Science DEEP groups
"Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have a natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. it's posing questions and coming up with a method. It's delving in." - Sally Ride
Third Grade
For fourth term, third grade studied aerodynamics, air pressure, the Bernoulli principle, the forces of flight and balanced/unbalanced forces. This unit began with studying the different layers of Earth's atmosphere and we learned how this impacts air pressure. Next, students performed several experiments exploring the Bernoulli principle. Their favorite was the ping pong ball and the hair dryer. As a class, we discussed the four forces of flight and discussed how that relates to balanced/unbalanced forces. Then, students made two different paper airplane designs, tested them, and collected data to determine which design flew best. The study of helicopters took up the next week and students made whirly birds. This unit concluded with the third law of motion. Students applied their knowledge by making and flying paper rockets.
Third Grade Previous Terms
Third Grade- Third term
This term students learned about inherited traits and DNA. We began our unit discussing what traits are and took an inventory of and then graphed different traits found in our group. One of their favorite activities was determining if they could taste PTC. We learned about Punnett squares with our favorite alien species, the Zorks and explored how Punnett squares and area model multiplication are related. The unit concluded with extracting DNA from strawberries.
Fourth Grade
Why is the sky blue? This is one question that fourth graders explored during fourth term. Students conducted an experiment testing why the sky is blue and why we see the colors we do during sunsets during the visible light portion of the Electromagnetic Spectrum unit. During this experiment students were able to simulate how light waves are scattered in the atmosphere and were able to turn their "sky" blue, red, yellow, and more. Students also explored how visible light interacts with prisms, liquids, and solids. Next, we studies infrared waves. Students were tasked with collecting data using infrared thermometers to test how infrared is absorbed by various solids. Students then graphed their data and had a discussion about what conclusions they were able to draw by analyzing their graphs. This unit concluded by exploring ultraviolet waves. Students tested various crystals to see if they glowed when exposed to UV light. Finally, they designed an experiment to test how different SPF levels of sunscreen protect the skin from UV by using UV beads. They identified a control group and then identified what variables they wanted to change. Students collected data and replicated the experiment in different environments including indoors, in the sun, in the shade, and through a window.
Fourth grade Third term
Students explored Newton's Laws of Motion through the use of roller coasters and marble mazes. Students were challenged to complete various tasks including creating a roller coaster that used gravitational potential energy. First, their task was to make the marble finish the course as quickly as possible. Next, they needed the marble to complete the course as slowly as possible. Finally, the students incorporated hills, loops, and jumps into their designs. As a class we analyzed the results from our designs and discussed how these tests related to the Laws of Motion. Students were able to complete their own model to take home.
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade groups explored hydraulics for fourth term. This unit began with an experiment designed to allow students to compare hydraulics to pneumatics. Students collected data and then worked as a group to identify strengths, weaknesses, and possible purposes for each. We discussed how air can be compressed and how that differs from water. Students worked in groups to design hydraulic structures that they would build during this term. Students chose a variety of structures including hydraulic bridges, cranes, elevators, presses, hands, and even one device that would feed you.
Fifth grade- Third Term
Photosynthesis and chemistry
This term we explored photosynthesis. We started by learning about the periodic table and elements. Then, we explored the chemical formula for photosynthesis. We used a chemistry model to build water and carbon dioxide molecules. Then, after discussing the Law of Conservation of Mass, we used the chemistry model to determine how many water and carbon dioxide molecules were required to build glucose and oxygen, the products of photosynthesis. We then explored Flame Tests to learn about the properties of different elements found on the Periodic Table. We concluded the unit with leaf chromatography, where we determined which pigments were found in various plant samples.
Sixth Grade
In sixth grade we spent fourth term exploring how the different systems of the human body operate and how they interact. Students were placed into groups and given a system of the human body to research. First, they created life-sized drawings of the human body. Next, they included the name of their system, what their system does, how does it interact with another system, a disorder that impacts that system, and treatments available for the chosen disorder. Next, we were privileged to have a guest speaker come to speak to us about common disorders of the human body. Students were able to perform a dissection on a twinkie to learn about the various incisions they would be performing later on in the term. Students followed this dissection with an exploration of the circulatory system that concluded with a heart dissection. Finally, we learned about the eye. The unit concluded by dissecting sheep eyes. The students did a great job!