The Scientific Method

The scientific method isn't just used in science! People use it everyday without realizing it.  Our homework was reading background information about Antony Van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microscopy, and using context clues and inferences to answer questions. One of the questions on the homework is "how did he [Van Leeuwenhoek] use the scientific method? This was challenging for many students because the reading did not say specifically, but rather relied on inferences and a knowledge of the scientific method.  We are reviewing the scientific method today, please look at the link below and relate something you do daily to the scientific method.

Scientific Method Steps

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek

Forces: Cause & Effect

Below is a link to a youtube video showing sky divers.  Every step and action taken has a cause and effect relating to force.  Before watching the video, write all the cause and effects you can think of.  We will watch the video and compare our predictions to what actually happens. Scientists make predictions everyday, and to make those predictions they rely on their schema & resources around them to predict outcomes.  It is ok not to be correct when predicting.

Scientific Eye Parachute Forces Clip

Gold & White or Black & Blue?

The dress on facebook has created a debate: what color is that dress? There have been articles and opinions that have created misconceptions about light, translations to the brain, and the color spectrum. This dress is a great example of an optical illusion.

New York Times Article



NBC News Video Clip

Optical Illusion

How many black dots do you see below? Look carefully, the answer may surprise you.

What is an optical illusion? Optical illusions are caused by a mismatch of what the eyes see and what the brain interprets

Turning Arrow Experiment

One of the science stations we are doing is the turning arrow experiment.  This is a perfect hands on example of refraction.  Take a look at this website to get more information and visuals.

Reverse Arrow Article

Do you observe refraction? Post below, I'd love to hear about it!

Live Space Walk 2/25/15

On 2/25/15 we watched a live spacewalk on NASA's website. We observed the communication and the astronauts in space making repairs on a robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS). We observed Earth and the sun from a very unique and amazing view.  We also used twitter and tweeted an astronaut named Douglas Wheelock (@Astro_Wheels). We asked him what time zone they use while in space and he responded to us within 30 minutes! The students were very excited to get a live tweet from space, thank you Douglas Wheelock! You can view other questions asked by adults and students on twitter using #askNASA.

Today I will show a clip from apollo 13 demonstrating problem and solution and how that relates to engineering. I encourage my students to be engineers whenever possible and to find times in their lives when they themselves are engineers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egWvQuT5TCU

I also will show them the original Apollo 13 math that saved the day and sold for $388,375 in 2011.

http://gizmodo.com/5863778/the-math-that-saved-apollo-13

Light!

We will be doing science stations for the next few days.  We will be exploring light and what happens when it is reflected, refracted, etc. Here is a copy of the worksheets we will use at each station and a description of what we will be doing. We will also have a station reviewing sound and amplification.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5-R28AdFXfoNk9yYXRrZHNSX2FBV2phTUF2R09aUQ/edit?pli=1

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife: Camp Wallace

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife department has a summer camp called Camp Wallace beginning June 15th. Sign ups are first come first serve, please fill out the form if you and your child are interested in going.  The cost for five days is $235.00.  If you register online you get a discount and it is $225.00. If you have any questions, you can contact John Coffey at: john.coffey@ky.gov and (859) 358-5175. 

http://fw.ky.gov/Education/Pages/Camp-Earl-Wallace.aspx

If We Only Saw Red...

This is a cool article and picture from NASA. For 2 extra points and a smartie board entry, let's link this article to the electromagnetic spectrum; why would Saturn's rings look like that if our eyes can only see the color red? Also, write at least one word you do not know with the definition.


http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18301


Here is a picture of what Saturn's rings look like. This image was taken in March 2003 by NASA when Saturn's rings were at maximum tilt towards earth. This happens every 15 years! BONUS: What year will NASA be able to view Saturn's rings at maximum tilt towards earth?

Valentine's Day

Today is our Valentine's Day party, the results of our recycling contest, and doing fun experiments involving candy. I am taking our experiments from the link below. I encourage my students to try science experiments at home with parental consent.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/closet/experiments/experiments_candy.html?tracking=81696_C#

I Love Mountain Day

Today we did an activity educating 4th grade students about mountain top removal. This lesson was created by our 4th grade math teacher, Mrs. Mattingly.  We discussed renewable and non renewable energy sources, sustainability, problem and solutions, and used an instruction method that incorporated kinesthetic, visual, and audiological learning styles.

We also included diversity in our learning. Our students in our FMD classroom made the muffins themselves for our science lesson. We are so lucky to have such great students who share their talents.  

Our experiment was posted on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berea-Community-Elementary-School/134059346654169

Moving on to Light

We took our test on sound and waves Tuesday 2/13/15. We are not transitioning into light. We will revisit waves after our next topic: thermal energy.

Here is a video from one of my favorite scientists Bill Nye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtgBHsSzCPE

We will be watching this video in class and having a discussion about it.


Challenge Question: If a room is completely dark with no light coming through, will our eyes eventually adjust to the darkness?

