We named our Grasshopper "Hoppy". If you put Hoppy in the sun will he wiggle and dance? If you put him in the shade will he still move? How about if he has sunscreen on his back?
Would Hoppy be moving in this picture? Why or why not?
Can You See What We See?
Water! Water! Water!
April 2011
We learned how to make a "leak proof bag"
We learned how to poke holes in a plastic bag filled with water without spilling a drop. Our zip-lock plastic bags, holding the water, are made of low-density polyethylene (which is one of the most widely used packaging materials in the world because its low in cost, lightweight, durable, and very flexible).
We watched in amazement as our water changed color, with the use of a special tablet that is unlike food coloring (it does not stain your hands or clothes!). We placed a handful of small beads in colored water. In 3 hours, watch to see if they grow or change in any way. You may want to place your "marbles" inside clear water to see if there is any change.
Did you know that rocks have hidden talents? Some grow beautiful crystals, others attract metal, some can make sparks and one can actually float.
Critical thinking: Why do ice cubes float when you are drinking iced tea? It's all about density!
Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given unit volume. If mass is a measure of much "stuff" there is in an object or liquid, density is a measure of how tightly that "stuff" is packed together.
Every liquid has a density number associated with it. Water has a density of 1 g/mL. We used this to base our "burrito" knowing which layer to put first, second, third, fourth, and fifth.
We love Beaker, Miss Platt's lab assistant.
Critical thinking skills: Ask your child what, why, and how they think Silly Putty was formed? What happened when starch was added? Why?
Note: when squishing our mixture together with our hands, it will be watery at first. In about 15 minutes it will become Silly Putty! To keep your Silly Putty from drying out, store in a Tupperware container or plastic Ziploc bag.
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| We explored with shaving cream and how fun it feels! We made designs and covered the tables entirely of shaving cream. Then we put on our smocks and gloves and added different colors to our shaving cream creation. Applied a piece of paper and voila! Our art creation! |
We went fishing for ice cubes! We caught a star ice cube, a heart ice cube, and an ordinary rectangular shaped ice cube. We were not able to pick up all of our ice cubes, but we learned that in science, things do not always go as planned. View the video below to see what we saw, through the eyes of a scientist from Colorado.
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Worm Lesson extension at home:
Dehydrated worm - allow your worm to sit out for several days. Notice how the worm begins to dehydrate. Eventually the worm will completely shrivel up and become a long, thin thread. The water in the middle of the worm evaporates leaving only the thin worm skeleton. Don't worry, carefully place your worm in a bowl of water and watch it rehydrate. *Please note, your worm will change color from blue to clear when placed in water over several hours.
What we used for lava to erupt from our volcano:
½ tablespoon baking soda
¼ cup vinegar
5 drops of red food coloring
½ tablespoon dish soap
Fun Volcano Facts:
--The ash from a volcano eruption that covers the ground is rich in minerals that make the soil very fertile for farming.
--When Mount St. Helens erupted in the state of Washington on May 18, 1980 it produced the largest landslide in recorded history.
--Mount Kilauea in Hawaii is the most active volcano in the world. It releases over 100 million gallons of lava a day.
--Mount Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the largest volcano on Earth at 13,681 feet, in height.
Volcano Formation:
There are many different layers inside Earth. The Mantle is between the molten iron core and crust. The mantle is made up of solid rock. Sometimes, high temperatures and pressure cause the mantle to melt and become magma. When a large quantity of magma forms, it moves to the surface through the crust, and then releases pent-up gas and pressure that makes the volcano erupt. Once the magma escapes to Earth’s surface, air or water turns the magma into lava.
Lava:
There are many different types of magma. These different types will produce different types of lava ranging from fluid, fast moving basalt to slower and much thicker lava. Since rocks are made of different minerals that melt at different temperatures, the type of rock that is melted in the mantle will affect the magma that results.
Types of volcanoes:
1. Composite Cone Volcano (Strato volcanoes) have some of the most explosive eruptions. The volcano is built of lava, cinders, and ash; and the overall size of the volcano tends to increase after an eruption. Strato volcanoes have very steep sides and are a sort of transportation system for magma to rise to the surface from deep within Earth’s crust. Sometimes, as in the case of Mount St. Helens in Washington; the eruption can be so powerful that part of the volcano can be blown away, causing the mountain to be reshaped.
2. Cinder Cone Volcanoes are formed by lava fragments called cinders. This type of volcano has only one vent in which the magma can flow, unlike the other two volcanoes. Because there is only one vent from which the magma can escape, the lava fragments burst into the air and then fall around the vent of the volcano. Cinder cone volcanoes have steep sides, but they are not as large as the other volcanoes.
3. Shield Cone Volcanoes look like shields due to their gentle sloping sides. These gentle slopes are caused by the volcanoes’ eruptions. Shield volcanoes’ eruptions usually have fluid lava flows, causing the lava to spread slowly over great distances. The lava flows not only from the top of the volcano but also through cracks on the ground. Since the lava travels so slowly when these volcanoes erupt, there is usually enough time for animals and people to move to safety. Because of the way Shield volcanoes erupt, they are some of the largest volcanoes in the world.
