Label the diagrams together as a class!
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 6: This week in science lab,
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 5: This week in science lab, our amateur meteorologists studied another important weather variable: air pressure. The students first conducted an experiment with balloons which confirmed our suspicion – air does, in fact, have weight! The weight of air pushes down on earth's surface and creates pressure. Differences in air pressure affect our weather dramatically. During our second class, students explored the effect of temperature on air pressure. Through a lab using a balloon, a small water bottle, a bowl of warm water, and a bowl of cold water, fourth graders discovered that air molecules spread out when warmed, and come closer together with cooled.
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 4: This week in science lab, fourth graders wrapped up their study of the water cycle and clouds. We first MADE a cloud in class using some simple materials. The students had fun observing how their clouds swirled up, down, and all around! Check out the video on my website for tips on how to recreate this experiment at home. (We used matches instead of aerosol spray, but both work.) During our second class together, students “became” a water droplet and journeyed through the water cycle! The “droplets” traveled many places and went through many phase changes. Ask your fourth grader about their journey!
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 3: In honor of the tropical weather that graced its presence in NC last week, we skipped a bit ahead in the curriculum during our third week together to talk about hurricanes! My goal was to convert any fears the students had into curiosity. While safety is always top priority when looking at potentially dangerous weather, there is also an opportunity for some fascinating learning. We first looked at several satellite images of Tropical Storm Hermine and made observations. We noticed how large it was, and how the storm was rotating. The students were also curious about the process for naming hurricanes, so we looked up the list of names from previous years and for future years. Finally, we used longitude and latitude to track the storm on a map. This was a little tough at first, but the students really got the hang of it! During the second half of our third week, we took a break from our weather unit to plant seeds in the learning garden! Click HERE for photos of our planting day.
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 2: Fourth graders stayed busy during their second week in science lab! Our focus for this week was the differences between condensation and evaporation. First, students conducted an experiment which proved that there is in fact invisible water vapor in the air! The experiment was much like the video below, except we used colored water. Most students are familiar with the process of evaporation, that it requires heat energy and turns liquid water into invisible gaseous water (or water vapor). So, we spent more time understanding the process of condensation, which is just the opposite! Condensation requires heat energy to be taken away (or cooling), and through it invisible water vapor turns back in to visible liquid droplets. Understanding condensation will help tremendously with the students' understanding of clouds, as it's the process in which they are formed! We conducted a follow up experiment called the "Mini Water Cycle," where all parts of the cycle were able to be observed: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off!
Fourth Grade Q1 - Post 2: Fourth graders stayed busy during their second week in science lab! Our focus for this week was the differences between condensation and evaporation. First, students conducted an experiment which proved that there is in fact invisible water vapor in the air! The experiment was much like the video below, except we used colored water. Most students are familiar with the process of evaporation, that it requires heat energy and turns liquid water into invisible gaseous water (or water vapor). So, we spent more time understanding the process of condensation, which is just the opposite! Condensation requires heat energy to be taken away (or cooling), and through it invisible water vapor turns back in to visible liquid droplets. Understanding condensation will help tremendously with the students' understanding of clouds, as it's the process in which they are formed! We conducted a follow up experiment called the "Mini Water Cycle," where all parts of the cycle were able to be observed: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off!
Fourth Grade Q1: Post 1 During their first week in science lab, fourth graders began to explore one of many important weather variables... temperature! On the first day, we practiced using thermometers and measured the temperature of several surfaces around campus. During our second class, students conducted an experiment to determine how quickly a cup of soil heated vs. a cup of water. During the following class, we analyzed our data and formed conclusions. Find out some of our conclusions by asking your fourth grader!