to turn in a rough draft of their research. Hopefully they got some books/web sites/ experts or other resources to read about their chosen topic and they are excited about their projects. They should write at least one strong paragraph (but more is encouraged) about what they learned from the books/web sites/experts.

Journals

2009-04-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hopefully your student brought home their completed journal from our last unit (4th grade was magnetism and electricity, 5th grade was mixtures and solutions. A "+" symbol means that the work was turned in on time, correct and complete. A check means that the work was mostly complete and mostly correct. A"-" means the work is incomplete or incorrect.

Pick a Topic

2009-03-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I passed out the science fair info packet in teacher's boxes Tuesday March 24, so you should receive them soon. The first order of business is to pick a topic. There are hundreds of internet resources as well a books at the library. Pick something that will hold your interest for 6 weeks. Have fun.

Science Fair PowerPoint for Parent info Night

2009-03-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Science Fair 2009

2009-03-05T09:49:00.001-08:00

As we get closer to the Science Fair I will post due dates and ideas here on the blog. If you have questions you can ask them here or email or phone me and I will get back to ASAP. This is a fun and challenging project and I hope the family will come together to support the budding scientist.
The Science Fair is on Thursday, May 14 BUT the projects are due on Monday, May 11. If you look at my earlier posts you will find a video of a 5th grader presenting his tornado project form 2008.

Science Fair 2009

2009-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

• Do you have questions about the Science Fair?
• Do you want to know how you can help your students?
• Do you want to understand how the whole process works?
• Do you want to know what parts are done in class and what parts are done at home?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions or if you have any other question please come to a parent informational night on Tuesday March 17, 2009 at 6pm-7pm in the library. The Science Fair is mandatory for the 4th and 5th graders but any student can participate.
I look forward to seeing you there.

• Tienen preguntas acerca de la feria de Ciencias de Cragmont?
• Quiere saber como ayudar a su niño?
• Quiere entender como funciona todo el proceso?
• Quiere saber que partes se hacen en la clase y que partes se hacen en la casa?
Si ha contestado si a mas de una pregunta o si tiene algunas otras preguntas por favor asista a una reunión informal de padres el martes 17, de marzo del 2009 a las 6-7pm en la biblioteca de Cragmont.
La feria de ciencias es mandatoria para los alumnos de 4to y 5to grados, pero cualquier estudiante puede participar.
Espero verlos a todos aquí!

Guest Speakers

2009-02-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

Today in science 4 chemistry grad students came to teach us about metals. More on this later...

Science Fair 2009

2009-02-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

The Science Fair will be in May. It is my favorite time of year. The students get to show the world what they know and we can learn from each other about a wide variety topics. The students will start working on their projects at the end of March. Much of the work is done at home. In March (the exact date tba) I will have a parent info night to help you help your student succeed. I'm looking forward to working with you.

Podcasts on Weather

2009-02-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

Check out some fifth grade weather projects by listening to the podcasts on the left side of the blog.
They had a lot of fun doing the weather reports. They had to research the weather on line, use word processing, and use garage band to record the reports.

Technology

2008-12-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

For the 5th graders we are really moving on technology use for our end of the unit projects!! In Ms. Goyen's class we are podcasting about the weather, stay tuned for the actual podcasts that will be posted to this blog.
For Ms. Natalie's class we are creating space and weather vocabulary flashcards using PowerPoint. The PowerPoints will also be posted here. When we come back from break we will start chemistry. Fun stuff.

Electricity and Magnetism

2008-12-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

We are starting our new unit on Electricity and Magnetism. By now I hope you have all received your new science packet. The math and experiments are for fun and do not have to be turned in, however I would be happy to see any work you do. Look around you everyday and notice the many ways that we use electricity. What would life be like with out it? Consider writing a story about your ideas.

Check Out the Weather

2008-10-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

5th graders: Read the weather page in the paper or go to weather.com and keep up with what is happening. What is going to happen on Halloween? How about next week? Based on the weather where in the world would you take a vacation and why?

Rock Experiments to do at Home

2008-10-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here are two experiments you can try at home. They are based on experiments we did in class so ask your 4th grader to lead the way.
For both experiments get a variety of rocks.
Experiment 1
Try to scratch the rocks with your fingernail, aluminum nail and a paper clip.
Put the rocks in order of hardest to least hard.
Experiment 2
Put each rock in a bowl or cup and add enough white vinegar to cover the rock. Did the rock fizz? What does that mean? (Fizz=calcite) Let the rocks sit over night and then take out the rocks. Let the vinegar evaporate. What do you see? What does it mean? (Crystals=calcite)

Sun Vocabucast

2008-10-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is a sample of how students will present their favorite science vocabulary words.

Thank you..

2008-10-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the parents, Shannon, Jameela, Teresa, who have helped out in science. It makes our day go a little more smoothly with the help and attention. I am still looking for a parent to help make the 4th grade glossary posters. If you can help out please let me know. I will give you the paper, markers, word list, and a hearty thank you.

Geology Rocks

2008-10-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

We are now studying the properties of rocks and learning how to identify different minerals in them. Keep up those rock collections!

Water Planet-5th grade

2008-10-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

In our study of our "Water Planet" we are studying space and how the Sun affects our weather. Students should read the weather page in the newspaper or on line (weather.com) to become familiar with what weather is and how it changes. The students will be working on a meteorology project where they will present both local and national weather on camera. It will be out of this world fun!

2008-09-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here is great 5th grade link at NASA about space.
You can also check out photos of Ike

Welcome to the 2008-2009 School Year

2008-09-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

We are off and running!!
The science packet the went home is just for fun and knowledge, no need to turn anything in unless you want to.
Some of the 4th graders have brought in beautiful rock collections and I look forward to see more.

Science Fair Video

2008-06-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Science Fair was a great success. All of your hard work paid off and we all learned a lot by reading your projects.

Science Fair-The Day Draws Near

2008-05-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

The end is in sight!!!
Please turn in the report and the board on or before Thursday, May 29.
The board does not have a title page, bibliography, or table of contents.
You may bring your experiment if you will take care of it and are not worried about it being broken or stolen.
If you have not yet turned in your second draft please do so that I can make corrections and suggestions.
If you want to sign up for the optional oral presentation the night of the fair the sign up sheet is on my door put what time you will be here and also if you need to be out side or inside.
Happy experimenting!!!!!

Science Fair

2008-05-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

The second draft of the science fair reports are due on Thursday May 15, 2008.
Each report should include:
Title page
Table of contents
Statement of purpose, question
Background research
Hypothesis
Materials and procedure
Observations and results
Conclusion
Bibliography
Acknowledgments

2008-03-13T14:21:00.001-07:00

This is a darking-beetle.

2008-03-13T14:07:00.001-07:00

Isopods also known as Roly-Polies

Me blogging

2008-02-06T15:16:00.001-08:00

organelles

2008-01-16T17:19:00.001-08:00

Cell parts, this is a great view!