Science

This week in science, we are developing performances about rain forest conservation based on the book, The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynn Cherry. This project ties in with the Lower School’s interdisciplinary unit on performing arts.

We will review many of the reasons for protecting rain forest, learn about some of the inhabitants, and then develop performances based on the grade level focus (i.e. 1st grade - dance, 2nd grade - puppets, 3rd grade - masks, etc…..).

I think we’ll be in for some interesting performances!

This week we are just returning from our trip to DC and I have lost my voice. Should make for an interesting set of classes today. We will be going over their tests from last week in great detail as many struggled more than I was expecting. I think the beautiful weather the weekend before the Monday test did not inspire a great deal of studying. Oh well. Next time.

This week we are doing a brief tour of Thermodynamics, Specific Heat and Thermal Energy. The boys will have three or four days on this followed by a quiz. Ben Pagano is going to take the lead next Monday with our study of Optics. Should be fun. He and I will be meeting this week to get him ready for his lessons next week.

~amy

Last week, the week of April 23rd, we looked at the components of an accurate experiment.  We talked about example experiments and identified methods for narrowing down our topic, titling experiments, and generating hypotheses.  The boys developed their initial designs for the experiments they will conduct.

This week, we will examine the controlled variables the boys have identified in their designs.  We will focus on the problem of how to keep constant the amount of helium in each balloon.  This will lead us to define and discuss volume.  We will conduct a two-part laboratory exercise highlighting methods of finding volume, including an intro by Mr. Stamos regarding using higher level mathematics to find the volume of an irregular shape.

Week of April 23:

We learn about echinoderms and arthropods.  Students do a crayfish dissection.  The content comes from lecture, textbook, and pre-lab readings.

This week, we are continuing our study of the elements of Performing Arts (as part of the L.S. interdisciplinary unit). Following last week’s experiments on light and light filters, we will work on sound and movement. We’ll learn basics of sound waves, pitch, and volume, and then make take-home drums. We will also learn about balance, including center of gravity and the interractions between the brain and inner ear) and then make take-home balance toys.

The week of April 9th: 

Students finished working on a comic strip outling the steps of the immune system.  (David Roberts spent at least 12 hours doing an epic graphic novel).  They then studied fungi for two days.  They did a lab on fermentation involving yeast.  The lab tested how temperature effects rate of fermentation.  Balloons captured CO2 as it was released from flasks.

 Week of April 16: 

There was a brief quiz on fungi.  Some students are making corrections to their comic strips.  We started a large unit on animals.  We start with invertebrates.  They did a dissection of earthworms on tuesday and will do a dissection of sea stars (starfish) on Friday.  Yes, you can do a dissection in 40 min. (just not a very good one).  Go Red Wings!

We are learning about potential and kinetic energy and using the appropriate formulas to solve problems. The boys did a mini-lab on mechanical advantage as an end to simple machines yesterday. Tomorrow they are working on their cars in class and putting the finishing touches to the vehicles for Thursday’s big race day. Ben Pagano will be in to help run the races. Friday we continue PE and KE before their test next Monday. Next week we are headed to Washington DC for a few days, but when we return Ben will lead the way with our unit on Optics. Should be fun!

We studied the spectrum of life… cladistics, phylogenetic relationships between related species, etc.  The class also had a test on Evolution and wrote essays on gene expression and DNA technology.  In preparation for plant week (April 16-20) we did the photosynthesis pigment lab during our double period.  If anyone knows a better site with information about the pigments in spinach, please drop me a line.

http://www.uwlax.edu/faculty/koster/Spinach.htm

This past week, we finished up our simple machines unit.  We watched the boys’ group videos of the Rube Goldberg apparatuses they built before the break, and we discussed problems they experienced during the project.  They organized their videos and supporting material to be added to the science section of their fifth grade website project.

We began our experimental design unit.  We discussed the difference between experiments and scientific tests, and we practiced identifying variables given sample experiments from history and the Discovery channel show, Mythbusters.

This week we continued to discuss evolution (started just prior to the break). The lab was on dinosaur tracks and how scientists use them to determine speed. The students measured their own stride length, leg length and speed.  Hopefully pooling the results from all four biology sections will yield some interesting data.

Today they had a test on evolution.