Brrr! It is cold!!!

How cold it it? In grade 7 we are taking advantage of the difference between outside and inside temperature to explore heat transfer. This week we looked at the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales. Students made these handy conversion graphs using google sheets.

In our next lesson we calibrated blank thermometers. Students used ice water as their zero and boiling water as their 100. Then they measured the distance between the two points and made marks for every 5 degrees. 

On the right is a student thermometer reading about 18C and a lab thermometer reading about 20C.

Another set of thermometers with pretty close readings. 

We will discuss particles and forms of heat transfer next. Here is a fun clip to watch. Try this at home.

Click to see the Veritasium Clip "Misconceptions about Temperature"

Separation of Mixtures by 6v

In grade 6 we finished our Elements, Compounds and Mixtures unit with some practical work of separating mixtures. Filtration and evaporation were familiar to students. They could easily explain how they would recover salt from saltwater using evaporation. It was a little trickier to describe how they would recover water from saltwater. These boys built a simple desalination plant. After a lot of problem solving, they were able to recover some fresh water. 

We also tried separating the colors of a pen using chromatography. Water worked well for most pens but we also tried some other solvents. 

Magnets

Grade 3 is completing a unit called Bright Sparks. In their classroom they learned a lot about circuits and conductors and insulators. In IPC lab we investigated static electricity and magnets. The magnet lesson was fun. We made predictions about what objects were attracted to a magnet and which objects weren't. We discussed the fact that all things attracted to a magnet are metal but that not all metal is attracted to a magnet. We looked at strong and weak magnets and opposing forces. A strong magnet could lift up the scissors because the magnet force was bigger than the force of gravity. Weaker magnets couldn't pick up the scissors because gravity "won". This reminded some students of building boats and buoyant force.

We finished the lesson by making the scissors into a temporary magnet and making an electromagnet. We talked a little about the relationship between electricity and magnets.

I showed the students my "magical tube of science". Come try if for yourself or watch this clip. Or watch the clip and then come try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqdOyxJZj0U

Here are some related learning goals.

2.35 Know about the principles of magnets and magnetic and non-magnetic materials

2.39 Know that forces differ in size

2.38 Know that forces have direction

End of term wrap-up

From the looks of this blog we haven't been doing much in the science lab. The truth is we have been very busy. End of term brings busy times for everyone. We are all in need of some rest and relaxation over the holidays. Here is a photo dump of some activities we have been doing.

Grade 7 students measured the pH of different liquids using different indicators. (Acids and Bases unit)

Our Bright Sparks from grade 3 have been investigating static electricity in the lab. Some groups made paper snakes and charmed the snakes with their recorders. (And some static electricity of course.)

This may look like a grade 6 student but it is really Willem Einthoven who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1924 for inventing an EKG machine. Wouldn't the real Einthoven be surprised to find out that a grade 6 student at SIS in 2015 can do an EKG in school using a simple data logging EKG probe. 

Another Nobel Laureate Takaaki Kajita, winner of the year's Nobel Prize in Physics.

 Paul Modrich and Frederick Sanger

Sir William Ramsay and John O'Keefe

International Elements

What is it that these 6th grade boys find so interesting on their chrome books? Would you believe me if I told you they were translating The Periodic Table? It is great working at an international school when you teach The Periodic Table. Why is the symbol for Sodium Na? Did you know it is called Natrium in Swedish? Tungsten sounds like a Swedish name but the symbol is W. It's called Wolfram in German. Silver's symbol Ag doesn't make much sense to an English speaker but a French person understands the symbol, silver is argent in French. I shared a blank google sheet with a few headings with 6v. In about 15 minutes they had created this!!!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ibrvL2mvfEhIcLluMmIvSKXMgh7HwGKFcKlVtEvFJiw/edit?usp=sharing

Here is the view from the other side of the screen.

Staying Warm

Grade 3 is finished with their unit about chocolate. We did an investigation this week where we compared the heat lost from different containers. This gave us a chance to practice using some simple equipment (thermometers, retort stands and timers.)

Next week we will graph our data and describe our results using the words insulator and conductor. The students will be using these words in the context of electricity in their Bright Sparks unit.

If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked a Cake

Grade 4 finished their study of chemical and physical changes in food by baking a cake.  This cake is sometimes called a wacky cake or depression cake. The ingredients are probably things you have at home. No milk or eggs are required. It is a good way to see (and taste) the reaction of baking soda and vinegar. The bubbles formed in the reaction help the cake rise. The vinegar and baking soda undergo a chemical change so they lose their characteristic taste. 

It was good practice measuring. 

Here is the recipe so you can try it at home. 

Mix the following dry ingredients in a cake pan. 10 x 20 cm is a good size:

90g unbleached all-purpose flour

100g sugar

10 g unsweetened cocoa (Optional)

3g baking soda (bicarbonate)

1g salt

2.5g vanilla powder

Mix the following wet ingredients in small bowl.

2.5ml vinegar

35ml vegetable oil

120ml cold water

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Bake at 175°C  for about 25 minutes: Until cake is springy and pulls away from the sides. 

If you want to use American measurements, google wacky cake. You will find the recipe. 

Bon appetit!