Sound Waves & Amplitude

Here is the powerpoint we reviewed in class.  We will be having a quiz 2/3/15.  Questions and comments are always welcomed.  Have a great weekend!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cJWi-M737mBDVLxfHFLwns8-Cvcc-BMI6T04Y3RH-_s/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Cause and Effect

Our homework assignment this week will be cause and effect of sound.  The purpose is to develop a deeper understanding by explaining step by step the cause and effect.  This is a youtube video explaining cause and effect.  I will also attach the worksheet we are using. Students can use a blank piece of paper if they did not get a worksheet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&v=rwDpJC6MEzo&x-yt-ts=1421914688#t=82

Homework Graph: Bug Sounds

The week of January 20th all classes had a homework assignment called Bug Sounds. This homework is posted on our science blog.  Writing, reading and math are vital to success in any field, including our 4th grade science class :) Students have been introduced to rubrics in their writing and I have introduced a rubric for our science homework.  Rubrics set goals and expectations, and it allows our class to improve their writing skills.  The bar graph examines three pieces of data: the number of students who revised their homework, the students who did not revise, and students who did not turn it in.  This is categorized by class and we will graph our homework progress.  Our class goal is to increase the number of students turning in their homework and making revisions.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1feaYFRwXC7SIfhBrypTLMi2QMX68F-8hRr-DXqUcJHM/pubhtml

Sound Power Point

I am publishing the power point I created about sound. We are continuing examining sound waves and properties, but I want to make sure students and parents have access to materials used in class.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HqDQ8zt9_XfMeOkAswQOCEpcehfWqvl1yOQ7Hn5oaAw/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Compression and Rarefaction

Today I modeled with a slinky what compression and rarefaction looks like. I also compared the similarities with a slinky and a sound wave. I also asked students to stand up and show me what compressed sound waves look like and I did the same with rarefaction. This website has an illustration and describes compression and rarefaction in more detail.


http://everythingscience.co.za/grade-10/09-longitudinal-waves/09-longitudinal-waves-02.cnxmlplus

Science Stations 1/22/15

We will be doing science stations! We will have five stations with a goal of reinforcing what we have already learned about sound. This is an opportunity for me to walk around and assist students in a small group setting.

Station #1:  Researching on the computer.  Students will use this blog and go through the websites I have linked on here about sound. They can also look at these links at home.

Station #2: Using tuning forks, water, a plastic bowl and sack, rubber band, wooden spoon and baking pan students will observe and reinforce that sound is mechanical energy.  Students will experiment and record their observations and data and will make a graph with their data next week.

Station #3: Homework and research.  Students have recently completed a homework assignment about how bugs use sound.  Students who have turned in their homework will revise and edit it based on a graded rubric.  This is also an opportunity to do the assignment and turn it in.  Once completed, students will use a tablet and books to research how other animals use sound in their environment.

Station #4: Responding to twitter videos and tweets.  Our class is collaborating with a high school class in Northern Kentucky via my twitter account @AshleyR_Hammond. Students will read the comments and brainstorm either a question they have about sound or a fact they learned in class. Students are allowed to use the notes they have taken in class.  This activity will allow me to observe what the students know well and areas I need to focus on in class.

Station #5: This station will be a review station on states of matter.  This still relates to sound because a medium is need for sound to travel.

Graphing Our Results

Graphing is an important way people organize information.  Graphs are seen in news papers, television, businesses, and the classroom just to name a few. This graph focuses on how we work together in groups comparing the three fourth grade classes. We will continue to do graphs using google docs, please feel free to comment and suggest the data and topic for our next graph!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W3fgabZPf8x1Ldtcfw4yhe7eGzqWpllgDZzZmHamg_o/pubhtml

Amplitude, Frequency, and Pitch

Pitch is the highness and lowness of a sound.

Frequency is vibrations per second.  The more vibrations per second, the higher the sound.  If there are fewer vibrations per second, the pitch is lower.

Amplitude is the loudness of the sound.

This youtube video uses instruments and experiments to explain pitch, frequency, and amplitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irqfGYD2UKw



Challenge Question:

Which wind chime pictured below has the lowest pitch?

This question is on the KPrep and will be reviewed again in class.  

Sound is Vibration!

This Magic School Bus clip focusses on vibration is sound. Check it out and leave a comment below or comment on the video in class.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxYmPAEW840

Amplitude and Frequency in Music

Music needs sound.  Without sound we would not hear instruments, singing, and percussion.  Let's dig a little deeper: we have tone, amplitude, frequency, & pitch.  Take a look at this website and explore the different sounds on it.  The next time you hear your favorite song, sing along to the radio, or go to music class remember they are sound waves! 

http://www.howmusicworks.org/103/Sound-and-Music/Amplitude-and-Frequency

Homework for Mrs.Morgan's, Mrs. Hammond's & Mrs. Payne's Reading Group

Homework is due 1/21/15. Please answer both questions.  You can submit this electronically by leaving a comment below. Please include your name and homeroom so I know who you are :)

Homework for Mrs. Sanders & Mrs. Mattingly's Reading Group

Homework is Due 1/21/15. Please answer two out of three questions.  This can also be submitted electronically in the comments on this post. Please include your name and homeroom. 

Homework Rubric

Hello 4th graders! Here is the rubric I will be using to grade your homework. After you answer the questions, check out the rubric and score yourself.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kLfIO1hVyj2lkg6JZkRhfDUVplaipskvo3OOukkbrAY/pub

Websites About Sound

Here are some great websites about sound! Check them out and let me know what you think. Can you find anymore websites about sound? Comment and and attach the link below!

http://www.eschooltoday.com/energy/kinds-of-energy/what-is-sound-energy.html

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-lists/4th-grade-science-vocabulary-words-for-sound-and-light.html

http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=350

http://www.kidsdiscover.com/spotlight/sound-and-vibration/

http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season14/sound/facts.cfm

Sound

For the next 2-3 weeks our class will focus on sound. We will be doing experiments in class, and I will be encouraging students to do experiments at home. We will also explore what careers and use sound waves, echolocation, and sound energy.